Sir John Hotham IX

Sir John Hotham IX of Scorborough, Yorkshire, son of John Hotham VIII esquire and his wife Isabel Hildyard. According to the inquisition for his proof of age, he was born at the manor of Ladythorpe in Fenwick, near Doncaster, Yorkshire on 13 November 1458, and baptised there. His godparents were John Hastings of Fenwick esquire (father of Sir Hugh Hastings), Robert Hildyard junior (his mother's brother) and Catherine wife of Robert Hildyard senior (his grandmother) [1]. Robert Hildyard junior was married to Elizabeth Hastings of Fenwick and it seems that John Hotham and his wife Isabel were living with their Hastings relatives near Fenwick at the time of John's birth. John Hotham's father and grandfather both died at the battle of Towton on 29 March 1461, leaving John, a few months over two years old as heir of both his grandfather and father.

On 29 July 1461 Thomas Parre, king's knight, was granted the custody of the lands of the heir of John Hothom, esquire, son and heir of John Hothom, knight, during minority, with the marriage of the heir. On 14 December 1461 William Parre, esquire, the son of Thomas Parre, was granted the custody of all lordships, manors, lands and other possessions late of John Hothom, knight, deceased, and John Hothom, esquire, his son, deceased, during the minority of John, son and heir of the latter, with the marriage of the heir, and the like during the minority of the next heir should he die a minor and unmarried, and so from heir to heir, without rendering any account but finding a competent sustenance for the heir and bearing all charges on the estate [2].

John Hotham IX married firstly before 1482, Isabel, daughter of Sir Hugh Hastings of Fenwick. In Sir Hugh's will dated 20 June 1482 (proved on 16 January 1489), he wills "that Isabell Hothom, my doughter, have xxli. payed by my said executors, towardes the hangynges and glasse wyndowes making of one chambre in Scoreburgh", and he also makes John Hotham, esquire one of his executors [3]. Isabel is said to have died sometime between 1482 and 1490. John Hotham is said to have married secondly, Lora daughter of Ralph Constable of Halsham by his wife Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Robert Eure, a younger son of Sir William Eure [4].

Following the inquisition for his proof of age, held at Pocklington on 8 January 1480, he was given seisin of his grandfather's lands on 20 January 1481, and the king respited his homage to Michaelmas next [5]. On 23 October 1481, John Hothome, esquire presented a priest to a chantry in the collegiate church of Lowthorpe and on 23 March 1487, he presented a priest to the rectory of Lowthorpe [6]. In June 1491, John Hothom, esquire and his brother George Hothom of Scorburgh were accused of poaching deer in the forest of Pickering [7]. In 1493-4, the steward of Pickering forest gave a stag to John Hotham, esquire for the wedding of his daughter [8].

On 18 November 1495, John Hothom, esquire, was a commissioner of array in the East Riding, together with John Normanville, esquire [9]. In 1497, he was a witness to the will of his father-in-law, Ralph Constable [10]. On 5 November 1498, John Hotham, esquire, was appointed sheriff of York and keeper of York castle and as John Hothom knight was again appointed on 11 November 1499 [11]. He was knighted before 8 December 1498, when the Duchy of Lancaster registers for the Honor of Pickering record that Sir Walter Griffith and Sir John Huthem were commissioned to enquire into a complaint made by Sir Robert Hylyard that he was wronged in respect of rent and ground in Scalby [12].

In 1500 Sir John Hotham was a member of the Guild of Corpus Christi, York [13]. On 16 November 1500, John Hothom, knight was one of those commissioned to deliver the goal of Beverley [14]. On 10 February 1504, John Hotham, knight, and his heirs had an inspeximus and confirmation of a charter dated 12 February, 2 Edward III [1328] granting to John de Hothum of Scoresburgh and his heirs free warren in all his demesne lands of Scoresburgh, Wymthorp, Lokynton and Crauncewyk, co. York [15]. In Hilary term 1505, John Hotham, knight, executor of Isabel, widow and executrix of Thomas Metham, knight [his mother], sued Nicholas Gyrlyngton of Normanby, Burton, Lincolnshire, gentleman and William Gyrlyngton, of Parke, Flixburgh, Lincolnshire, gentleman, in a plea of debt [16]. On 7 November 1507, he was appointed to a commission of 'walliis et fossatis' in the East Riding [17].

He was probably dead before 27 September 1509 when the Master of the Rolls, was ordered to cancel a recognizance made by Sir John Hotham to Henry VII., for the safe keeping of the castle of Mountorgueil, Jersey, by Sir Hugh Vaughan [18]. On 9 October 1509 a new recognisance by William Trevanyon of Cornwall was substituted for the surety of Sir John Hothom, deceased [19]. The writ of 'diem clausit extremum' for John Hothom, knight was issued to the escheator in Yorkshire on 9 November 1509 [20], however, there do not appear to be any published inquisitions post mortem and he died intestate.

As well as his son and heir, John Hotham X, he also had sons Robert, Hugh and William and daughters Maud, Katherine and Anne. 

---

[1] TNA: C 140/78/101 as cited in Saltmarshe, History of the Hothams, 86.

[2] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward IV: 1461–1467 (1897), 27, 78.

[3] J. Raine, ed., Testamenta Eboracensia: A Selection of Wills from the Registry at York, Vol. III, Surtees Society 45, 1864, 277.

[4] Joseph Foster, ed., The Visitation of Yorkshire, Made in the Years 1584-85 : To Which Is Added the Subsequent Visitation Made in 1612, by Richard St. George, Norroy King of Arms : With Several Additional Pedigrees, 1875, 89.

[5] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III: 1476–1485 (1954), 183.

[6] Eric E. Barker, ed., The Register of Thomas Rotherham Archbishop of York 1480-1500, vol. 1, Canterbury and York Society 69, 1976, 9, 136.

[7] Robert Bell Turton, The Honor and Forest of Pickering, North Riding Record Society, 1, New Series, 1894, 142.

[8] Ibid., 154, “Et dedit Johi Hothom armigero ad Nupcias filie sue unum staggum.”

[9] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry VII, vol. 2: 1494–1509 (1916), 52.

[10] Raine, Test. Ebor. III, 279n.

[11] Calendar of Fine Rolls, Henry VII: 1485–1509 (1962), 275, 296

[12] Turton, The Honor and Forest of Pickering, 130.

[13] Skaife, Register of the Guild of Corpus Christi York, 150, “John Howthome, miles.”

[14] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry VII, vol. 2: 1494–1509 (1916), 229.

[15] Ibid, 365.

[16] Court of Common Pleas, Hilary 20 Henry VII, CP 40/971, m.241d.

[17] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry VII, vol. 2: 1494–1509 (1916), 579.

[18] Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, vol. 1: 1509-1514 (1920), 97

[19] Ibid., 104.

[20] Calendar of Fine Rolls, Henry VII: 1485–1509 (1962), 400.