Sir John Ashton II

M.P. for Lancashire in 1411, 1413, and 1416

Seneschal of Bayeux 1417-1418

Captain of Coutances and Carentan and bailiff of the Côtentin 1418 - 1421

Ambassador 1418, 1420, 1421

Chief steward of the duchy of Lancaster estates in Lancashire and Cheshir 1425-1428

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: 3 September 1427.

Place of Death: unknown.

The date is given by Summerson. The HOP article gives 1428. 

Relationships

Father: Sir John Ashton I.

Mother: Joan Radcliffe.

These parents are given by Summerson and  by the HOP article on Sir John Assheton I. The HOP article on Sir John Assheton II, by the same author, contradicts this by giving Sir John Ashton I and Margaret, but that article seems to have misinterpreted some of its sources. Axon gives Margery Legh, but Axon seems to conflate Sir John Ashton I and his father.

Spouse: Jane Saville.

This relationship is given by Summerson, who states that Jane was a daughter of Sir John Saville.

Spouse: Margaret Gray. Married by 1420.

This relationship is given by Summerson.

Children (by Jane):

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

Sir Thomas Ashton (born about 1403) married Elizabeth Byron. Thomas was an alchemist.

Sir Roger Ashton

Agnes Ashton.

another son.

seven other daughters.

Children (by Margaret):

Sir Ralph Ashton (died about 1485) married Margery Barton.

Evidence 

from the Calendar of Papal Registers (Lateran Regesta v. 231)

1422. 10 Kal. Jan .  St. Peter’s, Rome.

[To the bishop of Lichfield.]  Mandate to dispense John Asshton, knight, and Margaret Gray, of the dioceses of Lichfield and York, to marry notwithstanding that they are related in the fourth degree of affinity. Oblate nobis. 

from the Thirty-Third Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of Public Records (Appendix, p. 30):

Writ of Diem clausit extremum, after the death of Sir John de Assheton, knight. 20th October, 7 Hen 6.

Precept to the escheator to amove the King's hands from certain lands and tenements, seized upon the death of Sir John de Assheton, knight. It was found by inquisition that the said John de Assheton died seized in his demesne as of fee of the manor of Assheton under Lyme, with appurtenances, holden of Robert de Ogull, esq., and Isabella his wife in right of the said Isabella, cousin and heir of Sir Richard de Kirkby, knight, viz., the daughter of Alexander, son of the said Richard. That he also died seized in his demesne as of fee tail of one rood of land with appurtenances in Maincester and the advowson of the church of Assheton under Lyme, holden of William de Walton; also that James del Holt held of the said John for term of his life one messuage, 100 acres of land, and 20 acres of meadow with appurtenances called Wordyll, in the town of Hunresfeld, holden of James le Bucley. That he also died seized in his demesne as of fee of a messuage, 20 acres of land, and 10 acres of meadow called Copthurst with appurtenances in Oldam, holden of John de Cudworth, and also of the manor of Alt, with which he endowed his wife Margaret at the church door, with the reversion to the right heirs of the said John after the death of the said Margaret, which said manor of Alt is holden of the King as of his duchy of Lancaster. 8th March, 7 Hen 6 

Commentary

I think the papal dispensation probably implies that John’s two wives, Jane Saville and Margaret Gray, shared a pair of great-great-grandparents, but I haven’t identified them, and so am uncertain about Margaret’s identity. Her family appears to have lived in the diocese of York. 

References

“Assheton, Sir John I (c. 1354 - c. 1398), of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs.” in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421 (1993).

“Assheton, Sir John II (d. 1428), of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs.” in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421 (1993).

Axon, W.E.A. “Ashton, Sir John de (d. 1428)” in Dictionary of National Biography (Leslie Stephen ed.) (1885).

Axon, W.E.A. “Ashton, Sir Ralph” in Dictionary of National Biography (Leslie Stephen ed.) (1885).

Calendar of Papal Registers Relating to Great Britain and Ireland. v. 7, 1417-1431  (His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1906). 

“The parish of Ashton-under-Lyne: Introduction, manor, & boroughs” in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911).

Summerson, Henry. “Ashton [Assheton’], Sir John (d. 1427)” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004).