• General Notes

  The following is excerpted from a posting by Nathaniel Taylor to soc.genealogy.medieval:
  
  From: Nathaniel Taylor (ntaylor@@fas.harvard.edu)
  Subject: Re: Gresley [was: Drake; was: DE GRESLEY]
  Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
  Date: 1998/02/21
  
  Now to the original questions.  Drakelowe is in Derbyshire, 2 miles south of Burton-on-Trent; the original Gresley is only 3 miles distant from Drakelowe.  The Stafford-Gresley connection (sharing common descent from the Toesnis) is postulated by the Gresley author, Falconer Madan, whose book 'The Gresleys of Drakelowe' (Proceedings of the Wm. Salt Archaeological Society, new ser., 1, 1898), is still the definitive work on the Gresleys, makes Peter de Gresley the agnatic fourth cousin of Johanna de Stafford, who is the daughter of SirRobert de Stafford & Gundreda; Sir Robert being son of Sir William de Stafford(& Alditha [Vernon?]), younger brother of Hervey de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford (d. 1237).
  
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  Following excerpted from posting by Rosie Bevan to the soc.genealogy.medieval newsgroup:
  
  From: "Rosie Bevan" (rbevan@@paradise.net.nz)
  Subject: Montgomery of Cubley Part 2
  Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
  Date: 2002-11-24 15:50:02 PST
  
  8.SIR WALTER DE MONTGOMERY. In 1281 he was styled 'Dominus of Sudbury' which appears to havebeen the place of residence of the Montgomery heir apparent.  Succeeding his father in 1303, he made a grant of the mill at Cubley to Alan the miller [Jeayes, Derbyshire Charters, no.929]. On 22 May 1306 he was amongst those knighted with Edward, Prince of Wales. In 1308 Walter presented to Sudbury church. [Charles Cox, Churches of Derbyshire, v.3 p. 316]. Pardoned for the death of Piers de Gavaston 1313. Commissioner of Array for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1319. Summoned as a man of arms of Northamptonshire and as a knight of Derbyshire to the Great Council at Westminster 9 May 1324, and to serve in Guienne 7 January 1325 [C.Moor, Knights of Edward I, v.III p. 190]. His first wife and mother of his children is unknown. He married secondly Joan, daughter of Sir Robert de Stafford and widow of Peter de Gresley d.c 1310. She was implicated in the murder of her stepson, William de Montgomery.
  
  "[Peter de Gresley] married Johanna, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Robert de Stafford and a lineal descendant ofthe Toenis.  Very shortly after her husband's death, she was forcibly abductedfrom her manor of Drakelowe, which had been assigned to her by her eldest son,and carried off to Swinnerton by Sir John de Swinnerton and others.  There shewas detained for a long time, and it is certainly noticeable that we hear nothing of her for some years after this event.  Justice was slow, and not till 1321-4 was Sir John brought to trial, when he produced a pardon from the King dated May 25, 1310!  However, before 1320 Johanna must have escaped, for she was then the wife of Sir Walter de Montgomery (a connexion of the Swinnertons), who died in 1322 or 1323 [RB - this date of death is incorrect].  The violence of the times can be as well gathered from the following single incident as from a catalogue of crimes.  On Sept 23, 1323, Johanna is found abetting her sons Peter and Robert de Gresley in the murder of Sir William de Montgomery, son of her late [sic] husband Sir Walter 'on the high road under the park of Seal!'
  
  Philippa the widow of the murdered man procured the arrest of all three, but they were acquitted!  Again in 1333 she was accused of murder and again acquitted.  After these records - and they are only samples - one is not surprised to hear ofher own strong-box being broken into at Drakelowe in 1323-4.  At last in or before 1342 her turbulent life is ended. "
  [The Gresleys of Drakelow"  Wm Salt NS 1:43]

Details of Johanna (Joan) De's family with Walter Montgomery

Details of Johanna (Joan) De's family with Peter De Gresley