View source for House Grey of Heaton

Cadet branch of the [[House of Grey]]


<gallery caption="Coat of Arms" align=center style= "color: #292929;font-size:1.2em;font-weight: normal;text-align:center;font-style: normal;">
Grey of Heton and Powis.svg| House Grey of Heaton<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Lords of Heaton and Chillingham<br>Earls of Tankerville<br>Barons Grey of Powis</span>
Thomas de Grey Cotgrave.svg|House Grey of Heaton<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Alternative arms variant from ''Cotgrave's Ordinary'' and ''Thomas Jenyns' Book''</span><!-- Seems to refer to two different persons so I will put it as an alternative variant. Burke f.e. assigns this family in general the arms of Talbot (gules, lion Or within a bordure engrailed of the last) as Grey's were Barons of Powys but we know from various armorials and specifically KG plates their arms was "gules, lion argent within a bordure engrailed of the last" -->
</gallery>

<gallery caption="Cadet Branches" align=center style= "color: #292929;font-size:1.2em;font-weight: normal;text-align:center;font-style: normal;">
Gray.svg|[[House of Gray]]<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Lords of Broxmouth and Fowlis<br>Lords Gray<br>Issued from Andrew, younger son of John de Grey of Chillingham<br>Scottish branch</span>
Grey of Chillingham.svg|[[House Grey of Chillingham]]<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Lords of Horton, Werke and Chillingham<br>Baronets of Chillingham<br>Barons Grey of Werke<br>Issued from Thomas, son of Thomas Grey of Heaton ''the Chronicler''</span><!-- Issued from eldest son of Thomas Grey "the Chronicler" who was attainted and executed for his involvement in "Southampton plot", his lands and titles confiscated. He and his line were thus treated as a younger line from that point on as the younger brother of Thomas named John became 6th Lord of Powis by marriage and later 1st Earl of Tankerville and Baron Grey of Powis. The line of Thomas afterwards continues at Chillingham, eventually becoming Barons Grey of Werke -->
</gallery>

<gallery caption="Personal Arms" align=center style= "color: #292929;font-size:1.2em;font-weight: normal;text-align:center;font-style: normal;">
Thomas Grey Galloway.svg|Thomas de Grey<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Lord of Heaton<br>Father of Thomas, author of the ''Scalacronica''<br>Arms in Galloway Roll and Nativity Roll</span><!-- By year given for Galloway Roll and Nativity Roll this is Thomas (de) Grey, father of another Thomas (d.1369) who was the author of Scalacronica. This CoA would be his arms while his father (another Thomas de Grey as well - d.1310) was still alive  -->
Thomas de Grey 1410.svg|Thomas de Grey<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Lord of Heaton<br>Elder brother of John, 1st Earl of Tankerville<br>Progenitor of Chillingham branch<br>Arms in ''Thomas Jenyns' Book''</span><!-- Either Thomas de Grey (d.1415) i.e. elder brother of John, 1st Earl of Tankerville and William, Bishop of London or his son who was also named Thomas-->
William FitzGrey.svg|William de Grey<br><span style="font-size:88%; line-height: 1.3em;">Bishop of London and Lincoln<br>Younger brother of John, 1st Earl of Tankerville<br>Arms in ''William Jenyns' Ordinary''</span><!-- If this CoA indeed refers to certain "William de Grey" and the estimate for WJ Ordinary is correct (ca.1360-1380) this would be William who was Bishop of London and Lincoln, younger son of Thomas and brother of John, 1st Earl of Tankerville-->
</gallery>


<!-- Regarding the Scottish branch: The origin of this branch is not completely certain but this family used the same arms, same crest and same motto as the Heaton-Chillingham branch making it impossible to conclude they are not related in some way, there is no coincidence here for sure. In fact Nisbet states: "Gray Lord Gray in Scotland, same arms as my Lord Gray of Wark and Chillingham, England. Motto: Anchor Fast Anchor. The first of this line was a son of Gray in Chillingham, Northumberland, England, who came to Scotland in the reign of Alexander II, (about 1130), and gave his allegiance to that King, receiving possessions in Roufield shire of Roxburgh. His issue has continued in Scotland." Even though it is unlikely they came that early, the main premise remains...a younger son of Grey/Gray came to Scotland and had issue that continued in Scotland.

Peerage of Scotland states: "Sir Hugh de Gray, a man of considerable rank and figure in the reign of Alexander II was then proprietor of the lands of Browfield or Broxmouth in Roxburghshire."

And on Electric Scotland it is stated: "Lord Grey of Chillingham is stated to have given the lands of Broxmouth in the county of Roxborough to a younger son of his family, in the reign of William the Lion. In the reign of Alexander the Third, John de Gray (the Scottish way of spelling the name), steward to the earls of March, is witness to many donations to the monastery of Coldstream. Sir Hugh de Gray, a subsequent proprietor of Broxmouth, left three sons; Sir Hugh de Gray, Henry de Gray, and John de Gray. The two elder brothers were among those who swore fealty to Edward the First in 1296; and the eldest, Sir Hugh de Gray, died about 1300."

So the line of Grey's of Chillingham is stated to start with Hugh de Grey, younger son of Henry de Grey of Grays Thurrock and progenitor of all Grey families in England. This younger son named Hugh came to Scotland, as he was one of the youngest sons, it can be logically assumed not much of inheritance was left for him so he looked for opportunity in Scotland where he offered his services. He seems to have been indeed granted land there, namely Broxmouth. He is stated to have had three sons of whom the two eldest swore allegiance to Edward I of England during the occupation of Scotland. Both seem to have died without issue, he was succeeded by his 3rd son John who is said to be the father of Thomas de Grey of Heaton (born c.1252) but also of Andrew (de) Gray of Broxmouth (born 1253). Usually these two lines are divided but as I said the names and the years match almost perfectly, along with the narrative and also the inescapable identical heraldry. So the descent would seem to be: Henry de Grey of Grays Thurrock->Hugh de Grey (who came to Scotland)->John de Grey (who gave land to a younger son)-> Thomas Grey of Heaton and Andrew Gray of Broxmouth.  -->