William Mordaunt ^{1 2 3 4}

  General Notes:

WILLIAM MORDAUNT, after those wastes the Accidents of the precedent Age had made in the Estate of his Ancestors, was not induc'd by the discontent thereof, to neglect what Providence had left him. There remain'd to his support his Antient Lordships of Turvey, that of Brayfield, the Lordships of Clifton and Chellington, with the Lands appertaining to the Mannor of Bottellers in Walden, in the County of Suffolk. He had Married Margaret the Daughter of John Peck, Lord of Copull, a Person of great Oeconomy and Virtue; and they strove together, by a provident and frugal proceeding to repair those breaches, the over liberal ways of his Father had made in the Fortune of his Family. Their endeavours did succeed; and as an approbation thereof, and a blessing thereupon, Providence sent them to enjoy the fruits of their worthy Cares, Three Children; whose merits from their Natures, and good Education, made them all have (as well as deserve) excellent Fortunes: They were,

Sir John Mordaunt, Lord of Turvey.
William Mordaunt, Lord of Hempstead, Married to the Heir of Huntington.
Elizabeth Mordaunt, Married to Sir Wiston Brown of Abessroading. ¹

  Events

• Manorial Estate: Turvey Manor, Turvey, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 7, GB. ⁴ At the Survey of 1086 eight entries occur with regard to land in Turvey, of which one only describes the property referred to as a manor. This estate of TURVEY MANOR, sometimes called MORDAUNTS MANOR, was held by the Bishop of Coutances. Three sokemen had owned it in the preceding reign, and it consisted of 4 hides worth £6. (fn. 6) The overlordship is subsequently found attached to the barony of Trailly (q.v.) and was attached to the honour of Gloucester, the descent being the same as that of Biddenham (q.v.). (fn. 7) The last reference to the overlordship is in 1612, when James I granted to John Eldred and others the rents of assize belonging to the honour of Gloucester, lately held by the Duke of Buckingham in Turvey. (fn. 8)

There is no mention of a tenant holding in Turvey in 1086, but the family of Mordaunt is found holding this manor from the early 13th century. Halstead, the authenticity of whose early charters is doubtful, claims in his Succinct Genealogies that Eustace Mordaunt acquired this manor by marriage with Alice sister and co-heir of Hugh de Alneto, and that Sarah, another sister and co-heir, married Robert de Ardres, thus leading to the formation of the two manors of Mordaunts and Ardres held conjointly for some time. (fn. 9)

¶The cartulary of St. Neots certainly furnishes evidence that the de Alnetos preceded the Mordaunts in Turvey, for their name constantly recurs as benefactors to the priory. On one occasion there is mention of three generations when Hugh de Alneto (brother of Alice) confirmed the grants of Hugh his grandfather and William his father of land in Turvey. (fn. 10) Therefore it seems likely that an intermarriage did take place, especially as in 1225 an assize of mort d'ancestor was summoned between Eustace Mordaunt and Robert de Ardres and John Trailly their overlord concerning 3 carucates of land, of which each was awarded 1½ carucates. (fn. 11) The heir of William Mordaunt, son of Eustace, held this property in 1278\endash 9. (fn. 12) William Mordaunt, probably the heir referred to above, received recognition of his right to land in Turvey from Thomas Wood in 1313\endash 14. (fn. 13) He was living two years later, but by 1346 had been succeeded by his son Robert Mordaunt. (fn. 14) The next lord of this manor of whom mention has been found is Edmund Mordaunt, probably a son of Robert, of whom it is stated in an inquisition taken in 1372 that on the Sunday before the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude in that year, being seized with homicidal mania, he killed his wife Ellen and drowned himself on the same day in a pool in Turvey. (fn. 15) Robert, his son, who according to Halstead united in one the hitherto separate manors of Mordaunts and Ardres, died some time before 1397, (fn. 16) and was followed by his son Robert Mordaunt, who was 'during the Civil Broils of his own Country, an assertor of the Claim and Interest of the House of York.' He died in 1448 after having considerably impoverished the family estates, (fn. 17) and his son William Mordaunt together with his wife strove 'by a provident and frugal proceeding to repair those breaches the over-liberal ways of his Father had made in the Fortunes of his Family. Their endeavours did succeed, and as an approbation thereof, and a blessing thereupon, Providence sent them to enjoy the Fruits of their worthy Cares, Three Children, whose merits from their Natures and Good Education, made them all have (as well as deserve) excellent Fortunes.' (fn. 18) Of these Sir John Mordaunt the eldest succeeded to Turvey Manor about 1475. He was wounded on the Lancastrian side at the battle of Barnet, and was one of the commanders at Stoke in 1487. He was made king's sergeant in 1495, and is said to have been instrumental in arranging a marriage between Margaret daughter of Henry VII and the King of Scotland. (fn. 19) He died in 1504, and his son John Mordaunt rose high in favour at the court of Henry VIII. He was knighted in 1520, and the same year accompanied Henry to the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1533 he was created Baron Mordaunt of Turvey. (fn. 20) He received Anne Boleyn at the Tower when she came to be crowned, and took part in her trial three years later, and in 1537 carried the banner at Jane Seymour's funeral. He died in 1562, when his son Sir John Mordaunt succeeded to Turvey Manor. (fn. 21)

Footnotes:
6. V.C.H. Beds. i, 225b.
7. Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 248b; Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 332; Chan. Inq. p.m. 46 Edw. III (2nd nos.), no. 6; 38 & 39 Hen. VI, no. 59; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 79.
8. Pat. 9 Jas. I, pt. viii, m. 1.
9. It must be remembered, however, that the connexion of the de Ardres with Turvey dates from Domesday (cf. History of Ardres Manor).
10. Cott. MS. Faust. A iv.
11. Cal. Pat. 1225\endash 32, p. 449; Feet of F. Beds. 16 Hen. III, no. 21.
12. Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 332.
13. Feet of F. Beds. 7 Edw. II, no. 7.
14. Feud. Aids, i, 17, 30.
15. Chan. Inq. p.m. 46 Edw. III (2nd nos.), no. 6.
16. In which year his widow Agnes married Thomas de Fotheringay (Halstead, op. cit. 397).
17. Ibid.; Feud. Aids, i, 40; Beds. N. and Q. iii, 246.
18. Halstead, op. cit. 397.
19. Feet of F. Div. Co. 12 Hen. VII; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Halstead, op. cit. Halstead gives transcripts of letters from Richard III and Henry VII to John Mordaunt.
20. a J. H. Round, Peerage Studies, 337, 349.
21. Dict. Nat. Biog.; Halstead, op. cit.; Exch. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), file 54, no. 6.

William married Margaret Peake, daughter of John Peake of Cople, Bedfordshire and Unknown, about Apr 1449.^{1 2 3} (Margaret Peake died after 1481.)