William Knyvet 1440-1515

Paternal Family Tree: Knyvet

Around 1440 William Knyvet was born to John Knyvet [aged 24].

Before 1461 William Knyvet [aged 20] and Alice Grey [aged 25] were married.

Around 1461 [his son] Edmund Knyvet was born to William Knyvet [aged 21] and [his wife] Alice Grey [aged 26] at Buckenham Castle, Norfolk [Map]. He married in or before 1484 Eleanor Tyrrell and had issue.

On 6th August 1462 William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont [aged 24] and [his future wife] Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Beaumont. She the daughter of Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham and [his future mother-in-law] Anne Neville Duchess Buckingham [aged 54]. He the son of John Beaumont 1st Viscount Beaumont and Katherine Neville Duchess Norfolk [aged 62]. They were first cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

Around 1471 Roger Clifford [aged 34] and [his future wife] Joan Courtenay were married. She the daughter of Thomas Courtenay 5th or 13th Earl Devon and Margaret Beaufort Countess Devon. They were third cousin twice removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 4th April 1474 [his wife] Alice Grey [aged 39] died.

Before 1476 William Knyvet [aged 35] and Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 33] were married. She the daughter of Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham and Anne Neville Duchess Buckingham [aged 67].

Around 1476 [his son] Edward Knyvet was born to William Knyvet [aged 36] and [his wife] Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 34]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married after 1511 Margaret le Strange.

On 26th December 1476 [his sister-in-law] Catherine Stafford Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 39] died.

Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses

Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Before 1477 William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont [aged 38] and [his wife] Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 34] were divorced (or the marriage was set aside).

In 1483 [his son] Charles Knyvet of Princethorpe was born to William Knyvet [aged 43] and [his wife] Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 41]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England.

Close Rolls Edward IV Edward V Richard III 1476-1485. 23rd October 1483 King Richard III of England [aged 31]. Leicester, Leicestershire [Map]. Precept to the Sheriff of Devon to issue a proclamation (English) denouncing Thomas Dorset, late Marquess of Dorset [aged 28], who holds unshameful and mischievous woman called Shore's wife in adultery, Sir William Noreys [aged 42], Sir William Knevet [aged 43], Sir Thomas Bourghchier of Barnes, Sir George Broun, knights, John Cheyne, John Noreis, Walter Hungerford, John Russh and John Harecourt of Staunton, who have assembled the Person by the comfort of the great rebel the late duke of Bukyngham [aged 29] and bishops of Ely and Salisbury, and offering rewards for their capture and pardon for all who withdraw from them. By K.

In or before 1484 [his son] Edmund Knyvet [aged 22] and [his daughter-in-law] Eleanor Tyrrell were married.

Before 1485 [his wife] Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont [aged 42] died.

Before 8th October 1489 William Knyvet [aged 49] and Joan Courtenay were married. She the daughter of Thomas Courtenay 5th or 13th Earl Devon and Margaret Beaufort Countess Devon.

In 1491 [his father] John Knyvet [aged 75] died.

In 1504 [his son] Edmund Knyvet [aged 43] drowned.

After 1511 [his son] Edward Knyvet [aged 35] and [his daughter-in-law] Margaret le Strange [aged 40] were married.

On 2nd December 1515 William Knyvet [aged 75] died at Wymondham, Norfolk [Map].

[his son] Bennet Knyvet was born to William Knyvet and Alice Grey.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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[his daughter] Anne Knyvet was born to William Knyvet and Alice Grey. She married John Thwaites.

[his daughter] Anne Knyvet was born to William Knyvet and Joan Stafford Viscountess Beaumont. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married her half second cousin once removed Charles Clifford and had issue.

[his daughter] Elizabeth Knyvet was born to William Knyvet and Alice Grey.

Royal Descendants of William Knyvet 1440-1515
Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.

Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [1]

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [4]

Queen Consort Camilla Shand [1]

Diana Spencer Princess Wales [9]

Ancestors of William Knyvet 1440-1515

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Knyvet

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Knyvet

Grandfather: John Knyvet

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Botetort

Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Botetort

father: John Knyvet

Grandmother: Elizabeth Clifton

William Knyvet