#richard lord grey of codnor

[une-sanz-pluis]

At the highest social levels, there were the kings eldest sons (Henry and Thomas) who served with small retinues although they were only twelve and eleven years old, respectively. Although the princes were clearly too young to exercise effective command over large bodies of soldiers, there could not have been a better way of emphasising to both the English and their Scottish enemy the stability, and indeed virility, of the new regime than the king leading out an army alongside his two eldest sons, in succession to the childless Richard II. The symbolic value of such a formation would not have been lost on the king, but nor would the need to bolster the princes' divisions with men of high status and greater military experience, or at least greater age. In the groupings of Curson's particulars, Thomas of Lancaster is placed with the earl of Rutland, Walter, Lord Fitzwalter, and Richard, Lord Grey of Codnor. Meanwhile, Prince Henrys group contained units led by Edmund, earl of Stafford and William, Lord Ferrers of Groby, plus the 244 men-at- arms mustered by the treasurer and controller of the royal household, Thomas Tutbury and Robert Litton

Anne Curry, Adrian R. Bell, Andy King and David Simpkin, "New Regime, New Army? Henry IV's Scottish Expedition of 1400", The English Historical Review, Vol. 125, No. 517 (2010)

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Ricard de Ore from the Dering Roll (c. 1270-1300)

Blazon: Argent three bars azure surmounted by a bend gules bezanté

The full name appears to be Richard de Grey; some sources assert he was “Lord of Ore,” but I’m not entirely sure where that is. It’s possible that “Ore” is a corruption of Codnor Castle, the ancient seat of the family. Richard’s son Henry was later recorded as the first Baron Grey of Codnor. At some point, Richard or his son dropped the bend recorded here, and the arms changed to barry of six argent and azure.