The New Murrey and Blue blog

William Vaux was born about 1435. He was the son of Sir William Vaux and Maud, daughter and heiress of Sir Geoffrey Lucy.

His most important manor was Harrowden in Northamptonshire, which was eventually to provide a title for the peers who followed him, who were known as ‘Lord Vaux of Harrowden.’ He also had Shankton, Napton, Wilby, Bodenham, and lands at Swaffham. Shankton is in Leicestershire, Napton in Warwickshire, Wilby in Northamptonshire, and Bodenham and Swaffham in Cambridgeshire(1). He also held the advowsons at Shankton and Wilby.

Vaux was never to reach such dizzy heights as the peerage. He began as an esquire. Before 22 December 1456, he married Katherine ‘Penistone’ of whom more anon. After this date, he was knighted at some point, but it is not clear exactly when. Possibly prior to or after one of the many battles of the era.

Vaux was a loyal follower of Henry VI and was attainted in 1461. It seems likely he went into exile with his wife and Margaret of Anjou. What is certain is that he fought and died for Henry VI at Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471, and is buried in the abbey.

He and Katherine had at least two children. Nicholas found himself in Margaret Beaufort‘s household and became an MP and diplomat in due course, and was created Lord Vaux of Harrowden just before his death in 1523.

Jane, their daughter, married Sir Richard Guildford, KG, and secondly, Anthony Poyntz. She was at one time in charge of Henry VII‘s daughters, acting as their governess. She was the mother of Sir Henry Guildford, KG. She passed away in 1538.

Katherine ‘Penistone’ is known to some readers of fiction as ‘Lady Katherine Vaux’. She is, of course, properly known as Lady Vaux, or Katherine, Lady Vaux. The interesting thing is that she was born in Provence, then an independent entity and not part of France. It was, in fact, under the rule of King Rene of Anjou, Margaret of Anjou’s father.

Katherine’s father, Gregorio Panizzone, came from Piedmont, now part of Italy. (Italy did not exist in the 15th Century except as a geographical expression.) It is probably fair to call him Italian, or as the English of the time would have said, a ‘Lombard’.

The surname was eventually Anglicised to ‘Penistone’ by later writers. (A place more in contrast with northern Italy than Penistone in Yorkshire is hard to imagine.)

Katherine was recorded in Margaret of Anjou’s service as early as 1452-3, and may well have come to England in her train. In December 1456 she received Letters of Denization – that is to say, she became a naturalised Englishwoman. By this time she was already married to William Vaux.

Katherine remained devoted to Queen Margaret, sharing her exile, or most of it. She was a witness to Margaret’s will in 1482. On 12 March 1478, she was granted for life (2) her late husband’s manors of Stanton, Bucks, and Marcham, Berks, for the support of herself and her children. As previously mentioned, her children came under the protection of Lady Margaret Beaufort (Lady Richmond), an arrangement which may well have begun during Katherine’s absence abroad.

At some point, Katherine returned to England. Her exact date of death is not known but she does not appear in records after 1509. (3) She is said to have been buried in the Blackfriars Church, in London.

(1) Not to be confused with Swaffham, Norfolk, which is better known.

(2) Cal. Patent Rolls,1476-85, p. 94

(3) She was, at this date, granted an annuity of 20 marks by Henry VIII.