Henry de Audley

Henry Audley or Aldithel or Alditheley (c. 1175–1246) was an English baron.

Biography

Audley was a royalist baron, born about 1175 to Adam de Alditheley and Emma, daughter of Ralph/Radulphus fitzOrm. HIs father Adam held Alditheley (Staffordshire) from the de Verduns of Alton in 1186. He began his career as constable to Hugh de Lacy (whose first wife was a de Verdun) when Earl of Ulster, and, on Hugh's disgrace (1214), attached himself to Ranulph, the great royalist Earl of Chester, and was rewarded by the crown with a forfeited estate (1216). He endowed the nearby Cistercian Abbey of St. Mary at Hulton in 1223, and donated to it a large amount of land, some of which was an inheritance from his mother and some of which was purchased.

Henry married Bertha, daughter of Ralph de Mesnilwarin.

He served as sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire 1227 and 1229, as deputy for the Earl of Chester, from whom he obtained large grants of lands. On acquiring Heleigh Castle he made it his chief seat, but was entrusted by the crown, with the constableship of several castles on the Welsh borders from 1223 to his death, which took place shortly before 11 November 1246, when his son James Audley did homage.