Thomas Felton (KG)
Sir Thomas de Felton (died 2 April 1381) was an English landowner, military knight, envoy and administrator.
At much the same time, in 1311, William's son Sir Robert de Felton was governor of Scarborough Castle, and in the next years was summoned to Parliament before he was slain at Stirling in 1314.
[2] According to Thomas de Felton's inquisition post mortem, Sir Robert had married Matilda (Maud), kinswoman of John le Strange of Knockin, Shropshire, who bestowed on the marriage and their heirs male the lordship of the manor of Litcham,[3] an ancient seat of the Le Strange family in Norfolk.
He married and had a daughter, but made his will in 1379 and died in that year without heir male, and was buried at the Carmelite Friary, King's Lynn.
[16] Thomas de Felton was with the expedition commanded by Edward III which invaded France in 1346, and he took part in the Battle of Crécy, the capture of Calais and the other important events of that campaign.
[19] He is named among the principal witnesses to the marriage of Prince Edward to Joan, Countess of Kent in 1361, as "miles" (i.e., Knight),[20] and appears elsewhere as "chivaler", through most of his career.
By letters dated 8 February 1362, Sir Thomas de Felton, as Seneschal of Aquitaine, represented Prince Edward's authority there, and served as Steward of his household during 1363.
When Don Pedro asked to be reinstated to the Crown of Castile, the prince referred the matter to Sir John Chandos and to Felton.
Thomas was taken prisoner, and was later exchanged for Arnoul d'Audrehem, Marshal of France, who was captured by the English at the Battle of Nájera (Navarrete) in April 1367.
The lands and barony of Caumont in Gascony were given by Edward III to Sir John Chandos (died 1369), with a reversion at his death to Felton.
He joined John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster in an attack on the town of Mont-Paon, and made an unsuccessful attempt to relieve the garrison of Thouars.
In 1372, when the Black Prince had surrendered the principality of Aquitaine into the king's hands, it was granted by royal commission to Felton and Sir Robert Wykford.
During the same year Felton received letters of protection in England to enable him to return to France for matters connected with the payment of his ransom.
[27] At his death his lands and barony of Caumont in Gascony, over which his governance had been lacking, were granted by King Richard II to Sir Bertrucas d'Albret.
[35] Felton was made a Knight of the Garter in January 1381, and his plate is still to be seen in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the tenth stall, on the sovereign's side.
Most secondary sources follow Blomefield's guess,[42] in making Joan a daughter of Sir Richard de Walkefare[43] of Great Ryburgh, Ingoldisthorpe, Isleham, etc.
However Walkfare's only daughter and heiress named as such in primary sources is Alianore, wife of John Le Strange,[44] who was born c. 1357[45] and betrothed in childhood.
