Hungerford family

Sir Thomas Hungerford acquired his first offices in the 28th Edward III (1355) as sheriff and escheator for Wiltshire. He was closely associated with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, whose rivalry with Edward the Black Prince, his brother, for the throne of England is so well known. He served as steward of the household of John of Gaunt, and was bailiff for the Bishop of Salisbury. In the 42nd Edward III (1369) he purchased the manor Farleigh-Montfort in Somerset from Lord Berghersh for 1100 marks. In January of the 50th Edward III (1377) Sir Thomas was knighted and chosen to fill the chair as Speaker of the House of Commons, the first person formally mentioned in the rolls of Parliament as holding that high office. This Parliament, called "The Bad Parliament" was controlled by John of Gaunt to serve Lancastrian interests.

Sir Thomas continued to build the holdings of the family, an expansion which was remarkable, for in about 100 years, the ownership of land by this family increased from not a single manor in 1355 to nearly 200 manors by 1460. ... more

Farleigh-Hungerford Castle

• A1. Walter de Hungerford, m. Maud de Heytesbury;
  • B1. Walter de Hungerford, lvd:1308;
    • C1. Walter de Hungerford, m. Elizabeth FitzJohn;
      • D1. Sir Thomas de Hungerford of Farley, lvd:1397, m. Joan Hussey;
        • E1. Sir Walter Hungerford of Heytesbury and Homet, 1st Lord, d:1449, m. Catherine Peverell;
          • F1. Sir Robert Hungerford, 2nd Lord, d:1459, m. Margaret Botreaux;  ==>  Beaumont family
            • G1. Catherine Hungerford, d:1493, m. Richard West;  <==  West family
            • G2. Sir Robert Hungerford, 3rd Lord Hungerford, d:1464, m. Eleanor Molines;
              • H1. Sir Thomas Hungerford, d:1469, m. Ann Percy;  ==>  Percy family
                • I1. Mary Hungerford, de jure Baroness Botreaux, m. Edward Hastings;  <==  Hastings family