Margaret Grey, Lady Bonville

Margaret Grey ( 1397 – after April 1426 and before October 1427) was a Cambro-Norman noblewoman, the daughter of Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn, a powerful Welsh Marcher Lord, who was the implacable enemy of Owain Glyndŵr. Margaret was the first wife of William Bonville, K.G., first Lord Bonville, who was decapitated by Queen consort Margaret of Anjou following the Yorkist defeat at the Second Battle of St Albans. Family Margaret Grey was born in Ruthin Castle, Denbighshire, Wales circa 1397, daughter of Reginald Grey, Knt., 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn ( – 1440) and Margaret de Ros ( – /4). She had two full-blooded brothers and two full-blooded sisters. Her elder brother was Sir John Grey, K.G., who married Constance Holland, the granddaughter of John of Gaunt. Her paternal grandparents were Reginald Grey, 2nd Baron Grey de Ruthyn and Alianore Le Strange of Blackmere, and her maternal grandparents were Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros and Beatrice de Stafford. Her father was a powerful Marcher Lord of the Welsh Marches. It was his dispute with Owain Glyndŵr over a piece of moorland called the common of Croisau that caused the latter's rebellion against King Henry IV of England. Margaret's father was taken prisoner by Glyndŵr in January 1402, and ransomed for the sum of 10,000 marks which was paid by King Henry. In September 1400, the town of Ruthin had been razed to the ground by the Welsh in revenge for the destruction of Glyndŵr's manor of Sycharth by Grey and his men; however, the castle was left standing, and its inhabitants unharmed.