William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby 1330-1381

Before 24th March 1300 [his father] William Latimer 3rd Baron Latimer of Corby and [his mother] Elizabeth Botetort Baroness Latimer Corby were married. She by marriage Baroness Latimer of Corby.

On 24th March 1330 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby was born to William Latimer 3rd Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 30] and Elizabeth Botetort Baroness Latimer Corby at Scampston, Ryedale. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

Before 2nd November 1335 [his father] William Latimer 3rd Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 35] died. His son William [aged 5] succeeded 4th Baron Latimer of Corby.

Before 1351 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 20] was knighted.

Before 1353 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 22] and Elizabeth Fitzalan [aged 32] were married. She the daughter of Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel and Alice Warenne Countess Arundel. They were half fifth cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King John of England.

Around 1357 [his daughter] Elizabeth Latimer 5th Baroness Latimer, Baroness Neville and Willoughby was born to William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 26] and [his wife] Elizabeth Fitzalan [aged 37]. She married 1. before 9th October 1381 her third cousin once removed John Neville 3rd Baron Neville of Raby, son of Ralph Neville 2nd Baron Neville of Raby and Alice Audley Baroness Greystoke and Neville, and had issue 2. after 17th October 1388 her fifth cousin once removed Robert Willoughby 4th Baron Willoughby, son of John Willoughby 3rd Baron Willoughby and Cecily Ufford Baroness Willoughby of Eresby.

In 1361 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 30] was appointed 40th Knight of the Garter by King Edward III of England [aged 48].

In 1371 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 40] was appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household.

In 1373 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 42] was appointed Constable of Dover Castle.

In 1374 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 43] was appointed Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. [1376] The Lord Latimer [aged 45] is putt from hys office and hys goodes are confisked.

The duke therfor in the mean tyme, the prefixed day of judgment for the cause of the Lorde Latymer and Rychard Lioñes drawynge near, considered with equall balances the articles and depositions agaynst the sayed Lorde Latymer and Rychard Lioñes; for there were above thre score notable faultes deposed agaynst hym, of the whiche for the moste part of them he was convicted before the duke & judges, covetynge also to pacifye the people whom he knew to be moved agaynst them, and fearynge the majestye of the prince, whom he knew to favour the people and knyghtes, with judiciall sentence he depryved the Lorde Latimer of his offyce, for he was the kynges Lorde Chamberlayne, and confisked all hys goods that colde be found unto the kynge, that he sholde only be content with hys enhaunsed inheritance, and for that they wolde not have his body because he was a peere of the realme, they adjudged hym to perpetuale pryson, to be sayfely kept by the sergeants untell the kynges pleasure were knowne; yt was further ordeyned of him by publicke decree of parlement that the sayed Lord Latimer sholde from thenceforth be holden as infamous, and should not by any means be admytted to the councell of the kynge or realme. Rychard Lionnes also, he dispossessed from all hys lands and tenements that he possessed in Englande, and commanded hys bodye to be kepte in the towre of London. But this rigor was dissolved by the untymely deathe of Prynce Edwarde that folowed, for after this deathe yt was lawfull for the duke to doo what he wolde, as in the nexte page yt shall appear.

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. [1376] The Lord Latymer [aged 45] is depryved of hys offyce, and the depositions agaynst hym.^b

The Duke therefor, as afore is touched, punyshed with the most sharpe prickes of his conscience, and terryfied with the answeares of his consaylors, layed asyde all vigor and stoutnes of stomake, and the nexte day came into the assembly of the knyghtes, and, contrary to all expectations, shewed hymself so favourable and so mylde, that he drew them all into an admyracion. They knew how proude Moab was ii or iij dayes before, although they regarded not his arrogancye; and they sayed, is not this the change of the right hand of the hiest? The Duke counterfaytinge modestye deceitfully seemed to comforte them, sayinge he knew well the desires of the knightes to be zelous and to tender the state of the realme, and therfor whatsoever they thought good to be corrected, they shuld speake and he wolde putt thereto the wyshed remedye.

Note b. William, Lord Latymer, who had distinguished himself in the wars of Britany against Charles de Blois, was Governor of Becherel, and also of the Castle of St. Saviour in that province. A particular account of him will be found in Dugdale's Baronage, vol. ii. p. 32. The proceedings in the Impeachment noticed in the text are recorded in the Rolls of Parliament, vol. ii. p. 324 et seq. He was nevertheless employed in important offices and negociations in the commencement of the following reign.

On 24th January 1376 [his brother-in-law] Richard Fitzalan 3rd or 10th Earl of Arundel 8th Earl of Surrey [aged 70] died. He was buried at Lewes Priory [Map]. His son Richard [aged 30] succeeded 9th Earl Surrey, 4th or 11th Earl Arundel. Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey [aged 26] by marriage Countess Arundel, Countess Surrey.

In 1377 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 46] was appointed Governor of Calais.

Westminster Chronicle. In this year, around the Purification of the Blessed Mary [2nd February 1381], a great part of Rochester Bridge was broken apart. There had indeed been immense ice, which afterwards, dissolved by warmer air, broke the bridge by the mass of its pieces pressing upon it. The Lord Latimer¹, leaving his temporal life, bade farewell to the world. He, indeed, having been invited to a meal by Sir Robert Hales [aged 56], and wishing to dismount from his horse, was suddenly seized by paralysis, lost his speech, and found death [on 28th May 1381].

ISTO anno circa Purificationem beatæ Mariæ dirupta fuit magna pars pontis Roucestre ; fuerat quidem glacies immensa quæ postmodum tepido aere resoluta mole suarum partium ponti incumbentium pontem confregit. Dominus de Latymer vitam relinquens temporalem mundo valefecit; hic denique per dominum Robertum Halys invitatus ad epulas de equo volens descendere subita paralysi raptus sermonem perdidit et mortem invenit.

Note 1. William [aged 50], 1330-1381, 4th Baron Latimer, Knight Garter. Fought at the battles of Sluys, Crécy and Auray. Married [his wife] Elizabeth [aged 61], daughter of Edmund Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel. They had one daughter, Elizabeth [aged 24], who succeeded as Baroness Latimer, and who married 1. John Neville, Baron Raby, and 2. Robert, Baron Willoughby.

On 28th May 1381 William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 51] died. He was buried at Guisborough Priory [Map]. His daughter Elizabeth [aged 24] succeeded 5th Baroness Latimer of Corby.

Around 3rd January 1389 [his former wife] Elizabeth Fitzalan [aged 69] died.