Mary Hotham

Mary, the youngest of the three daughters of Sir John Hotham X and Elizabeth Headlam, was probably born about 1523. Her father, John Hotham died in October 1524 and left 100 pounds in his will towards her marriage [1]. Her mother married secondly, John Constable of Halsham, Yorkshire [2]. The wardship of Mary's brother Francis was granted to Sir Arthur Darcy in 1526, and it is possible that he also had the wardship of Mary and her two sisters [3]. William Hotham, Mary's uncle was a member of the household of Sir Thomas Darcy, Sir Arthur's father [4].

Mary married firstly, about 1540, William Greene of Barnby Dun, Yorkshire. This marriage may have been arranged by her uncle William Hotham.

On 15 April 1545, Sir Thomas Darcy's eldest son, Sir George Darcy and his wife Dorothy had a licence from the king to alienate lands in Yorkshire to William Hothom. These lands included the rectory, advowson and tithes of Stainton (St. Winifred), near Tickhill, Yorkshire, formerly part of the possessions of the dissolved monastery of St. Oswald in the tenure of Thomas Greene and land in Hellaby [5]. However, William Hotham did not accept all of these lands and most probably asked Sir George to grant them to his niece Mary and her husband William Greene. On 18 November 1545, Sir George Darcy and Dorothy his wife granted the rectory, advowson and tithes of Stainton to William Greene [6]. In Michaelmas term 1546, this transaction was confirmed with a fine [7].

In Easter Term 1553, William Grene, gent, and Mary his wife, sold 6 messuages with land in Wakefelde, Folbye, and Sharelston [8]. William Greene died on 15 January 1557 and on 10 June 1557, 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 [9].

Mary married secondly, about 1558, her son's guardian, Leonard Vavasour, of Addingham, Yorkshire, a younger son of John Vavasour, esquire, of Hazlewood by his wife, Ann Scrope [10]. Mary is not mentioned in Leonard's will, dated 25 December 1597 and had probably died before that date [11].

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[1] TNA: C 142/43/64 as cited in ibid.95 “.. my iii doghtt’s Anne, Cecilie and Marye in forme as folowyth that is to sey to Anne Hothom my dowghtt’ thre hundreth and fyfty m’ks and to either of my other two doughtt’ Cecilie and Marye on hundreth pownds.”

[2] Foster, Visitation of Yorkshire, 1584-85 and 1612, 57.

[3] Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, vol. 4: 1524-1530 (1875), 955.

[4] Ibid., vol. 3: 1519-1523 (1867), 533

[5] Ibid., vol. 20 Part 1: January-July 1545 (1905), 306.

[6] Ibid., vol. 20 Part 2: August-December 1545 (1907), 455.

[7] Francis Collins, ed., Feet of Fines of the Tudor period, part 1: 1486-1571 (1887), 152.

[8] Ibid., 169.

[9] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Philip and Mary, vol. 3: 1555–1557 (1938), 494.

[10] Charles Henry Hunter Blair, ed., Visitations of the North, Part IV, Visitations of Yorkshire and Northumberland in A.D. 1575, and a Book of Arms from Ashmole MS. No. 834, Surtees Society 146, 1932, 40: “Leonard married ... d. to Sr. Jn Hootham widow to Green of Baneby uppon don”.

[11] Wills in the York Registry, vol. 27, fo. 286.