EYR, George, of Battle, Suss.

Although this MP was described as ‘of Battle’ in east Sussex on a number of occasions, his family background remains obscure. At some point after 1416 his wife inherited the property in Kent of John Lunceford, the Portsman who had represented New Romney in at least three Parliaments, but she did not keep it for long for in 1423 she and Eyr sold ‘Brettysplace’ and various tenements in Romney in equal shares to Thomas Smith* and Thomas Sparwe†. The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 653. The Eyrs also held land in west Sussex, at Wisborough, which, perhaps another part of Joan’s inheritance, they sold in 1432. CP25(1)/241/86/29. None of these places is situated near East Grinstead, the borough Eyr represented at the Leicester Parliament, and what prompted the burgesses to elect him has not been ascertained. The borough formed part of the duchy of Lancaster estates in the county which had been granted for life to Sir John Pelham*, so it is possible that Eyr owed his election to an undiscovered connexion with the knight. We may also speculate that he was well acquainted with Vincent Fynch*, a prominent landowner in the neighbourhood of Battle, who accompanied him to Leicester as one of the shire-knights.

Similar uncertainty attaches to Eyr’s occupation, although he was prepared to engage in military service by joining the English forces in France, and took out letters of protection as going overseas in the retinue of John Lampet esquire, an experienced war-captain, on 2 June 1434. C76/116, m. 8. After his return home he served Battle abbey as ‘serjeant’ of the Sussex manor of Alciston. Eyr is last recorded, as a ‘gentleman of Battle’, in Hilary term 1445, strenuously defending himself on a charge brought in the court of common pleas. John North, a London merchant, alleged that he had failed to pay the full price for some 84 ells of cloth of various kinds which he had purchased in May 1440. Eyr sought to wager his law immediately, and the plaintiff was amerced for making a false claim. CP40/736, rot. 326d.