" St Briavels Castle is a moated Norman castle at St Briavels in the English county of Gloucestershire. The castle is noted for its huge Edwardian gatehouse that guards the entrance.

St Briavels Castle was originally built between 1075 and 1129 as a royal administrative centre for the Forest of Dean. During the 13th century the castle became first a favourite hunting lodge of King John, and then the primary centre in England for the manufacture of arrows for use with the longbow, the predominant missile weapon of the English in the later medieval period, and quarrels, large numbers of which were required for crossbows in medieval warfare.

" A family which took its name from the place but during the 13th and 14th centuries used the alternative surname of Walding held Staunton manor during the Middle Ages. Henry of Staunton, who held a Forest bailiwick in 1199, (fn. 108) was evidently lord of the manor, and in 1220 and 1223 manor and bailiwick were held by Philip of Bampton (fn. 109) during the minority of Henry's heir. (fn. 110) The heir was presumably Richard of Staunton (or Walding) who had succeeded by 1234 (fn. 111) and died before 1265. During the minority of his grandson and heir Thomas, Richard's lands were granted to Walter Wyther, who granted his right in 1266 to Richard de la More. (fn. 112) Thomas of Staunton died seised of the manor in 1292, leaving his son John, a minor whose lands were later taken into the custody of John Botetourt, the constable of St. Briavels. (fn. 113) John of Staunton was lord in 1307 (fn. 114) and died in 1339, when his son Thomas, who was enfeoffed of part of the manor in his father's lifetime, succeeded. (fn. 115) Thomas (d. 1361) left a son John of Staunton, a minor, whose lands were in the custody of Richard des Armes for a few years from 1362. (fn. 116) John of Staunton held the manor in 1393 and 1420. (fn. 117) Richard Staunton held it in 1428 and 1443 (fn. 118) and was succeeded before 1454 (fn. 119) by his son Thomas Staunton (d. 1473); Thomas's widow Joan, who married Hugh Amondesham, retained it until 1487 or later. Thomas's son John, a minor at his father's death, (fn. 120) later succeeded and died in 1526, when the manor passed to his brother Thomas Staunton (fn. 121) (d. 1528). Thomas left an infant daughter Margaret, (fn. 122) and it was presumably the same Margaret who with her husband Robert Saunders sold the manor in 1539 to Henry Brayne of Bristol. (fn. 123)

" Sir John de Wisham[a] (died 1332) of Little Ellingham, was an English knight and administrator who served as Constable of St Briavels Castle, Justice of North Wales, Seneschal of Gascony (1324–1325) and Captain of Berwick-upon-Tweed (1316).

" a. The original theory of paternity for John de Botetourte was that he was "stated to be" an illegitimate son of King Edward I, and while this has been seen with scepticism by numerous genealogists, it has only recently been disproved. Douglas Richardson, citing F.N. Craig's article in The American Genealogist, gives compelling evidence that father of John de Botetoure was Guy de Botetourt, who held the manor of Ellingham in Norfolk, which manor was eventually settled by his son, John, on Sir John Wysham, husband of John's daughter Hawise. Additionally Hawise and her husband also held the manor of Shelsley Beauchamp in Worcester, which was part of her mother's Fitz Thomas inheritance.

b. A distinguished soldier, he served as Gov. of St. Briavel's Castle, Gloucester in 1291, Gov. of Framlingham Castle in 1314, and as Admiral of the Northern Seas 1294-97, and again in 1315. He was among those Barons who signed the letter to the Pope in 1301, and was summoned to Parliament from 13 Jul 1305 to 13 Sep 1324, whereby he became Lord Botetourte. He joined in the rebellion of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, and fought at Boroughbridge 16 Mar 1321/22, for which he was fined 1,000 pounds, and was pardoned the following October.

c. She was a minor when married, and sister and heir to Otes Fitz Thomas. She was still living 28 May 1329.

d. Son and heir apparent of John de Botetourt, he died v.p. in 1322, two years before his father's death.

e. Grandson and heir of John, Lord Botetourte, aged four years in August 1322, aged seven years in Dec 1324, he had livery of his mother's lands, though still a minor, 16 Jul 1338, and livery of his grandfather's lands in 1341. He distinguished himself in the French Wars, and was summoned to Parliament from 25 Feb 1342 to 3 Feb 1385. His first wife was Maud, daughter of John de Grey of Rotherfield, and he married secondly, bef 31 May 1347, Joyce, daughter of William Zouche, formerly Mortimer.

f. Ancestral Roots shows Joyce to have been born 1367/68, but this is clearly impossible as her son Baldwin III de Freville's birthdate is shown as 1368. Her parents are shown as marrying in May 1347, so this would appear to be the case for this error.