Sir John de Sudeley was Lord of Sudeley and Toddingham. The older son, he inherrited the estate of his father in county Glouchester, England. He married Grace de Traci, heiress of Barnstaple, County of Devon. They had two sons: Ralph, the heir of the father; William inherited his mother's estate and assumed her family name, de Traci.

Ralph de Sudeley

From Medlands:

John & his wife had two children:

1. RALPH [I] de Sudeley (-before 29 Sep 1192). "Radulphus de Suthleie" donated "Thanewordam villam meam" {Yaneworthe} to Gloucester St Peter, the same place also being donated by separate charter by "Rainaldus de Chockes", by undated charter[1493]. "Willelmus de Traceio" confirmed the donation of "Thanewordam villam meam" {Yaneworthe} to Gloucester St Peter made by "Radulfus de Suthleia frater meus", and with the consent of "Radulfo fratre meo", by undated charter, witnessed by "Henricus de Traceio…"[1494]. "Radulphus de Sudlla" donated property to Winchecombe, donated by "[pater] meus Iohannes de Sudleia", for the souls of "…Emme uxoris mee", by undated charter which names "Otueli filii et heredis mei et Radulphi filii mei"[1495]. “Radulphus de Sudle” donated the churches of Dercet and Chilverdescote to Erdbury, for the souls of "Emmæ uxoris meæ et Hotveli filii mei", by undated charter, witnessed by "…Will de Traci, Ricardo de Sudle…"[1496].

m EMMA, daughter of --- (-after 1192, bur Winchecombe Abbey). "Radulphus de Sudlla" donated property to Winchecombe, donated by "[pater] meus Iohannes de Sudleia", for the souls of "…Emme uxoris mee", by undated charter which names "Otueli filii et heredis mei et Radulphi filii mei"[1497]. “Radulphus de Sudle” donated the churches of Dercet and Chilverdescote to Erdbury, for the souls of "Emmæ uxoris meæ et Hotveli filii mei", by undated charter[1498]. According to Dugdale[1499], she was Emma de Beauchamp, daughter of William de Beauchamp of Elmley & his wife Bertha de Briouse, but the primary source on which this information is based has not been traced. The name of her son Otuel suggests a family relationship with Ottiwell [Otuel], illegitimate son of Hugh Earl of Chester (see the document ENGLAND; EARLS CREATED 1067-1122). Another possibility is that the wife of Ralph [I] de Sudely was --- de Stafford, daughter of Nicholas de Stafford & his wife Matilda ---. This hypothesis depends exclusively on two charters dated to the end 12th century under which "Radulfus de Suleya filius Radulfi de Suleya" confirmed land in Theddlethorpe, Lincolnshire to "Matildi de Hambi" granted to her by "Matildis de Staforda avia sua", and land given to her in the same place by "Haraldus frater eius", the second charter clarifying "Radulfus de Suleya…Matildis de Estafford avia mea"[1500]. No other record has yet been found of a "Suleya/Suleye" family. It is uncertain which English surname is represented by the Latin "Suleya". However, it is similar to "Sudeley" and one possibility is that "Radulfus de Suleya" senior was the same person as Ralph [I] de Sudeley, both persons being recorded with a son named Ralph. The chronology appears favourable for this co-identity, but its likelihood depends on establishing a connection between the Sudeley family and Theddlethorpe. No such connection has yet been identified.

Ralph [I] & his wife had two children: 

a) OTUEL de Sudeley (-1198, bur Winchecombe). "Radulphus de Sudlla" donated property to Winchecombe, donated by "[pater] meus Iohannes de Sudleia", for the souls of "…Emme uxoris mee", by undated charter which names "Otueli filii et heredis mei et Radulphi filii mei"[1501]. “Radulphus de Sudle” donated the churches of Dercet and Chilverdescote to Erdbury, for the souls of "Emmæ uxoris meæ et Hotveli filii mei", by undated charter[1502]. The Red Book of the Exchequer, listing scutage payments in [1194/95], names "Otuel de Sudlega" paying "lx s, iii milites" in Gloucestershire[1503]. m MARGARET, daughter of ---. Margaret wife of Otuel de Sudeley is named in a charter of Winchecombe abbey[1504].

b) RALPH [II] de Sudeley (-before 26 Feb 1222). "Radulphus de Sudlla" donated property to Winchecombe, donated by "[pater] meus Iohannes de Sudleia", for the souls of "…Emme uxoris mee", by undated charter which names "Otueli filii et heredis mei et Radulphi filii mei"[1505]. "Ralph son and heir of Ralph de Sudeley" made a fine for "his relief of the lands formerly of Ralph his father" in Gloucestershire, dated 26 Feb 1222[1506]. m ISABELLA, daughter of --- (-after 1242). A fine dated 1242 names "Imenie que fuit ux Radi de Suthleg" and "Isabella que fuit ux Radi de Suthleg patris pdci Radi"[1507]. Isabella’s family origin is not known. Several so-called "genealogy" websites published on the internet call her "Isabella de Stafford". This speculation presumably finds its origin in the charters relating to Theddlethorpe, Lincolnshire which are quoted above in relation to the possible origin of the wife of Ralph [I] de Sudeley. As discussed further above, it is not certain that the name "Suleya" in those documents is the same as "Sudeley". In any case, the daughter of Nicholas de Stafford who married "Radulfus de Suleya" was the wife of the older person of that name in those documents who, the chronology suggests, would be identified with Ralph [I] de Sudeley if the names "Suleya" and Sudeley were in fact the same.
- LORDS SUDELEY[1508]. 2. WILLIAM de Tracy of Toddington, Gloucestershire (-after [1192]). "Willelmus de Traceio" confirmed the donation of "Thanewordam villam meam" {Yaneworthe} to Gloucester St Peter made by "Radulfus de Suthleia frater meus", and with the consent of "Radulfo fratre meo", by undated charter, witnessed by "Henricus de Traceio…"

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ralph de Sudeley (died 1192) was an English baron in Gloucestershire. He was a benefactor of the Knights Templar as well as religious establishments. He was succeeded by his son Otuel.[1] From 1185 the family was based at Griff, Warwickshire, near land at Chilvers Coton given to Arbury Priory and the Templars.[2]

Claims

It has been claimed that Sudeley was a leader of the Knights Templar c. 1180. In a novel The Essence Conspiracy he is mentioned as a crusader in 1190.[3]

Graham Phillips claimed Ralph de Sudeley may have found the Ark of the Covenant when he discovered the Maccabean treasure at Jebel al Madhbah.[4] Because Sudeley returned to Britain, it is theorised that he may have taken the Ark to Britain with him.

Notes

Jump up ^ Sudeley. "Sudeley family". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66504. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) Jump up ^ John Ashdown-Hill (26 August 2011). Eleanor the Secret Queen: The Woman Who put Richard III on the Throne. History Press Limited. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-7524-6895-2. Jump up ^ S. Eric Wachtel (March 2011). The Essene Conspiracy. S Eric Wachtel. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-615-42646-4. Jump up ^ Vikas Khatri. World Famous Treasures Lost and Found. Pustak Mahal. p. 216. ISBN 978-81-223-1274-4.