'Humphrey Stafford' (b. 1425 - d.
22 May 1455), generally known by his courtesy title of 'Earl of Stafford' was the son of
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Anne Neville (d
1480).
His maternal grandparents were
Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland. His maternal uncles included (among others)
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury,
Robert Neville who was first
Bishop of Salisbury and then
Bishop of Durham,
William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent and
Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny. His most prominent maternal aunt was
Cecily Neville, wife of
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and mother to among others
Edward IV of England,
Edmund, Earl of Rutland,
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and
Richard III of England.
Humphrey married
Margaret Beaufort, daughter of
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Eleanor Beauchamp. Her maternal grandparents were
Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and his first wife
Elizabeth Beauchamp, 4th Baroness Lisle.
His new wife was a first cousin to
Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick and through her cousin-by-marriage to
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, the so-called "Kingmaker" during the
Wars of the Roses.
They had a single son
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (
4 September,
1454 -
2 November,
1483).
Humphrey fought under his father-in-law in support of the
House of Lancaster during the
First Battle of St Albans, dying of his wounds shortly after.
His only son became the new Earl of Stafford and succeeded his paternal grandfather as Duke of Buckingham following the latter's death at the
Battle of Northampton (
10 July,
1460).
Reference
★ ''The Royal Ancestry Bible Royal ancestors of 300 American Families'' By Michel L. Call ISBN 1-933194-22-7 (chart 809)