BOLTESHAM, Thomas

The Northampton MP, an ironmonger, is to be distinguished from his more important namesake, variously described as esquire, gentleman and franklin and resident at Kilsby, about 13 miles to the north-west of Northampton.3. The latter was a tax collector in the county as early as 1419, an attestor to the Northants. parlty. election in 1423, and a mainpernor for the appearance of John Catesby*, elected to represent the county in the following Parliament: CFR, xiv. 299; C219/13/2, 3. None the less, the two men were closely associated. This is made clear by litigation pending in the court of common pleas in 1438: Marmaduke Lumley, bishop of Carlisle, had an action against the Kilsby Boltesham for £20, while the Northampton Boltesham had one against Lumley, as former precentor of the cathedral church of Lincoln, for £10.4. CP40/710, rots. 19d, 376d. The most probable explanation is that the two Thomases were from the same family, a family that had had dealings with Lumley when he was precentor of Lincoln and prebend of Kilsby. If this is the case then the most likely relationship is one of uncle and nephew. The MP was the latter and only a few facts can be discovered about him.

He first appears in the records when elected as one of the town’s bailiffs in 1428, and in 1431 he stood surety on behalf of his fellow burgess, John Bosworth*, in the court of common pleas.5. CP40/682, rot. 352. His mayoralty of 1442-3 seems to have been a disturbed one. On 12 July 1443 he was one of the leading men of the town, along with Henry Stone* and William Rushden*, who found mainprise in Chancery to be of good behaviour until the following Michaelmas term. There can be no doubt that this mutual mainprise was connected with an action brought in that term by Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthin.6. CCR, 1441-7, p. 102; KB27/730, rot. 22. Late in his career Boltesham was elected as one of the four coroners of the borough. He was in office, as a recent appointee, by 27 June 1457 when, with his colleagues, he viewed the body of John Avoures. He served for at least a further three years, and perhaps for a good deal longer. He was alive as late as Hilary 1471, when he was still vainly pursuing the administrator of Bishop’s Lumley will for the £10 debt he had claimed against Lumley long before.7. CP40/795, rot. 19d; 798, rot. 34; 838, rot. 76d.