John I de Sutton was my 21st great grandfather. However, as an old German grandmother once observed, “But that was long enough ago that it doesn’t matter anymore.”  A great bit of wisdom there — grandmothers seem to be particularly gifted in the ability to share wisdom.


Last Friday, I shared a verse that I have written and a dark and brooding image of Dudle Castle. I had no particular person in mind as I composed the lines. However, the castle image brought forth the emotion that I felt.


So here is the [very] short story of an ancestor, Sir John.



Knight, Lord of Dudley Castle, co. Stafford, 1326 Sir John de Sutton, of Dudley Castle, Staffs; made over the Castle and Manor of Dudley to Hugh le Despenser by deed 19 Oct 1325, but this grant, extorted from him while in prison, was cancelled 1327 and the property was restored to him; married Margaret, daughter and heir of Roger de Somery, of Dudley Castle. [Burke’s Peerage]

I’m still seeking more of the history of this branch of the family. The old grandmother’s wisdom says it doesn’t matter. Think about it. We had two parent, four grandparents, eight great grandparents, etc. By the time you get back to our 21st great grandparents, the number is roughly 10 million. At that time the world population was about 440 million persons. In other words, you have roughly a 1 in 44 chance of being related to a specific person alive then.