DONYNGTON, John, of Leicester.

In 1372 Donyngton petitioned for entry to the Leicester guild merchant, on the ground that his father had been a member. When the guild denied all knowledge of this, an investigation by the mayor was ordered, with the eventual outcome that he was admitted. Having served in the Parliament of 1406, he was thereafter present at the borough parliamentary elections of 1407, 1419 and 1420. Donyngton appears to have been a trustee of property belonging to the important Lancastrian foundation of Newarke college at Leicester. Further afield, he owned land at Cossington and Willoughby Waterless, both in Leicestershire.1Leicester Bor. Recs. ed. Bateson, ii. 146; C219/10/4, 12/3, 4; CP25(1)126/71/23, 73/22, 24.