Sir Simon Montford (died circa 30 January 1495) was an English Lord of several manors, who was executed for treason. Simon Montford was the son and heir of Sir Baldwin Montfort, Knt, of Coleshill Manor, Warwickshire (1410-c1458) by his spouse Joan, daughter of Sir Richard Vernon, Speaker of the House of Commons. Baldwin was the first to drop the "de" from their surname.

Lord of Manors

He inherited Coleshill (in Arden) Manor, entering into possession of the manor before 4 March 1461. He also held the manor of Kingshurst (in Coleshill), and Avon Dasset, and others. Sir Edward Grey, Viscount Lisle, at his death in 1492, owned pasture and woodland in Alcotenhall (a manor in Coleshill) which was held of this "Sir Simon Montfort, the Lord of Coleshill".

Career

In 1465 Montfort was found guilty of insurrection and various misdeeds, for which he was pardoned the next year. He was retained by King Edward IV to serve in the French wars with five spearmen and sixty archers. In 1469-70 he was Lieutenant of

Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial. Early history The site of Caris ...

on the

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. In April 1471 he was appointed sheriff of the counties of Warwick and Leicester. He was subsequently charged with supporting the rebellion of

Perkin Warbeck Perkin Warbeck ( 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called " Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he ali ...

, one of the pretenders during the reign of

King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort ...

, tried at the

London Guildhall Guildhall is a municipal building in the Moorgate area of the City of London, England. It is off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. The building has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is ...

on 30 January 1495, found guilty, attainted, and executed, his estates forfeited. Coleshill Manor was awarded to Simon Digby. (The attainder on Kingshurst Manor and lands was reversed in 1534 for his grandson Thomas Montfort, but without restoration of Coleshill).

Family

Montford married Anne (b.c1440), daughter of Sir Richard Verney, Knt., of Compton Verney, Warwickshire. They had three sons and two daughters. His grandson, Simon Mountford, was a Member of Parliament.

References

* ''The Visitation of Worcestershire 1569'' edited by W. P. W. Phillimore, M.A., BCL., London, 1888, p.97. * ''The Visitation of Essex 1552'' edited by Walter C. Metcalfe, F.S.A., London, 1878, p.85. * ''The Visitation of Essex 1612'' edited by Walter C. Metcalfe, F.S.A., London, 1878, p.256. * ''Plantagenet Ancestry'' by Douglas Richardson, Baltimore, Md., 2004, p.514. * ''Magna Carta Ancestry'' by Douglas Richardson, Baltimore, Md., 2005, p.584. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mountford, Simon Year of birth missing 15th-century births 1495 deaths People from Coleshill, Warwickshire People of the Tudor period English knights English rebels Executed English people People executed under Henry VII of England 15th-century executions by England People executed for treason