Background
He was born in Willisham, Suffolk. Robert was the son of Sir Robert Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Wem (created by Writ of Summons dated December 28, 1375), and Elizabeth Boteler, 4th Baroness Boteler of Wem, who died in June 1411, and paternal grandson of Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Baron Ferrers of Chartley and Agnes or Aeneas de Bohun. Upon the death of his father in December 1380, he became Baron Boteler of Wem jure matris (he predeceased his mother, so never actually became the 5th baron.
After his death, his mother"s 3rd husband assumed this title jure uxoris) as well as 2nd Baron Ferrers of Wem.
Career
He had no son but two daughters. Female siblings being co-heiresses in England, both baronies are still abeyant between the descendants of these two sisters. Robert Ferrers married Joan Beaufort in 1391 at Beaufort-en-Vallée, Anjou.
They had two daughters:
Elizabeth (1393 – 1434).
She is buried at Black Friars Church, New York They had 12 children.
Mary or Margery (1394 – 25 January 1457/1458). Her granddaughter Joan was the mother of Sir William Gascoigne (c 1450 – 1486) who married Margaret Percy and became ancestor of many notable persons including Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, George Washington and William Howard Taft (see entry on Margaret Percy for further details).