John Baynton, Sheriff of Wiltshire

The following information was retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www.bayntun-history.com/SirJohnBayntun1424.htm:

"John Bayntun was born some time before 1424, at Faulston House, in the County of Wiltshire, however the exact date of his birth is not known. His father, Sir John Bayntun, died in 1447 and he inherited his estate, including the Manor of Fallerston (now known as Faulston).

"Medieval documents refer to him as John Baynton, however the family changed the spelling of their surname to Bayntun sometime around the beginning of the 17th century.

"He was Knight of the Shire for Wiltshire in 1449 and was appointed a Commissioner to assist the Duke of York to put down the Devon riots in December 1455. He was also the owner of a property, very likely an Inn, called Le Abbay in Culver Street, Salisbury about this time.

"A document dated September 20th 1450, lists John Bayntun, knight; Robert Hungerford, knight, Lord of Hungerford; Robert Hungerford, knight, Lord of Molyns; William Beauchamp, knight Lord of Saint Amand; and others, as Commissioners, appointing them to call together all the King's lieges of whatsoever estate, rank and condition to go with them against the traitors and rebels in Wiltshire and counties adjacent and to arrest and judge the same.

"He was married to Joan Echingham and they had six children. There is no record of the death of Joan Echingham, but in 1456 Sir John was married for the second time to Katherine Payne, the daughter of Thomas Payne of Payneshay, Devonshire and widow of John Stourton.

"There is a mention of Sir John Bayntun in a Tourn (a type of court roll for the local business of the village of Faulston), dated 1465, relating to arable land, lately John Bayntun knight and Michael Kymer, fee tenant. Presumably Kymer had taken over some land previously farmed by John Bayntun but had not paid his rent.

"However there is no absolute proof that Joan Echingham was the mother of Sir John's children, but as she was named in the Great Pedigree and Visitation of 1623, it is safe to presume she was.

"Sir John Bayntun died on 20th June 1465 and his wife Katherine re-married again for the third time to William Caren MP of Taunton, Somerset, Steward of Shaftesbury Abbey and Agent for the Duke of Somerset in 1468.

"There is no record of the burial place of Sir John, but it is thought he and his family before him, may have been buried in a square field, known as Chapel Close, which might have been either the site of a Chapel or a field attached to the Chapel which was next to Faulston House. There are no visible signs of any graves today, unless buried beneath the ground.

"Katherine died in 1473 and at this time the Manor of Faulston and the Manor of Tollard Lucy were passed onto her son Robert.

"When Sir John Bayntun died, he was succeeded by his eldest son and heir Robert Bayntun."

Sir John Baynton of Falston was married before 1439 to Joan Echyngham and they had six children.

He was appointed a Commissioner to assist the Duke of York to put down the Devon riots in December 1455.

He married Katherine Payne, daughter of Thomas Payne, in 1456.

We are indebted to Wendy (Gwendolyn Jean Edmands) Pearson for research in this line.

See My Lines (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p432.htm#i25640) from Compiler: R. B. Stewart, Evans, GA

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/index.htm )