James Peckham (c. 1346 – 1400) was an English politician.

Life

Peckham was the eldest son of John and Ellen Peckham of Yaldham, near

Wrotham Wrotham ( ) is a village on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, England, at the foot of the North Downs. It is north of Borough Green and approximately east of Sevenoaks. It is between the M20 motorway, M20 and M26 motorway, M26 motorways. History T ...

, Kent. His first wife was named Margery. At some point by December 1376, he was married to the widow Lora Morant, the sole daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Morant, of Morant's Court,

Chevening Chevening House () is a large country house in the parish of Chevening in Kent, England. Built between 1617 and 1630 to a design reputedly by Inigo Jones and greatly extended after 1717, it is a Grade I listed building. The surrounding gardens, ...

and widow of Sir Thomas Cawne. She brought him, among other estates, the manor of Barsted, near

Borough Green Borough Green is a civil parish in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The central area is situated on the A25 road between Maidstone and Sevenoaks, with the M26 motorway running through the centre dividing Wrotham and Borough ...

, in Wrotham. He had two legitimate daughters and an acknowledged illegitimate son, John Wrotham. He is recorded as helpful to his stepchildren, Robert and Alice Couen, the children of his second wife Lora.

Career

In 1377, he was

poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. ''Poll'' is an archaic term for "head" or "top of the head". The sen ...

collector for

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

. Peckham was Member of Parliament for

1372, October 1377, February 1383, February 1388, and September 1388. He was appointed

Sheriff of Kent The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instru ...

in 1380 and 1389.E. Hasted, 'Wrotham', in ''The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent'', Vol. 5 (W. Bristow, Canterbury 1798), pp. 6-32. British History Onlin
pp. 6-32
(British History Online).

References

1340s births 1400 deaths Year of birth uncertain English MPs 1372 English MPs October 1377 English MPs February 1383 English MPs February 1388 English MPs September 1388 High sheriffs of Kent People from Wrotham {{14thC-England-MP-stub