Ralph (Toeni) de Tony (abt. 1255 - 1295)

Born about 1255 in England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 May 1295 at about age 40 in Gascony, France

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Biography

Birth, Parents and Early Life

Ralph was the son and heir of Roger de Toeni and his first wife Alice de Bohun, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Essex and Earl of Hereford and Maud de Lusignan.^[1][2][3] He was said to be 22 in 1277, pointing to a birth year of about 1255.^[4] His parents had lands in several counties, and his birth county is not known.

Ralph's father died a little before 12 March 1264. Following his father's death, his marriage was initially granted to his mother's brother Humphrey de Bohun, and his lands to Edmund Crouchback, son of Henry III:^[5] on 8 August 1265 both marriage and lands were granted to Richard de Brus.^[2][3][6]

Marriage and Children

Before 1276 (when their son was born) Ralph married Mary, whose family origins are uncertain.^[2][3] Ralph and Mary had three children:

• Robert, who was born on 4 April 1276 at Thornby Castle (probably Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire), Scotland^[2][3] and who died without issue in 1309, leaving his sister Alice his heir^[7]
• Alice, who married Thomas de Leyburne, Guy de Beauchamp (Earl of Warwick) and William la Zouche^[2][3]
• a daughter, first name unknown, who married a Robert Tibetot in 1295^[2][3]

Life and Lands

From his father Ralph inherited the Barony of Flamstead, Hertfordshire,^[8] along with extensive land in a number of counties and property in Radnorshire, Wales.^[2][3][9]

On 17 November 1276 Ralph was authorised to receive into the king's peace the Welsh of his lands at Elven (the cantref of Elfael): they had been supporting Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.^[10] That month he was given royal protection while he was in Wales on royal business.^[11] He was summoned to serve militarily in Wales in 1277, 1282, 1283 and 1287, and to an assembly at Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 1283.^[1]

In May 1285 Ralph was given letters of protection for going overseas (presumably to France) with his cousin, another Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex.^[12]

Death

Ralph was taken prisoner at Risonces, Gascony on 31 March 1295.^[2][3] He died, testate, in Gascony on 27 May 1295:^[2][3] the date and place are confirmed by a petition of his executors which gives his death date as the Friday in Pentecost Week,^[13] the year being confirmed by a response to the petition given on 22 September 1295.^[14]

An entry in the Close Rolls dated 21 September 1295 refers to "the laudable service rendered to him [Edward I] in Gascony by Ralph [de Thony]... he died in his service there."^[15]

Research Notes

Wife

It is speculated by Douglas Richardson that Ralph's wife Mary was a member of the Brus family. The evidence is purely circumstantial and not very strong. Their son Robert was probably born at Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland, home of Richard de Brus's brother Robert, and Robert was a first name associated with the Brus family.^[2][3]

Death

Cokayne's Complete Peerage says that Ralph, having been taken prisoner in Gascony, was taken to Paris and died in France before 29 July 1295,^[1] when reference was made in the Close Rolls to his heir in terms which show Ralph was deceased.^[16] The primary sources cited above state that Ralph died in Gascony on 27 May 1295.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} G E Cokayne. Complete Peerage, revised edition, Vol. XII part I, St Catherine Press, 1953, p. 773, viewable on Familysearch (image page 782)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. IV, pp. 201-204, TONY 4, Google Books
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. V, pp. 175-178, TONY 9
4. ↑ Calendars of the Close Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1272-1279, HMSO, 1900, p. 393, Internet Archive
5. ↑ Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry III, A.D. 1261-1264, HMSO, 1836 (Kraus Reprint Corporation 1970), p. 344, viewable on Familysearch (image page 352)
6. ↑ Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry III, A,.D. 1264-1268, HMSO, 1937 (Kraus Reprint Corporation 1970), p. 71, viewable on Familysearch (image page 79)
7. ↑ Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. V, Edward II, A.D. 1307-1313, HMSO, 1908, pp. 101-102 (Inquisitions Post Mortem for Robert de Tony alias Thony, Internet Archive
8. ↑ I J Sanders. English Baronies, a Study of their Origin and descent 1086-1327, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1960, pp. 117-118
9. ↑ Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. I, Henry III, HMSO, 1904, pp. 188-189, Internet Archive
10. ↑ Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1272-1281, HMSO, 1901, p. 169, Internet Archive
11. ↑ Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1272-1281, p. 171, Internet Archive
12. ↑ Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1281-1292, HMSO, 1893, pp. 161 and 164, Internet Archive
13. ↑ The National Archives, ref. SC 8/75/3747, Discovery Centre catalogue entry
14. ↑ Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1272-1307, HMSO, 1911, p. 360, Internet Archive
15. ↑ Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1288-1296, HMSO, 1904, p. 432, Internet Archive
16. ↑ Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Edward I, A.D. 1272-1307, p. 355, Internet Archive

• Cawley, Charles. RAOUL VII de Tosny, entry in “Medieval Lands” database (accessed 6 March 2024)

Acknowledgments

Magna Carta Project

This profile was reviewed for the Magna Carta Project in March 2020 by Liz Shifflett.

Ralph (Toeni) de Tony is a descendant of Magna Carta Surety Baron Henry de Bohun and appears in a trail to Gateway Ancestor Elizabeth Marshall (MCA I:267-277 BOTETOURT): which was badged 4 March 2024. See the trail HERE.

See Base Camp for information about identified trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".