John Broughton (abt. 1407 - 1489)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Birth 1.2 Inheritances 1.3 Professional Life 1.4 Marriage 1.5 Children 1.6 Death 2 Research Notes 2.1 Toddington Manor ownership after John died 3 Sources

Biography

Birth

There is an extensive family tree for the Broughtons^[1], compiled by William Harvey (et al.) during his visitation in 1556, in which John finds his place.

John was born about 1407 at Toddington, Bedfordshire. He is the son of John Broughton and Mary Pever. He was born shortly after his father died. His mother died when he was only 18 months old in 1409 and there are no details of his life as a child, or of the family that adopted him. There is an entry in Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry IV ^[2] for his step-father Richard de Sancto Mauro that confirms his parents and age:

writ 560 on 28 July 1409:

Mary widow of Richard de Sancto Mauro, Knight. Writs 27 and 28 July 1409. She died on 25 July last. Alice her daughter, aged 2 days at time of her death, (fathered by Richard Seymour, heir of the lands that she may have held jointly with Richard II Seymour and the heirs of her body.) John Broughton, her son and heir general, was then aged 1 ½ years

John (born 1408) and his half-sister Alice (born 1409) were babes when their mother died after giving birth to Alice. John's father died before he was born so it is not clear who brought these children up. Alice would have immediately required a wet-nurse, being only 2 days old. Whoever was involved did a magnificent job because both children suceeded in a troubled world.

Inheritances

John Broughton had significant land inheritances from his wife's side of the family:

• Inheritance from his grandmother, Margaret Loring which came via his grandfather's (Thomas Peyvre) death in 1429. His grandmother brought the manors of Chalgrave^[3] and Grove (later gifted to Toddington Hospital) and property in Mentmore - associated with the Zouch Family. She also brought half the manor of Ugborough^[4], and the manor of Landkey^[5] in Devon.

• Heir and Executor of his maternal grandfather Thomas Pever in 1429. These included Marsworth^[6], Weston Underwood^[7] and Lavendon and the advowson of St Edmund's Moreton.

• John also inherited the Toddington^[8] Manor through his mother Mary Pever (born 1375 - died 1409) and his paternal grandfather Thomas Peyvre who died 22 September 1429. John would have been 22. His half-sister Alice quit claimed her half of Toddington in 1431. Alice was the orphaned daughter of his mother Mary Pever by her second husband Richard, Lord St Mauro. This seems to be in return for John renouncing his rights to the manor in Weston Underwood^[7] which went to the Zouche family into which his half-sister had married.

Toddington was to become his main base and he was then frequently referred to as John Broughton of Toddington.

Professional Life

He was sheriff^[8] for Bedfordshire in 1436, 1460 and 1466.

Broughton Coat of Arms

He had his own arms^[9]: Argent a cheveron between three molets gules.

John founded a hostpital^[10] in Toddington in 1443/4. He left the Grove Manor^[11] that he had inherited from his maternal grandmother (Margaret Loring) to the hospital in Toddington on his death so that the income from the Manor could fund the hospital activity.

John was possibly trained in the law since he acts as a witness in some high level land dealings. These are in the close rolls of Henry VI and dated 1432^[12].

Marriage

John Broughton married^[13] Elizabeth Stoneham. Elizabeth was the daughter of Robert Stoneham and Mary Barnacke (b 1389 - died 1440). She was betrothed to him at the age of 12 and probably married when she was 21 - which would be 1446. This would mean that John was 39 when he married. Further evidence of the property transaction is shown in the Feet of Fines^[14] that shows:

Lawrence, William, Thomas, Walter, Robert Gonyld', Roger and Edmund have granted to Robert Stonham and Mary the manor and have rendered it to them in the court, to hold to Robert and Mary for their lives, of the lord king and his heirs. And after the deaths of Robert and Mary the manor shall remain to John Broughton' and Elizabeth, his wife, and the heirs of their bodies, to hold of the lord king and his heirs for ever. In default of such heirs, remainder to the right heirs of Mary.
Note: This agreement was made by the command of the lord king

and in the British History on-line account of Sandy Manor^[9] that shows how the Sandy Manor remained with the Broughtons.

Children

John and Elizabeth are thought to have had five children (Sue Valient's Law Family Profile - source given below). However, Isabel is considered to belong to the Broughton Family in Lancashire and is not included

Various sources have been found to support four of these five children, viz:

John^[1] (born 1448 - died 1490);

Elizabeth ( born 1450 - married John Acworth^[15] of Biscott Manor - died 1515);

Joan (born 1452 - named in her father's will^[16]). It is probable that Joan did not marry if she is remembered in her father's will;

and

Catherine^[17] (born 1456 - married Sir William Hartwell of Preston, Notthamptonshire - died 1512)

Death

John died^[8] in July 1489 at Toddington, Bedfordshire, England. There is PCC will dated 5 May 1489, proved 14 Aug 1489 PROB 11/8^[16].

Research Notes

Toddington Manor ownership after John died

After his death^[8] in 1490 he left the manor to his grandson John, who died under age and was succeeded by his brother Robert, lord of the manor in 1502–3. John son and heir of Robert left Toddington on his death in 1517 to an infant son John, who died in 1530 before attaining his majority, when the whole of the Pever and Broughton estates passed to his two sisters Catherine and Anne. Toddington passed to the latter, who married Sir Thomas Cheney. She survived her husband and on her death in 1562 was succeeded by her son Henry, who was knighted at Toddington two years later. He was summoned to Parliament as a baron of the realm from 1572 to 1586, and was one of the peers appointed to sit on the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. He died shortly afterwards without issue, and by a settlement made before his death Toddington and his other Bedfordshire estates inherited from his mother were left to his widow Lady Jane Cheney absolutely. Her nephew Henry Lord Wentworth resided with her at Toddington during the early 17th century, and in 1608 they received a visit there from James I. Thomas son of Lord Wentworth inherited the property on the death of Lady Cheney in 1614, though the Cheney family disputed her right to alienate the property at will, but without success.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Visitation to Bedfordshire - 1556: Blaydes, Frederic Augustus, The visitations of Bedfordshire, annis domini 1566, 1582, and 1634, made by William Harvey, Robert Cooke, and George Owen as deputy for Richard St. George : together with additional pedigrees, chiefly from Harleian ms. 1531; and an appendix con
   page: 14
   Internet Archive (accessed 29 January 2024)
2. ↑ Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry IV - Richard de Sancto Mauro, Knight: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry IV, Entries 550-602, J. L. Kirby. in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 19, Henry IV, (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1992), 199-215. British History Online accessed 1 February 2024
3. ↑ Chalgrave Manor: Parishes: Chalgrave with Tebworth and Wingfield, in A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1912), 345-349. British History Online (accessed January 30, 2024)
4. ↑ Ugborough Manor:
   Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons. Parishes: Uffculme - Willand in Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire, (London: T Cadell and W Davies, 1822), 538-562. British History Online, accessed January 30, 2024
5. ↑ Landkey Manor:
   Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons. "Parishes: Lamerton - Lustleigh," in Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire, (London: T Cadell and W Davies, 1822), 306-326. British History Online, accessed January 30, 2024
6. ↑ Marsworth Manor:
   "Parishes: Marsworth," in A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1925), 391-397. British History Online, accessed January 30, 2024, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp391-397.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Weston Underwood Manor:
   "Parishes : Weston Underwood," in A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1927), 497-502. British History Online, accessed January 30, 2024
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Toddington Parish:
   ," in A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1912), 438-447. British History Online, accessed January 2, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/beds/vol3/pp438-447.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Sandy Manor:
   "Parishes: Sandy with Girtford," in A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 2, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1908), 242-246. British History Online, accessed January 9, 2024.
10. ↑ Toddington Hospital::
    Bedfordshire County Records Toddington Hospital
11. ↑ Grove Manor:
    "Parishes: Grove," in A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1925), 361-363. British History Online, accessed January 2, 2024,
12. ↑ Calendar of the close rolls - Henry VI: Great Britain., Calendar of the close rolls preserved in the Public Record Office. HathiTrust Prepared under the superintendence of the Deputy Keeper of the Records. Henry VI. v.2
    London, H. M. Stationery Office, 1933-1941; page: 229 and 233
    (accessed 31 January 2024)
13. ↑ Evidence of marriage - Manor of Great Staughton: in A History of the County of Huntingdon: Volume 2, ed. William Page, Granville Proby and S Inskip Ladds . London: Victoria County History, 1932, pages 354-369. British History Online, accessed January 2, 2024
14. ↑ Feet of Fines CP 25/1/6/80, number 6.:
    Feet of Fines Beds East 15 Hen VI
15. ↑ History of Parliament - George Acworth:
    The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, History of Parliament ed. S.T. Bindoff in 1982
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Probate
    PROB 11/8/396 Description: Will of John Broughton; Date: 14 August 1489 Held by: The National Archives, Kew
17. ↑ The Manor of Preston:
    . "Parishes: Preston Deanery," in A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 4, ed. L F Salzman (London: Victoria County History, 1937), 279-282. British History Online (accessed January 31, 2024)

See also:
The Ancestry family tree for the Law Family researched by Sue Valiant.
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/14670537/person/19331821603/facts