John Baldwin MP Kt (1470 - 1545)

Born 11 Aug 1470 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Agnes (Dormer) Baldwin — married about 1497 (to 1536) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

Husband of Anne (Norris) Baldwin — married 1536 (to 24 Oct 1545) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

Descendants

Died 24 Oct 1545 at age 75 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carol Baldwin [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Baldwin Name Study.

John Baldwin MP Kt is Notable.

Sir John Baldwin, Knight and Chief Justice of the court of Henry VIII:^[1][2][3]

• Member of Inner Temple and appointed Reader in 1516, 1524 and 1531
• In 1520, was of sufficient mark to be nominated on the sheriff roll
• Twice filled the office of Treasurer, 1524 and 1530
• In 1529, sat in House of Commons, being Burgess for Bendon in Wiltshire
• In 1529 served on the commission to hear causes in chancery committed to Cardinal Wolsey, then lord chancellor
• In 1530, on Cardinal's fall, was selected to hold inquisition as to the extent of Wolsey's property in Bucks
• In 1530, appointed Attorney General for Wales and the Marches, and also of the county Palantine of Chester and Flint
• Patent as sergeant-in-law dated 16 November 1531
• According to Dugdale, Baldwin and Thomas Willoughby were the first sergeants-in-law to receive honor of Knighthood in 1534
• In 1535, appointed Chief Justice of Common Pleas and the first cases in which he acted in a judiciary capacity were the trials for treason of Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More
• Presided at the trial of Anne Boleyn in in 1536
• Received numerous grants from Henry VIII

Birth, Parents, Brother and Uncle

John Baldwin MP Kt was born in Buckinghamshire, England.

John Baldwin, the second son of William Baldwin and Jane Aylesbury was born in 1469 and baptized on 11 August 1470 at Aylesbury, England.^[3]

John had an older brother, Richard Baldwin [alias Richard Baldewyn of Otterarffe] (1468-1485). John became his brother's heir at say 16 years of age when Richard died in 1485. John's paternal uncle, also named John (John Baldewyn), had a legal career in London as a bencher of Grey's Inn.^[4]

Career

Sir John may have been admitted as a barrister to the Inner Temple as early as 1489 and is first mentioned in 1508. He remained an active member of the inn and built a successful practice as a barrister. He had taken part in the administration of his shire (Bucks) since 1510, and in 1520 he had been nominated, but not picked sheriff there and in Bedfordshire. In June 1529, Baldwin was appointed one of the commissioners to hear chancery cases referred to them by Cardinal Wolsey. In 1530, Baldwin served on a commission to inquire into Wolsey’s lands in Buckinghamshire. He soon obtained promotion in the law, first as attorney-general for Wales and the duchy of Cornwall, and then as King’s Serjeant. On 19 April 1535, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.^[5]of assistance to the Parliament of 1536 and to every succeeding one until his death. His first cases as Chief Justice included the trials for treason of Bishop John Fisher and Sir Thomas More. Baldwin had doubtless owed his elevation to Thomas Cromwell, a leader in the Dissolution of the Monasteries, although there is no evidence that the two men were close. In 1536, he was listed among the Buckinghamshire gentlemen to be mobilised at the time of the northern rebellion, and in 1544 he supplied men for the army against France.^[2][3]

Sir John Baldwin presided with six of his judicial colleagues over the trial of Anne Boleyn, Anne's brother George, Mark Smeaton, William Brereton and Sir Francis Weston on charges of treason against the Crown (adultery and plotting to kill the king). All five were found guilty on 15 May 1536, and all were put to death.^[2]The trial and conviction also included Baldwin's cousin, Henry Norris.^[6]

Trial of Anne Boleyn

Trial Papers of Anne Boleyn, George, Lord Rochford and their co-accused from the ‘Secret Bag’.

Sir John Baldwin's office was very lucrative and he was very rich. In 1540, Henry VIII granted him the home and site of Gray Friars in Aylesbury, Missenden Abbey and, in 1544, the fee of Dundridge. He built the 'new road' out of Aylesbury leading to Wendover and Missenden, and possibly the town hall in Aylesbury, which has since been pulled down.^[7]

Holdings

Baldwin’s inheritance in Aylesbury consisted of the manor of Otterarffe, a house called ‘Le Crowne’ and a tenement called (ambiguously) ‘Bawd’s Fee’. In 1512, he acquired a 24-year lease of the nearby manor of Cranwell in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, but it was not until the last ten years of his life that he blossomed as a landowner. In 1536, he bought the manor of Danvers in Little Marlow, in the following year those of Chearsley and Ludgershall and, in 1538 that of Aylesbury itself. The last, bought from Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire (Anne Boleyn's father),^[8]made Baldwin the town’s chief proprietor. In 1541, Baldwin had a large grant of ex-monastic property, comprising the Greyfriars, Aylesbury, and the manors of Abbot’s Broughton and Upton, and after the Countess of Salisbury (Margaret Plantagenet, alias Margaret Pole) and her son, Henry, Lord Montagu had been attainted and were beheaded by order of Henry VIII, Sir John Baldwin paid £796 for their manors of Dundridge and Ellesborough. His Buckinghamshire property was valued in his inquisition at £200 a year.

Dundridge Manor, Bucks. purchased by Sir John Baldwin following the beheading ordered by King Henry VIII of the Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury

Marriages and Children

John Baldwin was married twice. He married 1) Agnes Dormer (1575-1536), the daughter of William and Agnes (Launcelyn) Dormer say 1497 at Buckinghamshire, England.^[9]They had six children, four of whom reached adulthood. The children were born at Aylesbury:

1. Agnes [alias Ann; Katherine] Baldwin (b. say 1499; d. bef. Nov 1536) m. say 1520 at Buckinghamshire, Robert Packington, MP (1496-1537)^[10]
2. William Baldwin (b. say 1500; d. 1538, ) m. say 1529, Mary Tyringham^[10]
3. Alice Baldwin (b. say 1503; d. bef. 2 Mar 1546, Aylesbury)
4. John Baldwin "the younger" (d. young)
5. Richard Baldwin (d. young)
6. Petronella "Parnell" Baldwin (b. say 1508; d. 1527, Aylesbury) m. 1) say 1523 at Hitcham, Bucks, Thomas Ramsay (1502-1524); m. 2) Edward Burlace [or Borlase] (-1544, Mercer of London)^[10]

The Baldwin children, as well as family relationships with the Dormers are noted in the will of Sir John Baldwin's father-in-law, William Dormer, Esq. The Will, dated 22 September 1506 and proved 7 October 1606 directed William Dormer to be buried in the chancel at West Wicombe [sic], and gave to his daughters Johan Alburgh, Margeri Deane and Agnes Baldwin 10 marks each; to William Baldwin, his godson, £10; to John Baldwin the younger, 10 marks; to Agnes (interlined Alice Baldwin) 10 marks; to Richard Baldwin10 marks; to Pernell Colyngborne 10 marks; to John Dormer 10 marks; to Henry Hunt 10 marks; to Letyce Dormer 5 marks; to Henry Deane son of Thomas Deane; 40s; to Agnes, his wife, £300; to Robert his son, £800, and the farm of West Wicombe [sic]. His executors were his wife and son Robert; overseers, John Baldwin the older, and John Colynborne.^[11]

This Will supports the marital relationship between William and Agnes (Launcelyn) Dormer's daughter Agnes and Sir John, five of the Baldwin children (Agnes, William, Alice, John the younger, and Richard, the latter two of whom died young), and relationships between Dormer siblings and their spouses. It is likely/probable that Petronella Baldwin was born after William Dormer died given that she is not listed in his will. Agnes was likely named for her mother, and Pernell for her aunt, Pernell (Dormer) Colyngborn.

Agnes (Dormer) Baldwin died in 1536 at Buckinghamshire, England.

Sir John Baldwin married 2) Anne (Norris) Wroughton after 1536 at Buckinghamshire. She was the widow of William Wroughton, and daughter of Sir William Norris (d. 1507) of Yattendon Berkshire, by his third wife Anne Horne.^[12][13] She is said to have become insane before Sir John Baldwin's death in 1545 and in October 1545 Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, suggested that she be placed in the care of her son by her first marriage, Sir William Wroughton (d. 4 September 1559). Three months later Anne was sent to live with her kinswoman, Mary (Norris) Carew (d.1570), widow of Vice-Admiral Sir George Carew (c.1504 – 19 July 1545), and daughter of Henry Norris (b. before 1500, d. 1536) of Bray, Berkshire, and his wife, Mary.^{[14][15][16][2]}The date of Anne's death is not known.

Death and Burial

Sir John Baldwin, MP, Kt died on 24 October 1545 in his 70th year at Aylesbury. His wife and all children except for daughter Alice predeceased him. Alice, the last abbess of Burnham Abbey died a few months after her father. Sir John Baldwin was buried in Aylesbury Church (aka St Mary the Virgin) at Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England.^[17]

Aylesbury Church, Buckinghamshire

Will of Sir John Baldwin

The will of Sir John Baldwin, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Common Pleas at Westminster was dated 11 October 1545 and proved 27 October 1545. At the time of Sir John's death, he had no direct male heir. His next heirs were his daughter Alice, who died a few months after Sir John, and his grandchildren, Thomas Pakington, the son of his daughter, Agnes, wife of Robert Pakington, MP, and John Burlace, the son of his daughter Petronella (alias Parnell) wife of Edward Burlase (alias Borlase). The manor of Aylesbury by inheritance went from the Sir John Baldwin to Thomas Pakington and, in turn, from Thomas to his son and heir John Pakington. Other bequests were made to family members and friends, including Thomas Somner, Thomas Wyatt, Edmund Wolfe, Thomas Dygnam, John Smyth, George Annesley, John Bosse, William Welche, John Galy, William Haynes, William Bradley, Robert Heynes, Joan Heynes, Anne Prynce, William Prynce, Francis Gross, Margaret Welche, Margaret Webbe, Mary Sowthall, Francis Durraunt, Anne Durraunt, Elizabeth Clerke, Anne Pakington, Margaret Pakington, Bess Lane, William Dormer, Sir Robert Dormer, the Master of the Fraternity of Aylesbury, the Vicar of Aylesbury, and servants. His daughter, Alice, was named sole executrix. ^[18]

In her will dated 20 January 1546 and proved 2 March 1546, Alice Baldwin, last Abbess of Burnham Abbey and her father's heiress, authorized her 'loving cousin, Richard Cupper' to execute the will of her father, Sir John Baldwin as outlined by her father in his Last Will and Testament. Alice also requested that her 'cousin Cupper' erect a tomb of marble with a picture for her father, her mother and their children with an epitaph or scripture of Cupper's choosing, and to have it set in Aylesbury church over her father's grave.^[19]This tomb is no longer extant.

Research Notes

• Many genealogical researchers have had difficulty with the ancestry of the Baldwin family in Aston Clinton Parish, Buckinghamshire and have reached different conclusions on the correct pedigree for the different Baldwin families in this area. One such creditable source is Joseph Lemuel Chester, D.C.L., LL.D. Much of his work is relied on in building this profile, particularly to distinguish between Sir John Baldwin and his kin, and Henry and Richard Baldwin, who lived at Dundridge and purchased Dundridge Manor from John Pakington.

• The Baldwins of Buckinghamshire (i.e., "Richard of Dundridge" and "John of the Hayle") whose descendants traveled to the Connecticut and Massachusetts colonies in the early 17th century are likely related to the above Baldwins; however, the connection is not clear. Clues to familial connections between Sir John Baldwin and Richard "of Dundridge," "John of the Hayle" and "Henry of Aston Clinton" based on Chester's genealogical research are as follows:^[20]

1. In his will dated 1552-1553, Richard Baldwin described himself as "of Dundridge"; however, he could only have been the tenant of the manor as ownership did not pass to his son, Henry, until 1577/78.
2. On 1 March 1577/8, John Pakington, grandson of Sir John Baldwin, according to Patent Roll, 20 Eliz., Part 5, alienated (selling without restriction) Dundridge, with other messuages, tenements, etc., in Aston Clinton, Chesham and Wendover to "Henry and Richard Baldwin" (father and son) who paid taxes upon these holdings the following year. John Pakinton, one of Queen Elizabeth I favorites, had wasted a great deal of his inheritance and had to work at recouping his wasteful expenditures, which is likely why he sold this inheritance to these Baldwins, who were likely cousins.
3. Chester indicates it is suggestive that only seven or eight years after Sir John Baldwin's death that another Baldwin (Richard self-describing as "of Dundridge") should be in possession of this manor and seems to indicate some very near connection, and the Patent Roll supports this connection.

• Since this profile underwent revisions in early March 2023, the FamilySearch profile for Sir John Baldwin was updated. The siblings listed for him; however, are incorrect (listed are Henry 1466-1485 and Lettice 1468-).^[21]His known and documented sibling is his older brother Richard (1468-1485). There is a potential second sibling, a younger brother Robert (1475-1506/36) under review.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "John Baldwin (judge)," accessed 3 Mar 2023 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Baldwin_(judge). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} 'BALDWIN, John (1468/69-1545), of Aylesbury, Bucks', Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982. Available from Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 3 Mar 2023 at http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/baldwin-john-146869-1545
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Martin, Charles Trice, 'Baldwin, Sir John', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Vol 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. Accessed 6 Mar 2023 at https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Baldwin,_John
4. ↑ Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy from 1500-1881. Cleveland, OH: Leader, 1881. Page 14.
5. ↑ 'Henry VIII: April 1535, 21-30', in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 8, January-July 1535, ed. James Gairdner (London, 1885), pp. 218-241, British History Online (entry 31), accessed 24 March 2023 He did not lose his seat in Parliament, however, for as a judge he received a writ
6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Henry Norris (courtier)," accessed 6 Mar 2023 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Norris_(courtier). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
7. ↑ Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy 1500-1881. Cleveland, OH: Leader, 1881. Pages 15-16.
8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire," accessed 6 Mar 2023 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Boleyn,_1st_Earl_of_Wiltshire. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
9. ↑ Harvey, William. The Visitation of Buckinghamshire in 1566 (Harleian Ms. 5867). Walter C. Metcalf (Ed.). Exeter: William Pollard, Printer, 1883. Page 11.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Mundy, Richard. Phillimore, WPW (Ed.). The visitation of the county of Worcester made in the year 1659, Vol 27. Phillimore, W.P.W. (Ed.). London: Harleian Society, 1888. Page 103. Accessed 24 Mar 2023 at https://archive.org/details/visitationcount02mundgoog/page/n117/mode/2up
11. ↑ Will of William Dormer of West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, proved 7 Oct 1606, retrieved 24 Mar 2023 at http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-15_ff_83-4.pdf
12. ↑ Richardson, Douglas (2011). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. II. (2nd ed.). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Salt Lake City, UT, 2011. Page 422. ISBN 978-1449966386.
13. ↑ Magna Carta; Page 61.
14. ↑ Ives, E.W. (2004). "Norris, Henry (b. before 1500, d. 1536)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Membership required)
15. ↑ Cooper, J.P.D. (2004). "Carew, Sir George (c.1504–1545)id=38895". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Membership required).
16. ↑ WROUGHTON, Sir William (1509/10-59), of Broad Hinton, Wilts. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982; Available from Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 3 Nov 2014 from: {http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/wroughton-Sir-william-150910-59]
17. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/236074160/john-baldwin: accessed 19 January 2023), memorial page for Sir John Baldwin (11 Aug 1470–24 Oct 1545), Find a Grave Memorial ID 236074160, citing St Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England; Maintained by Jerry D. Ferren (contributor 48024221).
18. ↑ Will of Sir John Baldwin, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, proved 27 Oct 1545, retrieved 24 Mar 2023 at http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-30_ff_302-4.pdf
19. ↑ Will of Alice Baldwin, Abbess, proved 2 Mar 1546, retrieved 24 Mar 2023 at http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-31_ff_37-8.pdf
20. ↑ Chester, Joseph Lemuel. Report of investigations concerning the family of Baldwin of Aston Clinton, Co. Bucks. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11683/164/0
21. ↑ FamilySearch, "Sir John Baldwin (1470-1545)," accessed 28 Mar 2023 from https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LBJR-KPW

Acknowledgements

• This profile, originally established via the import of LJ Pellman Consolidated Family_2011-03-21.ged on 21 March 2011; and Hooker Family Tree.ged on 30 March 2011, was greatly improved under the auspices of Katie Pyle in March 2018.

• Biography written in full with inline sourcing, photos added, children, parents and spouses clarified and supported with sources, Notables Sticker and photos added by Carol Baldwin throughout March 2023.

• The PM wishes to thank Michael Cayley and Gill Whitehouse for their careful review and comments following the updating of this profile in March 2023.