Dear Newsgroup ~
Complete Peerage has a lengthy account of the Dynham-Dinham family of England. In Volume 4, published in 1916, pages 369-382, information is presented concerning Sir John Dynham, Knt., Lord Dynham, who died in 1501, and his male ancestral line. As far as it goes, the account appears to be well written and well documented. However, the account seemingly did not make use of an excellent article by R. Pearse Chope entitled "The Last of the Dynhams" published in Report and Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art 50 (1918): 431-492. Among other details which are overlooked by Complete Peerage, Mr. Chope documents that Sir John Dynham, Lord Dynham, died 1501, had three adult brothers, Roger, Esq., Charles, Esq., and Oliver, clerk, all of whom predeceased him, as well as at least two legitimate children, George and Philippe, by his first marriage to Elizabeth Fitz Walter, both of whom died young. Lord Dynham is also known to have had an illegitimate son, Thomas Dynham, Knt., of Aldbury, Hertfordshire and Eythorpe, Buckinghamshire, who survived him and carried on the family name.
The purpose of this post is not to point out the various differences between the Chope article and the Complete Peerage account. Rather, the specific focus of this message is Lord Dynham's younger brother, Charles Dynham, Esq. (died 1492/3), of Nutwell, Devon, who is not mentioned by Complete Peerage. For starters, it may be noted that there is a useful biography of Charles Dynham in Wedgwood, History of Parliament 1 (1936): 275 (biog. of Charles Dinham/Dynham). Also, in more recent time, the history of Charles Dynham is discussed in Thornton, Social Attitudes and Political Structures in the Fifteenth Century (2013).
Wedgwood notes that Charles Dynham, Esq. acquired the marriage of Durnford's heiress in 1482, but states in error that the Charles Dinham, Esq., who married her by 1490 "must really be a son of the same name." In actuality, the Charles Dynham who married Joan Durnford was the same man who acquired her marriage. Although it had been speculated in print that Charles Dynham had an earlier first marriage, Thornton is the first historian who notes that Charles Dynham had an earlier wife, Elizabeth, who he says died in 1478. He says the identity of Elizabeth is "obscure."
Recently I came across evidence which proves conclusively that Elizabeth, first wife of Charles Dynham, Esq., was in fact Elizabeth Chudderleigh, widow of William Champernoun, Esq., of Modbury, Bridford, and Dodbrooke, Devon (died 1464), and daughter and heiress of of John Chudderleigh, Esq., of Chitterley (in Bickleigh), Devon, by Alice, daughter of William Moore. The evidence of Elizabeth's identity is found in a Common Pleas lawsuit dated 1466, which concerns Elizabeth's dower rights from her Champernoun marriage. A brief abstract is presented below:
In 1466 Charles Dynham and his wife, Elizabeth, late the wife of William Champernoun, sued Thomas Stonore, Esq., Philip Courtenay, Esq., and others regarding the third part of the manors of Dodbrooke, Bridford, Ludbrook, Modbury, and Shipham, and Dodbrooke burgh and Modbury burgh, all in Devon, in right of her dower. Reference: Court of Common Pleas, CP40/818, image 227f, which is available at the following weblink:
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E4/CP40no818/aCP40no818fronts/IMG_0227.htm
Charles Dynham and his first wife, Elizabeth, are likewise mentioned in another Common Pleas lawsuit dated 1470 involving her dower rights, an abstract of which is given below:
In 1470 Charles Dynham and his wife, Elizabeth, brought an action of quare impedit against John Booth, Bishop of Exeter, Philip Courtenay, and five others regarding the church of Dodbrooke, Devon. Reference: Court of Common Pleas, CP 40/837, image 303d, which is available at the following weblink:
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E4/CP40no837/bCP40no837dorses/IMG_0303.htm
Although Charles Dynham left no surviving children, his first wife, Elizabeth Chudderleigh, had a son and heir, John Champernoun, Knt., by her marriage to William Champernoun, Esq. For interest's sake, the following is a list of the 17th Century New World immigrants that descend from Elizabeth (Chudderleigh) (Champernoun) Dynham:
Barbara Aubrey, Mary Launce
I've copied below my file account of Elizabeth Chudderleigh and her two husbands, William Champernoun, Esq., and Charles Dynham, Esq. For further information on the extended ancestry of the Champernoun and Dynham families, please see my book, Royal Ancestry [5 volume set], published in 2013.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
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15. WILLIAM CHAMPERNOUN, Esq., of Modbury, Bridford, and Dodbrooke, Devon, born about 1438 (minor in 1449). He married before 1458 ELIZABETH CHUDDERLEIGH, daughter and heiress of John Chudderleigh, Esq., of Chitterley (in Bickleigh), Devon, by Alice, daughter of William Moore. They had one son, John, Knt. He was admitted a member of Lincoln's Inn in 1453. In the period, 1460-64, he sued Thomas Danvers, feoffee, regarding the manor of Aston-Rowant, Oxfordshire mortgaged for a loan; usury, etc. In the period, 1460-64, he sued Hugh Rowe alias Chamburn, Esq., in Chancery regarding assaults on himself and his men, hindering them from protecting Plymouth, Modbury, etc, Devon, against the French; and protecting the king's enemies. In the period, 1460-64, he sued Thomas Danvers, feoffee, regarding the manor of Aston-Rowant, Oxfordshire mortgaged for a loan; usury, etc. In 1461-4 he likewise sued the said Hugh in Chancery regarding an assault on his servant, Nicholas Jay, obstruction of a royal commission, riot. In 1461 he leased Thomas Parker and his wife, Joan, a tenement in Dodbrooke, Devon at an annual rent of 10s. WILLIAM CHAMPERNOUN, Esq., died 7 October 1464. He left a will proved 20 Nov. 1464 (P.C.C. 7 Godyn). His widow, Elizabeth, married (2nd) before 1466 (date of lawsuit) (as his 1st wife) CHARLES DYNHAM, Esq., of Nutwell (in Woodbury), Devon, Justice of the Peace for Devon, 1461-3, 1471-87, 1491-2, Knight for the Shire for Devon, 1478, and probably 1483-4, Sheriff of Devon, 1476-7, Controller of customs and subsidies in the ports of Exeter and Dartmouth, 1481-5, Esquire of the king's body, 1485, 3rd son of John Dynham, Knt., of Hartland, Kingskerwell, and Nutwell (in Woodbury), Devon, Buckland Dinham, Corton Dinham, Cricket Malherbie, and Maperton, Somerset, etc., by Joan (or Jane), daughter of Richard Arches, Knt. [see DYNHAM 8 for his ancestry]. He was born about 1432. In 1464 he sued Richard Butelysgate [Bittlesgate], Gent., of Ottery St. Mary, Devon regarding a debt of 100s. The same year Hungerford's lands in Devon were granted to John Dynham, with reversion to his brothers, Charles and Roger. In 1466 he and his wife, Elizabeth, late the wife of William Champernoun, sued Thomas Stonore, Esq., Philip Courtenay, Esq., and others regarding the third part of the manors of Dodbrooke, Bridford, Ludbrook, Modbury, and Shipham, and Dodbrooke burgh and Modbury burgh, all in Devon, in right of her dower. In 1470 he and his wife, Elizabeth, brought an action of quare impedit against John Booth, Bishop of Exeter, Philip Courtenay, and five others regarding the church of Dodbrooke, Devon. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1478. In 1482 he sold Richard Haryngton 18 acres of woodland in the manor of Langonet (in St. Veep and Lanreath), Cornwall. He brought the marriage of James Durnford's heiress, Joan Durnford, in 1482 (she then being aged six). He was buccaneering off Brittany in Nov. 1483. He was pardoned by the king in 1484, who made him an esquire of the body in 1485. In 1485 the king granted him the manors of Halewell, Westprall, Colatonprall, Combe (in Bigbury), Langeston, etc. in Devon lately held by John Halwell (or Hallywell), Esq. He was appointed one of the executors of the 1485 will of his brother-in-law, Thomas Arundell, Knt. In 1488 he served as one of the mediators in a dispute between his brother, John Dynham, Lord Dynham, and Richard Tawton, Abbot of Hartland. He married (2nd) before 30 May 1490 JOAN DURNFORD, daughter and heiress of James Durnford, of West Stonehouse, Cornwall. She was born about 1474-6 (aged 5 in 1479, 14 and more in 1490). They had no issue. He and his wife, Joan, were granted livery of her lands 30 May 1490. In 1491 he assigned rent of lands and tenements in Drewsteighton, Grindsworthy (in Ashwater), Goodleigh, and Barn[staple], Devon to his mother, Joan, Lady Dynham, until £100 is fully paid to her. CHARLES DYNHAM, Esq., was living 28 Nov. 1492, and died before 4 Nov. 1493. His widow, Joan, married (2nd) (as his 1st wife) PETER EDGECOMBE, K.B., of West Stonehouse and Cotehele, Cornwall, Sheriff of Devon, 1494-5, 1497-8, 1517-18, 1528-9, Sheriff of Cornwall, 1498-9, 1505-6, 1516-17, 1534-5, Receiver-general for earldom of Devon, 1510-11 or later, Knight of the Shire for Cornwall, 1515, 1529. They had three sons, Richard, Knt., John, and James, and four daughters, Mary (wife of John Arundell), Jane (wife of Thomas Pomeroy, Knt.), Katherine, and Anne. SIR PETER EDGECOMBE died 14 August 1539. He left a will dated 3 March 1530, proved 15 Sept. 1539 (P.C.C. 30 Dyngeley).
References:
Pole, Colls. towards a Desc. of Devon (1791): 187, 192. Nichols, Hist. & Antiqs. of Leicester 2(1) (1795): 132. Lysons & Lysons, Magna Britannia 6(2) (1822): 46. Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta 1 (1826): 431-432 (will of Jane, widow of John Dynham, Knt.). Reliquary 7 (1866-7): 167-172. Campbell, Materials for a Hist. of Henry VII 2 (1873): 302-304. Vivian, Vis. of Cornwall (1887): 141-143 (Edgcumbe ped.). Vivian, Vis. of Devon 1531, 1564 & 1620 (1895): 162. Baildon, Recs. of Lincoln's Inn: Admissions 1 (1896): 12. Cal. IPM Henry VII 1 (1898): 326; 3 (1955): 335-336. List of Sheriffs for England & Wales (PRO Lists and Indexes 9) (1898): 36. List of Early Chancery Procs. 1 (PRO Lists and Indexes 12) (1901): 303. Weaver, Somerset Medieval Wills 1 (Somerset Rec. Soc. 16) (1901): 256-257 (will of Thomas Arundell, Knt.). C.P.R. 1485-1494 (1914): 312, 322, 348, 485. Rpt. & Trans. Devonshire Assoc. 46 (1914): 485, 493; 50 (1918): 431-492. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 14 (1927): 218-221. Wedgwood, Hist. of Parl. 1 (1936): 275 (biog. of Charles Dinham/Dynham). Horrox & Hammond, British Library Harleian MS 433 1 (1979). Thornton, Social Attitudes & Political Structures in the 15th Cent. (2013). Cornwall Rec. Office: Arundell of Lanherne and Trerice, AR/1/911; AR/1/1035; AR/2/880; AR/20/32; AR/20/33 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp). Cornwall Rec. Office: Rashleigh of Menabilly, Tywardreth, R/5173 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp). Court of Common Pleas, CP40/811, image 33f (available at
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E4/CP40no811/aCP40no811fronts/IMG_0033.htm). Court of Common Pleas, CP40/818, image 227f (available at
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E4/CP40no818/aCP40no818fronts/IMG_0227.htm). Court of Common Pleas, CP 40/837, image 303d (available at
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E4/CP40no837/bCP40no837dorses/IMG_0303.htm). Devon Rec. Office: Petre, 123M/TB562 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp). National Archives, C 1/1/97; C 1/29/193; C 1/29/327 (available at
www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search.asp). North Devon Record Office: Hartland Abbey, B190/1 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp). Nottinghamshire Archives: Portland of Welbeck (1st Deposit): Deeds & Estate Papers, 157 DD/P/117/1 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp). Plymouth & West Devon Rec. Office: Parker of Saltram, Earls of Morley. Correspondence, 1259/5/10 (available at
www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp).