Henry Greene (abt. 1313 - 1369)

Born about 1313 in Isham, Northamptonshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Amabilia (Unknown) Greene — married about 1341 in England

Husband of Katherine (Drayton) Greene — married about 1345 in England

Descendants

Died 6 Aug 1369 at about age 56 in Boughton, Northamptonshire, England

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Biography

Sir Henry Greene was a member of the aristocracy in England.

Sir Henry Greene was a knight, judge of the common pleas and Chief Justice of the King's Court on 24 May 1361.^[1]

Parentage

There is some debate regarding his lineage. Henry Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough, writing under the name of Robert Halstead, in his work “Succinct genealogical proofs of the house of Greene that were Lords of Drayton”^[2] asserts that Sir Henry “was the son of Thomas de Boketon” where he proposes that a Sir Thomas of Buckton, in the time of Edward I, was actually a Sir Thomas Greene of Buckton and thus the origin of the line of Greene of Buckton. This supposition has been followed by later genealogists of this line and, at times, elaborated on but without proof.

However this supposition is not supported by the original Rolls.^[3]A History of the County of Northampton, of which Boketon, Buckton or, now, Boughton,^[4] provides that the property of Boughton, in the time of Edward I, was held jointly by a John de Boughton and as part of the English holdings of the Benedictine Abbey of St Wandrille de Fontanelle. It goes on to provide that “In 1337 the abbey of St. Wandrille was absolved by the Pope from the penalty it had incurred by selling the Boughton estate without licence from the bishop, and the tenure of the Boughton family was thus rendered more secure. Three years afterwards (1340), however, Sir Thomas de Boughton and Joan his wife (not Lucy) sold the reversion of the manor to Henry Green of Isham, junior,” further it provides the same “Henry Green was knighted in 1354 and in 1361 was appointed chief justice of the King's Bench, from which he was removed in 1365”, assuring us that it is the same Henry Greene.

These details are supported within the Charter record. It clearly implies that Henry Green was the son of a Henry Green of Isham and that Henry Green, junior, the buyer, was not related to Sir Thomas de Boughton and his wife, Joan. See also a discussion on the Boughton estates in The Victoria History of Northampton.^[5]

Sir Henry Greene of Isham was a wealthy wool merchant and is discussed in "A History of the County of Northampton", Volume 4.^[6]

Although Halstead surmised that the Henry, that bought Boughton, was a son of Sir Thomas of Boketon this is clearly not the case. Amongst the Calendar of Patent Rolls of Edward III, dated 12 February 1364, is a Charter of obligation relating to the advowson of the church of Whytrothyng (White Roding, Essex) where it provides “remainders to Henry son of Henry Grene of Isham, in tail, and to his father Henry Grene, the elder, and his heirs.”^[7] This provides that Henry Greene, of this profile, was the son of Henry Greene of Isham, the wool merchant, who was the son of another Henry Greene, the elder. This latter lineage is provided in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. It does, however, seem likely they were related, possibly with Joan, the stated wife, being a sister.

Life Events

Very little is known of his early life. He is first recorded in any legal context in April 1331, when, presumably of age, he witnessed an indenture. His name appears in the company of lawyers including William Shareshull, Robert Sadington, and Roger Hillary, suggesting he was collaborating with them.^[8]

In 1337 he was appearing as counsel in the bench, and he was created serjeant-at-law in 1342.^[1][8]

He also appears to have served Queen Isabella, who in 1346 gave him the lease for life of the manor of Brigstock, Northamptonshire, and he became a member of the council of Edward, the Black Prince (son of Edward II).^[8]

In “Calendar of the charter rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1341-1417”, page 124, 25 Edward III, of 28 February 1351; there is a grant, by the King, allowing Henry Greene (Grene) and his heirs, the right of a yearly fair at Bukton, to be held, “on the vigil, the day and the morrow of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist” (23, 24 and 25 June).^[9]

In February 1354 he was appointed a justice of the bench and knighted.^[1][10]

Green's involvement in the violent dispute between Bishop Thomas Lisle of Ely and Blanche, Lady Wake, led to his being excommunicated by the pope in 1357.^[8] The ex-communication did nothing to hinder his career.

On 24 May 1361 he was appointed to succeed Shareshull as chief justice of the king's bench, and in that capacity made the opening speech in the parliament of Michaelmas 1362.^[1][8]

Green also presided over sessions of his court in Yorkshire in 1363 and the eastern counties (where it sat for three successive sessions) in 1364.^[8]

In 1365, he and Sir William Skipwith, the chief baron of the exchequer, were arrested and on 30 October Green was ordered to hand over to John Knyvet all the records associated with his office of chief justice.^[8] No reason was given and a great deal of speculation is associated with the cause. Green had, by this date, built up a substantial estate, with properties in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and London, and did not always obtain royal licence for dealings in land; he also invested in the wardships and marriages of heirs. The case never went to trial and no public record has been found dealing with the matter. Skipwith later went on to resume his career, but Green was never again employed in the courts. Other than the loss of office and the resultant stipend and pension, there is no record of him suffering any loss of property.

Death

He died, in Northamptonshire, on 6 August 1369 and is buried at Broughton.^[1] The source material is not precise regarding the location of his death although his burial is recorded at Boketon (Broughton) church, Northamptonshire, as he had directed in his will, drawn up on 20 July 1369. There is source material suggesting he died in 1370 and this likely can be sourced to Halstead’s work. The date of death, suggested by Halstead, and others, likely relates to an incorrect attribution of Regnal Years. Halstead^[2] provides that Sir Henry died in 43 Edward III which was between 25 January 1369 and 24 January 1370. Thus the date, 6 August 1369, recorded on Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is likely correct and is shortly after his final Will of 20 July.

Marriage

Sir Henry possibly married Amabilia (Unknown) Greene, but there is not actually any evidence that she was the mother of Thomas.

Sir Henry's married Katherine (Drayton) Greene, daughter of Sir John Drayton of Drayton.^[1][11]

Issue:

1. Sir Thomas (Greene) de Greene,^[1][11], who married Margery (Mablethorpe) Greene.^[12], from page 19, which sources Halstead, makes mention of about the inheritance of Thomas and Henry, the second son, implying that Henry received some favour in the distribution. This is inaccurate. Thomas had been provided most of the paternal estates and Henry, as was common practise, received the estates of his mother, Lady Drayton, when she came into the Drayton inheritance. He is shown as eldest son of Chief Justice Henry Green (d.1370) and Kate Drayton and brother of Henry^[13]
2. Henry Greene, later Lord of Drayton. He is known to have been born to Katherine, daughter of Sir John Drayton of Drayton, and eventual heir to the Drayton estates. He acquired Drayton in 1370,^[14] likely shortly after his father’s death and as stipulated in the Will.
3. Agnes Greene, married to William, Lord Zouch of Totnes. Halstead, in his work Succinct^[2] and those that followed such as La Mance (“The Greene family and its branches from A.D. 861 to A.D. 1904”) provide her name as Margaret. However “Descriptive catalogue of Derbyshire charters in public and private libraries and muniment rooms” by Isaac Jeayes, noticing the Charter Record states it as Agnes.^[15] This has been noticed by Douglas Richardson and suitable amendments proposed to the Complete Peerage: Volume 12, Part 2: Zouche of Haryngworth.^[16]
4. Nicholas Greene.
5. Richard Greene.
6. Amabila Greene, married to Sir Ralph Reynes, Lord of Clifton.

Armorial of Sir Henry Greene

The arms of Henry Greene (1347-1399) of Drayton are recorded, in Willement’s Roll of Arms, as “argent a cross engrailed gules”.^[17] The same armorial, No. 512, page 80, provides the arms of Sir Thomas Green as “azure three stags or” stating: “Thomas Green, d.1393, eldest son of Chief Justice Henry Green (d.1370) and Kate Drayton and brother of Henry [460], one of the key confidants of Richard II. He was JP Nhants 1386. The family changed their arms after the accession of Henry IV.”

These represent the two brothers, Thomas and Henry, although there may be errors in precedence. Thomas, the older son and legitimate heir, would have inherited the undifferenced arms of the family thus his father’s arms would likely have been “azure three stags or”, there is no mention of the stance of the stags, they might be assumed to be "trippant". Henry, as part of the agreement regarding acquiring Drayton, was obliged to bear the arms of Drayton and these are “argent a cross engrailed gules”.

The arms of Greene were registered well into the 18th Century. There are arms, Azure, three stags trippant or, awarded to GREEN, Bp. of Lincoln, 1761-79.^[13][18][19]

Discussion on other source material

Wikipedia: Henry_Green_(English_judge) contains the error regarding his lineage and makes no mention of his first wife. It also places his sons as Henry and Thomas whereas ONB has them Thomas and Henry which is no doubt more correct.

History of Parliament^[11] while discussing his son Henry, provides that “b.c. 1347, 2nd s. of Sir Henry Green c.j. KB of Boughton, Northants. by Katherine, da. of Sir Simon Drayton of Drayton. m. bef. Aug. 1364. Maud (b. 6 Nov. 1354), da. of Thomas Mauduit and gdda. and h. of Sir John Mauduit† of Warminster, Wilts., 4s. inc. Ralph*, 2da. Kntd. by Mar. 1373.” This supports any contention regarding precedence of sons.

In “Succinct genealogical proofs of the house of Greene that were Lords of Drayton” by Robert Halstead,^[2] there is mention on page 9, of Sir Henry, who was Lord Chief justice of England, and was the son of Thomas de Boketon (Boughton). This piece was written by Samuel Beal, Rector of the Parish Church of Greene’s Norton and corrects the main work by Halstead. It states that Sir Henry died in 1370, A.D., and left his estate of Green’s Norton to his eldest son, Sir Thomas Green, of Boughton and Green's Norton. The date of death is an error and relates to an incorrect attribution of Regnal Years. Halstead provides that Sir Henry died in 43 Edward III which was between 25 January 1369 and 24 January 1370. The ONB is correct in its date. The main work, by Halstead, discusses Sir Henry from page 152. It makes mention of only one wife, Katherine, daughter of Sir John and sister and heir of Sir Simon of Drayton. Halstead provides a family: Sir Thomas Greene, Lord of Norton, that married Mary, daughter of Richard, Lord Talbot and sister to John, the first Earl of Shrewsbury, from whom were those Greenes that for several generations flourished afterwards at that place in great reputation; Henry Greene, Lord of Drayton; Margaret Greene, married to William, Lord Zouch of Totnes; Nicholas Greene; Richard Greene; Amabila Greene, married to Sir Ralph Reynes, Lord of Clifton. The Margaret is now known to be an error and should be Agnes.

“The Greene family and its branches from A.D. 861 to A.D. 1904” by Lora La Mance, from page 19, which sources Halstead, including the same errors. Although Lora La Mance makes a great deal about the inheritance of Henry, the second son, of Drayton, this was common practise of the day. The first son had already taken possession of the paternal estates and the second son took possession of the estates of his mother. Lora La Mance is also incorrect in her assertion to the “family arms”; as an English family there is no such thing as a “family arms”.

In “Calendar of the charter rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1341-1417”, page 300, 9 Richard II, of 6 December 1385; [3] there is a grant, to Sir Henry Grene, of a weekly market on Thursday at Lofwyk (Lowick) and a yearly fair, on the day and the morrow of Whitsun. Lowick is near Drayton House. This is the second son, Henry, and he appears as knighted.

In “Calendar of the charter rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1341-1417”, page 333, 16 Richard II, of 9 February 1393; [4] there is mention of a grant to Thomas Grene of Norton Davy of their lands in Norton Davy, Sewell and Assheby (all Northamptonshire) for payment of fee. This is the first son, Thomas, and does not appear to be knighted.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Stephen, Leslie, Sir, 1832-1904; Lee, Sidney, Sir, 1859-1926. Dictionary of National Biography. Volume XXIII. London, Smith, Elder. pg 43
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Halstead, Robert. Succinct Genealogical Proofs of the House of Greene that were Lords of Drayton Malby, London, 1896. page 9
3. ↑ Feet of Fines, Northamptonshire, 1340 at Westminster, No 195, dated 20 January 1340
4. ↑ “A history of the county of Northampton ” Volume 4. Maintained online at British History Online. pages 76-81 contains Boughton
5. ↑ Adkins. The Victoria history of the county of Northampton. Volume 4, page 77
6. ↑ L F Salzman. A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 4. London: Victoria County History, 1937.pp.188-195; Isham
7. ↑ Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office: Public Record Office, published 1893, Edward III, Volume 12, page 466
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.$
9. ↑ Calendar of the charter rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1341-1417”, Volume 5, page 124, 25 Edward III
10. ↑ Northamptonshire Feet of Fines, available on Medieval English Genealogy, on Fines Roll CP 25/1/177/80, number 405, dated 23 May 1354, where he appears as knight.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} The History of Parliament.[1]
12. ↑ “The Greene family and its branches from A.D. 861 to A.D. 1904” by Lora La Mance
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Parker, James. A GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN HERALDRY. [2], under Deer
14. ↑ Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300-1500: Volume 2, East Anglia, Central England and Wales; Anthony Emery; page 236, discussion on Drayton.
15. ↑ “Descriptive catalogue of Derbyshire charters in public and private libraries and muniment rooms”; Isaac Jeayes, Charter 942, page 116
16. ↑ Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 12, Part 2: Zouche of Haryngworth (PROPOSED CORRECTIONS), proposed by Douglas Richardson
17. ↑ Willement’s Roll of Arms (An armorial of nobles and gentry living in the reign of Richard II), No. 460, page 74
18. ↑ The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time, page 423
19. ↑ Note also “Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, Volume 2” by Berry. “A Display of Heraldry” by John Guillim, suggests, page 396, that “three bucks stippant or, is borne by the name of Green, and was granted to William Green of Micham in Surry (sic), who fined for Alderman and Sheriff of London,...., in January 1663”

• SGM discussion - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/soc.genealogy.medieval/Dxs-q2CPlnA/P4-IWl12n98J;context-place=topic/soc.genealogy.medieval/QyrzHDvib4A
• “A history of the county of Northampton ”; edited by Philip Riden ; assisted by Dr. Charles Insley, Published by Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK ; Boydell Press with The University of London Institute of Historical Research, 2002. Maintained on-line at British History Online. Volume 4 pages 76-81 contains Boughton
• “Descriptive catalogue of Derbyshire charters in public and private libraries and muniment rooms”; Isaac Jeayes, https://archive.org/details/cu31924028029050
• Collections for a History of Staffordshire (Staffordshire Record Society, 1912) Third Series, Page 310: "Keepers and Justices of the Peace"
• Whellan, Francis. History, Topography, and Directory of Northamptonshire (Whittaker and Co., London, 1874) Page 226 & Page 238.
• Lipscomb, George. The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham (J.&W. Robins, London, 1847) Vol. 1, Page 29.
• Inquisitions and Assessments Relating to Feudal Aids (His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1899) Vol. 1, Page 130.
  • 1346 – Buckingham. Hundredum de Mulsho. De Henrico Grene et tenentibus suis pro quarta parte un. f. m. quod Robertus de Lathebury quondam tenuit in Embertone [Hembertoue]. Henry Green was holding Emberton at the time of his death.