ABRAHAM, Henry, of Portsmouth, Hants.

Abraham’s family, which had been prominent in Portsmouth since the early 14th century, included among its members Richard Abraham, the borough’s representative in the Parliaments of 1372, 1377 (Jan.) and 1383 (Feb.), and Robert Abraham, the bailiff of 1396-7 and 1401-2.1Add. 33283, f. 14; C219/9/12; E372/247 m. 39d. Henry himself first appears as surety for Richard Gay at the parliamentary elections of 1395, and, later, at both elections of 1397, he acted likewise for Henry Seys. At the assizes held at Winchester in February 1405 he was alleged to have wrongfully dispossessed Christine atte Ash of a messuage and 20 acres of land at Cosham, some four miles from Portsmouth, but was acquitted.2C219/9/11-13; JUST 1/1518 m. 3.

Opposition from tenants of the borough to providing Abraham’s wages and expenses for attending his first Parliament (1410), which amounted to £4 7s., resulted in a suit before the King’s bench and the fining of the recalcitrants. He is last recorded in February 1425.3Sel. Cases King’s Bench (selden Soc. lxxviii), 197-8; Winchester Coll. mun. 15239. He may have been the father of Robert Abraham, MP for Portsmouth in 1433 and 1449 (Nov.), and of Richard Abraham, its representative in 1437.