Leonard
Vavasour, third son of John Vavasour, esquire and Ann Scrope [1]
was probably born about 1520. His father died in 1524 and the wardship of
William, his elder brother, was granted to John Hall in February 1525 [2].
His mother was veiled in December 1526 [3], so it is unlikely that she
remarried.
Nothing more
is heard of Leonard in official records until 10 June 1557, when Leonard
Vavasour, gentleman, was granted an annuity of £8 10s. 3¼d. to be assigned by
the Court of Wards in the manor or grange of Barnby, all lands in Barnby and
Braynthwayte and the rectory of Staynton, co. York, which were late of William
Grene, esquire, deceased, and of which divers parcels to the yearly value of
the said annuity are in the crown's hands by the minority of Thomas Grene, son
and heir of William, who held of the king and queen; also the custody of the
body and marriage of Thomas; to hold during the minority and until Vavasour
obtains the effect of the marriage ; and so from heir male to heir male. And
grant of the annuity from 15 January 3 and 4 Philip & Mary, [1557] on which
day William Grene died [4].
About 1558 he
married Mary the widow of William Greene of Barnby Dun, daughter of Sir John
Hotham X of Scorborough, Yorkshire by his wife Elizabeth Headlam. They lived in
Addingham, where it appears that Leonard lived the life of a country gentleman.
There are no records of him holding any kind of public office. In early 1597,
he was one of the executors of the will of Robert Mauleverer, who married his
sister Jane [5].
He died
between 25 December 1597 when he wrote his will and 19 May 1598 when the will
was proved at York. Mary is not mentioned in the will and probably pre-deceased
him. He mentions three children; William, Elizabeth, wife of William Warter and
Eleanor (Ellen), wife of [Michael] Porter. He wished to be buried in the
chancel of Addingham church. He gave his household goods in his house in
Addingham to his son William Vavasour. He left his gold ring and 55 marks to
his daughter Elizabeth Warter and 20 marks to be divided among her children;
William Warter, Marie Warter, Jane Warter and Elizabeth Warter. He left a
bequest to his daughter Ellen Porter and fifteen pounds, 13 shillings and four
pence to be divided among her children; John Porter, Thomas Porter, Francis
Porter, Anne Porter and Bebecia Porter. He left his black mare to his
son-in-law Porter (no first name) and forgave him the money which he owed
"for the meate & wine for
himself his wief and children for the space of two years and a half and all
other money which he oweth me forgonne so that he make no further demand or
clame of or to any man or to of my goods whatsoe and other wares he to stand
charged to paie the said sum and other money forborne unto my executor".
He left a gold angel each to his nephew John Vavasour, his nephew William
Vavasour and his brother Christopher Vavasour. He appointed his son William as
his executor [6].
[1] Foster, Visitation of
Yorkshire, 1584-85 and 1612, 237.
[2] Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic,
Henry VIII, vol. 4: 1524-1530 (1875), 499.
[3] J.
Raine, ed., Testamenta Eboracensia: A
Selection of Wills from the Registry at York, Vol. III, Surtees Society 45,
1864, 374.
[4] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Philip and
Mary, vol 3: 1555–1557 (1938), 494.
[5] Raine, Test. Ebor. IV,
40n.
[6] Wills in the York Registry, vol. 27, fo.
286.
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