John Lewknor (abt. 1395 - 1471)

Born about 1395 in Broadhurst, Horsted Keynes, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Died 4 May 1471 at about age 76 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England

Biography

The events leading up to the death of Sir John Lewknor, fighting for the Lancastrians at the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, are examined in detail. Two reasons are suggested for Lewknor's support: firstly, as a result of previous service ties to Henry VI and the royal affinity; secondly, as a consequence of increasingly desperate personal circumstances. Until the triumph in 1461 of the first Yorkist king, Edward IV, Lewknor had been building a successful career as a royal servant. His world then fell apart. Increasingly beset by financial difficulties as the decade wore on, his lands the subject of litigation, and unable to find even a modest role in Sussex affairs, Lewknor became steadily alienated from a regime which offered him no future. The crisis of the Yorkist monarchy at the end of the 1460s presented a way out of his problems. When Lancastrian rule was restored in 1470, Lewknor had an opportunity to rebuild his fortunes and re-establish a career in royal service. In the event, however, the regime crumbled and Lewknor, with little to lose, died fighting for the Lancastrians.

Sir John Lewknor, dynastic loyalty and debt by Malcolm Mercer

Sources

• Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd edition 2011, Vol IV page 1

Acknowledgements

• This profile was created through the import of Holmes.ged on 20 May 2011.
• WikiTree profile Lewknor-50 created through the import of Ancestor's that we lost, the Decendants they left behind_2011-08-28_01 (2).ged on Sep 12, 2011 by Willette Bryant. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Willette and others.
• This profile was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 January 2011.