Henry Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby (1356–1388) was a fourteenth-century English nobleman. He was a professional soldier, taking part in a number of campaigns during the reign of Richard II, served on several royal commissions, was a justice of the peace and a member of parliament.
He was the only son of William, Lord Ferrers by his father's first marriage to Margaret Uford, daughter of Robert d'Ufford, Earl of Suffolk and Margaret Norwich. [2] He was born in Tilty Abbey, Essex on 6 February 1356, and baptised in nearby Stebbing [3] Whilst still a minor, in the words of the family's most recent biographer, he "fell prey to the fraudulent schemes of his father's feoffees", who attempted to dispossess Henry of certain Essex and Warwickshire estates. [2] Two of his father's feoffees, a clerk called Edmund de Stebbing and one Robert de Bradenham attempted to use a forged release, which would allow them to take the manors into their own hands. [3] At some point, but certainly before 27 June 1371 he married Joan, possibly the daughter of Sir Thomas de Hoo of Luton Hoo; [4] they had one son, his heir William, who had been born on 25 April 1372 in Hoo, Bedfordshire. [2]
In 1377, he paid homage and fealty to King Edward III for his patrimony and those lands held in dower by his father's second wife Margaret, his stepmother. [3] During the following decade, Ferrers was regularly appointed to royal commission within Leicestershire, including those of Array, Oyer and Terminer, and as a Justice of the Peace. [2] He was also summoned to parliament as Henrico de Ferrariis de Groby from the August 1377 parliament to that of December 1387. [4]
Ferrers was essentially a professional soldier, taking part in five campaigns during the reign of Richard II alone. [5] He performed much royal service in the Hundred Years' War, being part of the earl of Buckingham's contingent in 1377 (in which he was a captain) [5] and that of the duke of Lancaster in 1378. Ferrers fought again under Buckingham in the 1380-1 Brittany chevauchée. [4] He took part in Richard II's invasion of Scotland of August 1385 [2] where he was with Richard in the main battle. [4] Two years later the king, with Queen Anne, stayed with Henry Ferrers at Groby whilst on a Royal progress around The Midlands. [6]
In 1382, he and two others were found by Inquisition post mortem to be the heirs of William Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, by rights of their wives, Suffolk's sisters. [5] He died 3 February 1388 aged 31; [7] his wife Joan survived him, [2] dying in 1394. [4]