VII. - JOHN DE STAFFORD, of Eyam, the eldest son,
succeeded his father, circa 1400, and it is worth noting that in all
deeds connected with him after this date the word "de" is for the
most part dropped before his surname, and the word "Armiger",
or esquier, substituted after his name. This fact, which will be
noticed by comparing the next two deeds which follow, would
suggest that in 1400 a grant to arms was made to this family.
The coat would probably have been one already borne by a
Stafford "with a difference". The arms borne at this date by
Edmond, Earl of Stafford, father of Humphry, 1st Duke of
Buckingham, were "or: on a chevron gul." Now, although no
grant of arms to Stafford of Eyam have been have been found, this
same coat
[Page 273]
with a difference[38], viz: "Or on a chev. gul., between three
martlets sable", was allowed by the heralds as a quartering for
Stafford in the visitation of 1610[?] to the family of Savage of
Castleton, and in that of Bradshawe of Bradshaw in the visitation
of 1634, although not a quartering in the Bradshawe coat, it was
placed on a little shield beside the entry of marriage of
Francis Bradshawe and Anne Stafford[39]. These arms impaled
with Bradshaw, however, were carved over the Bradshaw gateway[40]
in 1620, and as an Eyre quartering over the mantle-piece
in the dining room at Hassop Hall in 1607 - though impaled
with Eyre on an old oak beam in Longston Church[41] in 1620,
and were quartered with Morewood on a brass in the Church at
Bradfield[42], co. York, in 1647. Thus the men who married the
four co-heiresses of this family appeare to have borne these
arms unchallenged.
The first of these deeds to be compared is the release[43] granted by
John Rankell, of Eyam, chaplain, to John de Stafford, of Eyam,
of all rights which the former processed in the township and
chapelry of Foolowe and Bretton, formally granted to him by
John Plumer and William Hendley, chaplains. This was dated
at Eyam 2nd February, 1 Henry IV. (1400); then on the following
27th of June a power of attorney, dated at Kettlethorpe, co.
Lincoln[44], was executed by him as "John Stafford of Eyam
armiger" to Richard Stafford, his brother, and John Rankell,
chaplain, to deliver seisin of the same lands to Richard de
Knottesford, of Newton, co. Lincoln. Then followed three deeds
dated 6 Henry IV. (1405), a release, a bond, and a power of
attorney[45], all connected with transactions between John Stafford,
[Page 274]
of Eyam, armiger, and John, son and heir of Nicholas Leghes,
of Eyam, with respect to the reversion of a messuage and one
bovate of land in Eyam. In the Heralds' College is a note of
an ancient deed, now non-existent, which belongs to this time,
and has its own interest:- "John Stafforth, Esquire, grants to
Henry Bishop of Winton, John Beauford, Earl of Sarum, and
Thomas . . . . Esquire, all his lands, tenements, rents,
and services, which he had in the counties of Derby and Lincoln,
to them their heirs and assigns. Dated at Eyam, 20th July, 10
Henry IV. (1409)". There are several grants of the land, etc., in
which his name occurs as one of the attesting witnesses. The last
of these is dated at Eyam 2nd February, 8 Henry V. (1421)[46],
It is a grant to John Martyn and Nicholas Martyn of land in
Eyam called Rylye[47], and his name, which appears as "John de
Stafford, Squyre", is immediately followed by that of Henry de
Stafford, of Mydleton Clyff, which place being immediately
outside the township of Eyam suggests the probability that
Henry was a member of this family.
The next and almost the last information obtainable with
respect to John de Stafford is contained in an original manuscript
of about 3 Henry VI. (1424)[48]. It is the pleading in a case tried
at Westminster, 1 Henry VI., in which he was plaintiff, and one
John Attebourgh, the defendant, who is accused of wrongful
possession of certain land in Aldenham[49], co. Herts., described
as "a message with 200 acres of arable land, 40 acres of wood,
20 acres of Meadow, and 30 acres of pasture with all
appurtenances formerly in the possession of Edmond Lynford
who had enfeoffed Thomas Lynford and Thomas Bennebury
and the heirs of Thos. Lynford by virtue of which they had
been seised of the land in question at the date of the death
[Page 275]
of Thos. Lynford which had taken place on the 28th October
1423.[50] After which date the reversion of the land had passed
to the said John Stafford as nearest of kin and heir of Thomas
as being the son of Dionysia sister of Lawrence the father of
the said Thomas Lynford". The defendant to lost the suit and
had to pay 200 marks.
From this we ascertain that the death of his cousin, Thomas
Lynford, on 28 October, 1423, put John de Stafford in possession
of the large estates of the Lynford family in the counties
of Derby, Buckingham, and Hereford. Probably the following
Pedigree[51] was drawn out at this time for use in the above suit.
It is written on parchment, is headed "Pedigree of Peter
Lynford", and is as follows:-
"Piers de Linford hadd issue Lawrence, Lawrence hadd issue William,
William hadd issue Lawrence and Dionis, Lawrence had issue Thomas,
Thomas had issue Edmund, which diseassed without issue of his bodie.
Dionis toke to husband John Stafford, and had issue by the said John,
a son called John Stafford, and John had issue Robert Stafford".[52]
Then follows on the same side of the parchment an abstract
of a deed, the original of which is No. XVII. in the writer's
possession:-
"Certaine lands and tenements, woods, leases, and pastures, services
of ffree men and bond &c. myne of lead oare, with the appurtenances, were
given by Nicho Cotterell and Roger de Gaddesby to Lawrence Lynford
and Alice his wife and to the heires betweene them lawfully begotten, lying
in Moniash, Chelmorten, Hassopp, Calver, and Rowsley as it appeareth more
plainly in the deed &c."
[Page 276]
Below this is a memorandum in Latin of a suit heard in
the fourth year of Henry V. (1416), during the Easter term,
before certain justices sitting at Westminster, in which John
Grome and others were the querents, and Thomas Linford,
Edmund Linford, and John Stafford, of co. Lincoln[53], and
William Linford, of co. Northampton, were at the defendants.
The first information the writer has of this family of Linford
is an acknowledgement dated 28 Edward II. (1324) of a sum of
money paid by Henry Fauconberg, vicar of Derby, to Dyonisia,
formerly wife of Lawrence de Linford[54]. Somewhat later there
is a grant by her to Roger de Burton and others of two bovates
of land and a messuage in Calver.[54]
In 25 Edward III. (1341), a grant of a messuage in Hassop
was made by William de Lynford to Roger, son of Hugh de
Birchell.[54]
In 38 Edward III. (1364), a grant[54] was made by Godfrey
Foljamb[55] of lands and all rights in Chelmorton to Lawrence de
Lynford. In this same year was executed the deed quoted
on page 268, which first connects the Staffords with the
Lynford family, and which settles all the Lynford estates. That
portion of them which was situated in the county of Derby had
been charged with the dowry or jointure of Margery, wife of
William Lynford. By the deed already cited on page 269,[56] they
were re-settled on Lawrence, son and heir of William Lynford
and Alice his wife, and their heirs, on the death of Margery.
In 43 Edward III. (1369)[57], Lawrence de Lynford made a grant
of "a place and five acres in Chelmorten to Henry le Heir".
In 1 Richard II.[58] (1377), "Katherine, formerly wife of
[Page 277]
Lawrence de Lyndford, made a grant to Thomas de Wednesley, of
five marks yearly, arising out of her lands at Monyash, and
Chelmorton", and the next transaction before us is that
contained in the suit between John Att Burgh in the year 1424,
quoted on page 274, from which we learn of the death of
last of the Lyndfords, and of the passing of their estates
to John Stafford, of Eyam.
A year later he deals with a portion of his Lynford inheritance,
for a grant was executed at Youlgreave,[59] 18th March,
3 Henry VI. (1425) by John Stafford Esquier, to John de
Asshelay, Chaplain for the Chantry of St. Mary of Moniash, of
certain lands and tenements at Youlgreave. This act of piety
- evidently the reason for his descendant Humphrey[60] being a
patron of the chantry - is the last of which we have any knowledge,
and probably it was not long before his death. By his
wife Alice he had three sons:-
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[Created 5 Mar 2001. Last updated 3 Jan 2009 - 15:23 by Rosemary Lockie]