Sir William de Venables Baron of Kinderton

  Noted events in his life were:

• Children. ⁷¹³
Sir William de Venables, knight, baron of Kinderson, son and heir of Roger, occurrs 1267, and dead by 1292/93, married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas de Dutton, lord of Dutton, knight, around 38 Henry III. There children given by Orerod were:

• Sir Hugh de Venables, knight and baron of Kinderton, son and heir, married to Agatha Vernon
• Sir William de Venables, knight to whom his father gave all his lands in Bradwall between 1284-1287, married, 1st of Katherine of Thorton, daughter of Sir Urian de St. Pierre and widow of Randle de Thornton, married second, Agnes de Legh, daughter and heiress of Richard de Legh, of West-Hall.

~George Ormerod's The History of County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol III, p. 199

• Background Information. ⁶⁸⁵
The Leghs derive their descent from Eudo, or Eules, the second of that name, earl of Blois, Byre and Charttes, who was slain in 1037 by Gozeled, duke of Lorraine, whose territory he had invaded. He left issue Theobald, eldest son, Gilbert of le Galliard, the younger son, and Alexia, a dauther.

Theobald succeeded to the honours and possessions of his father, but, losing Tours to Geoffrey Martell, he died of grief in 1047. His son, Stephen, subsequently recovered Tours; and his grandson, Stephen was king of England.

Gilbert, the younger son, assumed the name Venables, (venator abilis), and was the common ancestor of the Leghs. He engaged with William duke of Normandy in his expedition against England, and was knighted by the Conqueror on the battlefield of Hastings. For his serviced there, and for many others afterwards against the forces of Edgar Atheling, and against the Welsh, he had large possessions bestowed on him in Cheshire and elsewhere. In 20 William I, he appears to have been one of the eight barons of Chester, under Hugh Lupus, the earl.

Gilbert was married before coming to England and had a son who succeed to his lands in Tourrainse; but his first wife dying, he married again after coming into England, Margery, daughter of Waltheof, son of Wolfric, lord of Hatton, by whome he had issue William de Venables, who succeeded to the barony of Kinderton, and Amabilla, who married Richard de Davenport.

To William de Venables, Gilbert succeeded, and to Gilbert Sir William. To Sir William, Sir Hugh suceeded; and to Sir Hugh, Sir Roger. To Sir Roger, Sir William succeeded. He had two sons, Sir Hugh de Venables, who suceeded him in the barony of Kinderton, and William to whom his father gave Bradwell, near Sanbach, and with whom the present pedigree of Legh is directly concerned.

William de Venables of Bradwell married, for his first wife, Catherine daughter of Piers Thorton, knight, by whom he had issue one son, William de Venables, afterwards of Bradwell. He next married Agnes, daughter and heiress of Richard de Legh of the West Hall, (then widow of Richard de Lymme) by whome he had issue John, who became John de Legh, and became the first of Norbury Booths.

Agnes was entitled to a moiety of the manor of High Legh, by descent of her father Richard de Legh, and to several other estates, all of which, with the exception of a farm in High Legh, she gave to Thomas, her son by her first marriage, from whom the Leghs of High Legh are descended, as well as those of West Hall.

~Contributions Towards a History of the Ancient Parish of Prestbury in Cheshire,Remains, Historical and Literary, Adlington, and Legh of Adlington, pp. 81-82

William married Margaret de Dutton, daughter of Sir Thomas de Dutton Lord of Dutton and Philippa de Sandon.⁷¹³ (Margaret de Dutton was born in Dutton, Cheshire, England and died in Kinderton, Chester, England.)