Sir Robert CONSTABLE of North Cliffe

Born: ABT 1445, Flamborough, Yorkshire, England

Died: 22 Nov 1501

Father: Robert CONSTABLE of Flamborough (Sir Knight)

Mother: Agnes WENTWORTH

Married: Beatrix HATCLIFFE (B. Greystocke) 1490 (Licence 18 Aug 1490, Test. Ebor. III p 355)

Children:

1. Agnes CONSTABLE

2. Marmaduke CONSTABLE of North Cliffe

3. Elizabeth CONSTABLE

4. Robert CONSTABLE of Hotham

5. Anne CONSTABLE (probably m. Thomas Rokesby of Morthem in Richmond)

6. Jane CONSTABLE

7. William CONSTABLE

Sir Robert Constable of North Cliffe, Sergeant-at-Law. Will dated 2 Sep 1501 and proved 13 Jan 1501/2, Inquisition Post Mortem 14 Oct 1502, and held land at North Cliffe, Sledmere, Newsham and Broughton. A son of Sir Robert Constable of Flamborough and Agnes Wentworth.

In 'The Life and Times of Henry VII' by Neville Williams, (ed., Antonia Fraser, Weidenfield & Nicholson, 1973) our Robert gets a mention,

'After he had reigned for ten years, two sergeants-at-law, Robert Constable and Thomas Frowick, gave a series of lectures to benchers and students at the Inns of Court on the Royal Prerogative, showing in no sycophantic manner that Henry had been at pains to enforce to the full his feudal rights which his immediate predecessors had let slide'.

Sir Robert Constable married in 1490 (Licence 18 Aug 1490, Test. Ebor. III p 355) Beatrix Hatcliffe, Lady Greystock, dau. of James Hatcliff of Grimthorpe in East Yorkshire and widow of Ralph Baron of Greystock who died in 1487 (1 Jun 1487, married by licence 20 Sep 1483 Test. Ebor III. p. 347, at Hinderskelf, his Will is in Test. Ebor. IV. 20.). She died in 1505 after taking a vow of chastity (Licence to veil, 12 Apr 1502, She had no children by Lord Greystock but had about six or seven children by her second husband. She took up membership of the Guild of Corpus Christi in York in 1491 with her baby son Marmaduke. Her family, though obscure, did become well connected. Her brothers seems to include Sir William Hatcliffe who has many descendants and Richard Hatcliffe Vicar of Nunburnholme who outlived his sister by over 40 years. She too left a Will made 12 Apr 1505 and proved 5 Jun 1505, Test. Ebor. IV p 236, buried at Sancton). She was a formidable character and must not have forgotten that she was once wed to a cousin of King's Edward IV and Richard III and of the mother of King Henry VII. She made sure that her daughter wed Henry Thwaites of Lund by abducting the young groom.

Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1502, 18 Henry VII, May 9 Westminster.

Grant to Beatrice, Lady Greystok, widow of Robert Constable, sergeant-at-law, of the lands of Edmund Thwaytes and Joan his wife, both deceased, during the minority of Henry, kinsman and heir of the said Edmund and Joan; to wit, son of Henry son of the said Edmund and Joan; and of the marriage of the said heir, though already married; and pardon to the said Beatrice for the abduction of the said Henry and the marrying him to Agnes daughter of the said Robert and Beatrice.

Pardon to Henry Thwaytes, kinsman and heir of Edmund Thwaytes, deceased, to wit son of Henry son of the said Edmund, for marrying without licence Agnes daughter of Robert Constable, late sergeant-at-law, and Beatrice his wife.

It is interesting to note that Edmund Thwaytes was a member of the Guild of Corpus Christi, like Beatrice and Robert.

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