1st wife of Richard Tempest

Not the same as Isabel de Bourne, heiress of Studley, who married a different Sir Richard Tempest, of Hertford & Studley

Isabel Tempest was the daughter of Sir Richard Tempest (will dated 26 August 1427, probated September 1428, Testamenta Eboracensia, part i, p. 412), and (probably) Margaret Stainforth (for evidences of Isabel’s parentage and marriage see the article by Doug Hickling and me at http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/families/tempest/tempest4.shtml).

From http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/families/tempest/tempest3.shtml

One of the most fascinating tidbits about Richard's wife is the following notation by EBT: "During the time Sir Ric. Tempest was the warden of Roxburgh Castle, between April 1385 & April 1386, the Scots carried off his papers & his wife."

Unfortunately, we have not located additional sources that would throw light on this alleged abduction or its outcome.

EBT shows five sons for Richard and Margaret: Sir Piers, Sir Robert, John, Richard, and Roger. She gives varying dates for their births at different places in the manuscript, Piers: "circa 1378" and "born say 1382"; Robert: "born say 1385"; Roger: "circa 1390," "born say 1390," and "c. 1398"; she does not suggest birthdates for John and Richard. She also shows a single daughter, Isabel, also without birthdate. (Roger married Catherine Gilliot, founded the Tempests of Broughton, and is the ancestor of EBT's husband, Arthur Cecil Tempest.)

Since Robert de Stainforth's will was dated April 1390, if Margaret was in fact Richard Tempest's wife, either she had returned from her ordeal as a captive of the Scots in 1385 or 1386 or she was a successor wife to the one who was abducted. So, while we believe that Margaret Stainforth was Richard's wife, we cannot be sure that he did not have a first wife.