Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Family and Education
s. and h. of William Norris of Bray. CP25(1)/294/74/8. The peds. given in C. Kerry, Hist. Hundred of Bray, 120-1 and Vis. Berks. (Harl. Soc. lvii), 184-6, are confused, with several generations compressed into too brief a period and with our MP, who appears twice, given as his own gt.gds. Nor is there any contemporary evidence to support the statement that he m. ‘Millicent, da. and h. of Ravenscroft of Cotton End, Northants.’, or even of Millicent’s existence. She was certainly not the h. of ‘Ravenscroft’s’ in Cotton: VCH Northants. iv. 256. John’s armorial bearings are said to be ‘Ravenscroft’ but as these impaled Merbrook and Clitheroe in the windows of his house at Ockwells, it seems more likely that they were his mother’s arms: VCH Berks. iii. 93-96. m. (1) by May 1439, Alice, da. and h. of Richard Merbrook of Yattendon, Berks., by Ellen, da. and coh. of William Montfort of Lapworth, Warws., W. Dugdale, Warws. ii. 782. 2s. William* and John†, ?1da.; (2) by Mar. 1455, Eleanor (c.1433-c.1456), da. and h. of Roger Clitheroe (d.1455) of Ash-next-Sandwich, Kent, by Maud (d.1457) da. of Sir John Oldcastle†, Lord Oldcastle or Cobham, 1s. C139/158/29; CP, x. ped. opp. p. 48; The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 866-9. ?1da.; (3) bef. Sept. 1459, Margaret (d.1494), da. of Sir John Chedworth, wid. of Nicholas Wyfold (d.1456) of London, grocer, CP, ix. 612. 1s. 1da. For the correct placing of sons with mothers see E326/7078; C140/22/45; CP25(1)/294/74/8. Dist. Berks. 1439, Exonerated from payment: E159/215, recorda Trin. rot. 21d. 1465.
Offices Held

Yeoman of Hen. VI’s chamber by Nov. 1429; usher by Dec. 1437-c.1441; DKR, xxxvii (2), 564. esquire for the King’s body by 18 May 1441-aft. Aug. 1455. CPR, 1436–41, p. 568; C67/41, m. 19.

Forester of ‘la Westbaille’ in Purbeck, Dorset 7 Feb. 1436–26 July 1461. CPR, 1429–36, p. 494; 1436–41, p. 68.

Escheator, Anglesey 5 Jan. 1437–26 Apr. 1439. CPR, 1436–41, p. 39.

Bailiff of Leicester and feodary of the honour of Leicester in Leics., Warws. and Northants. 6 Jan. 1437–1 Aug. 1441. R. Somerville, Duchy, i. 569–70, 589.

J.p. Berks. 18 Mar. 1437 – June 1449, 22 Mar. 1452 – Dec. 1453, 5 Mar. 1456 – d.

Tronager and pesager, London 15 May 1437 – 14 Nov. 1438; jt. 14 Nov. 1438–9 May 1452. CPR, 1436–41, pp. 57, 230.

Sheriff, Oxon. and Berks. 7 Nov.1437–3 Nov. 1438, 6 Nov. 1442 – 4 Nov. 1443, 7 Nov. 1457–8, Wilts. 4 Nov. 1440–1, 9 Nov. 1448 – 20 Dec. 1449, Som. and Dorset 4 Nov. 1445 – 4 Nov. 1446; dep. sheriff, Worcs. Mich. 1446–7.

Keeper of the King’s artillery and armour in the castles of Chester and N. Wales 30 Dec. 1437–26 Apr. 1439. DKR, xxxvii (2), 564; CPR, 1436–41, pp. 142, 253.

Commr. to treat for loans, Berks. Mar. 1439, Sept. 1449, Oxon., Berks. Dec. 1452, Berks. May 1455; PPC, vi. 240. distribute tax allowance Apr. 1440, Oxon. Mar. 1442, Berks. June 1445, July 1446, Aug. 1449, June 1453; of oyer and terminer, Berks., Oxon. June 1441, July 1444, suit between Thomas Podmore and merchants from Milan Jan. 1450, Oxon. May 1450 (attack on Sir Robert Harcourt* by the Staffords); to search Spanish and Italian ships and examine merchants’ books for customable merchandise, London, Sandwich, Southampton June 1444; of inquiry, Berks. July 1444 (treasons, felonies, concealments), Herefs. Feb. 1448 (wastes on estates of Reading abbey at Leominster), Berks., Oxon. Feb. 1448 (concealments), June 1449 (complaint of Bp. Bekynton of Bath and Wells and Thomas Chamberlain*); gaol delivery, Reading Nov. 1447, Wallingford castle, Oxford castle, Reading Oct. 1450, New Windsor Feb. 1452, Reading June 1456, Wallingford castle Sept. 1458, Reading Nov. 1458, Windsor castle Feb. 1459, Oxon., Berks. June 1460, Windsor castle Oct. 1463; C66/465, m. 26d; 472, m. 18d; 474, m. 16d; 481, m. 14d; 486, mm. 8d, 21d; 489, m. 6d; 506, m. 15d. kiddles, R. Thames from Abingdon to Windsor and in waters of the Kennet, Aldeburne and Lambourn, Berks., Hants Feb. 1452; to assess a tax, Berks. July 1463.

Lt. of Windsor castle by May 1439. E403/734, m. 3.

Jt. packer of goods for export, London, Sandwich, Southampton 27 Nov. 1440–20 Apr. 1448. CPR, 1436–41, pp. 490–1; CCR, 1447–54, pp. 117, 135.

Jt. searcher (with John Penycoke*) of nets on R. Thames between Cirencester and Staines 7 Nov. 1443–?1461. E159/220, recorda Hil. rot. 1 (not enrolled on the patent roll).

Keeper of the great wardrobe 29 Oct. 1444–26 Oct. 1446; CPR, 1441–6, p. 311; 1446–52, p. 4. treasurer of the chamber and keeper of the jewels of Queen Margaret Mich. 1445-June 1452; keeper of her wardrobe 1452–3. E101/409/14; A.R. Myers, Crown, Household and Parl. 144, 205.

Chamberlain of the Exchequer 13 June 1446–6 Dec. 1450. PRO List ‘Exchequer Officers’, 2.

Chief steward, former Despenser estates of Henry Beauchamp, late duke of Warwick 14 June 1446-c.1449; CPR, 1441–6, p. 434. steward of Cookham and Bray 25 Feb. 1447–6 Aug. 1461, CPR, 1446–52, p. 43. the abbot of Reading’s liberty at Leominster by 8 Jan.-after 16 July 1453, E101/122/16. Oxford university 4 Mar. 1453–d. Epistolae Academicae Oxon. i (Oxf. Hist. Soc. xxxv), 316–17. The earliest known steward, he was nominated by Gilbert Kymer, doctor of medicine, the then chancellor of the university, and confirmed by his successor Master George Neville: CPR, 1452–61, p. 255; Hist. Univ. Oxford, i, ed. Catto, 88 n. 2.

Jt. warden (with (Sir) Walter Devereux I*) of estates of Reading abbey at Leominster, Herefs. 12 Feb. 1448–? CPR, 1446–52, pp. 142–3.

Jt. collector (with John Pury*) of tunnage and poundage, London 10 Jan. 1449–? May 1450.

Parlimentarian
NORRIS, John (d.1466), of Bray, Berks.
Main residence: Bray, Berks.
Noreys, Norreys, Norrys, Norys
Author
L.S.C.
Volume
Commons 1422-1461
Will
Estates
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
Image