Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Family and Education
s. of John Legh (d.?1453) of Ridge, Cheshire. DKR, xxxvii (2), 451. Vis. Cheshire (Harl. xviii), 152-4; Surr. Arch. Collns. li. 85-89 and G. Ormerod, Palatine and City of Chester ed. Helsby, iii (2), 749, 763-5 each give differing accounts about two men called John Legh of Ridge. One of these Johns is said to have m. Alice, da. and h. of John Alcock (and according to Surr. Arch. Collns. to have been a serj.-at-arms, who d. 15 Apr. 1445), and the other, our MP’s father, is said to have died in 1453. It looks as if the first John has been confused with James Legh, who was King’s serjeant-at-arms from 1437, and died shortly bef. 19 Apr. 1445: CPR, 1436-41, p. 39; 1441-6, pp. 102, 239, 335; 1446-52, pp. 83, 549. m. bef. May 1444, Elizabeth (d. 2 Aug. 1479), Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, i. 163. da. of Henry Langley (d.1458) by Margaret, sis. and coh. of John Walden (d.1418) of Rickling Hall, Essex, 4s. 9da.
Offices Held

Attestor, parlty. elections, Surr. 1449 (Feb.), 1467.

Escheator, Merioneth 8 Feb. 1437 – aft.Nov. 1459; jt. (with his fa.), co. Chester 26 Jan. 1442–4 July 1460. DKR, xxxi. 198, 217; xxxvii (2), 451; C67/41, m. 28.

Under clerk of the King’s kitchen by May 1437; clerk by Mar. 1438; serj. of the catery by 7 Nov. 1441 – bef.Aug. 1445; marshal of the hall by 23 Aug. 1445–1455.

Chief remembrancer, Irish exchequer 19 May 1437 – 17 July 1443.

Jt. rhaglaw and amobr, Penllyn, Merioneth from 25 Dec. 1437; sole by Mar. 1450 – aft.Aug. 1453; rhaglaw and amobr, Estimaner and Talybont, Merioneth 10 Nov. 1441 – aft.Aug. 1453.

Commr. to take musters of the army of the lt. of Ire. Apr. 1438; array, Surr. Sept. 1457, Sept. 1458, Dec. 1459; to assign archers Dec. 1457; of inquiry Apr. 1460 (escapes of prisoners).

Jt. chirographer (with William Pope*) of ct. of c.p. 14 May 1438–52; sole May 1452–24 May 1455. CP140/778, rot. 115d.

King’s attorney, co. Chester 24 Dec. 1439–? DKR, xxxi. 218.

Steward and parker at Weston by Baldock, Herts. for John Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, by May 1444. L.E. Moye, ‘Estates and Finances of the Mowbray Fam.’ (Duke Univ. Ph.D. thesis, 1985), 428; CCR, 1441–7, p. 215.

Marshal of the Exchequer by appointment of the duke of Norfolk 9 Feb. 1450–6 Feb. 1462. PRO List ‘Exchequer Officers’, 154.

Baliff of the bp. of Winchester’s lordships of Wargrave, Berks. and West Wycombe and Ivinghoe, Bucks. by Mich. 1453–d., Surr. and Suss. Mich. 1470. Hants RO, bp. of Winchester’s pipe rolls 11M59/B1/193, 197, 200, 203, 209 (formerly 155828, 155832, 155835, 155838, 159444); E368/243, rot. 7d.

Controller of petty custom, London 4 Apr. 1454 – 6 June 1455.

J.p. Surr. 20 July 1454 – Jan. 1457, 16 Sept. 1458-Dec. 1460. Contrary to the assumption in J.H. Baker, Men of Ct. (Selden Soc. supp. ser. xviii), ii. 1004–5, he was not the j.p. for Salop June 1461-Mar. 1466, Mar. 1466-July 1471 (q.). This was the Shropshire esquire Ralph Lee of Longley, who also served as escheator in Salop 1436–7, sheriff 1463–4, and a commr. of gaol delivery at Shrewsbury in 1445, 1446 and 1466 (C66/459, m. 11d; 461, mm. 21d, 36d; 516, m. 11d). Many of Lee’s deeds survive in Salop Archs., Smythe of Acton Burnell mss, showing, inter alia, that he was still alive in the late 1470s: 1514/204, 205, 421.

Bailiff of the liberties of the bp. of Salisbury in Oxon. and Berks. by Easter 1456–d. E368/228, rot. 6; 233, rot. 2d; 244, rot. 1d; E405/48, rot. 3.

Steward, estates of Merton priory 24 Nov. 1457–?d., CCR, 1454–61, p. 264. of St. Swithun’s, Winchester, 1459–60. Compotus Rolls of St. Swithun’s (Hants Rec. Soc. vii), 105.

Parlimentarian
LEGH, Ralph (d.1471), of Macclesfield, Cheshire and Stockwell, Surr.
Main residences: Macclesfield, Cheshire; Stockwell, Surr.
a Legh, a Leygh, Lee, Leigh, Liegh, Lye
Author
L.S.C.
Volume
Commons 1422-1461
Will
Estates
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
Image