Sir Piers Legh II, of Lyme Hall

Wounded at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and died in 1422 as a result of the wounds.

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• 'The house of Lyme from its foundation to the end of the eighteenth century (1917)
• http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027932320
• http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924027932320#page/n26/mode/1up
• The House of Lyme has its origin in the person of Peter or Piers — afterwards Sir Piers Legh — eldest son of Robert Legh of Adlington — and a descendant of the Leghs of Booths — by his second wife Maude, daughter and heiress of Sir John Norley. This Sir Piers Legh married, in 1388, Margaret, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Danyers, the owner of a small domain or manor called Bradley within Appleton, in Cheshire — and widow of Sir John Savage — and founded the family of Legh of Lyme.
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924027932320#page/n30/mode/1up
  • ' With the eldest son of the first Sir Piers, Peter Legh of 1403 Lyme and Haydock, afterwards Sir Peter — began the Lancashire connexion, he having been married about 1403 when a child, as was so much the fashion in those early days, to Joan, daughter and heiress of Sir Gilbert de Haydock. Through her the Legh family became possessed of very large estates in both Lancashire and Cheshire . . . .
  • ' . . . . He was made knight banneret on the field of Agincourt and died in Paris in 1422, presumably from the result of wounds received in battle. His widow married secondly Sir Richard Molyneux.
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924027932320#page/n31/mode/1up
    • . . . Peter the third (son of' Sir Peter Legh' last named) succeeded his father at the age of seven or eight. He was married when only sixteen to Margaret Molyneux, the daughter of his stepfather, Sir Richard Molyneux, by Ellen, daughter of Sir W. Harrington of Hornby.
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• 'Remains, historical and literary, connected with the palatine ..., Volume 97 By Chetham Society
• http://books.google.com/books?id=cfoMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq...
• Pg. 123
• LEGH OF LYME.
• The pedigree of this family has been drawn by Dugdale, Glover, Yardswick, Ormerod, and others. Errors have crept into the draughts of Dugdale and Ormerod.
• Dugdale rightly deduces that descent of Legh of Lyme from Robert Legh of Adlington; but instead of making John legh of Ridge a brother of the last Legh of Lyme, he makes him a nephew, by a roundabout and inexplicable connexion.
• Dr. Ormerod's pedigree errs in making Maud Arderne the mother of Sir Piers Legh the first of Lyme; and, by so doing, the maternity and succession are alike vitiated, as the Lyme Leghs are placed two generations behind those of Adlington, instead on one.
• Dr. Ormerod quotes Mr. Browne's note at the foot of his pedigree, which is the true account.
• . . . . . In the accompanying pedigree I have endeavoured to show the descent of the family of Danyers, or Daniel, up to the time when Margaret, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Dayners, became the wife of Sir Piers Legh the first of Lyme.
• Pg. 124 CHART
• GENERATION
• Sir Thomas Danyers of Clifton. Ob. 1353. Vita Patris. Lord of Gropenhall & Broome m. Isabel, d. and h. of Sir Wm. Baggiley, by Clemence, d. and h. of Sir Roger Chedle.
  • GENERATION
  • Margaret Danyers, d. and h. and one of the heiresses of Thomas Danyers of Bradley. Thrice married, 1st to Sir W. de Radcliffe; 2nd, to Sir John Savage; and 3rd, to Sir Piers Legh, Ob. 1428 m. Sir Piers Legh, son of Robert Legh of Adlington and Maud Norley.
  • Pg. 125
• The following pedigree of Legh of Lyme was in possession of Mr. Sampson Yardswick in April 1576. It was copied into Bostock's Cheshire Collections, and now forms a part of the Harleian MSS., from which is was extracted by me in 1857:
• Sir Rob. Leighe of Adlington knight maried for his second (or later) wife . . . doughter and heir of Adam de Norley, knight, by which their descended to her son and heir Peter Leigh, Norley, Pemberton, over Walton, and Hoole.
  • Peter Leighe Esquire, justicer stuard of Macclesfield in the forest thereof, married Marg't d. and one of the heirs of Thomas Danyers, knight of Bradley, by whom descended Gropehall and Broome, to which Peter and Margaret, and their heir male, K. R'd2 gave Hanley not only for the . . . .
    • ' Peter Leghe K't Ban't m'd Joane d. & h. of Sir Gilbert Haydocke, by whom descended Bradley, Burton wood, Newton, Waryngton, Onfeth, Sonkey, Bold, Hadocke, Lawton, Golbron, and Walton-le-dale, and he was slayin at the battle of Agincourt in An. dom. 1422. Ossa sepelita apud Macclesfield.
      • Peter Leghe, knighted at the bataile of Wakefield by Richard Duke of Yorke. He mar. Margarett d. of Sir Richard Molyneux, and dyed at Bradley Nov. 29 A.D. 1478. b'd at Winwicke.
  • Pg. 132
  • Sir Piers Legh the first of Lyme was justiciary stewart of Macclesfield, and of the forest of Macclesfield. He left issue 'Piers, or Peter Legh the second of Lyme, who was a minor when his father suffered decaptitation for loyally serving his fallen master and king. If the respective dates of the father's marriage in 1388 and of the beheadment in 1399 be compared, it becomes plain that the eldest son was about eight, or from that to nine years old when he succeeded. Later on he was knighted, and afterwards created a bannaret.
    • ' He married Joan, daughter and heiress of Sir Gilbert Haydock of Haydock, near Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, by whom he had a son also named Peter.
    • Pg. 133
    • ' Sir Peter Legh took part in the French wars . . . It has been generally stated that Sir P. Legh died of these wounds in Paris; but as this latter event happen in 1422, i.e., seven years after the battle of Agincourt, it is more likely . . . .
    • ' His remains were brought ot England, and buried in the church of St. Michael in Macclesfield, . . .
    • ' After Sir Peter Legh's death, at the age of 33 years, his widow Joan, married Sir Richard Molyneux of Sefton, in Lancashire. . . .
      • Sir Peter Legh, son and heir of the above, and the third of Lyme, was a minor at the time of his father's death. When of age, he married Margaret, the daughter of Sir Richard Molyneux, . . .
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Died of injuries sustained at the Battle of Agincourt. (Ben M. Angel notes: Battle of Agincourt took place in 1415. He recovered from the battle, was knighted, and continued to fight until 1422, when he received his mortal wounds. Source for the Siege of Meaux as the cause of the wounds given later.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt

When Sir Piers was wounded in the battle, his Mastiff stood over and protected him for many hours while the battle raged. Although Legh later died, the Mastiff returned to Legh's home and was the foundation of the Lyme Hall Mastiffs. Five centuries later this pedigree figured prominently in founding the modern breed.

The Mastiff name probably evolved from the Anglo-Saxon word "masty", meaning "powerful". The Mastiff is descended from the ancient Alaunt and Molosser and is recognized as the oldest British breed. The Mastiff might have been brought to Britain in the 6th century BC. It was used in the blood sports of bear-baiting, bull-baiting, dog fighting, and lion-baiting. Throughout its long history, the Mastiff has contributed to the development of a number of dog breeds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Legh_II

Sir Piers Legh II (died 16 June 1422), also known as Sir Piers de Legh and Peers Legh, was the second generation of the Leghs of Lyme.[1]

He was wounded in the Battle of Agincourt on 25 October 1415. His mastiff stood over him and protected him for many hours through the battle. The dog returned to Legh's home and was the foundation of the Lyme Hall Mastiffs. Five centuries later, this pedigree figured prominently in founding the modern English Mastiff breed.[2] An old stained glass window remains in the drawing room of Lyme Hall portraying Sir Piers and his devoted mastiff.[3][4]

He was injured again in action in 1422 and died as a result of his wounds in Paris.[5] He was buried at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield in the Legh Chapel, which had been built to receive his body.[6]

From "A History of Macclefield":

http://books.google.cl/books?id=vR7cAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA301&lpg=PA301&dq=...

In 1422, the Leigh Chapel was built to receive the body of Sir Piers Legh who fought with distinction at Agincourt and who was knighted on the field. He died in Paris in 1422 from wounds received during the siege of Meaux. His father, also Piers Legh, was buried at Macclesfield, though not in the Legh Chapel. He was executed at Chester by Henry Bolingbroke, afterwards Henry IV, because of his support of Richard II. A brass on the wall of the Legh Chapel commemorates both these members of the Legh family:

• Here lyeth the bodie of Perkin-a-Legh,
• That for King Richard the death did die,
• Betrayed for righteousness;
• And the bones of Sir Peter his sonne,
• That with King Henrie the fifth did wonne
• In Paris.

Beneath these lines there is further inscription, dated 1620, which amplifies the statements above and also ascribes the grant of Lyme Park to Perkin Legh for his service to the Black Prince at the 'battel of Cressie'. This cannot be true, for the Battle of Crecy was fought before Perkin was born. The grant of Lyme was in recompense of the services at Crecy of Sir Thomas Danyers, whose daughter, Margaret, married Perin Legh. Earwaker, in his East Cheshire, gives a full account of this transaction.

Legh of Lyme & Haydock, (Baines, 1836) < GoogleBooks >