ARCHER, John II (c.1416-60), of Umberslade in Tanworth, Warws.

b. c.1416, est. s. of Richard Archer (d.1471) of Umberslade by his 1st w. Alice (c.1387-2 Apr. 1420), da. of Sir William Hugford† (d.1404) of Apley, Salop by Margery, da. and h. of Sir James Pavenham of Wilden, Beds. and h. of her niece, Margery Hugford (d.1413); wid. of Sir Thomas Lucy† (d.1415) of Charlecote, Warws. educ. I. Temple. He is described in a contemporary chronicle as ‘olim de hospicio interioris Templi’ in 1460: John Benet’s Chron. (Cam. Miscellany xxiv), 227. The ‘interioris’ is partially erased, but there can be no doubt that he had a formal legal training. Not only is this clear from the course of his career, but, in a Chancery petition of the late 1450s, he is styled ‘lerned in the lawe’: C1/26/109. m. by Sept. 1446, Christine, da. and coh. of Ralph Blakelowe (d.c.1454) of West Malling, Kent, by Joan, da. and h. of Thomas Cake alias Malling of London and West Malling, mason, wid. of Henry Sewale (d.1444) of London, grocer, Sewale’s will survives among the archs. of the Archer family: Shakespeare Centre Archs., Archer mss, DR37/2/Box 90/1. at least 1s.