Robert Swillington, Kt.

Robert Swillington (62a) was born 1325 at Swillington, Yorkshire, England, the second son of Sir Adam de Swillington and his first wife Joan de Dyne. He died in 1391 at his Gonalston seat in Nottinghamshire.

He became the richest, if not also the greatest, man of his house.

He married first in 1348 to Avora, daughter of Sir Stephen Walys and Alice St. Philibert, with issue.

He “subsequently entered into an irregular alliance with some member of the neighboring knightly family of Hopton.”

About 1370 he married again, this time to a lady much younger than himself and a great heiress, Margaret, the daughter and coheiress of Sir Roger Beler, a Leicestershire magnate, by another Margaret, the elder co heiress of Sir Richard de la River, also of Leicestershire. It seems to have been this marriage which led him to practically forsake his Yorkshire home, and to live for the most part on his more southern estates.

At his death he left an enormous fortune, including seventy-five estates, thirty-five of which were manors.

Robert Swillington's 2nd wife was named Margaret Bellars.

In his will, no date given but proved July 22nd 1391, he lists:

Margaret his wife,

Margery Swyllington his daughter,

Richard Swyllington his son,

Rawlyn Swyllington his son,

Roger Swyllington his son,

Thomas Hopton his bastard,

Joan, wife of Roger Swyllington

Richard, evidently the oldest son by his first wife, finds no place in any pedigree.

Rawlyn, probably his brother, is perhaps the foundation for the the mysterious Reyner.

Margery is daughter of the second wife and married Sir John Grey.

Thomas Hopton was the natural son of Robert de Swyllington and is certainly the ultimate successor to the settled estates.

Richard and Rawlyn must have both died without issue.

Notes

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Talbot-10

"She evidently married (1st) c.1388 to Richard son of Robert de Swillington. It that year her grandfather John Talbot made a settlement of lands, and she and her husband were included in the remainders [see first fine copied below]. My guess is that Joan was very young in 1388, at least 7, but more likely 12 or 13. Joan Talbot was still young enough to have 4 children by her 3rd marriage to Simon Leek, which marriage took place in 1405. My guess is that she was born c.1375."

References

• Pedigrees of the county families of Yorkshire. by Foster, Joseph, 1844-1905 Publication date 1874 Publisher London : Printed and published by the compiler by W. Wilfred Head Collection getty; americana Digitizing sponsor Getty Research Institute Contributor Getty Research Institute Language English Volume v.1. Page 183-184. “Hopton, of Armley, co. York.” Archive.Org
• https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/159193/I6261/robert-deswillington/ind...
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swillington-1 cites

1. Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, in 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2013): vol. III pages 312-313.
2. The Publications of the Thoresby Society, volume 15 (1910): 185-211. “The Swillingtons of Swillngton,” by Canon Beanlands.
3. The Herald and Genealogist, volume 5 (London, 1870): 327-330. Armorial Shields at Swillington, Yorkshire, by the editors. < GoogleBooks >
4. Will abstract Early Lincoln Wills < archive.org >
5. http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p3141.htm#...
6. https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0hkh_WD01oC&pg=PA5
7. The Publications of the Thoresby Society, Volumes 14-15. Person # 62a. Page 204. < GoogleBooks >
8. The Publications of the Thoresby Society, Volumes 14-15. Page 193. “Sketch pedigree of the Swillingtons of Swillington”. < GoogleBooks >