The Annales Londonienses name "Willelmum juniorem qui fuit comes de Ferrariis" as the son of "Willelmo seniore" & his wife.
He succeeded his father in 1247 as Earl of Derby.
The Annals of Tewkesbury record the death in 1254 of "comes de Ferrers". The Annals of Burton record the death "V Kal Apr apud Eventonam" in 1254 of "Willelmus comes de Ferrariis comes Derbeiæ" and his burial "in capitulo de Mirevalle II Kal Apr". 1
--------------------------
William de Ferrers was afflicted from youth with gout, and habitually travelled in a chariot or litter. He accompanied the king to France in 1230. He presented to the church of Brington, Northamptonshire, 1237, 1250, and Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, 1238. He had livery of Chartley Castle and the rest of his mother's lands 10 Nov. 1247. He was invested with the earldom of Derby 2 Feb. 1247/8. In 1245 he was granted respite of forest offences because he "laboured under infirmity." On passing over a bridge at St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, he was accidentally thrown from his chariot sustaining broken limb bones from which he never recovered. 2
--------------------------
14 Jul 1234, Westminster
Request to the knights and free tenants of W. de Ferariis, earl of Derby, to grant an aid to William de Ferariis, son and heir of the said earl, for the marriage of his eldest daughter.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 3, p. 60
--------------------------
28 Oct 1247, Westminster
Mandate to Robert de Grendon to give seisin of the castle of Certeleye, which was lately committed to his keeping, to William de Ferrariis, whose fealty the king has taken for all castles and lands falling to him of the inheritance of the countess of Derby.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, p. 1
--------------------------
4 Aug 1249
The king has given respite to W. de Ferrers, earl of Derby, until Easter in the thirty-fourth year, from the £40 which H. of Wingham and his co-escheator in Northamptonshire exact in the king’s name from his men of Higham Ferrers for the aid assessed upon them by W. de Ferrers, formerly earl of Derby, father of the same earl.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 33 Hen. III, 371
--------------------------
13 May 1250, Westminster
The king has given respite to William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, until All Saints in the thirty-fifth year, from the £100 at which he was amerced before Master Simon of Walton for disseisin and which are exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer....
The king has granted to William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, that he may render £8 annually at the Exchequer of the £38 which the king caused to be assessed upon the earl’s men of Higham Ferrers after the death of William de Ferrers, formerly earl of Derby, his father, at the time when that manor and other lands of the same William were in the king’s hand, and which are exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer, namely £4 at the Exchequer of Michaelmas in the thirty-fourth year, £4 at the Exchequer of Easter next following, and £8 thus from year to year at the same terms until the aforesaid £38 are paid to the king, so that at the final term of the aforesaid payment he shall pay £6 to the king. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause this to be done and enrolled thus.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 33 Hen. III, 364, 363
15 Nov 1250, Marlborough
Grant to William de Ferrariis, earl of Derby, that when he will he may implead Cecily late the wife of Richard de Mide, Robert de Hales and others, of tenements and assarts made in his hays of Hales and Burton; and whatever he may acquire thereby shall fall to the use of him and his heirs for ever.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, p. 81
--------------------------
27 Sep 1251, Windsor
The king has pardoned to William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, 50 marks of the £100 in which he was amerced before him (coram Rege) for a false claim against Alan de Windhill’, and has granted him that he may pay 50 marks of the remaining 100 marks on the morrow of Martinmas in the thirty-sixth year and the other 50 marks on the morrow of Trinity in the same year. The king has also given him respite, until Martinmas aforesaid in the aforesaid year, from the 50s. which are exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer for his men of Woodham Ferrers for amercements [levied] before R. Passelewe in his eyre in Essex....
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 35 Hen. III, 1104
14 Dec 1251, Clipston
Grant to William de Ferrariis, earl of Derby, that he and his heirs have their Serjeants in their land between Ribbel and Merse, as Randolf sometime earl of Chester, to whom the king gave the said land, and of whom the said William is one of the heirs, used to have.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, p. 129
--------------------------
16 May 1253
The king, concerning 80 marks by which William de Vallibus made fine with the king because he took to wife Eleanor daughter of William de Ferrers earl of Derby without the king's licence, has granted to John de Vallibus, brother and heir of the aforesaid William, that he is to pay 26 marks 8s. 10½d. to the king per annum, namely 13 marks 4s. 5½d. at the Exchequer of Michaelmas in the thirty-seventh year and 13 marks 4s. 5d. at the Exchequer of Easter next following, and so from year to year 26 m. 8s. 10½d. at the same terms until the aforesaid 80 m. shall have been paid to the king.
Jul 1253
Eudo la Zuche gives the king 150 marks for the marriage of Agatha daughter of William de Ferrers earl of Derby if the same earl shall wish to approve assent to that marriage, of which the same Eudo will render 25 marks at Michaelmas in the thirty-seventh year and 25 marks at Easter next following, and thus 50 marks from year to year at the same terms until all the aforesaid debt shall have been paid to the king.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 37 Hen. III
--------------------------
4 Apr 1254, Windsor
Appointment, during pleasure, of William de Wylton to keep the lands and castles late of William de Ferrariis the younger, sometime earl of Derby, so that he answer for the issues at the Exchequer. By the queen.
14 Apr 1254, Meilhan
Grant to Edward, the king's first-born son and heir, of the marriage of the relict of William de Ferrariis, earl of Derby, to hold with the wardship of the lands late of the said earl.
15 Apr 1254, Meilhan
Grant to Edward, the king's first-born son and heir, to complete the 15,000 marks yearly of land in which the king is bound to him by charter, of the wardship of the lands late of William de Ferrariis, earl of Derby.
25 May 1254, Winchester
Appointment of Henry de Bracton, king's clerk, to keep the houses late of William de Ferrariis, earl of Derby, in London, which are in the king's keeping, to lodge therein during the minority of the heirs. By the queen. As in a writ close is enrolled on 8 May at Westminster.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, pp. 285, 366, 371
--------------------------
5 Dec 1255, Windsor
Grant to the abbot of Mirevall, Hugh de Menill, Robert de Mercinton, Robert de Stretton, parson of the church of . . . . . . ., Robert the Chaplain, parson of the church of Midehall, Master John de Twyford and Roger the Chaplain, parson of the church of Stapelford, executors of the will of William de Ferariis, earl of Derby, to whom in his lifetime the king granted that he might freely make his will notwithstanding any debts he might owe at the Exchequer, that they shall have free administration of the goods of the earl, and nothing shall be required of them on account of the earl's debts or goods, and that the heirs of the earl shall be answerable to the king for his debts.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, p. 452
--------------------------
8 Nov 1257, Windsor
Appointment of John le Moyne, with others, the sheriffs of Nottingham, Stafford and Lancaster, to enquire touching damages in the forests and parks late of William de, Ferrariis, sometime earl of Derby, since they came into the king's keeping.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 4, p. 657
Research Notes: