Robert de Alfreton

• Preferred Name: Robert de Alfreton^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}
  
• Gender: M
  
• Death: 5 APR 1170 in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England at LATI: N3.0989 LONG: E1.3825
  
• Birth: ABT 1117 in Belper, Derbyshire, England at LATI: N3.0254 LONG: E1.4793
  
• Burial: in Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
  
• FSID: GD84-X1L
  
• Fact: with note: Description: https://www.geni.com/people/Robert-de-Alfreton-Lord-of-Alfreton-Norton-Marnham/6000000007150798818?through=6000000109424935835
  
• Notes:

  === Some background information concerning the family of Amicia de Alfreton and her ancestors ===
  Robert de Lathom (also called Robert Fitz-Henry) died in 1199. This is confirmed by a lawsuit filed on 29 October 1199 by Amabel, the wife of Robert, against Richard de Lathom the son of Robert [See document in the Memories section]. British History Online in a footnote notes that Amabel was probably the second wife of Robert, because she is referred to as "dau. of Simon" and Robert’s first wife “was the daughter and heiress of Orm, son of Ailward, and his wife Emma, dau. of Albert Grelley”. It is interesting to note that British History Online calls Emma’s father “Orm, son of Ailward” rather than Orme Fitz-Siward (Orme son of Siward) as he is referred to in The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster. But, clearly, Orm, son of Ailward, and Orme Fitz-Siward are the same person, spouse of Emma de Gresely (Grelley). Emma must have died quite some time before 1199 for Robert to have remarried, perhaps by 1190. Lending further credence to the fact that Amabel was the second wife is the fact that she felt it necessary to file suit against Robert’s son and heir Richard de Lathom for a dowry. If she had been the mother of Richard, certainly he would have provided for his mother as a caring son. However, he may have been reluctant to provide for a step-mother that he may have considered something of a “gold-digger”, trying to get his father’s wealth. The name of the wife of Richard de Lathom is not given in the historical records.
  
  As stated above, Robert de Lathom was succeeded by his son Richard de Lathom (also called Richard Fitz-Robert) in 1199. Clearly Richard was an adult by 1199 to have succeeded his father Robert and to have been the subject of a lawsuit over his father’s estate, suggesting Richard must have been born in or before 1178 and not as early some records suggest in 1145. The Lathom pedigree in The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster reports that Richard de Lathom was living in the time of King John and King Henry III. John was king from May 1199 to October 1216 and Henry III was king from October 1216 to November 1272, suggesting that Robert could not have died until sometime well into Henry III’s reign. Richard de Lathom’s wife is not named in the historical records, but he is reported as having two sons: Sir Robert de Lathom “son of Richard and grandson of Robert Fitz-Henry” and Richard de Lathom “son of Richard Fitz-Robert”.
  
  Robert de Lathom, son and heir of Richard de Lathom (Richard Fitz-Robert) was the Sheriff of Lancashire from 1249-1255 and again from 1264-1265. He was married to Amicia de Alfreton “mar. before 1252”, daughter of Robert of Alfreton. The marriage “before 1252” could have occurred between about 1245-1251, give or take a couple of years, suggesting that Robert and Amicia were likely born no earlier than 1220-1225. Some private records suggest Amicia was born as early as 1200, but that doesn’t work with a marriage dated “before 1252”. She would have been nearly 50 years of age at the time of her marriage. Some private records also report she was called Joan, but most historical records name her Amicia. [See document about the Alftreton family in British History Online in the Memories section.]
  
  According to the Lathom pedigree in The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, Amicia was the daughter of Robert de Alfreton, “Lord and Baron of Alfreton, Normanton and Farnham”. Some private records suggest that this Robert de Alfreton, father of Amicia and also called Robert Fitz-Ranulph, was the son of Ranulph de Alfreton, but there is far too much time between that Robert de Alfreton and Amicia for them to be father and daughter. British History Online reports that Robert de Alfreton (Robert Fitz-Ranulph) has a son named William, Lord of Alfreton, who has a son named Robert de Alfreton who would be much closer to the right age to be the father of Amicia.
  
  The Robert de Alfreton, called Robert Fitz-Ranulph, is well documented as the son Ranulph (Randulph) de Alfreton. The first Robert de Alfreton’s father, Ranulph de Alfreton, was reportedly the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire under King Henry II in 1156 (in the second year of the reign of Henry II). If Amicia was the daughter of that first Robert de Alfreton (Robert Fitz-Ranulph), there would be almost 100 years between the time Robert’s father, Ranulph (Amicia’s grandfather?), was sheriff and the time Amicia got married. It seems quite clear that there must be at least one or two missing generations in that ancestry of Amicia, because her marriage “before 1252” is too far removed from known dates of events in Ranulph de Alfreton and Robert Fitz-Ranulph’s lives. It appears, therefore, almost certain that Amicia is the daughter of the second Robert de Alfreton, son of William, son of the first Robert, son of Ranulph, son of Engelram de Alfreton, placing Amicia into the sixth generation of the Alfreton family rather than the fourth generation. And that would fit with a marriage “before 1252”.
  
  However, there is an Alfreton pedigree in The Reliqury, Quarterly Archeological Journal and Review which shows the wife of Robert de Lathom, named previously, as Johanna, daughter of William de Alfreton and does not show a Robert as the son of William. Countering the claim in the Alfreton pedigree that William does not have a son named Robert are a number of entries in British History Online, Honors and Knights Fees, Vol. 2, and The History of the County of Derby, Part 2 [See documents in the Memories section of the above-named Alfreton family members] that clearly state Robert is the son of William. That second Robert is completely missing in the Alfreton pedigree. That second Robert is the father of Amicia and is also probably the father of Thomas de Alfreton, the next Alfreton generation, rather than William who is so listed in the Alfreton pedigree.
  
  That raises the question: What is the name of Robert de Lathom’s wife, Amicia or Johanna (Joan)? One entry in British History Online states, Robert “had to wife Joane (whom other authors call Amicia)” and continues speaking of Robert de Lathom that he “gave a great fine for the custody (or wardship) of Thomas de Chauris, nephew, and one of the heirs of Thomas, son of Robert (de Alserton) [sic=Alfreton] until he should come of age.” That appears to indicate that Robert de Lathom’s wife is referred to in various records as both Amicia and Joan (Johanna) and that Thomas is the son of Robert rather than William and Thomas is the brother of Amicia (Joan). Another entry in British History Online reports the Alfreton lordship went extinct in 1269, suggesting after 1269 the lordship was in the possession of other individuals not named Alfreton (i.e., in the hands of Lathom and Chaworth).
  
  Robert de Lathom and Amicia de Alfreton were the parents of at least two sons: Sir Robert de Lathom, “son and heir” and Thomas de Lathom, who “had a grant of Mosborough from his brother Robert de Lathom, 20 Ed. I. (1292)”. Those two sons were certainly born after the marriage of their parents “before 1252”, so likely born about 1248-1252. This second Robert de Lathom apparently died in 1324-1325 according to an inquisition postmortem “inq. p.m. 18 Edward II”. This second Robert de Lathom was married to Katherine de Knowesley (also spelled Knowesleigh and Knoweslegh), daughter of Thomas de Knowesley. Katherine de Knowesley survived her husband.

1. Title: Robert de Alfreton, "Find A Grave Index"
   Author: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKR-KNJR : 3 June 2020), Robert de Alfreton, ; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
   Publication: Name: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKR-KNJR;
   
2. Title: "Honors and Knights' Fees, Volume 2," by William Farrer
   Author: pages 151-3 published by Manchester University Press, 1924
   Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=3GO7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=william+alfreton+%2B+helewise&source=bl&ots=cp0snKyNV_&sig=a9rP5B3Av-fkMdK32Ez3VZkjxeE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMtqaY9JfSAhUExGMKHcc7BcA4ChDoAQgmMAM#v=onepage&q=william%20alfreton%20%2B%20helewise&f=false;
   Note: Names the wife of William as Helewise, also names the wife of Robert his son as being Agnes. This book gives the detailed history of the Alfreton line.
   
3. Title: The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist, Volumes 7-8
   Author: page 194
   Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=AiRAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA194-IA2&lpg=PA194-IA2&dq=william+alfreton+%2B+Idonea+Blackwell&source=bl&ots=pAf7emcW_4&sig=sCQgGMf7faz1-6iHTNVZ8v_61fQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi18e-GtJjSAhUE-2MKHR3YDdIQ6AEINjAH#v=onepage&q=william%20alfreton%20%2B%20Idonea%20Blackwell&f=false;
   Note: Shows ancient pedigree chart for Alfreton...
   
4. Title: The feudal history of the County of Derby, Vol 2
   Author: page 331-336
   Publication: Name: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924091761472#page/n71/mode/2up;
   Note: Shows Ingram was lord of Alfreton, and his son Ranulf and his son Robert etc...