General Notes

"Immediately after the Norman conquest," says Collins, "arose into power and importance, more especially in the midland counties, the great baronial family of Basset" (descended from Thurston the Norman), which gave a chief justice to England in the reign of Henry I, in the person of Ralph Basset, from whom sprang the Lords Basset of Drayton, the Lords Basset of Heddington, &c. About the middle of the 12th century, the Bassets of Cornwall obtained the estates of Tehidy by marriage with the heiress of the great house of de Dunstanville. In the 42nd year of KingHenry III (1257-8), Ralph Basset, Lord of Drayton, co. Stafford,[great-]great-grandson of Richard Basset, justice of England, and his wife, Maud Ridel, had summons (amongst other great men) to attend the king at Chester, well furnished with horse and arms, to oppose the incursions of the Welsh. But in the 48th of the same monarch, having joined Simon Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the other rebellious barons, he was appointed the next year, after the defeat of the king's arms at Lewes, and capture of the king, governor for those lords of the castles of Salop and Bruges. He fell, however, before the close of the same year at the battle of Evesham. It is said that when the Earl of Leicester perceived the great force and order of the royal army,calculating upon defeat, he conjured Ralph Basset and Hugh Dispenser to retire and reserve themselves for better times but they bravely answers,"that if he perished, they would not desire to live." Lord Basset m.Margaret, dau. of Roger de Someri, Baron of Dudley, and widow of Uriah St. Pierre, and had issue, Ralph, and Maud. Not withstanding the death ofLord Basset, thus in arms against the king, his widow was so favoured by the monarch as to have the chief of his estates settled upon her for life, but soon afterwards, taking the veil, she passed her title in those lands to her son, Ralph Basset. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant,Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p.26-7, Basset, Barons Basset, of Drayton]

RALPH BASSET, son and heir of RaIoh Basset, of Sapcote, co. Leicester, was summoned to Parliament 24 December 1264, by writ directed Radulfo Basset de Sapcote. Such summons having issued in rebellion, should not, however, Constitute a peerage dignity, and none of his successors were summoned to Parliament till 1371. He was summoned cum equis et armis against the Welsh 24 May 1282.



"This feudal lord held the sheriffalty of Lincolnshire from the 25th to the 29th of Henry III, inclusive, and in four years after performed pilgimage to St. James in Galicia. In the 42nd of the same monarch he recieved command to attend the king at Chester, to repel the incursions of the Welsh, andhe was constituted in that year governor of Northampton Caslte. But after the battle of Lewes, being summoned to the parliament which the barons held in the king's name (49th Henry III.) he subsequently sided with Simon Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and fell with that ambitious noble at the battle of Evesham, on 4 August 1265. His lordship m. Milisent, one of the daus. andco-heiresses of Robert de Chaucombe, and was s. by his son, Ralph . . ." He was son of Simon Basset and the daughter of William Avenel.)

Note: The above text from Burke's Extinct Peerage is obviously somewhat wrong.  This Ralph, d. 1282, was son of another Ralph.  However I assume that Ralph's father Ralph may have been son of Simon Basset & Elizbbeth Avenel, as indicated by the above text.

BASSET (a) (of Drayton)

RALPH BASSET, son and heir of Ralph Basset, of Drayton, co. Stafford, andof Colston Basset, Notts (b), was summoned to Parliament 24 December1264, by writ directed Radulfo Basset de Drayton; which writ however,having issued in rebellion, should not create a peerage dignity.

He married Margaret, daughter of Roger de Somery, of Dudlcy, co.Worcester, by his 1st wife (to whom she was daughter and cohheir),Nicole, daughter and eventmaclly coheir of William (d'AUBIGNY), EARL OFARUNDEL. He died 4 August 1265, being slain at the battle of Eveshamfighting against the King, who, however, continued the estates to hiswidow and son, as her father had fought for the King at Evesham. Hiswidow married before 26 January 1I270/1, as 2nd wife, Ralph DE CROMWELL,Of Cromwell, Notts, and West Hallam, co. Derby, who died shortly before18 September 1289. She took the veil shortly before 18 June 1293.[Complete Peerage II:1-2, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(a) In Dugdale's "Usage of Arms", are given the numerous variations (forthe sake of "difference") in the armorial ensigns borne by the variousmembers of the Basset family. From this it would appear that the house ofWeldon, and that of Drayton, both of whom derived from the elder sons ofRichard Basset by Maud, daughter and heir of Geoffrey Ridel (a powerfulfeudal Baron, whose lands they inherited), adopted the "3 piles" (theRidel coat), but that William Basset (ancestor of the house of Sapcote,being the youngest son of the said William and Maud), "having noadvancement by the house of Rydell, retained "Undie" the devise of theBassets, and only changed the colours thereof (from gold and red) intosilver and black. But, about the time of Edward III, Simon Basset, Baronof Sapcote (descended from the forenamed William) and Sir John Basset ofBlore (also so descended), both of them (I know not the case why) at oneinstant (as I think) relinquished their devise of "Undie" and investedthemselves into "Ridels" (ie. the 3 piles with certain variations). [G.E.Cokayne] J. H. Round, however points out that all this is invalidated bythe fact that Geoffrey Ridel d. as early as 1120, when there cannot haveexisted a family coat of Ridel. [Vicary Gibbs]

(b) This Ralph, who d. 1254-61, was son of Ralph, who d. 1211, son ofRalph who d. 1160, son of Richard Basset, Justiciar temp. Henry I, whoheld Drayton through his marriage with Maud Ridel, and d. 1144.

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"Immediately after the Norman conquest," says Collins, "arose into powerand importance, more especially in the midland counties, the greatbaronial family of Basset" (descended from Thurston the Norman), whichgave a chief justice to England in the reign of Henry I, in the person ofRalph Basset, from whom sprang the Lords Basset of Drayton, the LordsBasset of Heddington, &c. About the middle of the 12th century, theBassets of Cornwall obtained the estates of Tehidy by marriage with theheiress of the great house of de Dunstanville. In the 42nd year of KingHenry III (1257-8), Ralph Basset, Lord of Drayton, co. Stafford,[great-]great-grandson of Richard Basset, justice of England, and hiswife, Maud Ridel, had summons (amongst other great men) to attend theking at Chester, well furnished with horse and arms, to oppose theincursions of the Welsh. But in the 48th of the same monarch, havingjoined Simon Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the other rebelliousbarons, he was appointed the next year, after the defeat of the king'sarms at Lewes, and capture of the king, governor for those lords of thecastles of Salop and Bruges. He fell, however, before the close of thesame year at the battle of Evesham. It is said that when the Earl ofLeicester perceived the great force and order of the royal army,calculating upon defeat, he conjured Ralph Basset and Hugh Dispenser toretire and reserve themselves for better times but they bravely answers,"that if he perished, they would not desire to live." Lord Basset m.Margaret, dau. of Roger de Someri, Baron of Dudley, and widow of UriahSt. Pierre, and had issue, Ralph, and Maud. Notwithstanding the death ofLord Basset, thus in arms against the king, his widow was so favoured bythe monarch as to have the chief of his estates settled upon her forlife, but soon afterwards, taking the veil, she passed her title in thoselands to her son, Ralph Basset. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant,Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p.26-7, Basset, Barons Basset, of Drayton]

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Ralph Basset (d 1265), baronial leader, was lord of Drayton inStaffordshire, and, joining the baronial party against Henry III, wasappointed by them custos pacis for Shropshire and Staffordshire on 7 June1264, and was summoned to Simon de Montfort's parliament on 4 Dec 1264 asRalph Basset 'de Drayton'.  He fell at Evesham by De Montfort's side on 4Aug 1265, heaving refused, when urged by him, to seek safety in flight.

     Sir Rauf the gode Basset did ther his ending, (Robert Brune)

His lands were forfeited for rebellion, but restored to his widowMargaret, as the daughter of a royalist, Roger de Someri. [Dictionary ofNational Biography I:1305]