Mountforth / Conyers of Hornby / Swynowe

Hi all,

I'd like to share a bit of information which may be of interest to
anyone who is descended from the families of Conyers of Hornby and
Mountforth of Hackforth in Yorkshire.

Visitations of the North, Part 3 (Surtees Society, Vol 144) p 116, and
The Visitation of Yorkshire in 1563 & 1564 (Harleian Society, Vol 16)
p 74n, show that Thomas Mountforth of Hackforth, married Margaret
Swynow (Margareta filia et vna heredum Swynow) and that she married
secondly Anthony St Quintin and was the mother of Margaret St Quintin
who married John Conyers and brought Hornby to the Conyers.

Thomas Mountforth must have been married about 1380, as his second son
Thomas proved his age in 1404-5, so was born about 1384-5.

Thomas Mountforth died some time before 4 February 1392, when a
commission was ordered to enquire what evildoers have abducted
Alexander, son and heir of Thomas de Mountford, knight, a minor, the
custody of whose lands and whose marriage belong to queen Anne,
because the said Thomas held of her as of the honor of Richemond by
knight service; the said queen having by her letters patent granted
the marriage to Richard Lescrope [Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard 2,
Vol 5, p 82].

Presumably Thomas's widow married Anthony St Quintin of Hornby around
this time, although I can find no evidence for this apart from the
visitation pedigrees.

Alexander Mountforth, the young son and heir of Thomas Mountforth died
before 20 September 1396, when there was an inspeximus and
confirmation to Richard Lescrope, knight, of letters patent of Thomas,
archbishop of York, and Edward, earl of Rutland, dated at London, 12
September, in the twentieth year, reciting that the late queen Anne,
for 80l. paid to her by the said Richard, granted to him the wardship
of the lands and tenements late of Thomas Mountfort, knight, during
the minority of Alexander, his son and heir, together with the
marriage of the heir, and that the said Alexander has died a minor
without having married — and granting to the said Richard the wardship
of Thomas, brother and heir of the said Alexander, together with the
marriage, without rendering aught therefor, but he is to find
competent maintenance for the heir and support the real services and
all other charges on the lands and tenements [Calendar of Patent
Rolls, Richard 2, Vol 6, pp 29-30].

The widow of Thomas Mountforth and Anthony St Quintin was married
again to Richard Cliderhowe before 26 February 1399, when there was a
grant to the king's esquire Richard Cliderhowe, in recompense of
certain sums due to him by the king for his wages in the household and
the arrears of an annuity of 10 marks, of certain lands in Riby, co.
Lincoln, which Thomas Mountford, son of his wife, held of the earl of
Kent and which are now in the king's hands by reason of the minority
of the said Thomas and the forfeiture of the earl, to hold to the
value of 10 marks yearly during the said minority, provided that he
answer for any surplus [Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry 4, Vol 1, p
222].

So who was this Margaret Swynow? I came across something recently
which shows that she wasn't called Margaret. In one of the volumes of
Archaeologica Aeliana (Third Series, Vol 6, 1910), available here:
http://www.archive.org/details/archaeologiaaeli06sociuoft there is a
series of extracts from the de Banco Rolls for Northumberland, which
are well worth a look for anyone interested in Northumberland
families.

On page 66 is an extract from a case in 1399:

Richard Cliderowe and Elizabeth, his wife, plaintiffs; Richard
Tempest, miles, defendant. 1 messuage in Newcastle, which John de
Sacra Insula, vicar of the church of Berwyk super Twede, John de
Hasylrigge and John de Werk gave William de Swynowe and Elizabeth his
wife, and their heirs. William son and heir of William de Swynowe and
Elizabeth died without heirs of his body. Elizabeth, sister and heir
of William, the son, was married to Richard Cliderowe (De Banco, R.
553, m. 419d.).

So the Margaret Swynow of the pedigrees was actually called Elizabeth
de Swynowe, and was the daughter of William de Swynowe and Elizabeth
his wife, who held lands in Newcastle.

Richard Cliderhowe her third husband, was I believe the one "of
Newcastle" who appears in the Patent Rolls, and Fine Rolls, and not
the other contemporary Richard Cliderhow who was of Kent and an
admiral of the king's fleet.

Regards,

John

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