John Charleton, 1st Baron Cherleton
Encyclopedia
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
. He was the son of Robert de Charleton (and elder brother to Alan) of Apley castle near Wrockwardine
Wrockwardine
Wrockwardine is a village and civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies north of The Wrekin and the M54/A5, and west of Wellington.There is a church, St Peter's, dating back to Saxon times....
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He had entered the service of the crown as a page, and when Prince Edward
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
became king, Charleton remained in the royal household. He was recorded as a king's yeoman on 18 September 1307 and was styled as a knight shortly afterwards. In January 1308 he accompanied the king to France for his wedding, and in 1309 served in Ireland. He held the post of Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
in the Royal Household before 1314, although the importance of the post is unclear.
On 26 July 1309 he married Hawise Gadarn (the Hardy), heiress of the Lordship of Powys
Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
from her father the last Prince of Powys Owen de la Pole
Owen de la Pole
Owen de la Pole , also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, was the heir presumptive to the Welsh principality of Powys Wenwynwyn until 1283 when it was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury. He became the 1st Lord of Powis after the death of his father Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn c...
. Charleton acquired Pole castle (today's Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
) on his marriage, and from 1310 to 1315 he built the basis of the present Powis Castle
Powis Castle
Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales.The residence of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate...
. Strengthening the English authority over his Welsh lands, in 1310 he and Hawise's uncle Griffin de la Pole raised 400 footsoldiers from the lordship of Powis to fight against the Scots.
King Edward
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
summoned him to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
as the 1st Lord Cherleton on 26 July 1313. A title partly acquired through the inherited right of his wife Hawise to Powys, which explains the common informal addition to his title of "Lord of Powis", "dominus de Powis" or "seigneur de Powis".
John Charleton's authority in Powys grew too much for Hawise's uncle Griffin, who was aided in his opposition by the Le Strange lords
Baron Strange
Baron Strange is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. Two creations, one in 1295 and another in 1325, had only one holder each, upon the death of whom they became extinct. Two of the creations are still extant, however...
of Knockin
Knockin
-History:Knockin is a village and civil parish located on the B4396 in Shropshire, England. It comprises mainly historic detached buildings in a rural setting. Much of Knockin was owned by the Earl of Bradford until it was sold off in lots to meet other financial demands. The Earl still owns the...
, Shropshire.
By 1314, John was governor of Builth castle, with a constabulary role over the Welsh which included opposing Welsh rebels in 1316. In 1317 he raised another 300 foot soldiers for the king, and in 1319 raised a further 500 soldiers for service against the Scots.
John had taken action against Hawise's uncle Griffin by 1320, finally recovering all of his wife's estates, as well as having the lands of her four uncles settled on her, in default of their male issue.
Following the confiscation of the Gower Lordship
Gower (Lordship)
thumb|350px|right|Map of the Lordship, showing the area detached , the area added and the Town and Franchise of Swansea. The language boundary is shown as a dotted line....
from the de Braose family in breach of Marcher autonomy by King Edward
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
and its gift to his favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger, in 1321 John Cherleton joined in the baronial rebellion of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster against the Despenser family and the King. On 11 September 1322 he was very quickly pardoned for his part in the rebellion having returned to the King's side, raising another 500 men for him in 1325.
John de Charleton's authority on the Welsh border was threatened by The Earl of Arundel
Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel
Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman prominent in the conflict between Edward II and his barons. His father, Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel, died in 1302 while Edmund was still a minor. He therefore became a ward of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and married...
who became Justice of Wales in 1322, and Warden of the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
in 1325, establishing his base as Constable of Montgomery Castle
Montgomery Castle
Montgomery Castle is a stone masonry castle looking over the town of Montgomery in Powys, mid Wales. It is one of many Norman castles on the border between Wales and England.- Motte & Bailey Castle :...
. In the autumn of 1326, Charleton's former ally Roger Mortimer (whose daughter Maud was married to Charleton's son John), and Queen Isabella
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
took action against the Despenser family and other unpopular advisers to King Edward
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. Arundel remained loyal to the king, which gave Charleton the opportunity to rid himself of his rival by arresting and executing him (at Shrewsbury or, possibly, Hereford) under the orders of the Queen.
Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford who was Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
from 1316-1320 was John's brother. On 29 June 1337, after King Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
had taken power from Queen Isabella, John Charleton was appointed Chief Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
or viceroy of Ireland and his brother Thomas Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
. Within a year John had returned to England, following a dispute.
John Charleton split his last years between his properties at Apley Castle in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Charlton Hall in Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
(the site now occupied by the theatre) and Powis Castle
Powis Castle
Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales.The residence of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate...
in Mid-Wales. In his later life he was a patron of Strata Marcella
Strata Marcella
The Abbey of Strata Marcella , was a medieval Cistercian monastery situated at Ystrad Marchell on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool, Powys, Wales.- Founding :...
abbey, and was buried at the Franciscan Greyfriars Abbey in Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, next to his wife, her father and grandfather. A fourteenth-century stained glass Jesse window, now in St Mary's church, Shrewsbury, but originally in the Greyfriars, shows at the bottom right hand corner, a knight bearing the arms of Powys who is probably Charleton.
He was succeeded by his son John Charleton, 2nd Baron Cherleton
John Charleton, 2nd Baron Cherleton
John Charleton , 2nd Baron Cherleton, 2nd Lord Charlton of Powys succeeded his father to the title in 1353. He married Maud Mortimer, daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Joan de Geneville, before 13 April 1319...
.