John Hody (abt. 1396 - abt. 1441)

Born about 1396 in Stawell, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Jewe) Cappes — married 1419 in Stawell,Moorlinch,Somerset,England

Descendants

Died about Dec 1441 at about age 45 in Pilson, Dorset, England

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Biography

Sir John Hody was MP, between 1421 and 1427 for Shaftesbury, for Dorset in 1431 and Somerset between 1433 and 1437. He held many government positions and was Recorder for Bristol and was an assize court judge becoming Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1440. ^[1]

Marriage

Elizabeth Jewe, of Whitefield, Wivelescombe, Somerset ^[2]

Elizabeth's father held the Manor of Pillesdon in Dorset and died with three male heirs. However, it appears that by 1438 these heirs had died without issue and Elizabeth had become her father's heir, the Manor thus becoming part of the Hody estate.^{[3] [4]}

Children

The four sons and the eldest daughter are mentioned in Sir John's Will.

John

William

Thomas

Alexander

Joanne married Sir Thomas Latimer before 1441

His unmarried daughters, not mentioned by name in the will were:

Mary, married 1453 married Robert Bond of Hache Beaumont Somerset and Lutton, Dorset ^[5][6]

Margaret married Thomas Baynam of Gloucester^[7]

Death and Will

According to L. S. Woodger ^[8] Sir John was summoned to attend Parliament at the beginning of December, he fell ill and wrote his will on the 17th of that month, dying before 'New Years day'(presumably meaning the 1st January though in this period the New Year was not until the 25th March )

In his will, he stated that he wished to be buried in the new chapel at Woolavington Church, built by his uncle. He gave 20s. to the Cathedral Church of Wells, and 6s and 8d to the the churches of Stowell and Pyllesdon.

He ordered his feoffees to settlehis lands and tenements in the borough of Shaftesbury on Elizabeth his wife for her life, with remainder to his sons William, Thomas, and Alexander, and to the child with which his wife was then pregnant, provided it was a male, and to the heirs of the bodies of such children, remainder to his own right heirs. He also ordered that the feofees of all his lands, except his lands in Sytheway (?) and elsewhere in Devonshire, and his lands in Fontell,co. Wilts, which were formerly Richard Dicombes, should dispose of the rents and profits thereof, for the maintenance of John Hody his son and heir during his minority. They should afterwards convey the same lands to his said son and his heirs but in case his said son should die under age , then the trustees were to convey the premises to such other of his sons as should attain 21 years of age. But if all his sons should die without having attained majority,then the trustees were to convey the same to his daughters and their heirs.

The lands excepted were to be settled on Elizabeth his wife for her life, with remainder to his son John in fee. He directed that the agreements made on the marriage of Johanna his daughter with Nicholas, son of John Latimer should be fulfilled

To his wife Elizabeth he gave £200 in gold, and one dozen of silver vessels half of which he had bought in London, and the other half had been a legacy from his Uncle; also twelve other Silver dishes, together with One charger, which he had bought of the executors of Lady Lovell and Ramsham, and two basins of silver, in the centre of one of which was a rose, and of the other a shield of his arms. To Thomas Hody his father a silver gilt cup, which he had from Robert Coker. To Alexander his brother a silver gilt covered cup or goblet and to Alexander's wife another silver gilt cup .Other pieces of silver were bequeathed to Nicholas Latimer and Joanna, to Richard and Elizabeth Hygdon, and to his son John.

He directed that his son John should have as guardians, the executors of the will.

To his cousins Richard Skey and his sister Alice, he gave 25 marks and 20 shillings to his chaplain John. He then made several other small bequests ranging from 13s 4d down to 3s 4d to various people.

The residue of his gods and chattels was left to his executors for the maintenance Of his younger sons and unmarried daughters (John his eldest son being excepted), and His wife Elizabeth, William Carent, Thomas Hody, and Alexander Hody were made his executors ^[9][10]

Memorial

A interesting memorial [in St.Mary’s church Woolavington, Somerset] is the Hody stone which is housed over the south windowsill of the chancel. This stone was found on the floor of the Church beneath the tower when the Church was restored about the year 1880. The letters are J.H. and they stand for John Hody, who was Chief Justice of England in the 15th century. It is on record that the will of the Chief Justice, Sir John Hody, directs that his body be buried in the church of Woolavington in Somerset near the body of Magister Johannes Hody, his uncle. There is a vault near the outer wall of the tower evidently extending underneath the floor of the Church at the west end. It is believed that this is the vault in which Magister Johannes Hody and his nephew the Chief Justice, were buried in the 15th century. Sir John Hody died in 1441 and by his will written on 17th December 1441, he made bequests to the Chantry Priests of Woolavington "for the love that he hadde to hyt, for ther he begane hys fyrst lernyng".

Note

Reynold Molyns and his wife Alice sold the manor of Stowell (4 km. north of Milborne Port ) to Sir John Hody in return for a rent for their lives. Hody died in 1441 or 1442 and his widow Elizabeth (d. 1473) married Robert Cappes. Elizabeth was followed by her son John Hody (d. 1497).

Sources

1. ↑ Woodger L. S. HODY, John (d.1441), of Stowell, Som. and Pilsdon, Dorset. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993 History of Parliament online
2. ↑ Harvey, William, d. 1567; Great Britain College of ArmsVisitation of Dorset, 1565 British Museum. Mss. (Harleian 888); British Museum. Mss. (Harleian 1092); edited Metcalf Walter 1887, p 21 (Huddy of Hamoon and Pillesdon )Archive books
3. ↑ Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica 7 (1841) p30 archive books
4. ↑ John Hutchins The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset Third edition, corrected, augmented, and improved by William Shipp and James Whitworth Hodson 1861-73 Vol 2 p 229
5. ↑ John Hutchins The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset Third edition, corrected, augmented, and improved by William Shipp and James Whitworth Hodson 1861-73 Vol 2 page 233, pedigree of Hody
6. ↑ Dorset History Centre, D-53/1 Title A private chronology of Denis Bond, Esq. of Lutton in the Isle of Purbeck. 1636-1658, transcription by Helen Ford

   31 Hy 6 1453 Robert Bond of Bechames Hach in Somst marid one of the dafters of John Hoddy of Pilsdon Dorset and then came into ye county of Dorsetshire.

7. ↑ Hutchins, Hist of Dorset Vol 2 p233
8. ↑ History of Parliament, biography
9. ↑ "Will of Sir John Hody, 1441."Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica 7 (1841) 23-26. written in Latin at . Pillesdon, Dors on 17th December, 20 Henry VI (1441) P22-26[.https://archive.org/stream/collectaneatopo01nichgoog#page/n32/mode/2up/search/Hody archive books]
10. ↑ Hutchins Hist of Dorset vol 2 p 231

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hody
• https://sites.google.com/site/pomeroytwig/spouses-other-people/hody
• Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons. "General history: Families removed since 1620," in Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire, (London: T Cadell and W Davies, 1822), clxxiii-ccxxv. British History Online, accessed August 14, 2023, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol6/clxxiii-ccxxv.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Hody-9 created through the import of FISCUS Family Tree.ged on Jun 6, 2011 by Liisa Small. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Liisa and others.