Richard (Acton) de Acton (abt. 1282 - bef. 1342)

Born about 1282 in Acton and Old Felton, Northumberland, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 17 May 1342 before about age 60 in Hexham, Northumberland, England [uncertain]

Biography

Richard (Acton) de Acton was born in Northumberland, England.

Birth

Richard de Acton was born before 1282 possibly to Henry de Aketon and an unknown mother, likely in Acton and Old Felton, Northumberland, England. This marriage also produced confirmed son and heir Nicholas de Acton.^[1] As Richard's son, Richard de Acton, was allegedly born in 1297, father Richard would have been at a minimum 15 years of age in 1282 when his son was conceived. Although no sources have been located to support son Richard's stated year of birth in his above profile, he was married to Matilda Emeldon in 1333, when she was 23 years old. If son Richard was born in 1297, he would have been 36 years old at this time, which would make his alleged birth year reasonable for a marriage to a 23 year old woman, from which the rough estimate for father Richard's stated date of birth was determined.

Marriage

Richard was married to Maude of an unknown surname, where following Richard's death she secondly married Edmund de Selby. The marriage of Richard and Maude produced two known sons, Nicholas the elder and heir and Richard de Acton, born circa 1297.^[1]

Notable Events

It appears that Richard was descended not from the west-country Actons, but likely from the Morwick family of Northumberland, where Richard de Morwick conferred to the convent of Brinkburn all the land in Aketon field, where his son and descendants were thereafter referred to by the surname of Aketon (later de Acton).^[2][3] The de Actons were a powerful family during the fourteenth century, during a time when Northumberland was ravaged by king Robert Bruce. Newcastle, in particular, was frequently the rendezvous point for vast armies moving across the northern marches during Scottish insurrections and their demand for independence. It was during this period that Richard held the prominent position of bailiff of Newcastle in years 1307, 1315, 1316, 1317, and 1318 ^[4]. Five years after his first term as bailiff, Richard sympathized with the nobility who were indignant over the relationship between Edward the II and Piers Gaveston and when the illustrious pair abandoned London in 1312, Richard participated in the capture and gruesome demise of Edward II's favorite. By 1313, however, he was pardoned for this participation after Edward II regained his senses and restored 18 men in Newcastle through royal pardon and by 1315, reputation restored, Richard served once again as bailiff of Newcastle.^[1][3][4]

Death

According to Bateson in A History of Northumberland, Richard passed away before 17 May 1342. The location of his burial is unknown. As his wife Maud was secondly married to Edmund Selby by 1345, Richard's date of death is likely fairly accurate.^[1]

Research Notes

There seems to be some confusion as to the identities of father and son, where various dates are ascribed to both. Although Dendy suggests that son Richard, who married Elizabeth Emeldon by 1333,^[5] was Newcastle bailiff in 1307, it is more likely that it was actually father Richard who held this position, as son Richard's alleged date of birth in 1297 would preclude his having been bailiff at this early date.^[6]

While Bateson in A History of Northumberland states that Richard died before 17 May 1342, this date is also given as his son's date of death in the same source.^[1] Whether father and son died together in battle with the Scots on the same date or this represents an error in Bateson's Acton pedigree is unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Bateson, E., et al. (1893). A history of Northumberland. (https://archive.org/details/historyofnorthum07nort/page/368/mode/2up/search/+richard+de+acton), Vol. 7, p. 368. New-Castle-Upon-Tyne: A. Reid, Sons, & Company. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org), accessed 29 April 2020.
2. ↑ Dendy, F. W. (1904). Archaeologia Aeliana: or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity. (https://archive.org/details/archaeologiaael08unkngoog/page/n162/mode/2up/search/Matilda+Emeldon). Third Series, Vol. 1, p. 121. Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: R. Robinson & Company. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org); accessed 30 April 2020.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Welford, R. (1895). Men of Mark 'twixt Tyne and Tweed. (https://archive.org/details/menmarktwixttyn00welfgoog/page/n27/mode/2up/search/Acton), Vol. 1, p. 5. Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: Walter Scott, Ltd. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org), accessed 29 April 2020.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Welford, R. (1884). History of Newcastle and Gateshead. Fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (https://archive.org/details/historyofnewcast01welf/page/12/mode/2up/search/richard+acton), Vol. I, p. 12. London: Walter Scott. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org); accessed 30 April 2020.
5. ↑ Dendy, F. W. (1904). Archaeologia Aeliana: or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity. (https://archive.org/details/archaeologiaael08unkngoog/page/n108/mode/2up/search/Matilda+Emeldon). Third Series, Vol. 1, p. 78. Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: R. Robinson & Company. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org); accessed 30 April 2020.
6. ↑ Hodgson, J. (1832). A history of Northumberland in three parts.(https://archive.org/details/historyofnortpt202hodguoft/page/232/mode/2up), Part II, Vol. II, p. 233. Newcasstle-upon-Tyne: T & J. Pigg. Retrieved from Internet Archive (https://archive.org), accessed 29 April 2020.