Felton family
Following his capture at the Battle of Northampton in 1264, much of his lands, including Mitford Castle, were seized by the crown and subsequently fragmented.
Although he briefly regained favour that year, he had already lost significant portions of his estates[6][7] During the period of forfeiture, it is plausible that some lands passed to Sir Roger’s younger brother, Pagan (or Paine), who is recorded as "Pagan of Upper Felton,"[8] one of his father’s holdings.
In cases of forfeiture, it was customary for land to be redistributed within the family, often to secondary heirs, especially when immediate male relatives were available to inherit or manage the estates.
He served as High Sheriff of Northumberland and held successive appointments as Constable of four royal castles, initially in Wales and later in Northern England.
His acquisition of Edlingham Castle in 1294 marked the establishment of the Northern Felton branch's family seat, and he fortified the property to serve as a defensive stronghold in the politically unstable border region.
[9] Sir William’s prominent roles and acquisition of land were critical in cementing the family’s influence and loyalty to the Crown, enhancing their strategic importance during a period of frequent conflicts with Scotland.
Throughout his career, he held the position of Constable of Roxburgh Castle, a key fortress on the Anglo-Scottish border, and represented Northumberland in at least four parliamentary sessions, cementing his influence in the region.
By the end of his life, the Felton family estates included the manors of West Matfen, Heddon, and Buteland; significant holdings in Nafferton, Lemington, Lorbottle, Milbourne, Whittingham, and Thirston; the vill of Medomsley and the manor of Hamsterley in Durham; and Boddington in Northamptonshire, which generated over 20 marks per year.
During this encounter, Felton, alongside a small group of English knights, mounted a heroic but ill-fated defense against a much larger Spanish force.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dramatized this event in his historical novel The White Company (1891), portraying Felton's final stand as emblematic of the chivalric ideals of the time.
Despite their efforts to prove that the estates had been settled upon the boys, Sir John won a lengthy legal dispute by 1372, securing most of the inheritance except for a few holdings, which were later returned to the nephews.
[14] Upon his death in 1391, his estates passed to his daughters, and his lineage ultimately merged into the holdings, ending Felton prominence in the region.
In 1326, Sir John Felton played a significant role in the defense of Caerphilly Castle during the rebellion against Edward II and his favourite, Hugh Despenser the Younger.
[20] Despite pressure to surrender Hugh Despenser the Younger's son, also named Hugh, to the invading army of Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella, Felton remained loyal to the king and rejected offers of pardon for the defenders in exchange for Despenser’s capture.
However when Mortimer and Isabella invaded, William Devereux - who had a longstanding claim to the castle - rose in their support, and seized it.
[17] Felton was a signatory of the Treaty of Brétigny (1360)[25] and notably served as the principal witness to the Black Prince’s marriage.
His military prowess continued when he led a successful invasion of Spain with John Chaundos in 1367, though he was captured at the Battle of Aríñez, where his cousin William was killed.
The Manor of Litcham, therefore, reverted to the le Strange family due to the marriage contract of his grandfather, Sir Robert Felton.
He served as Sheriff of Suffolk in 1597, was knighted in 1603, and in the 1590s, he married into the nobility, with his wife being the daughter of Lord Grey de Groby.
The house he built is a Grade II* moated Elizabethan mansion: Playford Hall, though the eastern section is believed to have been demolished in the mid-18th century, with the reasons for this still under debate.
Sir Henry’s tenure as Baronet marked a significant step in the family’s ascent to greater prominence.
Sir Henry is also noted for a quarrel with his cousins, the Gawdys, which led to a conflict with Parliament after he brought charges against Mr.
He also held the prestigious role of Comptroller of the Household to Queen Catherine of Braganza, Charles II’s wife.
Felton’s political career included representing Orford as a Member of Parliament from 1690 to 1700 and Bury St Edmunds from 1701 to 1709.
During his tenure in Parliament, Felton was involved in several sessions, contributing to political discourse during the turbulent reigns of William III and Queen Anne.
Felton Lionel Hervey became a Lieutenant, and married a daughter of Sir John Elwill, 4th Baronet.
His son, Colonel Felton Hervey-Bathurst, 1st Baronet,[35] would go on to be a decorated officer, losing an arm in the process, and was on Wellington's staff at Waterloo.
[28] John Felton (Martyr) (died 1570) An English Catholic martyr, executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. Felton was arrested for fixing a copy of Pope Pius V's bull Regnans in Excelsis excommunicating Queen Elizabeth, to the gates of the Bishop London's palace near St.
In a miscalculation by authorities, his body was sent back to Portsmouth for exhibition where, rather than becoming a lesson in disgrace, it was made an object of veneration.
