Chamberlain, Knyvet and Reynes
RBodine996
Responding to your recent message, you asked--
"Craig has stated that he found no contemporary evidence for the Knyvet
marriage. Have you found something more substantial?"
Actually, what F. N. Craig wrote in his article "Chamberlains in the Marbury
Ancestry" in NEHGR (v. 138, 1984), p. 319 was "Margaret was the daughter of Sir
John Knyvet, according to the material cited by Colkert (English Ancestry, 41,
54)" Proving the Knyvet relationship to the Chamberlains was not the focus of
his article.
Turning to Meredith B. Colkert, Jr.'s "The English Ancestry of Anne Marbury
Hutchinson and Katherine Marbury Scott," (Philadelphia: The Magee Press,
1936), on page 41 one can find the pertinent entry for Richard Chamberlain
which reads: "10. Richard Chamberlayne, of Tilsworth, Bedfordshire, etc., b.
ca 1392 as age 16 in 1408, d. 1439, m. (2) Margaret, dau. of John above
[referring to Sir John Knyvet and wife Elizabeth Clifton]. She was about 20
years younger than her husband and d. 1458. (VCH Beds III p. 433, VCH Bucks IV
p. 340, MGH os I p. 25 showing coat quartering Knyvet, Basset, Clifton, SS 144
p. 10, H V p. 236 contains errors.)
page 54 of the same, Appendix B, reads: "The Visitation of Oxford has it that
Richard Chamberlayne married Margaret, daughter of William (John?) Knyvet by a
daughter of the Duke of Buckingham. The will of William dated 1514, the
Visitation of Yorkshire and Surtees 144 all disprove this statement. Margaret
was an aunt of this William Knyvet and a daughter of John Knyvet by his wife
Elizabeth Clifton. The Surtees Society 144 p. 10 shows that John Knyvet had a
daughter Margareta. The coat of Richard Chamberlayne as given in MGH (I os. p.
25) impales the arms of Margareta's immediate ancestors, including Cromwell,
Clifton, Botetourt and Basset. (See SS 144 p. 10 and 155 for her ancestors).
Papworth and Morant's Alphabetical Dictionary is a guide to the identofocation
of the arms."
Surtees Society Publications, vol. 144 (London, 1930) in Visitations of the
North - Part III - A Visitation of the North of England circa 1480-1500, p. 10,
shows the children of John Knyvet and wife Elizabeth Clifton as::
1. John Knyvet = Alice Lynne
2. Margaret Knyvet
3. Joan Knyvet
When you consider the Visitation of Oxfordshire in 1566, 1574 and 1634
(Harleian Society, vol. 5, 1871, p. 235-236) shows Richard Chamberlain married
to 'Margareta fil. Willi. (? John) Knevett, militis," the foregoing Visitation
of the North showing John and Elizabeth (Clifton) Knyvet with a daughter named
Margaret, and the arms of Richard Chamberlain impaling those of his wife's
immediate ancestors: Cromwell (Elizabeth, wife of Sir John de Clifton),
Clifton (Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Knyvet), Botetourt (Joan, wife of John
Knyvet) and Basset (Alianore, wife of Sir John Knyvet), you have convincing
evidence. I have not pursued this beyond this point.
You also asked--
"Do you have Joan Reynes' ancestry? Is she the mother of Richard who married
Margaret Loveyne?"
The Visitation of Oxfordshire in 1566 and 1574 names the wife of Richard
Chamberlain as 'Jana' daughter of John Reynes, of Clifton Reynes. Since there
was no John Reynes who was lord of Clifton Reynes at that time, the
identification may apply to Thomas Reynes, who did have a daughter named Joan,
living in 1354. this Sir Thomas Reynes, living in 1354, was dead by 1368, when
his son Thomas was in possession of the manor. He was a Knight of the Shire
for Buckingham in 1343, 1344 and 1346 and was a knight in 1343 being addressed
as such "Thomas de Reynes, knight" holding Clifton, Bucks in the IPM of William
de Ros (CIPM, 8: no. 474, p. 343). In 1354 he settled the manor on himself and
his wife Joan for life, with the remainder to Thomas their son and his issue,
and contingent remainder to the issue male of Thomas the father, and to Joan,
Cecily, and Agnes his daughters (VCH Bucks, 4: 317 citing Bucks Feet of Fines).
The Calendar of the Close Rolls 1381-1385 record a number of quit claims in
1382 between Sir Richard Chamberlain and Richard, son of Sir Thomas Reynes and
Sir Thomas Reynes himself with regard to the manors of Merston and Tilsworth,
Bedfordshire and Horton, co. Northants.
With regard to Joan Reynes being the mother of Richard Chamberlain (died 1396),
husband of Margaret Lovayne, I would like to say yes, but lack the evidence to
support it. In the Lincolnshire IPM of Richard Chamberlain (CIPM 17: no. 778)
he is stated to hold the reversion of Northriston (=North Reston) which is held
in dower for life by Joan, wife of Richard Chamberlain, knight, father of the
said Richard. In the IPM of Joan, widow of Richard Chamberlain (CIPM, 20: no.
57), she was holding Denford, Northants in dower by the assignment of Richard,
son and heir of Richard Chamberlain, knight, with reversion to him. In none of
the foregoing is her heir called her son, always the son of her husband
Richard.
Ronny Bodine