NINETEENTH GENERATION

378682. Sir Lionel de Welles 6th Baron de Welles⁽³³⁶⁾⁽²⁰¹⁾ was born in 1406. He died on Mar 29 1461 in Battle of Towton. Sir Lionel Welles, 6th Baron Welles, was a soldier and courtier of considerable distinction. He succeed his grandfather as Lord Welles in 1421 and was knighted on May 19 1426, together with King Henry VI, at Leicester by the Duke of Bedford. In 1434 he was named a privy councillor and in 1436 sent to relieve the seige of Calais then being pressed by the Burgundians.

In 1438 he was named Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a post he would hold the rest of his life. He is described in the Dictionary of National Biography as "a friend--indeed a connection--of the king, and constantly at court." In 1451 he was again sent to Calais, this time with Lord Rivers, and was in command there, as lieutenant of the Duke of Somerset, until 1456, when he was relieved by the Earl of Warwick.

A devoted Lancastrian, he took the oath of allegiance at Coventry in 1459 and the following year join Queen Margaret on her march south and was at the secnd Battle of St. Albans on Feb 7th, 1461. He was killed fighting at the Battle of Towton on March 29th of that year.

By his second wife, Margaret Beauchamp, the widow of Sir Oliver St. John and John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, he was the stepfather of Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII. He was married to Joan Waterton.

378683. Joan Waterton⁽⁵⁷⁰⁾⁽²⁰¹⁾ died after 1434. Children were:

189341 i. Margaret de Welles.
ii. Eleanor de Welles⁽⁵⁷⁰⁾.
iii. Cicely de Welles⁽⁵⁷⁰⁾.
iv. Sir Richard de Welles 7th Baron de Welles⁽⁵⁷⁰⁾ died on Mar 12 1470 in Empingham, Lincolnshire.

Home Return to Table of Contents