John Fitz Randolph, Knight

1374 - 1405  (31 years)

• Name	John Fitz Randolph  [1]
  Suffix	Knight
  Birth	1374	Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	1405  [1]
  Person ID	I22812	Master
  Last Modified	9 Mar 2022

  
  

  Father	Ranulf Fitz John,   b. 1345, Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England d. 1388 (Age 43 years)
  Family ID	F5931	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Children	+ 1. Ralph Fitz Randolph, Knight,   b. 1398, Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England d. 1457 (Age 59 years)
  Family ID	F5930	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	8 Jul 2015

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1374 - Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  RESIDENCE: Of Spennithorne, co. York {Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England}. HONORS: Knighted. PUNISHMENT: Executed> Executed for taking part in the rebellion of Henry PERCY, Earl of Northumberland, Richard SCROPE, Archbishop of York, etc. DEATH: Cause> Beheaded. About Sir John Fitzrandolph, Lord of Spennithorne http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p506.htm#i15208 'Sir John FitzRandall, Lord Spennithorne1 'M, b. circa 1374, d. 1405 Father Randall (Ranulph) FitzJohn, Lord Spennithorne b. c 1345, d. a 1388 ' Sir John FitzRandall, Lord Spennithorne was born circa 1374 at of Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England. He died in 1405; Beheaded for taking part in the rebellion of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland. Family Child ◦Sir Ralph FitzRandall, Lord Spennithorne+ b. c 1398 Citations 1.[S4022] Unknown author, The Royal Descents of 500 Immigrants, by Gary Boyd Roberts, p. 446. _____________ 58880. John Fitz-Randolph, born 1374; died 1405. He was the son of 117760. Randulph Fitz-John. Child of John Fitz-Randolph is: 29440 i. Ralph Fitz-Randolph, born 1389; died January 20, 1457/58. John was a Knight - Lord of Spennithorne. He was beheaded for taking part in the rebellion of Henry Percy (1st Earl of Northumberland), Richard Scrope (Archbishop of York), and other northern magnates. Ancestors Viking Line of Ancestry (through marriage) 1. Rolf the Norsman, 860 – 932, First Duke of Normandy, married Gisela, daughter of King Charles III 2. William “Longsword”, Second Duke of Normandy, married Luetgarde, daughter of Heribert II 3. Richard I, 933 – 996, married Emma, later married Gonnora. 4. Avicia, daughter of Richard I, married Geoffrey, Duke of Normandy, a male ancestor of the Fitz Randolph family and #5 below. Viking / Norman Male Line of Ancestry – 21 generations to my emigrant ancestor 1. Gurvand, Count of Rennes, died 877 2. Judicael, Count of Rennes, died 888 3. Juhel, Count of Rennes, died 952 4. Conan I, married twice, died in 992 5. Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany. Married Avicia, daughter of Richard I, a descendent of Rolf the Norsman. Feoffrey died 1008, Avicia died 1034. 6. Eudo, Duke of Brittany, 999 – 1079, married Agnes, daughter of Alan. Eudo is said to have outfitted one hundred ships and recruited nearly 25% of the forces that accompanied William the Conqueror when he invaded England in 1066. Eudo’s son, Alan Rufus, was commander of the invading forced provided by Eudo, and he was a close associate of William the Conqueror. On October 14, 1066 William’s army of Normans defeated the British at the Battle of Hastings and he was crowned King William I. King William sent Alan Rufus to live in the North and protect against a Scottish attack. Alan Rufus became the first Earl of Richmond. Alan Rufus died without issue, and gave holdings to his brother Ribald. 7. Ribald, 1050 – 1131, married Beatrix, daughter of Ivo Tellebois 8. Ralph, 1080 – 1195, married Agatha, daughter of Robert de Brus 9. Robert Fitz Randolph, 1110 – 1185, married Helewisa, daughter of Ralph de Glanville 10. Ranulph Fitz Robert, married Mary Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod, died 1252 11. Ranulph Fitz Ranllph, Lord of Spennithorne, 1220 – 1294, married Bertrama, widow of Roger de Ingoldsby 12. Ralph Fitz Ranulph, Lord of Spennithorne, 1300 – 1343, married Isabel 13. John Fitz Randolph, Lord of Spennithorne, 1325 – 1368, married Maud de Campia in 1343 14. Ranulph Fitz John, Lord of Spennithorne, 1345 – 1388 15. John Fitz Ranulph, 1374 – 1405, beheaded in part for rebellion against Henry Percy 16. Ralph Fitz John, Lord of Spennithorne, 1398 – 1457, married Elizabeth 17. John Fitz Randolph, Lord of Spennithorne, 1420 – 1474, married Joan Conyers, daughter of Christopher Conyers, Knight of Hornby NOTE – This generation is where the Patronymic naming system ended, and the last name continued from father to son. John Fitz Randolph literally meant John, son of Randolph (Ralph). His sons used the name Fitz Randolph as the family name, while other families chose to drop the Fitz and use only the last name as the family name. In addition to son John below, they had a son Christopher Fitz Randolph who was Vicar of the parish in Kirky-in-Ashfield. 18. John Fitz Randolph, 1455 – 114, younger brother of Sir Ralph Fitz Randolph, Lord of Spennithorne. 19. Christopher Fitz Randolph, 1495 – 1570. He married Jane Langton (1499 – 1573), daughter of Culthbert Langton and heiress of Langton Hall. 20. Christopher Fitz Randolph, 1530 – 1588 21. Edward Fitz Randolph, 1565 – 1647. Married Alice Thompson in 1589, Frances Howes in 1605. Edward Fitz Randolph, born in 1607 to Edward and Frances Fitz Randolph, emigrated to Massachussets in 1630 and is my emigrant ancestor. Middleham Castle Alan Rufus died without issue and gave his brother Ribald property including some overlooking Middleham in Yorkshire. Robert FR , grandson of Ribald and heir to the property started construction of a castle there. It was 210 by 180 feet, with a deep moat, located overlooking the Ure River between Masham and Leyburn in Yorkshire. Following the English Civil War and the beheading of King Charles I, there was much destruction of churches and castles across England. Middleham Castle was partly destroyed in that process. Spennithorne Spennithorne was a parish at the lower end of Wensleydale, Nottinghamshire, on the North bank of the Ure River. Ribald came into possession of Spennithorne by grant from Alan Rufus and it stayed in the family for many generations. Around the middle of the 13th century it was given to Ranulph, who founded the family of Fitz Randall or Fitz Randolph of Spennithorne. 19. Christopher Fitz Randolph of Langton Hall in the Parish of Kirkby-in-Ashfield in the County of Nottingham. He married Jane Langton, daughter of Culthbert Langton of Langton Hall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and of Middleham in the County of Warwick. Their marriage was recorded in a contract dated 1514. Jane was executrix of her husband’s estate, whose will was proved April 2, 1574 when she was listed as a widow. He was executor of the estate of his Uncle Christopher Fitz Randolph, Vicar of the same Parish of Kirby-in-Ashfield. Christopher and Jane / Joan have seven recorded children: 1. Thomas Fitz Randolph of Kirky in Ashfield, will dated May 21, 1600 and proved April 7, 1601 2. John Fitz Randolph of Birchwood, Parish of Alfreton in the county of Derby. Held tenements in the Parish of Kirkby-in-Ashfield 3. Edward Fitz Randolph, mentioned in the will of his mother 4. Christopher Fitz Randolph, my ancestor, more information below 5. Isabel Fitz Randolph, mentioned in the will of her mother 6. Margaret Fitz Randolph, mentioned in the will of her mother 7. Margery Fitz Randolph, mentioned in the will of her mother 20. Christopher Fitz Randolph of Hucknall under Haithwaite, Parish of Sutton-in-Ashfield, County of Nottingham. He was mentioned in the will of his mother. His will was dated June 20, 1588 and buried in Sutton-in-Ashfield June 28, 1588. His will names the inheritance of his wife but does not give her name, and it names four sons: 1. James Fitz Randolph 2. Anthony Fitz Randolph, married Winifred, buried November 20, 1636 in Sutton-in-Ashfield 3. Edward Fitz Randolph, my ancestor, more information below 4. Christopher 21. Edward Fitz Randolph of Sutton-in-Ashfield and later of Kneesall in the County of Nottingham. He was mentioned in the will of his father as well as the will of his Uncle Thomas FR. Edward’s will was dated August 13, 1647 and proved October 27, 1648. Edward was buried at Kneesall. Edward married Ales Thompson November 16, 1589 at Sutton-in-Ashfield who died and was buried there December 27, 1604, eleven days after their daughter Catheren was born. Edward and Ales had five children: 1. Elizabeth Fitz Randolph, baptized November 6, 1590 2. Thomas Fitz Randolph, baptized January 2, 1592/93 3. Richard Fitz Randolph, baptized August 7, 1596 4. Jane Fitz Randolph, baptized January 1, 1602/03 5. Catheren Fitz Randolph, baptized December 16, 1604 and buried April 21, 1610 Edward remarried on December 17, 1605 to Frances Howes at Sutton-in-Ashfield. They had six children: 6. Edward Fitz Randolph, baptized July 5, 1607 (recorded as Edward Fitz Randall) at Sutton-in-Ashfield. Emigrated to New England in 1630, and is my emigrant Fitz Randolph ancestor. He was bequeathed 10 pounds sterling in the will of his father in 1647 “if he cum to demand it” 7. Anthony Fitz Randolph, baptized September 24, 1609 8. Ales Fitz Randolph, died as an infant 9. Christopher Fitz Randolph, baptized May 1613 10. John Fitz Randolph, baptized January 14, 1615/16 11. Joseph Fitz Randolph, baptized November 18, 1621 John FITZRANDOLPH was born in 1374. He died on 2 Jul 1405. Parents: John FITZRANULPH. Children were: Ralph FITZRANDOLPH. 'The Magna Charta sureties, 1215: the barons named in the Magna Charta, 1215 ... By Frederick Lewis Weis, Walter Lee Sheppard, William http://books.google.com/books?id=59XcwoRK9jkC&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=Edward+FitzRandolph+1565&source=bl&ots=KGhipz7S8p&sig=fdJHr8FP7z8wU_zIi8MRSG_07HM&hl=en&ei=QaZ9TcT8MM_0rAHBmt3uBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=Edward%20FitzRandolph%201565&f=false Pg. 193-196 1. ROGER BIGOD (3-1), 2nd Earl of Norfolk, Magna Charta Surety, 1215, b. c. 1150, d. 1221; m. Ida. (CP IX, 586-589). 2. MARY BIGOD, heiress of Menethorpe, co. York; prob. m. Ranulf fitz Robert, lord of Middleham, co. York, to which he succeeded by 1206, d. bef. 7 Dec. 1252, bur. at Coverham Abbey, co. York; held 6 knights' fees in the honour of Richmond, co. York, and 6 in Norfolk, the latter acquired presumably from the Bigods. (Clay, Early Yorkshire Charters, V:303; The Genealogist, n.s. 3:33; Feudal Aids 6: 156; VCH, North Riding of York, 1: 254). 3. RANULF fitz RANULF, lord of Spennithorne, co. York, b. c. 1220/5, d. bef. 1294; m. Bertrama, widow of Sir Roger de Ingoldsby. (VCH cit. 1: 258). 4. RALPH fitz RANULF, lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1250/60, d. bef. 1316; m. Theophania (or Tiffany) de Lascelles, dau. and coheiress of Sir Roger de Lascelles (IV) of Kirkby-under-Knowle, co. York, who is now considered by legal fiction to have been 1st Baron Lascelles. (VCH cit. 1: 258; Clay, Early Yorkshire Charters, "Lascelle Fee", V 182-186; CP VII, 446-449) 5. RANULF fitz RALPH, lord of Spennithorne, sometimes called Ranulf de Lascelles, b. c. 1300, d. aft. 1343; m. Isabel. (VCH cit., 1: 258; Feet of Fines for co. of York, 1327-1347, p.166). 6. JOHN fitz RANULF, lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1325, d. bef. 1369; m. by Oct. 1343, Maud "de Campania," who m. (2) Robert de Hilton, lord of Swine. (VCH Cit., 1: 259; Feet of Fines for co. of York, loc. cit.: Yorks Archaeol. Journal, 25: 174). 7. RANDALL (or RANULF) fitz JOHN, lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1345, d. aft. 1388. (VCH cit. 1: 259). '8. SIR JOHN RANDALL (or FITZ RANDOLPH), KNT., lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1374, beheaded, 1405 for taking part in the rebellion of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York, and other northern magnates. (VCH cit. 1: 259; C.W.C. Oman, Political History of England, 1377-1485, pp. 194-198; see Close Rolls, 17 Feb. 1407, for lands of which Sir John was seised at time of his death). 9. SIR RALPH FITZ RANDALL (or FITZ RANDOLPH), KNT., lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1398, under age in 1407, will dated 20 Jan. 1457/8, pr. ult. Jan. 1457/8; m. Elizabeth. (VCH cit. 1: 259; Sir Ralph's Will is printed in Surtees Soc. Publ., 26: 4). 10. JOHN FITZ RANDOLPH (or FITZ RANDOLPH), ESQ., lord of Spennithorne, b. c. 1420, d. 5 Mar. 1474/5; m. Joan Conyers, eldest dau. of Sir Christopher Conyers, Knt., of Hornby Castle, co. York. b. c. 1380. d. aft. 1462, m. (1) bef. Sept. 1415 Ellen, b. c. 1399, d. 6 Aug. 1444, dau. of Thomas Rolleston of Mablethorp, co. Lincoln, Esq., by Beatrice Haulay his wife, heiress of Ingleton, co. York. (VCH cit. 1: 259: J.W. Clay, Extinct & Dormant Peerages of the Northern Counties of England, 32-33; Yorks Arch. Soc. Record Series, 59: 105, Inq.p.m. of Thomas Rolleston). 11. JOHN FITZ RANDOLPH, b. perhaps 1455/60, prob. d. bef. 1514, presumed to have been third or fourth son of John Fitz Randolph and Joan Conyers, and brother of Sir Ralph Fitz Randolph of Spennithorne (c. 1444-1517) and of Christopher Fitz Randolph, parson of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, co. Nottingham (d 1516). See note to this pedigree; Fitz Randolph pedigree in British Museum Add. Mss. 6705, f58b, begins with this John). 12. CHRISTOPHER FITZ RANDOLPH, b. c. 1495, d. sh. bef. 26 Apr. 1670 (adminstration granted on that date to his widow Jane and eldest son Thomas); doubtless came to Kirkby-in-Ashfield, co Nottingham, because of his uncle Christopher Fitz Randolph, parson of that place, who d. 1516 leaving a will dated 1 Jun 1516 of which the nephew Christopher was named as one of the executors; m. by contract dated 1514 to Jane (or Joan) Langton, dau. and heiress of Cuthbert Langton of Langton Hall in the parish of Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Jane was b. c. 1499, d. betw. 30 July 1573 (date of will) and 2 Apr. 1574 (probate). (NEHGR, 97: 296, 99: 335-336; Brit. Museum Add. Mss. 6705: f58b; Add. Mss. 6707: v1O2; Harl. Mss. 1400: 58, 58b; Thoroton, Antiquities of Nottinghamshire, 2: 296; Harl. Soc. Publ., 4: 187. L.V.F. Randolph, FitzRandolph Traditions, mentions Christopher Fitz Randolph and Jane Langton many times, but this book regrettably contains many errors; Whitaker, Richmondshire II, p. 46). 13. CHRISTOPHER FITZ RANDOLPH, b. c. 1530, bur. at Sutton-in-Ashfield, co. Nottingham, 28 June 1588 (this is the correct date of burial from original paper Parish Register of Sutton-in-Ashfield. The date was incorrectly copied as "7 Jun 1589" in late parchment copy of original Register, and wrong date from copy was unfortunately printed in the NEHGR, 97: 298). Christopher was his parents' fourth son, and was named in his mother's will, dated 30 July 1573. His own will, dated 20 June 1588, was proved 1 Apr. 1589 in the Peculiar Court of the Manor of Mansfield (Notts. County Record Office, D.D.P. 17/69). Christopher's wife, who predeceased him, was not named in his will. He had four sons, James, Anthony, Edward and Christopher, named in the will. 14. EDWARD FITZ RANDOLPH, b. c. 1565, d. betw. 13 Aug. 1647 (dated of will) and 27 Oct. 1647 (probate). He was prob. b. at Hucknall-under-Huthwaite in the parish of Sutton-in-Ashfield, co. Nottingham, and moved aft. 1621 to Kirsall in the Parish of Kneesall, co. Nottingham, where he died. He was the 3rd son named in his father's will, and was prob. the nephew Edward named in the will of his uncle Thomas Fitz Randolph, 21 May 1600. (NEHGR, 97: 297). He m. (1) at Sutton-in-Ashfield, 16 Nov. 1589, Alice Tompson, bur. there 27 Dec. 1604. He m. (2) at Sutton-in-Ashfield, 17 Dec. 1605, Frances Howls, apparently a native of the parish of Kneesall, co. Nottingham, bur. at Kneesall 7 June 1631 (NEHGR 97: 298; Transcript of the Parish Registers of Kneesall; original will of Edward Fitz Randolph at York Probate Registry, in which he bequeathed ten pounds sterling to his son Edward "if he cum to demand it.") 15. EDWARD FITZ RANDOLPH (son of the 2nd marriage), the emigrant to New England and eventual settler in New Jersey, bp. at Sutton-in-Ashfield, co. Nottingham, 5 July 1607, emigrated 1630 to Scituate, Mass., then moved to Barnstable, Cape Cod, and finally to Piscataway, N.J., where he d. c. 1684/5. He m. at Scituate, 10 May 1637, Elizabeth Blossom, b. at Leyden, Netherlands, 1620, d. at Piscataway, c. 1713, having remarried, 30 June 1685, Capt. John Pike. (NEHGR 97: 275-276, 298; 99: 335-336; Louise Aymar Christian and Howard Stelle Fitz Randolph, Fitz Randolph Genealogy, 5). Note: Although this line is probably sound, attention should be drawn to other evidences. C.T. Clay, Early Yorkshire Charters, 5: 303, say that Ranulf Fitz Robert "is said to have married Mary daughter of Roger Bigod earl of Norfolk" (see above, Generation 2). Mary definitely brought the lands of Menethorpe, co York, to her husband in gift of frank-marriage, which lands had previously been held by Roger Bigod (ibid., footnote 4 and authorities there cited). Moreover, the careful pedigree in the Genealogist, n.s., 3: 33, gives Mary as daughter of Roger Bigod. The weakest link is that which connects Generations 10 and 11 (above). John Fitz Randolph (Generation 10) was succeeded at Spennithorne by his eldest son Sir Ralph Fitz Randolph (b.c. 1444, d. 1517) who married Elizabeth Scrope, daughter of Sir Thomas Scrope, 5th Lord Scrope of Masham. They had a son John Fitz Randolph (who d. in 1517 shortly after his father, and was the last of the Fitz Randolphs of Spennithorne), and five daughters, Elizabeth, Alice, Mary, Dorothy, and Agnes, who were coheiresses of their brother John at his death in 1517 (Surtees Soc. Publ., 133: 24). In 1514 Christopher Fitz Randolph (Generation 12) was married by contract to Jane Langton. Two of the feoffees of the marriage contract were John Fitz Randolph, heir of Spennithorne, mentioned above, and his brother-in-law Sir Nicholas Strelley of Linby, co. Nottingham, husband of Elizabeth Fitz Randolph, the eldest of the five Spennithorne coheiresses. It is presumed that John Fitz Randolph and Strelley were feoffees because the bride-groom, Christopher Fitz Randolph, was John's first cousin and Strelley's first-cousin-in-law (see discussion by Anthony R. Wagner, Richmond Herald, in NEHGR 99: 335-336). We also know that Christopher Fitz Randolph (Generation 12) had an uncle, Christopher Fitz Randolph, parson of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, co. Nottingham, who was presented to that living 3 Mar. 1489/90 by Sir John Conyers, Knt., of Hornby Castle, co. York, who had acquired the advowson. Christopher Fitz Randolph, the parson made a will dated 1 June 1516, proved 17 July 1516, of which his nephew Christopher (Generation 12) was one of the executors. Christopher the parson unfortunately did not mention his kinsmen of the Spennithorne line in this will. We further know that John Fitz Randolph (Generation 10) married Joan Conyers, eldest daughter of Sir Christopher Conyers, Knt., lord of Hornby Castle, co. York (Raine, Testamenta Eboracenses, 3: 228; Conyers pedigree in J.W. Clay, Extinct and Dormant Peerages of the Northern Counties of England, 32-33). Joan (Conyers) Fitz Randolph was living, a widow, 22 June 1483, when she was named in the will of that date of her brother Christopher Conyers, Rector of Rudby, co. York (Raine, Test. Ebor., 3: 287). We think (but cannot prove) that John Fitz Randolph (Generation 10) and his wife Joan Conyers had, in addition to their eldest son and heir Sir Ralph, younger sons named Richard, John, and Christopher, and a daughter Margery who married John Burgh of East Hawkswell, co. York (for the Burghs, see Whitaker, Richmondshilre, 347). Of the above-named three younger sons, we suppose that John was the John Fitz Randolph (Generation 11), while Christopher was the parson of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, named for his grandfather and uncle, each named Christopher Conyers. If this connection be correct, as we believe, it would explain why Sir John Conyers of Hornby (eldest son of Sir Christopher and brother of Joan (Conyers) Fitz Randolph) acquired the advowson of Kirkby-in-Ashfield and presented Christopher Fitz Randolph (whom we believe to have been Sir John's nephew) to that living. It may be noted in passing that the given name Christopher entered the Fitz Randolph family through the marriage to Joan Conyers in the fifteenth century and continued as a given name in that family for over two centuries. Edward[1] Fitz Randolph's (Generation 15) eldest surviving son Nathaniel[2] had an eldest son John[3] who had an eldest son Christopher[4], b. at Woodbridge, N.J., 23 Feb. 1682 (L.A. Christian and H.S.F. Randolph, FitzRandolph Genealogy, 9). Bearing in mind the possibilities that Mary Bigod (Generation 2) may not have been the wife of Randulf fitz Robert, and that John Fitz Randolph Generation 11) may not have been a younger son of John Fitz Randolph (Generation 10), even though we think that those connections are correct, we have presented the above pedigree.

  
  

• Sources

  [S534] Copyright (c) 1980, 1997, data as of February 1997, International Genealogical Index, (online database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/)), p. 342 [FITZ RANDOLPH: 8].