The de Handsacres: Lords, land, and legacy in a changing England

The de Handsacre Family

For more than two centuries, the de Handsacre family were the principal lords of the manor from which the village took its name. Although they never ranked among England’s greatest noble houses, they were closely connected to the political, military and social world of medieval England. Through royal service, military campaigns, strategic marriages and occasional conflict with the Crown, the family’s history reflects many of the events that shaped the nation between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The family’s origins can be traced to the Norman period, when the manor of Handsacre became established under the feudal system. Over succeeding generations the de Handsacres consolidated their position as local landowners while extending their influence well beyond Staffordshire. They acquired estates in several counties, served as knights and royal officials, and forged connections with many of the leading families of the Midlands.

Their story is far from a simple family history. Members of the family fought in civil war, served in the campaigns of the Hundred Years’ War, attended great royal ceremonies and became involved in disputes that ended in violence. At different times they found themselves both in royal favour and in rebellion against the Crown. Their fortunes rose and fell with the changing politics of medieval England.

The direct male line effectively came to an end with the death of Sir Simon de Handsacre in 1373–74. His three daughters became co-heiresses, and through their marriages the family’s estates passed into other hands. Even so, the Handsacre name did not disappear immediately. One branch descended through Sir Simon’s daughter Isabella eventually adopted the de Handsacre surname, and members of that line continued to serve in France during the reign of Henry V.

Because the history of the family spans more than two hundred years, it is best explored through a series of individual articles. Each examines a significant episode or person in greater depth, placing local events within their wider national context.

Featured Articles

• William de Handsacre: Rebel Against the King
  How the lord of Handsacre supported Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons’ War, lost his estates after the Battle of Evesham, and eventually regained royal favour.
• The Feast of Swans: How William de Handsacre Became a Knight
  The remarkable chivalric celebration at which Edward, Prince of Wales, knighted hundreds of young men on the eve of his Scottish campaign.
• Sir William de Handsacre and the Campaigns of 1345–1347
  From the fighting in Gascony to the Battle of Crécy, Sir William de Handsacre served with the Earl of Stafford during some of the most decisive English victories of the Hundred Years’ War.
• The Murder in the Church
  The violent dispute that followed Sir Simon de Handsacre’s death, culminating in the killing of Laurence Frodeley inside a church and one of the most dramatic episodes in the family’s history.
• “We Happy Few”: William de Handsacre and the Road to Agincourt
  How a later William de Handsacre, descended through the Frodeley family, served in Henry V’s army during the famous campaign of 1415.

Together these articles reveal how one Staffordshire family became entwined with some of the defining events of medieval England. Their story extends far beyond the boundaries of a small manor, illustrating the opportunities, ambitions and dangers faced by the lesser nobility during the Middle Ages.