Baron Grey of Powis

Edward Charleton, 5th Baron Cherleton, married Eleanor Holland, eldest daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and lord Wake of Liddell and Lady Alice Fitzalan. Their daughters were co-heirs to the Powis legacy: • Joan married Sir John Grey, valiant military figure for King Henry V of England, resulting in attaining castle and lordship at Tyle, earldom of Tankerville, and governor of the castle at Tournay. John was made Lord of Powis through his marriage to Joan. • Joyce married John Tiptoft, 1st Baron Tiptoft, whose son John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester, was attainted of treason in 1478. Edward, the last Charleton to hold a title of Powis, died in 1422 leaving the title in abeyance. The Greys and Tiptofts divided not only the estates but also Powis Castle near Welshpool, Wales. In 1540 John Leland (died 1552), English poet and antiquary, noted that he found at Castel Coch (English: Red Castle) "two Lords Marchers" castles within one wall. At that time the part of John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley, great-grandson of Joyce Tiptoft, was almost in ruin, that of Lord Grey, grandson of Joan the elder sister was "metely good". The outer ward had been the share of the Tiptofts and inner ward that of the Greys. Lord Dudley sold the Tiptoft/Dudley share of Powis Castle to his nephew the 3rd and last Baron Grey of Powis, son of his sister Margaret, probably before 1538. == Lords Grey of Powis ==

• Joan Charleton and John Grey, were Lady and 6th Lord of Powis, upon Joan's father's death. He only survived his father-in-law by eight days, being slain in the Battle of Baugé, 22 March 1421. Joan, his widow and the heiress of Powis died about 1425. married Antigone Plantagenet, legitimised daughter of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and Eleanor Cobham. Together they had three children: Richard (Henry's successor), Humphrey (who married Eleanor Touchet) and Elizabeth (who married Sir Roger Kynaston. In 1442 he received livery of his lands. In 1455 a petition was presented to Parliament by Richard, Lord Powys, and the other coheirs of "Edmund Wodestok, late Earl of Kent" and the Abbot of Kirkstal. On 1 July 1461 was given stewardship of Ceri, Cedewain, and Montgomery, Wales. He owned land in Shropshire, Worcester and in Wales. He died on 17 December 1466. Since neither John, Henry nor Richard were called to Parliament as Baron Grey of Powis, rather, referred to as Lord of Powis, they were not made Barons of Powis. == Barons Grey of Powis ==

The next three generations of Powis Greys were called to Parliament and received title of Baron of Powis: The marriage was not successful and in 1537 Anne left Edward for her lover, Randal Haworth (whom she later married). By the time Anne took Randal as her lover, Edward had already taken a mistress, Jane Orwell [Orrell] by whom he had illegitimate children, and upon whom he would later entail the greater part of his estates comprising the barony of Powys. Anne's father, with the assistance of Thomas Cromwell, forced Grey to support her, and succeeded in obtaining for her an annuity of £100. He also asked Cromwell to help discipline Anne so that she would "live after such an honest sort as shall be to her honor and mine". In 1540, Grey petitioned the Privy Council to punish Anne for adultery, and also accused Anne and Haworth of conspiring to murder him. No action was taken against Anne, and she remained with her lover; however, this scandalous arrangement caused her to be excluded from Charles Brandon's will, which contained generous bequests to her two half-sisters, Frances and Eleanor. On 17 September 1545, the king demised to Edward Grey, Lord Powis, the site of the Abbey of Strata Marcella for 21 years. left no legitimate issue and the barony went into abeyance. He left six illegitimate children by Jane Orwell [Orrell]: Edward, Walter, Andrew, Thomas, Jane, and Cecily or Anne. According to Edward's will dated 11 June 1544, Edward left to his issue: • barony and lordship of Powys, with his castle and manor of Poole, • lordships in the county of Montgomery and • castles and manors of Cherleton and Pontysbury, in the county of Salop. In 1568 Edward Grey of London, son of 3rd Baron Grey of Powis, came of age and conveyed the manors of Plas Y Dynas and Trewern in Montgomeryshire to Edward Kynaston, and later the manor of Pontesbury to William Leighton. In 1587 Edward sold the lordship and castle of Powys to his kinsman Sir Edward Herbert, the second son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1501–1570). Edward Grey Jr. was Herbert's second cousin through the latter's great-grandfather William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke of Raglan Castle, who was Edward Jr.'s great-great-grandfather. Edward Herbert's son, William Herbert became the 1st Baron Herbert of Powis. The Herberts rebuilt Powis Castle into its current state of splendor. == References ==