John Colclough (abt. 1350 - abt. 1420)

Born about 1350 in Staffordshire, England

Descendants

Died about 1420 at about age 70 in Staffordshire, England

Biography

"From the mid 14th century, if not before, the Colclough family enjoyed considerable influence in Newcastle and its environs. John’s father represented the borough in the Parliament of 1360, and subsequently held office as both bailiff and mayor. Over the years he established himself as a local landowner of some consequence, for besides acquiring land in Newcastle and the neighbouring village of Wolstanton, he was able to purchase the Staffordshire manor of Hanley from Sir Richard Peshale. The ownership of this property, which John inherited together with his father’s other possessions in about 1385, proved a mixed blessing, since both father and son were involved in litigation with Peshale’s widow over the assignment of her dower.

"By this date John had already gained recognition as a leading member of the local community. He served his first term as bailiff of Newcastle in 1377, and on at least four occasions over the next ten years he went surety for his successors in office. At some point before October 1379 he took on the lease of additional holdings in Wolstanton, where he appears to have been farming his father’s property as well....

"Following a long-established family tradition, [John] Colclough’s son, John, was already active in municipal affairs by then [1414], and it was probably he, rather than his father, who became mayor of Newcastle in 1418, and stood surety for John Mynors at the parliamentary elections held there in the following year. Both men were being sued for a debt of £20 by Margaret Delves during the Hilary term of 1420, although since John Colclough the younger was alone ordered to appear in court during the summer of 1421, we may reasonably assume that the subject of this biography had died in the interim.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ History of Parliament Online