Thomas Charlton, of Apley

Thomas Charlton (also spelled Cherleton) [aka Thomas Knightly] of Apley (in Wellington), Shropshire, born about 30 March 1394, is son and heir of William Knightly and his wife Anna Charlton daughter of Thomas Charlton. [1] [2]

Thomas (Knightly) Charlton married Cecily, daughter of Robert Fraunceys, Knight, and Isabel his wife, daughter of Thomas Brumpton, Knight, [6] [7]

Thomas and Cecily had one son, Robert, Esq. [9] who bore the surname Charlton.

Note

See TAG 35: 62-63 for evidence that Cecily's father was not Sir Adam Francis, or Fraunceys. [8]

Ancestral roots of certain American colonists who came to America before ... By Frederick Lewis Weis, Walter Lee Sheppard, William Ryland, Pg. 39

• 32. Thomas de Charlton, of Appleby, co. Salop, b. 1345, d. 6 Oct. 1387.
• 33. Anna de Charlton, b. bef. 1390, d. by 1399; m. William de Knightley, son of Richard Knightley of Fawesley, co Northampton. [sic: parents of William de Knightley unidentified]
• 34. 'Thomas de Knightley de Charlton, b. 30 mar. 1394, d. 4 Jan. 1460; m. Elizabeth Francis, dau. of Sir Robert Francis (Franceys) of Foremark, co. Derby. (See TAG 35: 62-63).
• 35. Robert Charlton, alias Knightley, b. bef. 1430, d. 1471; m. Mary Corbet (29B-34).

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A P Baggs, D C Cox, Jessie McFall, P A Stamper, A J L Winchester, 'Wellington: Manors and other estates', in A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11, Telford, ed. G C Baugh, C R Elrington( London, 1985), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol11/pp215-221 [accessed 24 January 2025].

APLEY was presumably one of the berewicks belonging to Wellington in 1066. (fn. 64) It was later termed a manor but was held of the lords of Wellington manor (fn. 65) and remained subject to the Wellington court leet and court baron in 1818. (fn. 66) John de Praères of Dothill was a freeholder in Apley in 1282. (fn. 67) Apley belonged to Sir Alan of Charlton (d. 1360) (fn. 68) by 1317 (fn. 69) and later to his grandsons Sir John Charlton (d. 1380) (fn. 70) and Thomas Charlton (d. 1386). (fn. 71) In 1384 Thomas granted the manor to Sir John Atwood for life. (fn. 72) Atwood died in 1391 and it reverted to Thomas's son Thomas, a minor. (fn. 73) Thomas died a minor in 1397 when his coheirs were his sister Ellen and Thomas of Knightley, son of his sister Anne, who had married William of Knightley. Ellen died without issue in 1399, leaving Thomas, a minor, as sole heir. (fn. 74) Thomas received seisin in 1417 (fn. 75) and by 1428 had assumed the surname Charlton. (fn. 76) He died in 1460. (fn. 77) Apley then descended from father to son until 1532, the following being lords: ...

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I have found no hard evidence, and only one dubious instance in Other People's Trees, that he married anyone but Elizabeth Francis.

References

1. Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, (2011), Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Royal Ancestry series, 2nd edition, Ed. Kimball G. Everingham, (Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 2011), Vol. I, page 420. < GoogleBooks >. "Anne de Cherleton, born before 1380. Married William de Knightley. They had one son, Thomas."