Sir Humphrey Blount

Humphrey was Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1445. He was Sheriff of Shropshire in 1460, and several times thereafter. He was of Kinlet, Shropshire.

Events

Date of Birth: 25 November 1422.

Place of Birth: Wigginton, Oxfordshire.

Humphrey was granted seisin of his father’s lands in 1444 and also gave proof of age (Murphy, p. 14). He was 20 at his father's inquisitions post mortem, one of which gave his birth date. The place of birth is given in Humphrey’s proof of age.

Date of Death: 1 October 1477.

Place of Death: Worcester.

The date and place are given by Murphy (p. 17).

Relationships

Father: John Blount.

Mother: Alice de la Bere.

These relationships are given by Murphy (p. 13). Humphrey's 1444 proof of age names his mother Alice. The 1569 Visitation of Worcestershire (p. 18) and the 1623 Visitation of Shropshire (p. 52) give Alice daughter of Kinnard De la Bere of Herefordshire. The 1569 Visitation of Herefordshire (p. 24) makes Alice (there nameless) the daughter of Kinnard's father Richard De la Bere.

Spouse: Elizabeth Winnington.

This relationship is given by Murphy (p. 14).

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. The figures on his tomb suggest that Sir Humphrey had six sons and four daughters.)

Sir Thomas Blount (by 1456 - 4 June 1524) married Anne Croft.

Edmund Blount

John Blount married Elizabeth Yeo.

William Blount

Walter Blount

Roger Blount

Mary Blount married Robert Pigott.

Margaret Blount (died October 1487).

Evidence

from the Calendar of Close Rolls (Henrry VI, 1441-47, p. 173)

Feb. 8. Westminster

To the escheator in Staffordshire. Order to give Humphrey Blounte, son and heir of John Blounte esquire, seisin of his father’s lands; as he has proved his age before William Borde escheator in Oxfordshire, and the king has taken his fealty, and for half a mark paid in the hanaper has respited his homage until the feast of St. John the Baptist next.

from Blakeway:

The same Sir Humphrey Blount appears to have resided in the latter part of his life at Worcester, for in his Will, which bears date 6 Sept., 1477, and was proved before the Bishop of Hereford, 2 June, 1478, he styles himself Sir H. B. Kn^t of the Parish of All Saints, Worcester. He orders himself to be buried in the psh. Church of Kynnelet within the Chapel of S. Katherine of the said Church. To the Mother Church of Worcester he bequeaths 20 s . He leaves his black " felwet " gown to the Church of Kynnelet to make a cope (capani ?) ornament to the honour of God & S. John Baptist. He wills that his gold chayne shall be sold for the best price that it will bring, and that the money arising therefrom be applied for the exhibition of a chaplain to celebrate in the Church of Kynnelet, for his soul and those of his well-doers and all faithful deceased. He be- queaths to the repair of the Churches of Alveley, Areley, Huggeley, Suddebury, Byllyngesley, Chelmersh, Stotesdon, Cleobury Mortimer, and Hondeshende, to each of them 6 s 8 d . To his son Thomas Blount he leaves a black horse, his best gilt sword and a gilt salett, a gold collar, a flat piece (I suppose a breast or back piece) with a covering of silver gilt, another flat piece with a covering of silver.

He bequeaths to his son John a gown of chamlet furred (penulat?), a doublet of red damask (nun' duplois de' la damaske rabei coloris), his second gilt sword and a gold cross.

To William his son a gown of tawny, furred and a wode knyf gilt. To Mary, his daughter, wife of Robert Pygot, Esq., to her marriage 100 marks to be received of William Bishop of Derham, which he owes me ; likewise, for her marriage, 20 marks to be received of Elizabeth my wife. To the rector of Sudbury a long gown (togam talarem) of London russet. To Hugh vicar of Kynnelet and to his (the testator's) servants, Robert Grubber, Humphrey Weaver, Richard Boteley, and Thomas Cole 6 s 8'' each. To the repairs of the bell tower (campanilis) of All Saints', Worcester, 13 s 4' 1 . He wills that all the lands and tenements, &c., which he has purchased within the counties of Stafford, Salop, and Worcestor (except those which he has purchased within the Lordship of Kynnelet) be equally divided between his sons John and William. He directs that John Blount of Sodynton, Humphrey Cotes, Esq., and Sir Thomas Latewite, rector of Sudbury, his feoffees, shall make a sufficient estate in half the Manor of Rumsley to his son John in tail, and in the other half to his son William in tail, with cross remainders, remainder to his own right heirs. He also bequeaths to the friars minors of Worcester as many pales as will suffice to enclose their garden called le Friars Orchard, Ita ut possidentis & habeantur clam civitat' Wigorn ex sumptibus meis propriis & expensis & ad manus predict' fratrum minorum ibidem deliberand'. The residue of his goods he bequeathed to Elizabeth, his wife, whom with Humphrey Cotes, Esq., of Wolecote, he appoints his executors. These being witnesses, Sir Thos. Latewite, rector of Sudbury, Humphrey Cotes, Esq., William Dallowe and others. Inter cartas Thomas Lyttelton bar 11 in Coll. W. Mytton.

References

Blakeway, Rev. J.B. “Notes on Kinlet” (Mrs Baldwin-Childe, ed.) in Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (3rd series, Vol. VIII, 1908), pp. 83 - 150.

Calendar of the Close Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office. Henry VI. vol. 4. (1933-1941).

Mapping the Medieval Countryside: transcription of E-CIPM 26-29: John Blount of Deddington, esquire.

Mapping the Medieval Countryside: transcription of E-CIPM 26-196: Humphrey Bount.

Murphy, Beverley Anne. The Life and Political Significance of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, 1525-1535. (PhD Thesis, Bangor, 1997).

Rowney, Ian Douglas. The Staffordshire Political Community 1440-1500. (PhD Thesis, the University of Keele, 1981).