A biographical sketch of William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby, is given in The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant by Cokayne, George E. (George Edward), 1825-1911, published in 1910, pages 194-196. It is now in the public domain and is transcribed below (footnotes excluded).
"William (de Ferrieres), Earl of Derby, or Earl of Ferrieres, s. and h. He had livery of his lands in 1190-91. Sheriff of Notts and Derby, for 7 weeks, Feb.-Mar. 1194. About that time, before the King's return to England, he supported the Justiciar against John, Count of Mortain, and, with the Earl of Chester, besieged Nottingham Castle. Shortly afterwards he took part at Richard's second Coronation, 17 Apr., being one of the four Earls who bore the canopy. After the King's death, he was at the Council of Northampton, which declared for John as Richard's successor: he was present at the Coronation, 27 May 1199. On 7 June 1199, the King restored and confirmed to him the third penny of all the pleas pleaded per vicecomitem de Dereby, unde ipse Comes est, as amply as any of his predecessors had had the same, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, and with his own hand girded him with the sword as an Earl. On the same day the King gave him Higham with the hundred and a half, and the park of that town, and Newbottle and Blisworth, as his right and inheritance which descended to him as right heir of the land which was of William Peverel, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, by the service of a knight's fee. And the Earl quit-claimed the residue of the land which was of William Peverel to the King, and paid 2,000 marks for his charter. He was present at the Coronation of Henry III, 28 Oct. I216. On 30 Oct. the King granted him the castles of Peak and Bolsover, co. Derby, with the homages, and on 16 Jan. 1216/7 the manor of Melbourne in that co., to hold till the King was 14 years of age. He assisted the Regent to raise the siege of Lincoln Castle, 20 May 1217, and with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester, commanded the royal forces which took and razed the castle of Montsorel. In June 1218 he went on Crusade. He was warned, 26 June 1222, to surrender the castles of Peak and Bolsover before Michaelmas. Sheriff of co. Lancaster and Keeper of the honour of Lancaster, 30 Dec. 1223 to 2 Jan. 1227/8. He accompanied the King in the expedition to Brittany and Poitou, Apr. to Oct. 1230. On 19 Jan. 1230/1 he was given the custody of all the lands of the Normans in England which were of his fee. He was at the Council of London, Feb. 1231/2. He was sum. for Military Service against the Scots, 15 May (1244) 28 Hen. III, by writ directed W. de Ferar comiti Derebi. Had licence to make his will, 29 Apr. 1247. He m., in 1192, Agnes, sister and coh. of Randolf, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, and 3rd da. of Hugh, Earl of Chester, by Bertrade, da. of Simon de Montfort, Count of Evreux. On 22 Nov. 1232 they had livery of her purparty of her brother's lands, viz. of the castle and manor of Chartley, co. Stafford, the castle and vill of West Derby, co. Lancaster, with all the lands which Earl Randolf had held between Ribble and Mersey, the vills of Bugbrooke, Northants, and Navenby, co. Lincoln. On 12 Sep. 1233 they had assignment of the knights' fees, late of the said Earl, which had been apportioned to them. He d. 22 Sep. 1247, having been long afflicted with the gout. His widow, the King having taken her homage, had livery, 12 Oct. 1247, of her inheritance (above mentioned) in cos. Lancaster, Lincoln, and Stafford, including the castle of Chartley. She d. 2 Nov. 1247."
"William (de Ferrieres), Earl of Derby, or Earl of Ferrieres, s. and h. He had livery of his lands in 1190-91. Sheriff of Notts and Derby, for 7 weeks, Feb.-Mar. 1194. About that time, before the King's return to England, he supported the Justiciar against John, Count of Mortain, and, with the Earl of Chester, besieged Nottingham Castle. Shortly afterwards he took part at Richard's second Coronation, 17 Apr., being one of the four Earls who bore the canopy. After the King's death, he was at the Council of Northampton, which declared for John as Richard's successor: he was present at the Coronation, 27 May 1199. On 7 June 1199, the King restored and confirmed to him the third penny of all the pleas pleaded per vicecomitem de Dereby, unde ipse Comes est, as amply as any of his predecessors had had the same, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, and with his own hand girded him with the sword as an Earl. On the same day the King gave him Higham with the hundred and a half, and the park of that town, and Newbottle and Blisworth, as his right and inheritance which descended to him as right heir of the land which was of William Peverel, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, by the service of a knight's fee. And the Earl quit-claimed the residue of the land which was of William Peverel to the King, and paid 2,000 marks for his charter. He was present at the Coronation of Henry III, 28 Oct. I216. On 30 Oct. the King granted him the castles of Peak and Bolsover, co. Derby, with the homages, and on 16 Jan. 1216/7 the manor of Melbourne in that co., to hold till the King was 14 years of age. He assisted the Regent to raise the siege of Lincoln Castle, 20 May 1217, and with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester, commanded the royal forces which took and razed the castle of Montsorel. In June 1218 he went on Crusade. He was warned, 26 June 1222, to surrender the castles of Peak and Bolsover before Michaelmas. Sheriff of co. Lancaster and Keeper of the honour of Lancaster, 30 Dec. 1223 to 2 Jan. 1227/8. He accompanied the King in the expedition to Brittany and Poitou, Apr. to Oct. 1230. On 19 Jan. 1230/1 he was given the custody of all the lands of the Normans in England which were of his fee. He was at the Council of London, Feb. 1231/2. He was sum. for Military Service against the Scots, 15 May (1244) 28 Hen. III, by writ directed W. de Ferar comiti Derebi. Had licence to make his will, 29 Apr. 1247. He m., in 1192, Agnes, sister and coh. of Randolf, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, and 3rd da. of Hugh, Earl of Chester, by Bertrade, da. of Simon de Montfort, Count of Evreux. On 22 Nov. 1232 they had livery of her purparty of her brother's lands, viz. of the castle and manor of Chartley, co. Stafford, the castle and vill of West Derby, co. Lancaster, with all the lands which Earl Randolf had held between Ribble and Mersey, the vills of Bugbrooke, Northants, and Navenby, co. Lincoln. On 12 Sep. 1233 they had assignment of the knights' fees, late of the said Earl, which had been apportioned to them. He d. 22 Sep. 1247, having been long afflicted with the gout. His widow, the King having taken her homage, had livery, 12 Oct. 1247, of her inheritance (above mentioned) in cos. Lancaster, Lincoln, and Stafford, including the castle of Chartley. She d. 2 Nov. 1247."
A biographical sketch of William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby, is given in The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant by Cokayne, George E. (George Edward), 1825-1911, published in 1910, pages 194-196. It is now in the public domain and is transcribed below (footnotes excluded).
"William (de Ferrieres), Earl of Derby, or Earl of Ferrieres, s. and h. He had livery of his lands in 1190-91. Sheriff of Notts and Derby, for 7 weeks, Feb.-Mar. 1194. About that time, before the King's return to England, he supported the Justiciar against John, Count of Mortain, and, with the Earl of Chester, besieged Nottingham Castle. Shortly afterwards he took part at Richard's second Coronation, 17 Apr., being one of the four Earls who bore the canopy. After the King's death, he was at the Council of Northampton, which declared for John as Richard's successor: he was present at the Coronation, 27 May 1199. On 7 June 1199, the King restored and confirmed to him the third penny of all the pleas pleaded per vicecomitem de Dereby, unde ipse Comes est, as amply as any of his predecessors had had the same, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, and with his own hand girded him with the sword as an Earl. On the same day the King gave him Higham with the hundred and a half, and the park of that town, and Newbottle and Blisworth, as his right and inheritance which descended to him as right heir of the land which was of William Peverel, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, by the service of a knight's fee. And the Earl quit-claimed the residue of the land which was of William Peverel to the King, and paid 2,000 marks for his charter. He was present at the Coronation of Henry III, 28 Oct. I216. On 30 Oct. the King granted him the castles of Peak and Bolsover, co. Derby, with the homages, and on 16 Jan. 1216/7 the manor of Melbourne in that co., to hold till the King was 14 years of age. He assisted the Regent to raise the siege of Lincoln Castle, 20 May 1217, and with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester, commanded the royal forces which took and razed the castle of Montsorel. In June 1218 he went on Crusade. He was warned, 26 June 1222, to surrender the castles of Peak and Bolsover before Michaelmas. Sheriff of co. Lancaster and Keeper of the honour of Lancaster, 30 Dec. 1223 to 2 Jan. 1227/8. He accompanied the King in the expedition to Brittany and Poitou, Apr. to Oct. 1230. On 19 Jan. 1230/1 he was given the custody of all the lands of the Normans in England which were of his fee. He was at the Council of London, Feb. 1231/2. He was sum. for Military Service against the Scots, 15 May (1244) 28 Hen. III, by writ directed W. de Ferar comiti Derebi. Had licence to make his will, 29 Apr. 1247. He m., in 1192, Agnes, sister and coh. of Randolf, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, and 3rd da. of Hugh, Earl of Chester, by Bertrade, da. of Simon de Montfort, Count of Evreux. On 22 Nov. 1232 they had livery of her purparty of her brother's lands, viz. of the castle and manor of Chartley, co. Stafford, the castle and vill of West Derby, co. Lancaster, with all the lands which Earl Randolf had held between Ribble and Mersey, the vills of Bugbrooke, Northants, and Navenby, co. Lincoln. On 12 Sep. 1233 they had assignment of the knights' fees, late of the said Earl, which had been apportioned to them. He d. 22 Sep. 1247, having been long afflicted with the gout. His widow, the King having taken her homage, had livery, 12 Oct. 1247, of her inheritance (above mentioned) in cos. Lancaster, Lincoln, and Stafford, including the castle of Chartley. She d. 2 Nov. 1247."
"William (de Ferrieres), Earl of Derby, or Earl of Ferrieres, s. and h. He had livery of his lands in 1190-91. Sheriff of Notts and Derby, for 7 weeks, Feb.-Mar. 1194. About that time, before the King's return to England, he supported the Justiciar against John, Count of Mortain, and, with the Earl of Chester, besieged Nottingham Castle. Shortly afterwards he took part at Richard's second Coronation, 17 Apr., being one of the four Earls who bore the canopy. After the King's death, he was at the Council of Northampton, which declared for John as Richard's successor: he was present at the Coronation, 27 May 1199. On 7 June 1199, the King restored and confirmed to him the third penny of all the pleas pleaded per vicecomitem de Dereby, unde ipse Comes est, as amply as any of his predecessors had had the same, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, and with his own hand girded him with the sword as an Earl. On the same day the King gave him Higham with the hundred and a half, and the park of that town, and Newbottle and Blisworth, as his right and inheritance which descended to him as right heir of the land which was of William Peverel, to hold, to him and his heirs for ever, by the service of a knight's fee. And the Earl quit-claimed the residue of the land which was of William Peverel to the King, and paid 2,000 marks for his charter. He was present at the Coronation of Henry III, 28 Oct. I216. On 30 Oct. the King granted him the castles of Peak and Bolsover, co. Derby, with the homages, and on 16 Jan. 1216/7 the manor of Melbourne in that co., to hold till the King was 14 years of age. He assisted the Regent to raise the siege of Lincoln Castle, 20 May 1217, and with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester, commanded the royal forces which took and razed the castle of Montsorel. In June 1218 he went on Crusade. He was warned, 26 June 1222, to surrender the castles of Peak and Bolsover before Michaelmas. Sheriff of co. Lancaster and Keeper of the honour of Lancaster, 30 Dec. 1223 to 2 Jan. 1227/8. He accompanied the King in the expedition to Brittany and Poitou, Apr. to Oct. 1230. On 19 Jan. 1230/1 he was given the custody of all the lands of the Normans in England which were of his fee. He was at the Council of London, Feb. 1231/2. He was sum. for Military Service against the Scots, 15 May (1244) 28 Hen. III, by writ directed W. de Ferar comiti Derebi. Had licence to make his will, 29 Apr. 1247. He m., in 1192, Agnes, sister and coh. of Randolf, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, and 3rd da. of Hugh, Earl of Chester, by Bertrade, da. of Simon de Montfort, Count of Evreux. On 22 Nov. 1232 they had livery of her purparty of her brother's lands, viz. of the castle and manor of Chartley, co. Stafford, the castle and vill of West Derby, co. Lancaster, with all the lands which Earl Randolf had held between Ribble and Mersey, the vills of Bugbrooke, Northants, and Navenby, co. Lincoln. On 12 Sep. 1233 they had assignment of the knights' fees, late of the said Earl, which had been apportioned to them. He d. 22 Sep. 1247, having been long afflicted with the gout. His widow, the King having taken her homage, had livery, 12 Oct. 1247, of her inheritance (above mentioned) in cos. Lancaster, Lincoln, and Stafford, including the castle of Chartley. She d. 2 Nov. 1247."
