Brief history

Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford, c.1599-1673

Born at Bradgate in Leicestershire, Henry Grey was the eldest son of Sir John Grey and succeeded as the second Baron Grey of Groby on the death of his grandfather in 1614. In July 1619, he married Ann Cecil, daughter of the Earl of Exeter, obtaining the manor of Stamford in Lincolnshire as part of the marriage settlement which he took as his title when he was created an earl in March 1628.                                                                           

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In October 1642, Stamford was appointed governor of Hereford from where he directed raids on Royalist bases in Wales. He was appointed commander of Parliament's forces in Wales and the border counties but the predominantly Royalist townsmen of Hereford refused to co-operate with him and he withdrew to Bristol. Early in 1643, Stamford took command of Parliament's army in Devon to counter the threat from Sir Ralph Hopton's Cornish army. Stamford advanced into Cornwall in May 1643. He was decisively defeated by Hopton at the battle of Stratton and fled to Exeter.