Sir John Blount of Sodington
Events
Date of Birth: about 1307.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Sir John was 30 years old in 1337 at the death of his elder brother.
Date of Death: 8 March 1358.
Place of Death: unknown.
The date is given in Sir John’s inquisition post mortem.
Relationships
Father: Sir Walter Blount
Mother: Joan de Sodington.
These relationships are given by Croke (p. 132), by the VCH of Worcester (4:sub Mamble), by the Complete Peerage (9:331), and by Murphy (p. 11).
Spouse: Iseult Mountjoy.
This relationship is given by Croke (p. 136), by Murphy (p. 11), and by Woodger. The Complete Peerage (9:331) simply gives "Isoude". It states: "According to tradition, Isoude de Mountjoy. The mystery of her parentage has not been solved." See the Commentary section.
Children (by Iseult):
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Sir Richard Blount (born about 1345 - died after 1370).
Sir John Blount (died 4 April 1425) married (1) Juliana; married (2) Isabella Cornwall.
Sir Walter Blount (born about 1348 - died 1403) married Sancha de Ayala. Walter appears as a character in Shakespeare’s King Henry IV part 1.
Thomas Blount
Evidence
from Croke (Appendix, No. XV) A Catalogue of deeds, and extracts of deeds, and other documents, preserved in the Harleian Manuscript, No. 6079, page 130. It has the name of Henry Lilly, Rouge Rose, and seems to have been written by him.
11. Feoffment. This indenture witnesseth,that Roger de Tissington grants to John le Blount, and Isolda, his wife, ten acres of meadow in Aldercroft. Dated at Winlegh, 16th of May, 1347.
15. John de Blount de Sodington done a Thoma de la Putt, Vicar of the church of Domebrugge, and Ralph de Barton, Chaplain, all his lands, goods, and chattels. Dated at Holland, 23d of Edw. III. 1349. Seal, Sodington.
14. John de Blount, et Isolda, sa feme, nous avons assigne en notre lieu Roger de Baledon, a recevoyr le seizin de touts les terres le quels nous avons de Dom Thomas de la Putte, come par les chartres, &c.
Dated at Haselwood, the 24th of Edw. III. 1350. Sigillum Johannis Blount. The three leopards' heads of Sodington.
17. Indenture inter John de Blount de Sodniton, et John de Doverdale, et Maud, sa soer.
John de Blount grants to the other parties all the lands which he had of the gift of the said John de Doverdale, in Sodniton et Monile, for life, remainder to Richard, eldest son of John de Blount, then to his other sons, John, Walter, and Thomas. Dated (year not clear) of Edward III. perhaps 1358. Seal, Sodington.
18. Receipt for the Charters of Timberlake, &c. belonging to Richard le Blount, the son of John, received of Nicholas Fitzherbert, by Madam Wake. 33d of Edward III. 1359. In French, and very much corrupted.
19. Thomas, Vicar of Domebrugge, and Raufe de Barton, Chaplain, release to Richard, son of John de Blount, all claim to the manors of Sodington, and Timberlake. Dated at Dannebrug, 32d of Edward III. Witnesses, Monsr. Hugh de Maygnell, Monsr. Walter Montgomery, Mons'. Nicol de Longford, Thomas Bakpus, Richard de Freton, Rate de Makelly, 1358. Two seals: 1. a woman with a coronet, resting her right hand on a wheel, or shield; 2. a coat of arms with a bend.
from Croke (Appendix, No. XVIII) A Catalogue of copies, and extracts, of ancient deeds, formerly belonging to Lord Mountjoy, preserved by Dugdale in his Manuscripts, volume 39, folio 47 et seq.
48. Johannes de Nordeville, &c. claim of John, son of Walter Blount, the manor of Passingham, in Northamptonshire. 5 Edw. III. 1331.
8. John de Blount de Sodynton dedit Thomae Vicar. Ecclesie de Donnebrugge, et Radulp de Barton, Chapleyn, the manor of Sodynton, and the reversion of the lands which Dame Johane de Carru held in dower in the same manor, and the manor of Tymberlake, and le Orchard, in Worcestershire, and 24 souls of rent in Bradefield in Wiltshire, and the manors of Uttoxhather, and Haselwood, all his lands in Wynley, Nidham, Hordlowe, Holond, Scropton, Tuttebury, Orrchynton, Ayonby, Nedwode, and all his lands in Leycester and Defferd, to hold to them their heirs and assigns for ever. Donne a Uttoxhether, l’an du regne le Roy Edward teirs trentessimo. 30 Edw. III. 1356. Sigillum Johannis Blount, the three leopards' heads of Sodington.
The inquisitions post mortem of John’s brother William (CIPM 8, no. 115):
William le Blount.
Writ, 3 October, 11 Edward III.
Hereford.
Inq. 16 October, 11 Edward III.
Webbeley. The castle and manor held jointly with Margery his wife, by the king’s licence, and by fine levied in the king’s court, to hold to them and to the right heirs of the said Margery for ever, of the king in chief by service of half a knight’s fee.
John le Blount, his brother, aged 30 years, is his next heir.
Stafford.
Inq. made at Newcastle-under-Lyme, 20 November, 11 Edward III.
Balterdeleye (extent given) held of the king in chief as of the right and inheritance of Margery his wife.
Fenton. 40s. rent similarly held.
Romesore. 16s. rent similarly held.
Bidulf. 13s. 4d. rent similarly held.
All held by service of a quarter of a knight’s fee.
Heir as above.
John’s inquisition post mortem (CIPM 10, no. 431):
John Blount or de Blount, of Sodynton.
Writ, 30 April, 32 Edward III
Gloucester.
Inquisition taken at Rodelegh, Thursday after St. Barnabas, 32 Edward III.
Rodeleye. The manor (extent given), including a several fishery in the river Severn (Sabrine).
Tiberton. The manor (extent given).
Both held for life of the grant of Sir Henry, late earl of Lancaster, with reversion to the grantor and his heirs, of the king in chief by knight’s service.
He died on Thursday after the feast of St. Chad this year. Richard his son, aged 13 years, is his heir.
Writ, 30 April, 32 Edward III
Stafford.
Inquisition made at Uttoxather, Saturday the eve of Trinty, 32 Edward III.
Baltederleye. A messuage, two bovates of land, fourscore acres of moor and 119s. 9d. rent.
Fenton. 41s. 1d. rent.
Bydulf. 13s. 4d. rent.
Romesore. 19s. 2d. rent.
All held for life of the demise of John de Crophull and Margery, his wife, with remainder to John, son of the aforesaid John and his heirs, of the king in chief, as parcel of the barony of Alveton.
Denston. A messuage, a carucate of land and 5s. 1/4d. rent held of Thomas de Furnivall by service of 5s. yearly, and the carucate is let for 30s. a year.
He died on Thursday after St. Chad last. Richard de Blount his son, aged 13 years, is his heir.
C. Edw. III. File 139. (23.)
E. Inq. P.M. File 14.(12.)
Commentary
On Sir John’s marriage to Iseult:
A portion of the Mountjoy estates descended to Iseult’s son Sir John Blount, but a portion also descended to the Ireland family through the marriage of Isoude, daughter (or sister) of Serle de Mountjoy, to Robert de Ireland. Croke gives Iseult’s father as Thomas de Mountjoy, but without specific evidence, and makes Thomas the son of Ralph de Mountjoy, which is incorrect. He was the son of Ralph’s brother Robert. The Complete Peerage describes Croke’s Mountjoy pedigree as “useless” (9:333 fn c). Woodger and Rawcliffe state that Sir John was married to Iseult, daughter of Thomas de Mountjoy, and describe property transactions by John and Iseult’s sons which corroborate the relationship. For more discussion see Iseult’s page.
References
Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem Volume 10, Edward III (London, 1921).
Cokayne, George Edward, and Vicary Gibbs; et al. The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant [2nd ed.]. (London: St. Catherine Press, 1910-59).
Croke, Sir Alexander. The Genealogical History of the Croke Family, Originally Named Le Blount. (1823).
A History of the County of Worcester (Victoria County History) Volume 4 (1924).
Murphy, Beverley Anne. The Life and Political Significance of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, 1525-1535. (PhD Thesis, Bangor, 1997).
Rawcliffe, Carole. “Sir Walter Blount (d. 1403)” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004).
Statham, S.P.H. “Later Descendants of Domesday Holders of Land in Derbyshire” in Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, vol. 47 (1925).
Woodger, L.S. “Blount, John II (aft. 1345-1425), of Sodington, Worcs.” in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421 (1993).