William Baynham (c.1463-c.1520)
Born: c.1463
Parents: Thomas Baynham and Margaret Hody
Married: before 1488 to Eleanor Amerys
Died: 1520
William was born [at Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire?] in 1463.
He married Eleanor Amerys, the daughter of Richard Amerys, before 1488, when he was around 25 and she was around 21. They had at least one child, Joan in 1488.
William died around 1520, aged about 57.
William was born [at Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire?] in 1463.
He was educated at one of the Inns of Court, probably Middle Temple, in London and became a lawyer.
On 22nd July 1485 William (aged 22) was appointed co-steward of the Latimer lands: “Appointment of John Peke, esquire, and William Beynam, ‘gentilman’, as steward of the lordship of Wykewan, co. Gloucestewr, of the manor of Aure Etlowe Tokenhale Pyrton, and of the hundred of Blydeslowe, and of all other lands, in the said county, late of George, late lord Latymere, during the minority of Richard Nevile, lord Latymere, kinsman and heir of the said George; with such fees as Thomas Lymeryk took for the office”.
In 1486 he was appointed to his first Commission of the Peace for Gloucestershire on 27th February and similar appointments followed in each year until 1494 (except for 1491 and 1492, when there were no commissions for Gloucestershire); his father Thomas received similar appointments during those years.
In the same year he was appointed to his first Commission of Oyer and Terminer for Gloucestershire, again along with his father Thomas.
William married Eleanor Amerys. Their daughter Joan was born in 1488; she married Richard Thurston (1484-1541) in 1509 and had four children: Thomas (1510-1544), John (1512-1588), Robert (1514-1565) and Kateryn (1517- )
On 21st January 1488 he received a commission, along with seven others for Gloucester, “to assess and appoint collectors of the subsidy imposed by the commons in the parliament of 9th November last, with the advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal by authority of the king, upon all aliens”.
1488 – William Baynham and William Skay, both gents, were conveying land in Billow, Gloucestershire as feoffees.
[ Calendar of Inquisitions Henry VII ii p.14 ]
On 4th February 1489 William became a co-trustee of Westbury Manor when it was settled by his elder brother Sir Alexander on their father Thomas and half-brother Christopher to hold in trust for Alexander and his heirs.
On 20th October 1489 he received a commission, along with his father Thomas and eight others, to deliver the goal of Gloucester castle.
He was Recoverer in Somerset in 1490.
[ Calendar of IPMs. ii, 345 ]
In 1491 he was party to a deed between Henry Kegewyn, grocer of London and Robert Kegewyn, ‘dier’ of Shyppey [Sheppey] in Kent, sons of Henry Kegewyn late of Lydney in the forest of Dene, and William Beynam gentleman – dated 11th May, it was a release and quitclaim of
‘a moiety of a close called Grostefeld lying in the hundred of St. Briavell’s in Newlond parish, containing a hundred acres from Kybenale to the king’s highway and from Yarkeley to king’s forest, which the said William held with John Lawrence by feoffment of the said Robert Kegewyn by charter dated 10 February, 6 Henry VII : and of a messuage with curtilage in Lydney co. Gloucester, which William and Christopher Kegewyn held by gift of Henry Kegewyn the elder’.
Also in 1491, an indenture dated 4th September between Thomas Baynham and Morgan Thomas and his wife Lucy enfeoffed Thomas, Alexander and William Baynham, William and Reynold Hody and Thomas Basshe in various manors and other properties.
He was MP for Hindon in Wiltshire, 1491-1492.
[ WHP, p.53 ]
He was retained at an annual fee of 20s. by St. Augustine’s monastery in Bristol, 1491-1492.
[ 9 Bristol RS, 258 ]
On 23rd February 1492 he received a commission, along with Walter Roudon, mayor of Gloucester, and four others, to deliver the goal of the town of Gloucester.
On 8th March 1493 he received a commission with Thomas Morton, William Greville and the sheriff of Gloucester ‘to inquire by jury of that county of escapes of all felons and clerks, convicted or others from the prisons within the lordships of Landaff and Ogmore, in the marches of Wales’.
The writ for the inquisition is addressed to all four men, although the endorsement on the reverse refers to William Greville and William Baynham only.
On 28th April of the same year William Baynham gentleman and William Garon received a Remise and Quitclaim of lands in Huntley from Thomas and Joan Rawlings, for a consideration of £30. A note of proclamations was endorsed on the reverse.
Later that year the inquisition was held at Thornbury in Gloucestershire on 29th July before two Commissioners – William Greville and William Baynham. The text includes a list of 13 other men, beginning with his elder brother Sir Alexander Baynham.
Perhaps this is a list of jurors? (Robert King, Thomas Esa-en, Thomas Foster, F—- F—–, John Robyns, Thomas Shelley, E– Bay, Thomas Duke, John Booth, John —-, John —-, Thomas Baker).
William also appears, alongside his elder half-brother Sir Alexander and his younger half-brother Christopher with Thomas Ferrers, William Greville and Roger Porter in an action in the Court of Common Pleas.
On 7th April 1494 the three brothers Alexander, Christopher and William (along with their father Thomas and others) were recorded as feoffees of the manor of Puplyngton and other lands in the IPM of Robert Russell Senior. Robert had previously agreed with Thomas that his son and heir Robert Russell the Younger would marry Thomas’ daughter Elizabeth and in consideration of a sum of money paid to Robert Senior by Thomas he enfeoffed the Baynhams and others to the use of Robert the Younger and Elizabeth, who by then was his wife.
On 25th June of the same year William Greville and William Baynham received a Remise and Quitclaim of various lands in Gloucestershire, also from Thomas and Joan Rawlings, for a consideration of £40. A note of proclamations was endorsed on the reverse.
On 10th July 1494 he received a repeat commission, along with John Caple, mayor of Gloucester, William Hody, knight, and four others, “to deliver the goal of the town of Gloucester”.
On 12th November 1494 William Baynam and Richard a Meryk of Bristoll [Bristol] received a Remise and Quitclaim of various properties in Lynhurst, in the parish of St. Briavels from William and Elizabeth Baker, for a consideration of £20. A note of proclamations was endorsed on the reverse.
Another indenture, dated 12th February 1495 and made between John Berewe, son of Walter Berewe, and William Beynam gentleman, provided that ‘the said John will before Christmas next enfeoff by deed Sir Alexander Beynam, Reynold Hody, John Broke and William Beynam in such lands etc. whereof the said Walter Berewe was seised to his use in St. Briavellys, Ettelowe, Blakeney and Aure parish in the forest of Dene in fee simple, to the use of John Berewe and Agnes his wife, with remainder Joan sister of John and her heirs, as specified, to be entailed in the marriage indenture of John and Agnes Berewe, between Walter Berewe and John Haresfeld father of Agnes; and in default of issue to them, to the use of William Beynam and his heirs, who is to receive 4s. a year of the profits of the hall until he be contented of seven marks, should Joan have issue; or else, if John and Joan prefer to keep the money, William shall have fee simple of the premises; provided that, if John be not agreeable to perform the payments, Joan shall have no benefit of the covenant; with mutual bonds of 40l.’
William had further dealings with Morgan and Lucy Thomas – in 1496 an Indenture dated 18th March recorded that ‘Morgan Thomas esquire borrowed of William Baynham gentleman at three several times 18l. 6s. 8d and two obligations of four marks more: for which he promises that if he do not repay the same at the times fixed for repayment, he and Lucy his wife will ensure the manor of Charlecome co, Somerset to William by fine or recovery, Wiiliam to pay for the same within a yearsuch sums as are specified in the indentures: and in case of default Morgan and Lucy will pay 40l. by way of forfeit, the payment to be null unless discharged at the high altar of St. Thomas of Canterbury at Bristol, in which event William shall hold Carlcome [sic] manor without lett of them’. There is also a memorandum of acknowledgement dated 10th May.
On 28th October 1496, the three brother Alexander, Christopher and William (along with William Grevyle, Roger Porter and Thomas Ferrers) were again recorded as feoffees – this time of the manor of Great Teynton in Gloucestershire in the IPM of Richard Ferrers.
On 21st August 1497 William received another repeat commission, along with eight others, to deliver the goal of Gloucester castle.
In the following year William is mentioned in the IPM of William Trye, held on 12th June, in connection with land in Beoley [Bewley] of which he and Walter Skay were trustees.
In 1500 he is referred to as a trustee, along with his father Thomas and brother Alexander, in another IPM – that of Lucy Morgan, held on 12th February.
On 20th July 1504 William appeared with William Froste, William Fisher and William Lynde as witness to an assignment of dower by Margaret Grey, daughter-in-law of Sir John Grey of Powis.
In 1513, a John Peyto was granted a licence to put lands into the hands of trustees, one of whom was William Baynham. This is the same John Peyto who in 1540 brought the case of Peytowe v Pengre – one of the defendants was another William Baynham (the son of Sir Alexander’s son John).
Later the same year, after the war in France, there is a record of payments by one Semper and a William Beynam to the masters of 14 Flemish hoys, as well as a list of them and the length of time they served.
William died in around 1520 and was possibly buried in the Temple Church in London. The will of John Jenour (died 1542) states that he desired to be buried “in the chauncell of the Temple churche next to William Baynhams stoon if I deceasse in London”, but there is no official Temple record of William having been buried there.
Notes:
William Trye died on 6th December 1497 and his IPM was held on 12th June in the following year. He had married Isabel Berkeley, daughter of Sir James de Berkeley, 6th Lord Berkeley, and Isabel Mowbray around 1465. Their son, also William Trye, married Anne Baynham, daughter of Thomas Baynham of Clearwell and Alice Walwyn in around 1493.
John Jenour was a member of Middle Temple and Officer of the Court of Common Pleas – in 1503 he became Filazer of Devon, Dorset and Somerset which made him responsible for writing out and filing judicial writs and in 1510 he was promoted to Second Prothonotary, which put him in charge of pleadings and entries . He is said to have greatly influenced the next generation of judges and four of those he trained became Chief Justice. His will ………… He died in 1542 and was buried in the church of St. Mary the Virgin in Great Dunmow, Essex where his tomb inscription reads “Of your charity pray for the soul of John Jenour Esq., sometime one of the Protonotaries of the Comyn place at West. [Common Pleas at Westminster] & Alice his wife which John deceased 18 Sept. 1542. On whose Soulys Jesu have mercy. Amen”
Acknowledgements:
- 1485 Appointment of William Baynham as Steward of the Latimer lands – National Archives, C 66/564, m. 19 (6)
- 1486 Appointment of William Baynham to Commission of the Peace for Gloucestershire – National Archives, C 66/561, m. 6 (31)d
- 1486 Appointment of William Baynham to Commission of Oyez and Terminer for Gloucestershire – National Archives, C 66/561, m. 6 (31)d
- 1488 Appointment of William Baynham to Commission of Subsidy for Gloucestershire – National Archives, C 66/568, m. 5 (17)d
- 1488 William Baynham and another as feoffees conveying land in Billow, Gloucestershire – National Archives, C *****
- 1489 William Baynham as trustee with others of Westbury Manor – National Archives, C *****
- 1489 Commission to William Baynham and others to deliver the goal of Gloucester castle – National Archives, C 66/570, m. 4 (32)
- 1490 IPM of ——, referring to William Baynham as Recoveror in Somerset – National Archives, C *****
- 1491 Release and Quitclaim to William Baynham by Henry and Robert Kegewyn – National Archives, C 54/351, m. 2d (item 536)
- 1491 Enfeoffment of William Baynham and others by Thomas Baynham and Morgan Thomas – National Archives, C 54/352, m. 11d (item 604)
- 1492 Commission to William Baynham and others to deliver the goal of Gloucester town – National Archives, C 66/572, m. 7 (30)d
- 1493 Appointment of William Baynham and others to Commission of Inquiry – National Archives, C 66/574, m. 8 (14)d
- 1493 Remise and Quitclaim to William Baynham and another by Thomas and Joan Rawlings – National Archives, CP 25/1/79/96, m. 11
- 1493 Inquisition held before William Baynham and another as Commissioners of the Peace – National Archives, C 142/9/31
- 1493 Action in Court of Common Pleas in name of William Baynham and others – National Archives, CP 40/296/269
- 1494 IPM of Robert Russell Snr. records enfeoffment of William Baynham and others – National Archives, C 142/9/17
- 1493 Remise and Quitclaim to William Baynham and another by Thomas and Joan Rawlings – National Archives, CP 25/1/79/96, m. 15
- 1494 Commission to William Baynham and others to deliver the goal of Gloucester town – National Archives, C 66/575, m. 34 (3)d
- 1494 Remise and Quitclaim to William Baynham and another by William and Elizabeth Baker – National Archives, CP 25/1/79/96, m. 18
- 1495 Agreement of John Berewe and William Baynham for enfeoffment of William and others – National Archives, C 54/355, m. 20d (item 846)
- 1495 Remise and Quitclaim to William Baynham and others by John Berewe – National Archives, CP 25/1/79/96, m. 20
- 1496 Indenture recording debt owed to William Baynham by Morgan Thomas – National Archives, C 54/356, m. 18d (item 934)
- 1497 Repeat commission to William Baynham and others to deliver the goal of Gloucester castle – National Archives, C 66/581, m. 6 (40)d
- 1498 William Baynham mentioned in IPM of William Trye – National Archives, C 142/12/8
- 1504 William Baynham as a witness to an assignment of dower by Margaret Grey – National Archives, C 142/18/82
- 1513 Record of payment by William Baynham for Flemish ships – National Archives, E 101/62/24
- 1491-2 MP for Hindon in Wiltshire – *****
- 1491-2 Retainder by St. Augustine’s Monaster, Bristol – *****