Individual

Go to List of Family Names Go to List of People    < Previous Next >

Birth:          ABT 1330 of Farleigh-Hungerford, Somersetshire, England
Death:          3 Dec 1397 Farleigh, Somersetshire, England
Burial:         Chapel of St. Anne, St. Leonard's Chapel, Farleigh Hungeford Castle

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hungerford_(Speaker)
Sir Thomas de Hungerford (died 3 December 1397)[1] of Farleigh Castle in Wiltshire, 
was the first person to be recorded in the rolls of the Parliament of England as holding 
the office of Speaker of the House of Commons of England,[2][3] although that office 
had existed before his tenure.
Origins[edit]

Hungerford was the son of Walter de Hungerford of Heytesbury, Wiltshire, thrice 
Member of Parliament for Wiltshire, in 1331/2, 1333/4 and 1336. His mother was 
Elizabeth FitzJohn, daughter and heiress of Sir Adam FitzJohn of Cherhill in Wiltshire. 
The Hungerford family had been seated in Wiltshire since at least the twelfth century.

Uncle[edit]

Thomas's uncle was Robert Hungerford (d.1355), Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 
1316 and a commissioner to inquire into the possessions of the Despensers after their 
attainder in 1328, and gave much land to the hospital at Calne in memory of his first 
wife, Joan, to the church of Hungerford, Wiltshire, and to other religious foundations. 
He was buried in 1355 in Hungerford Church, where an elaborate monument long 
existed above his grave. An inscription to his memory is still extant in the church. His 
second wife was Geva, widow of Adam de Stokke, but he left no issue.[4]

Career[edit]

Hungerford was Sheriff of Wiltshire from 1355 to 1360 and served several times as a 
Member of Parliament for Wiltshire: in April 1357, in 1360, 1362, January 1376/7, 
twice in 1380, in 1383, 1384, 1386, January 1389/90, and in January 1392/3. He 
served as Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1378, 1382, 1388, and 1390. He was 
returned for both constituencies in 1384 and January 1389/90. He was knighted in 
February 1375. He was closely associated with John of Gaunt and acted for some time 
as steward of Gaunt's household.[3]

Owing to Gaunt's influence, he was chosen in January 1376/7, in the last of Edward 
III's parliaments (the Bad Parliament), to act as Speaker of the House of Commons.[5] 
According to the Rolls of Parliament (ii. 374) Hungerford "avait les paroles pur les 
communes d'Angleterre en cet parliament". He is thus the first person formally 
mentioned in the Rolls of Parliament as holding the office of speaker. Sir Peter de la 
Mare preceded him in the post, without the title, in the Good Parliament of 1376.[6] In 
1380 Hungerford was appointed Forester of Selwood. In 1369 he purchased from 
Walter Pavely, de jure Baron Burghersh, the manor of Farleigh Montfort, now called 
Farleigh Hungerford, which served as the chief residence of his descendants, and in 
1383 obtained licence to crenellate his manor house there, which thus became 
Farleigh Castle. In about 1384 he aroused the suspicion of King Richard II, who 
attached him, but he obtained a pardon and also a confirmation of his free warren at 
Farleigh.[7]

Marriages & progeny[edit]


 


 Arms of Hussey: Barry of six ermine and gules, as visible on the seal of Walter 
Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford
He married twice:
Firstly to Eleanor Strug, daughter and heiress of Sir John Strug of Heytesbury;
Secondly to Joan Hussey (d. 1 March 1412), heiress of Sir Edmund Hussey of 
Holbrook, by whom he had one surviving son and heir, three other sons having 
predeceased him:[7] Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford (d. 1449)


Death & burial[edit]

Hungerford died at Farleigh on 3 December 1397, and was buried in the Chapel of St 
Anne (north transept chapel) of St Leonard's Chapel, Farleigh Hungerford Castle,[8][9] 
where his chest tomb with effigies of himself and his wife survive. His portrait was 
made in a stained-glass window, engraved in Hoare's Modern History of Wiltshire, 
Heytesbury Hundred, p.90.

Parents
DE HUNGERFORD Walter (ABT 1308 - 1359)
FITZ JOHN Elizabeth (1312 - )

Siblings
DE HUNGERFORD Thomas (ABT 1330 - 3 Dec 1397)

Marriage To HUSSEY Joan (ABT 1335 - 1 Mar 1412)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
HUSSEY Edmund (ABT 1300 - )
----- ----- ()

Children by HUSSEY Joan ABT 1335 - 1 Mar 1412
HUNGERFORD Walter (22 Jun 1378 - 9 Jun 1449)

Produced by Fzip 1.7 6/20/2017