Sir John Done

Also known as Jenkin Done. John was knighted on the field at the Battle of Blore Heath, where he died.

Events

Date of Birth: 2 February 1419/20.

Place of Birth: unknown.

The Recognizance Rolls of Chester (RDKPR Appendix II p. 212) state that John was aged 21 at the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary last past in April 1441.

Date of Death: 23 September 1459.

Place of Death: slain at the Battle of Blore Heath, in Staffordshire.

The date and place are given by Ormerod (2:248) and by Clayton (p. 84).

Relationships

Father: John Done, lord of Utkinton.

This relationship is given by Ormerod (2:248).

Mother: Elizabeth Dutton.

Ormerod/Helsby (1:649; 2:245, 2:248) state that she was Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter de Dutton, citing Leycester, who cites marriage covenants dated 16 November, 12 Henry 4 (lib. C, fol. 164, f., ex chartalis Duttonorum de Dutton).

Spouse: uncertain.

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. Most information below comes from Ormerod.)

Sir John Done (about 1442 - about 1504) married (1) Cecily Troutbeck; married (2) Elizabeth Weever.

Robert Done.

Richard Done.

Elizabeth Done married Thomas Salusbury of Lleweni.

Margery Done (possibly) married (1) Philip Egerton; married (2) Thomas Hurleton; married (3) Hugh Calveley.

Jonet Done married John de Hockenhall. (Ormerod is not sure whether she was in this generation, or one generation earlier.)

Cecily Done married Eubule Thelwall.

Jane Done married John Griffin of Barterton.

Evidence

From The Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records Appendix II (Recognizance Rolls of Chester), pp. 209-213:

1441, April 27.  John son of John, livery, setting forth the finding of an Inquis. p.m., viz., that John Donne died seized:

• in his desmesne, as of fee, of the manor of Utkynton, held of Hugh Venables, of Kynderton, yearly value 10 marks;

• of two parts of the manor of Alpram, held of Adam de Bostok and Thomas son and heir of John de Manley, in socage, by the service of 1 rose yearly, as of the manor of Wetenhale, yearly value 8 marks;

• of a moiety of the manor of Clotton, held of the Earl of Chester by the service of half a knight’s fee, yearly value 8 marks;

• of a 4th part of the manor of Kyngesley lying in the towns of Kyngesley, Norley, and Codynton, together with the office of the bailiff of the forests of Mara and Mondreme, held of the Earl of Chester by the service of a fourth part of a knight’s fee, yearly value 7 marks;

• of 6 messuages, 4 tofts, and 100 acres of land in Neuton, near Kyngesley, held of the said Earl of Chester, by the service of a 4th part of a knight’s fee, yearly value 20s.;

• of 1 water-mill, 3 acres of land, and 2 acres of wood in Bradley, near Kyngesley, held of the said Earl, as of the lordship of Frodesham, by suit at the court of Frodesham every three weeks, yearly value 20d.;

• of 1 messuage and 30 acres of land in Torpurley, held of Hugh Venables, of Kynderton, yearly value 6s.;

• of 1 messuage, 30 acres of land, and 3 acres of meadow in Berneton, held of Matthew de Legh, yearly value 10s.;

• of 1 salt-pit in Northwich, held of John Earl of Huntyngdon, of no value;

• of 15 burgages and 15 augments in Frodesham, held of the said Earl in burgage, of no value;

• of 2 burgages in Frodesham, held of the prior of St. John of Jerusalem, in England, yearly value 6s.;

• and of 30 acres of land in Frodsham, held of the said Earl in socage, at 24s. yearly, of no value;

that the said John Donne died on Thursday next after the Feast of St. George the Martyr “last past,” and that John his son was the next heir, and of the age of 21, at the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary “last past.” [19 & 20 Hen. 6. m. 9 (1).]

1442-3, Jan. 17.  John, of Utkynton, Richard de Dutton, John de Frodesham, and Robert de Moldworth, to Thomas de Salesbury, recognizance for 100l. [21 & 22 Hen. 6. m. 3 (6).]

1443, May 1.  Thomas, of Kelsall, John Donne, of Utkynton, Thomas Venables, of Chester, Robert de Cotgreve, and Thomas Donne, of Torpurley, to Robert del Bothe, Kt., recognizance for 106s.8 s. [21 & 22 Hen. 6. m. 6 d. (14).]

1443, July 20.  John, grant to of an annuity, for life, of 10l. to be received of the issues of the frithmote and profits of the forests of Mara and Mondrem, of which the said John was hereditary keeper, in aid of the expenses of his office and the support of the eight foresters maintained by him. [24 & 25 Hen. 6. m. 5  (2).]

1447, Oct. 6.  John son of John son of John, of Utkynton, senior, charter of, granting to Joan, who was the wife of William Troutbek, armiger, and John Troutbek, armiger, chamberlain of Chester, and the heirs of the same John Troutbek, all “pituras,” profits, and rents, and monies, “pro pituris,” of and in the town of Stonydunham; also of all claim on the said town or parcel of the same, “pro aliqua pitura.” [26 & 27 Hen. 6. m. 2 d. (6).]

1448, Dec. 24.  John, armiger, grant to, and the heirs male of his body, of the reversion, on the death of Randal Maynwaryng and Richard Moldeworth, of the office of “equitator,” of the forest of Mara and Mondrem. [27 & 27 Hen. 6. m. 3 d. (1).]

1450-1, Jan. 12.  John, of Utkynton, John de Dutton, of Hatton, Thomas Manley, Hugh Calvyley, and Richad Clyve, to the King, recognizance for 100 marks as surety for the said John Donne. [29 & 30 Hen. 6. m. 4 (3).]

1454, April 30.  John, of Utkynton, John Maynwaryng, Kt., Robert Fouleshurste, Thomas Beston, and Adam Wetenhale, to the King, recognizance for 100l. as surety for the said John Donne. [32 & 33 Hen. 6. m. 7 d. (4).]

1454, Dec. 17.  John, John de Leycester, John de Eggerton, and William Venables, to the King, recognizance for 200 marks that all the sons of John de Dutton, except Peter his son and heir, keep the peace towards Randal de Brereton, senior, and Randal his son. [33 & 34 Hen. 6. m. 2 (2).]

1454.  John, of Utkynton, his interest in land in Kyngesley, Bradley, Neuton, and Norley; see Calveley, Hugh de, license of alienation.

1454. Cicely, daughter of John Troutbek and wife of John Donne, life interest in land in Kyngesley, Bradley, Neuton, and Norley, ibid.

1454.  John, son of John, of Utkynton, his interest in land in Kyngesley, Bradley, Neuton, and Norley, ibid.

1455.  John and Robert; see Starkey, John son of Hugh, livery of his inheritance out of the custody of the said John and Robert.

1459.  John, of Utkynton, commission.

from p. 117:

1454, Dec. 17.  Hugh de Calveley, and William Horton, license to, to grant ten messuages, one mill, ten gardens, a hundred and thirty-one acres of land, and fifty two acres of pasture in Kyngesley, Bradley, Neuton, and Norley, held of the Earl of Chester, in capite, by knight’s service, to William son of John Troutbek, William Brereton, junior, Thomas de Manley and John Bruyn, Tervyn, to hold during the life of Cecilia, daughter of John Troutbek, armiger, wife of John son of John Donne, of Utkynton, armiger, with successive remainders in tail-male on the death of the said Cecilia to the said John son of John Donne, of Utkynton, armiger, the heirs male of John Donne, grandfather of the said John Donne, or Utkynton, and then to the right heirs of the said John Donne, of Utkynton. [33 & 34 Hen. 6. m. 3 (4).]

from the Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds (vol. 3, p. 205):

A. 5642. Grant by Thomas Danyell, esquire, to John Donne of Utkynton, esquire, of the wardship of the lands of James Bruyn late of Stapilford, deceased, with the marriage of the heir of the said James, which wardship and marriage have been granted by the king to the said Thomas. 3 May, 25 Henry VI. Seal. [1447]

Ormerod/Helsby give this abstract of John's IPM (2:245):

Inq. p. m. 18 Hen. VI. Sir John Done, knt. died seized [of no lands in capite held of the prince or king, nor of any others in the county; but seized in fee] of lands and messuages in Eaton, Rushton, and Tarporley, [and Apram. ob. die dñica ᵽx ante festum Sci Michis Archi ultīo.] John Done son and heir, [etatis 17 annor’ in festo Sci Sithini ultimo.]

Commentary

There is uncertainty about the wife of Sir John Done.

Ormerod/Helsby (2:245, 2:248) suggested Cecily Troutbeck, daughter of John Troutbeck of Burdworth, but without direct evidence and there are chronological problems with this. 

In the Troutbeck of Dunham pedigree (2:42), Helsby in a footnote, notes that “Mr Beaumont … says that a Cecilia (Cecily) Troutbeck was enfeoffed of lands in Kingsley, 34 Hen. 6. Most likely she was a sister or daughter of sir John.”  The “sir John” is the Sir John Troutbeck who was born about 1412 and Chamberlain of Chester in 1438/9. In an correction in the appendix (3:895), Helsby specifies that the Cecily who married Sir John Done was the sister of this Sir John Troutbeck and the daughter of William Troutbeck of Dunham and Joan Rixton.

Clark states that Cecily, the wife of John Dunne of Utkinton, Cheshire, was the daughter of the John Troutbeck, M.P. (1412-1458), citing the entry from p. 117 of DKR above. 

Brownbill suggests (p. 164) that Cecily Troutbeck married the younger Sir John Donne (1442-1504), the son of the Sir John Donne of this page. This seems to be necessary if the enfeoffment above actually names Cecilia Troutbeck, since the Sir John Donne of this page had children starting ten years before the enfeoffment.

Clark states that Cecily’s husband was the John Dunne who died at Blore Heath. 

References

Brownbill, John. "The Troutbeck Family" in the Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society New Series, vol. 28/2, (1929) (pp. 149-178).

Clark, Linda. “Troutbeck, John (c. 1412-1458), of Chester, Dunham-on-the-Hill, Cheshire and Oxley, Herts.” in The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1422-1461 (Linda Clark ed.) (University of Cambridge Press, 2020). 

Clayton, Dorothy. The Administration of the County Palatine of Chester, 1442-1485. (Manchester University Press, 1990).

A Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the Public Record Office. Volume III (London, 1900).

Ormerod, George; Peter Leycester; William Smith; William Webb; and Thomas Helsby. The history of the county palatine and city of Chester: compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county, incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities. (London: G. Routledge, 1882).

The Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records. (London: 1876).