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Sir John Baldwin (died 24 October 1545) was an English lawyer and chief justice of the Common Pleas.


Family

According to Baker, John Baldwin, born 11 August 1470, was a younger son of William Baldwin (died c.1479) of
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
, and Agnes Dormer, the daughter of William Dormer of
West Wycombe West Wycombe is a small village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, famed for its manor houses and its hills. It is west of High Wycombe. The historic village is largely a National Trust property and receives a large annual influx ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
. However, according to ''The Visitation of Buckinghamshire'' and other sources, Agnes Dormer, the daughter of William Dormer (d.1506) of West Wycombe, was John Baldwin's first wife, not his mother. Baldwin is said to have had an elder brother, Richard Baldwin (d.1484). Baldwin's uncle, also named John Baldwin (d. 1469), had a legal career in London as a
bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...
of
Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...
and common serjeant of the city. At his death in 1469 his estates in Aylesbury were inherited in turn by Baldwin's father, William, by Baldwin's elder brother, Richard (d.1484), and in 1484 by Baldwin himself. The Collins' ''Peerage'' error where 'John" was transcribed as 'William' in the abridgment of the Last Will and Testament of William Dormer was perpetuated when reprinted in ''Testamenta Vetusta: Being Illustrations from Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c. As Well As of the Descents and Possessions of Many Distinguished Families.'' Volume 2 By Nicholas Harris Nicholas, Esq., In the will of William Dormer, proved on 7 October 1506, his living family members are described for the purposes of bequests, to wit: * William Dormer's daughter Joan Alburgh to receive 10
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. (This style indicates his daughter Joan Dormer was married to ___ Alburgh, who was likely deceased.) * Lettice ("Letyce") Dormer was named, without bequest due to transcription error (an almost illegible single word). * William Dormer's wife Agnes to receive one-third of his lands for life, with remainder to his heir, their son Richard Dormer. (A footnote by the compiler mentions that his wife Agnes was the daughter of Sir John Launcelyn, a French knight.) * William Dormer's daughter Margery, wife of Thomas Deane, to receive 10 marks. * William Dormer's daughter Agnes, wife of William Baldwin, to receive 10 marks. (Corrected transcription: William Dormer's daughter Agnes, wife of John Baldwin, to receive 10 marks.) *Robert his son and heir was named. William Dormer's unabridged original will is still available for viewing.


Career

Details of John Baldwin's early legal career are sparse. He joined the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
at some time before 1500, and was practicing in the
Court of Requests The Court of Requests was a minor equity court in England and Wales. It was instituted by King Richard III in his 1484 parliament. It first became a formal tribunal with some Privy Council elements under Henry VII, hearing cases from the poor ...
by 1506. He was appointed a justice of the peace for
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
in 1510. He gave his first reading at the Inner Temple in 1516, and served as treasurer from 1521 to 1523. In 1529 Baldwin was returned to Parliament for Hindon, and in 1530 was appointed Attorney General for Wales and the
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...
. He gave a third reading at the Inner Temple in 1531, and was appointed a Serjeant-at-law and King's Serjeant in the same year. In 1534 he was knighted, which Sir John Spelman considered 'unprecedented' for a serjeant. Further details of Baldwin's judicial career can be gleaned from the reports of
Sir James Dyer Sir James Dyer (1510 – 24 March 1582) was a judge and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Edward VI of England. Life Dyer was knighted at Whitehall on 9 April 1553, Strand Inn, preparatory 1520s, Middle Temple abt. 1530, call ...
, whose opinion of Baldwin was not always complimentary. In June 1535 Baldwin was required to pass sentence of treason on the Carthusian priors, as the remaining justices had departed before the verdict was rendered. Then, in later life Baldwin added to his landed estates. In 1536 he purchased a country home at
Little Marlow Little Marlow is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. History The Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist lies at the heart of the village, not far from the river and next to th ...
, and in 1540 the site of the former Greyfriars monastery in Aylesbury. In 1538 Baldwin was involved, through no fault of his own, in a miscarriage of justice at the assizes at Bury, when a man was convicted of murder on the evidence of his young son, and after his execution it was discovered that the alleged victim was still alive. Baldwin was a circuit judge in Norfolk until 1541, and then served on the home circuit. After the death of Sir Robert Norwich, he was appointed
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas The chief justice of the common pleas was the head of the Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench, which was the second-highest common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body ...
on 19 April 1535, and served in that capacity until his death. He died 24 October 1545, and was buried in
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
Church.


Marriages and issue

According to Baker, although the identity of Baldwin's first wife is 'uncertain', her first name was probably Agnes, and she was the mother of Baldwin's son, William, and three daughters, Agnes, Pernell and Alice: However, as noted above, according to other sources, Baldwin's first wife was Agnes Dormer, the daughter of William Dormer (d.1506) of West Wycombe, and the sister of Sir Robert Dormer (d. 1552). *William Baldwin (d.1538), was a lawyer of the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
. He married Mary Tyringham, the daughter of Thomas Tyringham (d. 28 September 1526) of
Tyringham Tyringham (/ˈtiːrɪŋəm/) is a village in the unitary authority area of the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about a mile and a half north of Newport Pagnell. The village name is an Old English language word, an ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
, by Anne Catesby, daughter of Sir Humphrey Catesby of
Whiston, Northamptonshire Whiston is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Cogenhoe and Whiston, in the West Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is 4 miles due east of the county town of Northampton ...
, but predeceased his father, leaving no issue. *Agnes Baldwin married
Robert Pakington Robert Pakington (c. 1489 – 13 November 1536) was a London merchant and Member of Parliament. He was murdered with a handgun in London in 1536, likely the first such killing in the city. His murder was later interpreted as martyrdom, and recou ...
(d.1536). Their son, Sir
Thomas Pakington Sir Thomas Pakington (–1571) of Hampton, Worcestershire, was knighted by Queen Mary on 2 October 1553 and was Sheriff of Worcester in 1561. Biography Thomas Pakington was the son of Robert Pakington, a London mercer and an M.P. for the City i ...
(died 2 June 1571), was one of Baldwin's heirs. *Pernell Baldwin married firstly Thomas Ramsey of
Hitcham, Buckinghamshire Hitcham was a village in Buckinghamshire, England. Today it is indistinguishable from the extended village of Burnham, Buckinghamshire, Burnham and is no longer marked on Ordnance Survey 1:50000 maps as a separate settlement. It is to the west of ...
, by whom she had a daughter, Elizabeth Ramsey, and secondly Edward Borlase (d.1544), Citizen and
Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...
of London. Their eldest son, John Borlase (c.1528 – 6 May 1593), esquire, was one of Baldwin's heirs, and was bequeathed all Baldwin's law books. He married Anne Lytton, the daughter of Sir Robert Lytton (d.1550) of
Knebworth Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Wald ...
. After the death of his first wife, Pernell Baldwin, Edward Borlase married Joan Dormer, the daughter of Sir Michael Dormer. * Alice Baldwin was the last
abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...
of
Burnham Abbey Burnham Abbey was a house of Canons regular#Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, Augustinian canonesses regular near Burnham, Buckinghamshire, Burnham in Buckinghamshire, England. It was founded in 1266 by Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall. The abbey ...
. She survived her father by only a few months, and in her will made provision for the erection of a marble tomb with depictions of her parents and their children. In 1518 Baldwin married Anne (née Norris), widow of William Wroughton (d. before 1515), and daughter of Sir William Norris (d.1507) of
Yattendon Yattendon is a village and civil parish northeast of Newbury, Berkshire, Newbury in the county of Berkshire, England. The M4 motorway passes through the fields of the village which lie south and below the elevations of its nucleated village, c ...
,
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
, by his third wife, Anne Horne. She is said to have become insane before Baldwin's death, and in October 1545 Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, suggested that she be placed in the care of her son by her first marriage, Sir William Wroughton (d. 4 September 1559). Three months later Anne was sent to live with her kinswoman, Mary (née Norris) Carew (d.1570), widow of Vice-Admiral Sir George Carew (c.1504 – 19 July 1545), and daughter of Henry Norris (b. before 1500, d. 1536) of
Bray, Berkshire Bray, occasionally Bray on Thames, is a suburban village and civil parish in the Windsor and Maidenhead district, in the ceremonial county of Berkshire. It sits on the banks of the River Thames, to the southeast of Maidenhead with which it is ...
, and his wife, Mary.Baldwin, John (1468/69-1545), of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, History of Parliament
Retrieved 13 May 2013. The date of Anne's death is not known.


Notes


References

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External links


Will of Sir John Baldwin, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, proved 27 October 1545, National Archives
Retrieved 29 April 2013
Will of Alice Baldwin of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, proved 2 March 1546, National Archives
Retrieved 29 April 2013
Will of William Dormer of West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, proved 7 October 1506, PROB 11/15/245, National Archives
Retrieved 11 May 2013
Will of Edward Borlase, Mercer of London, proved 16 June 1544, PROB 11/30/136, National Archives
Retrieved 12 May 2013
Will of William Baldwin, proved 24 April 1539, PROB 11/27/450, National Archives
Retrieved 12 May 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, John Chief justices of the common pleas Knights Bachelor Serjeants-at-law (England) 1545 deaths English MPs 1529–1536 Year of birth missing 16th-century English judges Lawyers awarded knighthoods 16th-century English knights