Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Family and Education
s. and h. of Gilbert Debenham† (d.1417), of Alburgh, Norf. and Little Wenham by ?Joan, da. of John Gernegan of Somerleyton, Suff. The Commons 1386-1421, ii. 760-1. m. (1) Elizabeth, da. of Sir Thomas Holbrook; Add. 19126, ff. 210-12 (very confused Debenham peds.); Coronation of Ric. III ed. Sutton and Hammond, 333. Hard to identify with any certainty, Sir Thomas was possibly a son of John Holbrook (d.1375) of Holbrook and Tattingstone, Suff. by a 2nd w.: CIPM, xiv. 231; CIMisc. viii. 33. (2) c.1432, Add. Ch. 25259. Margaret, da. of Sir Edward Hastings (1382-1438) of Elsing and Gressenhall, Norf. and Fenwick, Yorks.; CP25(1)/224/115/28; CP, vi. 358-60. (3) aft. May 1451, CCR, 1447-54, pp. 285-6. Agnes (d. bef. 1476), C1/48/305; VCH Mdx. v. 59. wid. of Sir Thomas Haseley† (d.1449) of Westminster; The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 310. at least 3s. inc. Gilbert II*. M. Sayer, ‘Norf. Involvement in Dynastic Conflict’, Norf. Archaeology, xxxvi. 309. While it is not entirely certain which of Debenham’s wives bore his children, it seems very likely that F. Blomefield, Norf. v. 352, is correct in stating that Margaret Hastings was the mother of his eldest son and namesake. Dist. 1430, 1458, 1465.
Offices Held

Attestor, parlty. elections, Suff. 1431, 1447, 1450, 1459, 1461, KB145/7/1. 1467.

Sheriff, Norf. and Suff. 7 Nov. 1427 – 3 Nov. 1428.

Surveyor general for John Mowbray, 3rd duke of Norfolk, ?1436–61. L.E. Moye, ‘Estates and Finances of the Mowbray Fam.’ (Duke Univ. Ph.D. thesis, 1985), 424. But his quarrels with the 3rd duke make it likely that he did not hold either this office or that of the Mowbray warrener at Walton, Suff. continuously.

Commr. to distribute tax allowance, Suff. May 1437, Mar. 1442, Aug. 1449, June 1453; of gaol delivery, Ipswich Feb. 1444, Oct. 1455, May, Oct. 1456, Oct. 1457, May, Oct. 1461, Oct. 1473; C66/457, m. 33d; 481, mm. 18d, 24d; 482, m. 16d; 484, m. 13d; 492, mm. 3d, 14d; 532, m. 20d. to treat for loans, Norf. Sept. 1449; of arrest, Suff., Essex Sept. 1450 (Hanse merchants, their wares and ships in Ipswich and Colchester), Essex Dec. 1450, Norf., Suff. Apr. 1461; to collect loan from Alice de la Pole, duchess of Suffolk, Oct. 1450; of inquiry, Suff., Ipswich Feb. 1451 (treasons and felonies of William Dalton), May 1456 (piracy committed against Hanseatic merchants), Norf. Aug. 1461 (robberies, murders and other crimes), Suff. Aug. 1473 (unpaid farms); to organize coastal watches Nov. 1456; of array Sept. 1457, Feb., Dec. 1459, Mar., May 1472; to assign archers Dec. 1457; resist Richard, earl of Warwick, and his supporters Feb. 1460; urge the raising of a fleet against the King’s enemies of France and Scotland, Suff., Essex, Herts. June 1461; seize Buckenham castle, Norf. July 1461; assess tax, Suff. July 1463.

J.p. Suff. 20 Feb. 1438 – Apr. 1439, 28 Nov. 1439 – July 1458, 12 May 1460 – Mar. 1465, 12 Nov. 1465–6, 20 Nov. 1467–8, 16 July – Dec. 1470, 4 July 1471 – Nov. 1475.

Warrener, Walton, Suff. for John, duke of Norfolk, bef. 1447–? Moye, 437.

?Steward, Framlingham for the Mowbray dukes of Norfolk by 1461–?1476. R. Loder, Hist. Framlingham, 394. It is not clear if the steward was the MP or his son and namesake.

Parlimentarian
DEBENHAM, Gilbert I (d.1481), of Little Wenham and Ipswich, Suff.
Main residences: Little Wenham; Ipswich, Suff.
Debham, Debnam, Debunham, Debynham, Depenham, Deppenham, Depyngham, Depynham
Author
C.E.M.
Volume
Commons 1422-1461
Will
Estates
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
Image