Sir Roger Kynaston
Encyclopedia
Sir Roger Kynaston Kt. of Myddle
and Hordley
c.1433 - 1495, was a Knight of the Realm and English nobleman. He was a member of the Kynaston family, of North Shropshire
and the Welsh Marches
of Ellesmere, Shropshire
and Margaret Jane Hoord (c.1423), daughter of John Hoord of Hordley
. He was a descendant of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
a Prince of Powys.
, as a dowry. He and Elizabeth had one son, Thomas Kynaston (1453-1513), who married Maria Corbett.
After the death of his first wife he married, in 1465, Elizabeth Grey c.1440 - 1501, daughter of Henry Grey, 2nd Earl of Tankerville
and Antigone Plantagenet
, great-granddaughter of Henry IV of England
. They had the following children:
Elizabeth Grey was the grand daughter of Eleanor Cobham - sister to Elizabetha - Roger's first wife.
and in 1462, High Sheriff of Shropshire
.
Roger was appointed for life as Escheator and Sheriff of Merioneth, was Constable of Harlech and was Sheriff of Shropshire in both 1461 and 1470. He was knighted at Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471.
Roger supported the Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses
, particularly distinguishing himself during the Battle of Blore Heath
on 23 September 1459 when “He vanquished and slew James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley
and took his arms, Ermine, a chevron gules, ever since borne quarterly by the Kynastons of Hordley”.
Roger was summoned to the Court of Edward IV, King of England, some 18 months after his accession in 1461, and knighted. He was presented with the arms and certain land of Lord Audley.
Very shortly after, he fought against the King’s forces at Ludford near Ludlow
and was charged with high treason. However, the penalty of attainder was not inflicted for he and many others received the royal pardon in 1467 on payment of a fine.
Guto'r Glyn
, the Bard of Valle Crucis Abbey
(1445–1475) wrote a “cywydd” in Roger’s honour entitled “Syr Rosier Cinast o’r Cnewin”.
Quarterly of six:
, North Wales.
Dennis Davies writes in "The History of Plas Kynaston":
Myddle
Myddle, also known as Mydle, Middle, ', M'dle, Meadley and Medle is a small village in Shropshire, England about 10 miles north of Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire. Myddle lies in the parish of Myddle with Broughton-le-Strange...
and Hordley
Hordley
Hordley is a small and rural village and civil parish in North Shropshire, Shropshire, England.It lies a few miles south of Ellesmere.Hordley takes its name from the Hoord Family of whom Henry de Hoord is the first recorded....
c.1433 - 1495, was a Knight of the Realm and English nobleman. He was a member of the Kynaston family, of North Shropshire
North Shropshire
North Shropshire was a local government district in Shropshire, England. The district council was based at Edinburgh House, in Wem. Other settlements included the towns of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem and Whitchurch, as well as the large villages of Shawbury and Baschurch...
and 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...
Early Life
Kynaston was the son of Griffinus Kynaston (c.1402), who was the SeneschalSeneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
of Ellesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.-History:...
and Margaret Jane Hoord (c.1423), daughter of John Hoord of Hordley
Hordley
Hordley is a small and rural village and civil parish in North Shropshire, Shropshire, England.It lies a few miles south of Ellesmere.Hordley takes its name from the Hoord Family of whom Henry de Hoord is the first recorded....
. He was a descendant of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn was a Prince of the Welsh Kingdoms of Gwynedd and of Powys.- Lineage :Bleddyn was the son of Princess Angharad ferch Maredudd with her second husband Cynfyn ap Gwerstan, a Powys Lord, about whom little is now known...
a Prince of Powys.
Marriages and Children
In 1450 on his marriage to his first wife, Elizabetha Cobham (died 1453), he gained the seat of Myddle Castle, ShropshireShropshire
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...
, as a dowry. He and Elizabeth had one son, Thomas Kynaston (1453-1513), who married Maria Corbett.
After the death of his first wife he married, in 1465, Elizabeth Grey c.1440 - 1501, daughter of Henry Grey, 2nd Earl of Tankerville
Henry Grey, 2nd Earl of Tankerville
Henry Grey, 2nd Earl of Tankerville, 7th Lord of Powys was an English peer. He was the son of John Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville and his wife Joan Charleton, co-heiress and 6th Lady of Powys.-Life:...
and Antigone Plantagenet
Antigone Plantagenet
Antigone Plantagenet was an English noblewoman and the legitimised daughter of Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester . She was the granddaughter of Henry IV of England. She was thought to have been born between 1425 and 1428...
, great-granddaughter of Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. They had the following children:
- Jana Kynaston (1466)
- Humphrey KynastonHumphrey KynastonHumphrey Kynaston , aka Wild Humphrey Kynaston, was an English highwayman who operated in the Shropshire area. The son of the High Sheriff of Shropshire, he was convicted for murder in 1491. After being outlawed, he moved into a cave in the area and lived a lifestyle compared to Robin Hood.-Early...
, who later became infamous as Wild Humphrey Kynaston, the highwaymanHighwaymanA highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
, who operated in the area to the North West of Shrewsbury. - Lancelot Kynaston (1469)
- Maria Kynaston (1470), who married Hywel ap Jenkin
Elizabeth Grey was the grand daughter of Eleanor Cobham - sister to Elizabetha - Roger's first wife.
Military Career
In 1454 Roger was the Constable of Denbigh CastleDenbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I.The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire, was built upon an earlier Welsh stronghold. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.A planned...
and in 1462, High Sheriff of Shropshire
High Sheriff of Shropshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
.
Roger was appointed for life as Escheator and Sheriff of Merioneth, was Constable of Harlech and was Sheriff of Shropshire in both 1461 and 1470. He was knighted at Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471.
Roger supported the Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, particularly distinguishing himself during the Battle of Blore Heath
Battle of Blore Heath
The Battle of Blore Heath was the first major battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought on 23 September 1459, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire, two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire, England.- Background :...
on 23 September 1459 when “He vanquished and slew James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley
James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley
James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley, 2nd Baron Tuchet was an English peer.James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley, son of John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley and his wife Elizabeth, was a distinguished veteran of the Hundred Years' War...
and took his arms, Ermine, a chevron gules, ever since borne quarterly by the Kynastons of Hordley”.
Roger was summoned to the Court of Edward IV, King of England, some 18 months after his accession in 1461, and knighted. He was presented with the arms and certain land of Lord Audley.
Very shortly after, he fought against the King’s forces at Ludford near Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
and was charged with high treason. However, the penalty of attainder was not inflicted for he and many others received the royal pardon in 1467 on payment of a fine.
Guto'r Glyn
Guto'r Glyn
Guto'r Glyn was a Welsh language poet and soldier of the era of the Beirdd yr Uchelwyr or Cywyddwyr , the itinerant professional poets of the later Middle Ages...
, the Bard of Valle Crucis Abbey
Valle Crucis Abbey
Valle Crucis Abbey is a Cistercian abbey located in Llantysilio in Denbighshire, Wales. More formally the Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Valle Crucis it is known in Welsh both as Abaty Glyn Egwestl and Abaty Glyn y Groes.The abbey was built in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, Prince of...
(1445–1475) wrote a “cywydd” in Roger’s honour entitled “Syr Rosier Cinast o’r Cnewin”.
Heraldry
Roger founded the line of Kynaston of Hordley. His Coat of Arms was:Quarterly of six:
- 1. Ermine, a chevron gules (Kynaston the Audley Coat) – won in battle 1459
- 2. Vert, two boars passant or (Powys) – Arms of great x4 grandmother Gweruilla Vychan
- 3. Gules, on a chevron or three mulletts sable (Franklin) – Arms of great x5 grandfather Griffith Kynaston
- 4. Argent, on a chief or a raven sable (Hoorde) – Arms of mother’s family Margaretta Hoord
- 5. Gules, a lion rampant argent within a bordure engrailed of the second (Grey de Powys) – Arms of wife’s family Elizabetha Grey
- 6. Or, a lion rampant gules (Bleddyn ap Cynfyn) – Arms of Greatx11 grandfather Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Princeps Walliae who was slain in 1075.
Plas Kynaston
Roger gave his name to the estate of Plas Kynaston, lands which he also owned in Cefn MawrCefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr is a large village in the community of Cefn within the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. Its name translates as "great ridge".The community of Cefn comprises the villages of Cefn Mawr, Cefn-bychan , Acrefair, Penybryn, Newbridge, Plasmadoc and Rhosymedre and is situated on the northern...
, North Wales.
Dennis Davies writes in "The History of Plas Kynaston":
- "Henry did not receive a rapturous welcome in Wales. On 8 August 1485, at Haverfordwest, he received a crushing blow - John Savage, nephew of Henry's stepfather, and the powerful Welsh lord, Rhys ap Thomas, were not planning to support his cause. Of course, they had promised otherwise while he was in France but Richard III suspected both men of disloyalty - and before Henry landed, he made certain they understood the penalty of treason. With this crushing news, even the professed loyalty of Pembroke was small consolation. Henry's march from Havefordwest northeast to Cardigan and there to Machynlleth (about 100 miles from the Dale settlement) is not documented. He arrived at Machynlleth on 14 August and wrote a letter to Sir Roger Kynaston, the guardian of the Grey estates; to pass safely to Shrewsbury, Henry needed - at the very least - Kynaston's inaction. The guardian didn't need to declare for him but he could at least not impede his progress. Whatever Kynaston's decision, Henry did pass safely through to Shrewsbury. To get to this point, his force had marched through the mountains of Wales but they had the continual arrival of good news to cheer them on the lonely journey - supporters were marching to join them, bringing along much-needed supplies. Among these supporters was Rhys ap Thomas, who finally decided to honour his previous promise. Rhys later said he brought almost 2000 men with him; if true, his force made up a third of Henry's entire army. They were in time to join Henry at Shrewsbury, the traditional gateway to the English midlands; they marched along the old Roman road even as supporters sent along money to pay the mercenary troops. But at Shrewsbury, Henry's progress was no longer easy.”