John Benefeld

Events 

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: about 1438.

Place of Death: unknown.

Davies states that John’s wife Elizabeth had remarried by the late 1430s.

Relationships

Father: John Benefeld.

Mother: Cecily.

John and Cecily’s names are given in the 1397-9 petition cited below in the evidence section.

Spouse: Elizabeth.

This relationship is recorded in the 1443 Close Rolls. Elizabeth married secondly John Gainsford.

Descendant or relative: John Threle of Loxwood.

See the Commentary section.

Children: 

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

John Benfield (died between 1448 and 1454). John’s son John married Agnes and died in his father’s lifetime.

Jane Benfield (died after 1454) married John Chaucy junior.

Evidence

1397-9: petition of Cecily who was the wife of John Benfield concerning Ewelme. Mentions John, son of John Benefeld and William son of John Benfeld. Simon Benfeld is a witness. [National Archives Catalogue SC 8/212/10599. A digital image is available.]

1399, 1403, 1405:  John de Benfeld held court at Newick [National Archives Catalogue AMS/5510/1, AMS/5510/2]

1399: Grant from (a) William Benefelde of Twineham to (b) John atte Hoke of Bolney and Isabel, his wife, at the yearly rent of 4s.  (Brokefield, land in Twineham).  [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3045]

1406/7: John Benefeld the elder and Richard Cokshete of Bolne v. Walter Joynour of Bolne and Agnes his wife; 23 acres 1 rood of land, 13d. rent and rent of a peppercorn and a rose in Bolne; the land and rents—with services and homages of Walter Bolney and Robert son of Robert Bechele—to John and Richard and heirs of Richard. [SRS 23, no. 2776]

1410/11: Quitclaim from Richard Costedele of Bolney to John Benefeld, son of John Benefeld of Twineham, esq.

In respect of his interest in:--

Lands called Wedlond in Twineham which William Wilcombe and Margaret, his wife, once held of the manor of Twineham Benfield.  [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3041]

1412: Johannes Benyfeld habet maneria etc. que valent etc. xl. li. videlicet manerium de Hangilton xxij.li., de Twynem xviij.li. Et que alibi etc.  [Feudal Aids 6:525]

1434: will of John Benfeld, son of John Benfeld of Twineham:

Directs that he should be buried on the N. side of the chancel in the church of the Carmelites at New Shoreham, and bequeaths 40s. for the paving of the said chancel with stone; legacies to friars praying for him there and at Lewes, Arundel and Chichester, and for the maintenance 'of the mother church' of Chichester and to churches at Twineham, Waldron and Hangleton; legacies of household goods to Richard and Agnes Benfeld, brother and wife respectively of testator.[National Archives Catalogue WISTON/5025]

1434-5: Fine.  Richard Jay and William Isle v. John Benfeld of Twynym; manor of Ewelme; to Richard and William and heirs of Richard.  [SRS 23 no. 2987] 

1436: John Benfeld of Twineham, esquire [CFR]

1438:  John Benfelde esquire is a witness. [CCR]

1443. [CCR]

John Benfelde to John Gaynesforde, his heirs and assigns. Quitclaim with warranty of divers lands, rents, reversions and services in Newike, Chaglegh and Westnowte by Lewes, and in the parish of St. Andrew within the borough of Lewes co. Sussex, which John Gaynesforde and Elizabeth his wife hold in her right as her dower after the death of John Benfelde her husband, father of the said John Benfelde, with reversion to John the son and to his heirs. Dated 3 July 21 Henry VI.

Memorandum of acknowledgement, 3 July. 

1445: Quitclaim from John Gaynesford, snr., esq., to John Benfeld, gent.

Manor of Benfeld in Twineham with lands, tenements, rents, reversions, etc., belonging in Cuckfield, [Upper] Beeding, Newtimber, Henfield, Shermanbury and Slaugham, and Newdigate [co. Surrey]; the advowson of Twineham Church. [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3011]

1447/8: William Sydney and Edmund Mille v. John Benfeld, esquire; manor of Hunston and 11 messuages, 68 acres of land, 26 acres of pasture, 17 acres of wood, 44s. 10d. rent and rent of a pound of wax in Northmundham, Pageham, Brydham and Ichenore to William and Edmund heirs of Edmund [SRS 23 no. 3089]

1448: Quitclaim: John Benfeld of Twynem, Sussex, gent. to John Gaynesford the elder esq, of land in Walderne Wauncy, Walderne Raunde, and the hundred of Foxhunt [CCR p. 51]

1454: Quitclaim from Walter Okyngden, John Absseley and Robert atte Oke, jnr., to John Chaucy, jnr., esq., and Jane, his wife, sister and heir of John Benefeld, esq., dec'd.

Manor of Benfeld in Twineham, Cuckfield 'and adjoining townships' and the advowson of Twineham Church, late the gift of John Benefeld, dec'd. [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3012]

1454:  Deed of covenant between (a) John Chaucy jnr., and Jane, his wife, and (b) Agnes, widow of John Benefeld.  (b) will release her interest in the property late of the said John Benefeld to (a), who, in return, will grant her an annuity of 12 marks; both parties are bound in £200 by an 'obligacion' of even date. [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3013]

1454: Surrender by Agnes, widow of John Benefeld, to John Chaucy and Jane, his wife, in return for an annuity of 12 marks, and in respect of [her interest in]:--  [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3016]

1465: Grant  (abbreviated contemporary copy), from (a) John Absseley and Walter Okyngden to (b) Richard Alfray, Thomas Stalbrok, citizen and draper of London, Thomas Allfray, esq., and Thomas Brice, citizen and mercer of London.

Manor of Benfeld alias Twineham Benfeld [Benfield], the advowson of Twineham Church and all other lands, tenements, rents and services which (a), together with Robert att Hoke, jnr., dec'd., received in a grant, 31 July 1445, from John Benfeld, esq [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3018]

1471: Grant, in consideration of 'good service', from Margery, dau. and heir of John Chawcey, esq., and Jane, his wife, who was sister and heir of John Benefeld, esq., to John Smyth alias Harpour for the term of his life. (Wedlondes in Twineham) [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3042]

from the National Archives Catalogue:

C 1/47/25

[1472/3-5]

Plaintiff: Margery Austyn, widow, daughter and heir of John Chauncy the younger, esq., and Joan his wife

Defendants: John Threle of Loksewode, gent., next kinsman to the said Margery on the mother’s side.

Subject: Manor of Twynam. Action brought by Threle in the King’s Bench on a Statute Staple, in which Margery bound herself to be at the ruling of the said Threle. Sussex.

1474: Deed of witness (with contemporary copy), by John Burdevyle, John Payn, John Founteyn, James Homewode, John Okyngden (son of Watkyn Okyngden), James Homewode, jnr., James Costedell, William at Hygh, John Harpour, John Bocher, John Costedell, Robert Stokyll and John Waryn that William Covert 'is vexed and disturbed of his title and possession of his manor of Twineham Benfield by reason of a seisin made by Richard Alfray to John Threle and others'    Recites the history of the property at great length from the time of John Benfeld; among other information, it is recited that Margery, dau. of John Chaucy, was first married to William Thwaytes, but they were divorced and Margery then married Thomas Austen 'servant to the Lord of St. John's.' [National Archives Catalogue WISTON/3025, 3026]

Commentary

John’s relationship with John Threle of Loxwood:

I am not sure how John Threle of Loxwood relates to this family. He is said to be the “next kinsman” to Jane’s daughter Margery “on the mother’s side”. Jane must not have had any brothers with descendants, since she was her brother John’s heir. I am not sure if it is possible that John Threle was a descendant of a sister of Jane, or if he must be descended from one of her father’s or mother's siblings. (That the 1474 lawsuit is concerning the manor of Twineham Benfield suggests that the relationship was through the Benfelds, but the fact that Foxhunt and Walderne are later held by the Threles suggests that the relationship may have been through John Benfield’s widow Elizabeth.) Jane’s father John Benfeld probably had a brother Simon, who probably had a son Robert who seems to have been alive in 1448. (He was then “of Portslade, gentleman” and pardoned of outlawry for failing to appear in court. He appears to have been perennially in debt (Wright, HoP).)

John Threle, or his father, and William Gainsford appear together in this 1457 Sussex fine:

John Michelgrove, esquire, Bartholomew Bolney, William Gaynesford, William Sondes, John Ernele, John Threle, Richard Profyt and John Foche, clerk, v. Thomas Hoo, esquire, and Alice his wife; manors of Warnham and Roghey, and 8 messuages, 800 acres of land, 200 acres of meadow, 300 acres of pasture, 500 acres of wood, 300 acres of heath, £14 rent in Warnham, Roghey, Horsham, Rowesparre and Hechyngfeld; to John Foche, etc. (File 91. No. 19.

References

Davies, Matthew. “Gainsford, John I (d. 1450) of Crowhurst, Surr.” in The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1422-1461 (Linda Clark ed.) (University of Cambridge Press, 2020).

Woodger, L.S. and A.P.M. Wright. “Simon Benefeld, of Shoreham, Suss.” in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421 (1993).

Wright, A.P.M. “Benefeld, Robert of Portslade, Suss.” in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421 (1993).