John (Stourton) de Stourton MP (abt. 1375 - abt. 1438)

Born about 1375 in Somerset, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Joan (Banastre) Stourton — married 1401 in Church Stavordale,Preston Plucknet,Somerset,England

Descendants

Died about 19 Nov 1438 at about age 63 in Brimpton Preston, Somerset, England

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Biography

John (Stourton) de Stourton MP is Notable.

There is a pedigree held at the College of Heralds that names the wives of John's father as Catherine, daughter of Lord Beaumont and Jane Basset, daughter of Ralph, Lord Basset.^[1] Both The History of Modern Wiltshire ^[2] and the History of the Noble House of Stourton ^[3] maintain that Jane Basset was John's second wife though the latter does acknowledge that John also had a wife, Alice. No further evidence for this has come to light and it is more generally believed that his wives were Lettice and Alice about whose families nothing has so far been determined. What follows ignores the pedigree at the College of Heralds.

John de Stourton was son of John de Stourton and his second wife, Alice.^[4][5] John begins to appear frequently in the local record around 1399^[4] which suggests a birthdate of before 1378. However his father is thought to have died around 1380 ^[6] suggesting a date of birth for John about 1375 so John was still a smalll child when his father died. However his elder half-brother, William, was already a man of affairs.^[7] John appears to have been educated for the law, like his brother, and began to take part in public business around 1399. ^[4]

He married three times ^[4] though Richardson says twice. ^[8] His first wife was Joan Banastre, daughter of William Banastre, and widow of Robert Affeton. They were married some time before 1403 and Joan bore him an only child, a daughter before her death in 1406. ^[4]

When their brother-in-law John Beauchamp died in 1412 William and John occupied his Wiltshire estates and purchased the right to dispose of the marriage of the son and heir, the younger John Beauchamp, their nephew, ^[4] a wasted expenditure as it turned out for the child died in or before 1420 when his sister Margaret was his heiress.^[9][10]William, died on 18 September 1413 ^[7] and John, together with Sir William Hankford enjoyed William's lands during the minority of William's son, John, and also the responsibility of selecting young John's bride. ^[4]

John's second wife whom he married some time before 1416 was Alice, given as Denys or Peny. ^[6]She too bore him just one child, another daughter. It was not until 1419 that John stepped onto the national stage, being returned to Parliament as member for Somerset, a seat he retained through six more elections.^[4]

By 1430 John was married to his third wife, Katherine Payne, daughter of Thomas Payne of Paynshay and his wife, Margaret Yeovilton. Again there was just one child, another daughter. ^[4]

In 1430 John bought the reversion of the estate of Brympton d'Evercy (also known as Brympton House) from the Wynford family and used it as a dowry for his second daughter Joan Stourton when in 1434 she married John Sydenham, MP, of Combe Sydenham in Somerset. ^[11]

John wrote his will on 10 November 1438^[12]and died on the 16th of December.^{[13][14] [15]}He was buried at Stavordale Priory. ^[16]A writ was issued on 13 March 1439 for his Inquisition Post Mortem at Yeovil. All John Stourton's landed property he had previously settled on his daughters, in his lifetime, ^[17] and the Inquisition found that John held no lands or tenements of the king in chief, or any other, in demesne or service. His three daughters, Cecily wife of Sir Thomas Curiell aged 34 years or more, Joan, wife of John Sydenham Esq aged 21 or more and Alice aged 7 or more were his heirs.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ The History of Modern Wiltshire Page 48: Stourton
2. ↑ The History of Modern Wiltshire Page 43: Stourton
3. ↑ History of the noble house of Stourton, of Stourton, in the county of Wilts; Page 79: Stourton
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} History of Parliament online: STOURTON, John I (d.1438), of Preston Plucknett, Som
5. ↑ Wikipedia: John Stourton (died 1438)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Stourton family
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} History of Parliament Online: STOURTON, William (d.1413), of Stourton, Wilts
8. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry, page 68
9. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry (2013), volume IV, pages 528-530.
10. ↑ The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom : extant, extinct, or dormant Page 45: Beauchamp of Bletsoe
11. ↑ Wikipedia: Brympton d'Evercy
12. ↑ The will of John de Stourton 1438
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Mapping the Medieval Coutryside. Inquisitions Post Mortem: E-CIPM 25-149: JOHN STOURTON OF PRESTON PLUCKNETT
14. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. I, p. 130.
15. ↑ I, John Stourton of Preston, the elder, son of John Stourton, formerly Lord de Stourton, brother of William Stourton, son and heir of the said John Stourton de Stourton, on the tenth day of November 1438, make my will in this manner : I bequeath my body to holy burial in the church of Staverdale. Item, I will that my body shall be carried thither in my best waggon (plaustro), and that the same shall be drawn by my ten best oxen, and that the waggon and oxen shall remain to the said house for a memorial of my soul Item, I will that on the day of my burial the prior of the said place shall have 40s. ; and every canon there 20s. Item, I bequeath to Katherine, my wife, 14 oxen being at Preston, with the waggon, ploughs, yokes, iron chains, " dragges," harrows (herpices) with all the apparatus to the same, and which belongs to husbandry there. Also 200 sheep (multones) and one half of my corn and grain at Preston, both in the barns there and sown in the fields, equally to be divided between the said Katherine and my executors. I give to her also all my brewing vessels (vasa pandoxabilia) and all that belongs to my bake-house (pistrinam) and my brewing house (domum pandoxabiliem) there, both lead, brass and wood, and all my vessels of tin, brass, stone and iron, with iron spits (veruferreis) and other necessaries and utensils belonging to the offices of the kitchen and larder (lardarie) there. Also all that " stuffe " which belongs to my chambers there, and to the pantry and butlery there, such as beds, sheets, blankets (lodicibus), " matreas, quyltes, fetherbedys, pylowes," cloths, towels, and other necessaries, and all things belonging to the said houses, except all jewels and all silver vessels gilt or not gilt, which I reserve at the disposition of me and my executors. Item, I bequeath to the said Katherine of vessels (de vasis) two chased silver salts, whereof one is covered, and all cups which are assigned by writing in the butlery to Thomas " Panter," with one " potte " of silver there. Also one pair of vestments for the chapel, which belonged to Master Richard, my brother of black " tartryne " and red, with all the apparel to the same for the altar. Also one white chalice, one " frount " and " rere- frount " of " Grenetarteryn," and two phials which belonged to the said Master Richard. Also one silver cup covered, which belonged to St. Thomas the Martyr (quod fuit sancti Thome martiris). Also all my " stuffe " which belongs to the hall as well for the summer as for the winter, except the silver vessels. Item, I bequeath to the said Katherine one cup called " le Note" harnessed with silver and gold and covered. Item, one grey " ambler " horse, which I had of the receiver of the Lord Bishop of Bath. Also one silver cup called " a stonnynge cuppe" "coueryd and gyld enameled the pomelle of blew, paysynge 2 Ibs. 7½ ounces." Item, I bequeath to John Stourton, knight, my good psalter which belonged to William, his father, and one pair of vestments of blue cloth of gold, one gilt chalice, two cruets of silver, one bell of silver, two candlesticks of silver, and three " quysshyns " of silk for his chapel. Item, I bequeath to the Lady Abbess of Shafton one piece of silver, " flatte," and covered and gilt, which belonged to Master Edward Prentys. Item, I bequeath to Anastasia, my sister, one piece of silver, " flatte," covered. Item, to William Carent and Margaret his wife, one pair of beads of gold. Item, to the said William, my black horse which I had of Thomas Knyvalle, knight. Item, I bequeath to Cecilia, my daughter, one cup of silver covered and gilt, which I had of Nicholas Orteys. Item, I will that the church of Staverdale and the cloister there shall be completed in all things, as well in glazing the windows as in other buildings there to be done, and that the expenses and costs thereof shall be borne by my executors. Item, I will that two images carried thither by me (per me cariatas), shall be ordained and placed in the middle of the choir of the said church, between the stalls there, and that underneath shall be made a certain tomb (sepulcrum), ordained and walled (muratum) for the bodies of me and my wife to be placed therein reasonably and honestly after our death, with one " closet " of iron bars around the said tomb ; and that the reading-desk (lectrinum) shall be at the head of the said tomb. Item, I will that the aforesaid church shall be throughout (in omnibus) honestly paved with " Tyle " of my arms and the arms of my mother. Item, I bequeath to the Friars of Dorchester 6s. 8d. Item, to the Friars of Brygewater 6s. 8d. To the fabric of the church of Yeuelle 40s. To the fabric of the church of St. Andrew of Wells 6s. 8d. Item, I will and firmly prohibit that any great cost be incurred on the day of my burial, nor further cost on the day of my anniversary, except such as must of necessity be borne, but that what is [usually] spent in these uses should be distributed among the poor, though it reach (licet attingaf) the sum of 20li. Item, I bequeath to Joan Sydenham, my daughter, one covered cup gilt in the likeness of a custard (costardi) with leaves. Item, to William Carent, for his labour and friendship, beyond what is bequeathed to him, l0li. Item, to William Bochelle, 10 marks. To John Godewyne, for the execution of the will of Master Richard Stourton and mine,10li, Item, I bequeath to Lewis, rector of the church of Penne [Pendomer], 100s. Item, I will that a tomb (tumba) shall be made by my executors at Dowlysshwake of two images, one of a man armed and the other of a gentlewoman, designed (deputate) for a memorial of John Keynes and his wife, at the cost of my said executors, and that the images shall be placed between the high altar of the church there, and the chapel of the chantry of the said John Keynes. Item, I will that if John Stourton, knight, my nephew, shall make complaint (querelaverit) to my executors for any things which belonged to William his father, and if he be not content with what I have bequeathed to him.... (et de remanere maneriorum terrarum et tenementorum meorum quod sibi et heredibus suis post diversos status terminandos rectis heredibus mei prefati Johannis Stourton) ; but if he make no complaint, then I will he shall have what I have disposed. Item, I will that all my garments shall be distributed amongst my household servants, at the discretion of my executors ; and all the residue of my goods not bequeathed I give and bequeath to my executors to distribute for my soul, and to perform my last will. And I ordain William Carent, John Godewyne and William Bochelle (Bocheft), my executors. Proved 2/th January in the year abovesaid, before Master John Lyndefeld, commissary, and administration committed to the executors named, in the person of William Payne, their proctor in this behalf.
16. ↑ British History online: Stavordale Priory
17. ↑ History of the Noble House of Stourton Page 85

See also:

• Somerset Record Society, Vol. 16 - Somerset Medieval Wills, 1383-1500, the Rev. F. W. Weaver, M.A., F.S.A. (ed.), pp. 143-146