Joan (Danvers) Fowler (1422 - 1505)

Born 1422 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Fowler — married 1446 in Oxfordshire, England

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1505 at about age 83 in Thame, Oxfordshire, England

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Biography

Joan (Danvers) Fowler was born in Oxfordshire, England.

Birth and Parentage

According to the 1566 Visitation of co. Oxford, Joane Danvers was the second to youngest child of John Danvers, Lord of Ipwell and Banbury, and his second wife Joane née Bruley. ^[1]She was probably born in or near Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, in about 1422.^[2][3]It is possible that she was born at the manor of Cothrope - (this spelling is used in the Visitation of co. Oxford in 1566) ^[1] which is today Calthorpe. This was historically, an estate with a manor house; today an electoral district, or ward, of Banbury, Oxfordshire. British History Online states that in 1431, Joan's father bought the manor of Cothrop/Calthorpe from the Bishop of London, but he may already have been a tenant before its purchase. John also leased the manor of Easington from the Bishopric of Lincoln.^[4]

She came from a large family, with siblings, Thomas, William, Henry, Agnes, Elizabeth, Margaret, Amicia, Bone/Bona, and an unknown sister. ^[1]

Marriage and Family

As escheator, local tax collector and four times MP for Oxfordshire, John Danvers was well-connected. Approximately three generations after the ravages of the Black Death (1347-1351/2), and again in 1361–62 , the gentry were improving their situations, becoming local sheriffs, justices and Members of Parliament. John was keen for his children to do well; his sons went into the legal profession and his daughters were advantageously married - Joane particularly so, marrying in about 1446 Richard Fowler, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster, an eminent courtier during the reign of Edward IV.^[2]

Children of Richard and Joane (Danvers) Fowler:

1. Richard, m. Elizabeth Windsor, d. 1528
2. Sybil, b. 28 Aug 1448, m. Richard Chamberlain^[2]

Death and Burial

Richard Fowler died in about October 1477. Probate was granted on 19 November 1477. In his Will he stated:

to Joan, my wife, all my stuff of my household in all places, and all my grains, and all cattle excepting my cattle on the manor of Shobendon...^[5]

Joan herself died on 5 April 1505, proven by her Inquisition Post Mortem on 14 November 1505, (21 Henry VII), in which it was written:

John Trevell was seised in fee of the under-mentioned manor called 'Quatermayns maner' (sic) and lands &c. mentioned therewith, and by his charter granted them to Richard Quatermayns and Sibyl, his wife, and the heirs of their bodies, with successive remainders to Richard Fowler and Joan, his wife, and the heirs male of their bodies, to the heirs female begotten between the said Richard and Joan (but without partition, the whole property to descend to the eldest daughter and the heirs of her body, without any partition being made among the heirs female of such daughter, and, in default of issue of the eldest daughter, to the second eldest daughter on the same conditions), to Richard Boteler (son of Isabel Boteler, daughter of Elizabeth sister of Richard Quatermayns aforesaid) and the heirs male of his body, to Thomas Boteler, brother of the said Richard Boteler, and the heirs male of his body, to Richard Rouse (son of Joan Rouse daughter of the said Elizabeth) and the heirs male of his body, to John Fetyplace (son of Margaret Fetyplace daughter of the said Elizabeth) and the heirs male of his body, to Joan Mauncell and the heirs male of her body, and to the right heirs of Richard Quatermayns. Richard Quatermayns and Sibyl, his wife, were seised thereof accordingly in fee tail, and Richard died so seised. Sibyl survived him, and held herself in the premises by survivorship. She also survived Richard Fowler, and on her death Joan Fowler entered into the premises and died seised thereof in tail by the form of the above gift. Joan died seised in her demesne as of free tenement of the under-mentioned manor of Halton, (sic, Holton) the reversion thereof belonging to the right heirs of Richard Fowler aforesaid, as appears by letters patent of Edward IV and an act of Parliament of 1 Henry VII. She died 5 April last. Richard Fowler, knight, aged 34 years and more, is son and heir male of the said Richard and Joan Fowler.

OXFORD. Manor of Shyrborne, and 20 messuages, 400a. land, 40a. meadow, 400a. wood, 20l. rent and a rent of 1 lb. pepper in Shyrborne, worth 26l. 13s. 4d., held of the prince, as of his honor (sic) of Walyngford, by fealty and a rent of 10s. yearly.

Manor of Northweston called Quatermayns maner, 'lands &c. in Northweston called 'le Hall place' formerly belonging to William Baudyngton and Joan, his wife, and divers other lands, tenements, rents and services there, worth 20l., held of the bishop of Lincoln by fealty, other services unknown. Manor of Halton, worth 20 marks, held of the king in chief by service of one knight's fee. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} ed. Taylor, (1871)., The Visitations of the County of Oxford Taken in the Years 1566 by William Harvey, Clarencieux; 1574 by Richard Lee, Portcullis; and in 1634 by John Philpott, Somerset, and William Ryley, Bluemantle, ... ; Together with the Gatherings of Oxfordshire, (p.187). Publications of the Harleian Society. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 6 Jul 2023.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Lee, Frederick George. The History, Description and Antiquities of the Prebendal Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Thame, in the County and Diocese of Oxford. London: Mitchell and Hughes, 1883. Retrieved from Google Books (Page 293-296;) Accessed 5 Jul 2023.
3. ↑ Richardson, Douglas., (2011)., Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, ed. Everingham, Kimball, G., 2nd Edition, 2011. Retrieved from Google Books (Here;) Accessed 6 Jul 2023.
4. ↑ Colvin, Christina., Cooper, Janet., Cooper, N H., Harvey, P D A., Hollings, Marjory., Hook, Judith., Jessup, Mary., Lobel, Mary D., Mason, J F A., Trinder, B S., & Turner, Hilary., (1972); Banbury: Manors, in A History of the County of Oxford: (Vol. 10, pp.42-49). Banbury Hundred, ed. Alan Crossley. London: Victoria County History. Retrieved from bho (Here;) Accessed 6 Jul 2023.
5. ↑ Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris, (Jan 1826). Pub: Nichols & son. Retrieved from Google e-Books. Will of Richard Fouler, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster. From: Testamenta Vetusta: Being Illustrations from Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c. as Well as of the Descents and Possessions of Many Distinguished Families. From the Reign of Henry the Second to the Accession of Queen Elizabeth, (Vol. 1&2, (p.344-345)., Pub: Nichols & son. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 6 Jul 2023.
6. ↑ Public Record Office., (Jan 1955)., Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Henry VII. (C. Series II. Vol. 22. (38.)) (p.306-307). Great Britain: Public Record Office. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 6 Jul 2023.

Further Reading

• North Oxfordshire (Chinnor) Archaeological Society, (1874). Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 5 Jul 2023.

• Nottidge MacNamara, Francis., (1895)., Memorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth): Their Ancestors and Descendants from the Conquest Till the Termination of the Eighteenth Century; with Some Account of the Alliances of the Family and of the Places, where They Were Seated. Pub: Hardy & Page. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 6 July 2023.