The Mountford family (also spelled "Mountfort" in contemporary sources, and "Montfort" by later sources) were a

gentry Gentry (from Old French , from ) are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. ''Gentry'', in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to Landed property, landed es ...

family which held lands in

Coleshill, Warwickshire Coleshill ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole, on which it stands. It had a population of 6,900 in the 2021 Census, and is situated east of Bi ...

, England during the

late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...

. They were involved in an inheritance dispute in 1452 which was caused by the disinheritance of a senior line, in favour of the sons of a second wife.

Descent

Sir John Mountford

The family was descended from Sir John Mountford, the illegitimate son of Peter Mountford (d. 1369), third

lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...

Beaudesert, Warwickshire Beaudesert (pronounced Highways and Byways in Shakspeares Country, Hutton 1914In the Forest of Arden, John Burman, 1948) is a village, civil parish and former manor in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England, immediately east ...

by his mistress Lauren Ullenhall. (No

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

y "of Beaudesert" existed until 1550, when the "Barony of Paget de Beaudesert, County Stafford" was created for the Paget family. G. E. Cokayne, ''

The Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''); first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition re ...

'', n.s., Vol.2, p.51) Sir John Mountford inherited four manors from his father, which he had transferred to him from the legitimate line. Sir John Mountford added another three manors to his landholdings by marrying Joan Clinton, the heiress of Clinton of Coleshill.

Baldwin Mountford

Baldwin Mountford (d. 1386), son of Sir John Mountford, entered the service of

John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399), was an English royal prince, military leader and statesman. He was the fourth son (third surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...

. Baldwin died in Spain in 1386 trying to press the Duke's claim to Castile. Baldwin had two sons who were under the guardianship of William Bagot. The elder son, named John after his father, died in 1394.

Sir William Mountford

Baldwin's second son, Sir William Mountford, had developed a close relationship with

Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (25 or 28 January 138230 April 1439) was an English medieval nobleman and military commander. Early life Beauchamp was born at Salwarpe CourtRichard Gough, ''Description of the Beauchamp chapel, adjoin ...

. He was knighted after returning from the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

in France. William made an advantageous marriage with Margaret Peche, daughter and heiress of Sir John Peche, which significantly increased the family's landholdings in Warwickshire. By 1436, Sir William was the wealthiest landowner in Warwickshire below the rank of baron. Sir William eventually developed connections with the court of King Henry VI, which he used in an attempt to disinherit the senior line of his family, in favour of the children of his second wife.

References

Bibliography