HEWSTER, Adam, of Stafford.

Members of the Hewster family had been living in Stafford since the mid 14th century, when one of their number held office as bailiff. The subject of this biography was probably related to the William Hewster who murdered the influential burgess, Hugh Snell, in 1380, and he may well have been a kinsman—perhaps even the father—of the distinguished lawyer and j.p., Thomas Hewster.1J.W. Bradley, Stafford Chs. 203; Wm. Salt Arch. Soc. xiv. 150, 155; B.H. Putnam, Procs. J.P.s, 340. Comparatively little is known about his own career, however. He rented farmland and woods in ‘Le Mores’ from the Staffordshire landowner, Nicholas Bradshaw, to whom he owed arrears of 15s.2d. by the Michaelmas audit of 1407. The only other surviving reference to him occurs in May 1421, when he witnessed a deed at Stafford.2Staffs RO, D641/1/2/46; Wm. Salt Lib. Stafford, Chetwynd mss bdle. 7, no. 18.