WARNECOMBE (WARMECOMBE), John (1516/18-52), of Lugwardine and Hereford.

The eldest son of a town clerk and mayor of Hereford who had represented the city in at least two Parliaments, John Warnecombe was to follow a trodden path, but as he died less than five years after his father there is little to recount of him. First met with in June 1542, when with Hugh Gebons and others he witnessed a confession there, Warnecombe succeeded his father as town clerk in 1547 and as mayor in the following year. He also appears to have served the bishop of Hereford: it was before him as the bishop’s steward that a court and view of frankpledge was held at Bishop’s Castle in October 1549. In 1550 and 1551 he was one of those nominated for the shrievalty but he was not pricked. His opportunity of following his father in the House of Commons came with the death of William Berkeley: as this cannot have taken place before 23 Apr. 1551 Warnecombe sat only in the final session, which opened in January 1552, and his name appears accordingly in the list of Members as revised on that occasion.3Hereford pub. lib., Hereford city muniments 942, ff. 52-53; NRA 16218, no. 676; CPR, 1553, pp. 348, 375.

Warnecombe made his will on 22 Sept. 1552, asking for no special place of burial. He left 10s. for the repair of Hereford cathedral, 6s.8d. to the vicar of Lugwardine for forgotten tithes, and 6s.8d. to the vicar of All Hallows; other bequests included £4 to his brother James Warnecombe, and £5 to each of the unmarried daughters (save one who had £10) of his uncle Thomas Bromwich. His dwelling house in Hereford Warnecombe left to his father-in-law John Scudamore. To his wife he gave two parts of his manor of Lugwardine for life, on condition that she should not remarry without the permission of her father, her brother, her brother-in-law and Thomas Bromwich: otherwise her interest would pass to the daughter and heir Joan. The executors of the will were Jane and John Scudamore, and the overseers James Warnecombe and Thomas Bromwich. One of the witnesses was Stephen Parry. Warnecombe died two days after making the will, leaving the eight year-old Joan, who became a royal ward. The will was proved on 2 Dec. 1552 but the devising of two parts of Lugwardine to the widow was judged illegal, and she was charged with trespass, to be pardoned and licensed to enter in February 1553 for a fine of £22: she later married William Devereux.4PCC 33 Powell; Wards 7/6/113; CPR, 1553, p. 17.