General Notes

REFN: 1472AN
REFN: P1472
Killed in the Battle of Evesham in Worcestshire, England.
Ralph Basset, Lord of Drayton, co. Stafford, great-grandson of Richard Bas
set, Justice of England, and his wife Maud Ridel [NB Boyer shows h
im t o be great great grandson of Richard and Maud], had summons (among
st othe r great men) to attend the King at Chester, well furnished with ho
rse an d arms, to oppose the incursions of the Welsh. But in the 48th of t
he sa me monarch, having joined Simon Montford, Earl of Leicester, and t
he othe r rebellious barons, he was appointed the next year, after the def
eat o f the king's arms at Lewes, and capture of the king, governor for th
ose l ords of the castles of Salop and Bruges. He fell, however, before t
he cl ose of the same year, at the battle of Evesham. It is said that wh
en th e Earl of Leicester perceived the great force and order of the roy
al army , calculating upon defeat, he conjured Ralph Basset and Hugh Dispe
nser t o retire, and reserve themselves for better times; but they brave
ly answe red, "that if he perished, they would not desire to live." Lord B
asset m . Margaret, dau. of Roger de Someri, Baron of Dudley, and wid
ow of Uria n St. Pierre, and has issue, (I) Ralph, his successor; (II) Mau
d, m. to J ohn, Lord Grey de Wilton. Notwithstanding the death of Lord Bas
sets, thu s in arms against the king, his widow was so favoured by the mon
arch as t o have the chief of his estates settled upon her for life, but s
oon after wards, taking the veil, she passed her title in those lands to h
er son, R alph Basset, 2nd baron...