6/1349, The Plague reached Dorset, and had spread across England by the end of 1349.
~1350, Cecily born in England.
~1350, John born in Devon, England, s/o §§Gilbert Wadham.
~1370, Joan born in England.
By 1371, John practicing in the central courts as an attorney.
[––John & Cecily––]
~1371, John married Cecily. (S) See will of John.
1376, John bought his first piece of property.
6/21/1377, Richard II, age 10, son of the Black Prince, succeeded Edward III as King of England.
1379, John a member of parliament from Exeter.
7/1379, ... supersedeas, by mainprise of John Wadham and William Hankeford of Devon. (S) CCRs.
2/1382, John Elys of Nyweton to … Grant of a yearly rent of 6 marks … Witnesses: John Hulle, John Wadham, …, Robert Hulle, … (S) CCRs. [John Wadham’s daughter married Robert Hulle’s son.]
5/1/1383, John Blake to John Wadham and the heirs of his body. Quitclaim indented of a rent of 2s. a year for certain lands in Wadham held of the grantor by knight service by the said John Wadham after the death of Gilbert his father, to him and his heirs, reserving to the grantor the whole knight service …, with power to distrain and levy 2s. a year in default of issue of John Wadham; …, to hold at a yearly rent of one rose for all save the king's service. Witnesses: William Hankeford. (S) CCRs.
1383, John appointed as a Serjeant-at-Law.
1384, John became a legal council of Edward de Courtenay, earl of Devon.
11/28/1384, Commission of peace and of oyer and terminer … Edward Courteney, earl of Devon, Philip de Courteneye, Robert Bealknap, William Bonevylle, … John Wadham, … in the county of Devon. (S) CPRs.
9/9/1385, The Earl of Devon requests licence to enfeoff various lands in Devon, Hampshire, Somerset and Dorset to the Archbishop of Canterbury and others, until they have levied 2000 marks from the estates … People mentioned: William [Courtenay], Archbishop of Canterbury; Robert [Braybrooke], Bishop of London; Thomas [Brantingham], Bishop of Exeter; Walter Clopton [Chief Justice in 1391]; John Hulle; John Wadham; John …; Margaret [Courtenay, Countess of Devon], widow of Hugh Courtenay; Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon; Elizabeth de Veer (Vere); …; Maud [Courtenay, Countess of Devon], wife of the petitioner. (S) UKNA.
10/24/1385, Licence … for William Bonevill to enfeoff John Wadham, … of his manor of Stapleton by Mertok, co. Somerset, … (S) CPRs.
2/8/1386, Commission of oyer and terminer … John Wadham … (S) CPRs.
[––John & Joan––]
5/20/1386, Thomas Calston to John Wadham and Joan his wife, the heirs and assigns of the said John. Grant and quitclaim with warranty of the manor of Haydoun co. Dorset. (S) CCRs.
1386, John purchased the manor of Silverton from Cecily de Beauchamp.
11/22/1386, Appointment of John Wadham to seize to the king’s use the body of Elizabeth, one of the daughter and heirs of John Mautravers, knight, tenant in chief, who is a minor, and not to marry her to John Lovell until the latter have further commands from the king. (S) CPRs.
1387, John created a King’s Serjeant.
2/4/1388, Appointment of John Wadham and William Gascoigne, in Northampton, Leicester, Warwick, Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln and Rutland as justices for taking assizes, juries, and certificates arraigned before all justices. [John received a standard annuity of £40 yearly, and an additional 50 marks to ‘help maintain his dignity.’] (S) CPRs.
7/14/1388, Commission to John Wadham, … to deliver the gaol of Exeter castle … (S) CPRs.
5/20/1389, Appointment of John Wadham and Richard Sydenham as justices of the Common Bench. [John requested and was allowed to be discharged as an assize judge.] (S) CPRs.
7/1389, John and Sir William Hankford purchased the manor of Hardington Mandeville, a moiety of the manor of Chilton Cantelo, and premises in the parish of Trent (now Dorset) for 600 marks; after the attainder of Sir John Cary.
10/6/1390, Plea of covenant, moiety of the manor of Hurberton. John Wadham, John Hille and William Hanckeford, querents, and Cecily Turbervyle [born Beauchamp], deforciant. … their successors, Edward Courtenay, earl of Devon, Margaret Courtenay, countess of Devon, John Daumarle, John de Montague, Margaret de Montague, Thomas Peverell, Margaret Peverell, … (S) Feet of Fines, Devon.
11/20/1391, Commission of peace and of oyer and terminer … John, duke of Lancaster, John Wadham, … in the county of Hertford. (S) CPRs.
5/15/1392, To John Wadham and William Hankeford justices of assize in Kent. Order, upon petition of John Colepepir, ... (S) CCRs.
10/22/1393, Commission of peace and of oyer and terminer … John, duke of Lancaster, Richard, earl of Arundel, John Wadham, … in the county of Sussex. (S) CPRs.
1/21/1396, Thomas Cary requests an enquiry into his claim to certain property in Over Adber and Hummer, which had been given to his father by Samford, with reversion to himself and the heirs of his father. … People mentioned … John Cary, father of the petitioner; John Samford; John Wadham; William Hankeford (Hankford). (S) UKNA.
4/10/1397, John and Joan gave 2 parts of the manor of Sandhurst, Gloucester, to John Bysley, Emma his wife and their heirs … (S) IPM of John.
6/1/1397, Licence, for 20s. paid in the hanaper by John Wadham, one of the justices of the Common Bench, for the said John and William Hankeford to enfeoff … of their manor of Hardyngton … feoffees … to grant the said manor to the said John Wadham and Joan, his wife, and the heir male of Joan by the said John, with remainder, in tail male, to Robert, son of the said John, … (S) CPRs.
1397-98, John knighted.
5/10/1398, Grant, for life, … for good service whilst justice of the Common Bench, to John Wadham, knight, of 20£ a year … (S) CPRs.
10/13/1399, Henry IV crowned king of England.
1400, John built a crenelated manor house at Merryfield, Ilton in Somerset, which became the primary residence. [John executed a private deed in his home that year.]
12/21/1400, To the escheator in Gloucestershire and the march of Wales adjacent. Order to give Joan late the wife of Maurice de Berkeley knight, whose fealty the king has commanded John Wadham to take, … (S) CCRs.
1401, John, Knight of the Shire, a member of parliament from Devon.
4/1401, ... Witnesses: John Wadham, Thomas Brooke, William Bovylle knights, ... (S) CCRs.
1/14/1402, To the sheriff of Somerset. Order to put John Wadham and Joan his wife again in possession of the manor of Hardyngton, … they were thrust out; as in a cause in chancery between them and Robert Chalons knight (3802614) … (S) CCRs.
1403, John bought the manor of Lustleigh on Dartmoor.
1404, John a commissioner for peace in Devonshire. (S) CPRs.
1404 & 1405, John a commissioner for peace in Somersetshire. (S) CPRs.
7/1405, At Westminster … John Wadham knight and Joan his wife querents … in Wyghtlakyngton … if it happen that John Wadham die without heirs male of Joan … to remain to Robert son of the said John Wadham and his heirs male … (S) Feet of Fines, Somerset, V22.
8/17/1406, IPM of Philip Courtenay, Knight: Somerset. He held ... Hardington Mandeville, 1 a. with the advowson, of John Wadham, knight, ... (S) IsPM, Henry VI, File 124.
2/1407, ... with Peter Courtenay, John Hulle, John Wadham and John Manyngforde a justice ... (S) CCRs.
1411, Redworthy in Ashreigny granted by Thomas Nitheway to Sir John Wadham and “Jane” his wife.
3/12/1411, In his will, John left £10 to pay for his burial. Cash bequests amounted to nearly £835. Each of John’s 8 children, except Robert, the eldest – deceased, and Walter, who had entered the Church, received £100. Prayers for his first wife, for Cecily Turberville.
7/27/1412, John died.
8/12/1412, Writ for IPM of John Wadham, Knight. Gloucester: Jointly with Joan his wife, who survives him, he held 22 marks rent from 2 parts of the manor of Sandhurst … He died on 27 July last. William his son and heir is aged 21 years and more. Dorset: … manor of Haydon jointly with Joan his wife … Somerset: … [long list] Devon: … He held the manor of Silverton jointly with Joan his wife for their lives on condition that if she should marry again after his death it would remain to John his son … [long list] … (S) CIsPM.
9/25/1412, To the escheator in Devon. … manors of Sylferton and Lustelegh … delivering to Joan late the wife of John Wadham knight any issues thereof … the premises as jointly enfeoffed with her, … escheator in Gloucestershire. Like order … escheator in Devon. Like order … a messuage and 100 acres of land in Radesworthy … John Wadham held the premises as jointly enfeoffed with Thomas his son yet living … To Robert Veel escheator in Somerset and Dorset. Order to take the fealty of Joan late the wife of John Wadham knight, and to give her livery … being jointly enfeoffed with the said Joan, the manors of Hardyngton and Muryfelde … the king has respited the homage of the said Joan until Easter day next … (S) CCRs.
1413, IPM of John: His holdings valued at £115 yearly.
12/1413 at Merryfield, Robert Cary to Joan who was wife of John Wadham knight and to the heirs of her body by him, and the heirs of the said John's body. Quitclaim with warranty of the manor of Hardyngton and all messuages, … Witnesses: …, Thomas Beauchamp knights, John Keynes, Nicholas Rede, Roger Seymour. (S) CCRs.
2/16/1414, Robert Cary to Joan who was wife of John Wadham knight and to the heirs of her body by him, and the heirs of the said John's body. Quitclaim with warranty of the manor of Hardyngton … (S) CCRs.
4/24/1415, Joan buried at St Mary's Church, Ilminster, Somerset.
(S) Wadham College, Oxford, Jackson, 1893. (S) Hist. of Parliament, Roskell, 1993.
· John a colleague of Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales [published by 1400.]
Children of John and Cecily:
i. Isabela Wadham (2097261), born ~1372 in England.
Children of John and Joan:
i. William Wadham (1901280), born 1391 in England.
ii. Thomas Wadham, born ? in England.
Thomas of Redworthy.
iii. Margery Wadham (950647), born ~1405 in England.