Savage family
The Savage family is an English noble family founded by Thomas Le Sauvage (Savage), who came to England as part of William the Conqueror's Norman army in 1066 and settled in Derbyshire after the conquest, taking residence in Scarcliffe. Thomas Le Sauvage's name appears in a list of Normans who survived the Battle of Hastings. In the 14th century a branch of the family was established in Cheshire, and this was the place where they became most prominent, with several members ascending to the peerage and positions of power such as Archbishop of York. The Cheshire  branch of the family built the primary family seat Rocksavage, the house was one of the great Elizabethan houses of the county and a leading example of the Elizabethan prodigy house. There were further branches of the family in Dorset, Gloucestershire and Kent, as well as one in Ireland, which was created following the arrival of Sir William Savage, Baron Savage in Ulster as a companion of Sir John de Courcy. Many of the family are buried in tombs in the family chapel at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield. History. The family was founded by Thomas Le Sauvage (Savage), who  came to England as part of William the Conqueror's Norman army in 1066 and following the conquest gained land in Derbyshire where he settled, taking residence in Scarcliffe. The Savages became established members of the landed gentry and in the 14th century a branch of the family was established in Cheshire when Sir John Savage (1343–1386) married Margaret d'Anyers, heiress of Clifton and other lands around what became called Rocksavage, this was the place where the family became most prominent. One of the first members of the Cheshire branch of the family to gain prominence was Sir John Savage  (died 1450), who served Henry V of England in his wars in France and was knighted by the King after the Battle of Agincourt, gaining influence in the County Palatine especially in Macclesfield where the Savage chapel would be built in St Michael's Church. This branch of the family would also build the primary family seat of Rocksavage, only a short distance from their previous seat of Clifton Hall. The Savages married into several notable noble families such as the Stanleys and the Morleys. Before eventually ascending to the peerage themselves, first as Viscounts Savage and later as Earls  Rivers. The men of the Savage family have often received the first name John, which has caused some degree of confusion when investigating the Savage lineage. For nearly two centuries the family heir was always named John, and at times there could be as many as four John Savages. One Sir John Savage was knighted by Henry V for his service at the Battle of Agincourt whilst another Sir John Savage was one of the main commanders of Henry VII's army at the Battle of Bosworth Field leading the left flank to victory that day and is said to  have personally slain the Duke of Norfolk in single combat, already a Knight of the Bath he was later made a Knight of the Garter (the most senior order of knighthood in England) following Henry's ascension to the throne. The family titles became extinct on the death of the 5th Earl Rivers in 1737, who having been a Catholic priest was unmarried and had no issue. He had inherited the title from his cousin Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers a General in the British Army who had no legitimate male heir. The families primary seat of Rocksavage remained in  the family until late in the 18th century when the last heiress in the direct line married into the Cholmondeley family and the estate passed to them. The house was deemed surplus to requirements with the family already possessing Cholmondeley House (now Cholmondeley Castle), and the estate quickly fell into disrepair and ruin. Today only sections of the house's garden and orchard walls remain.