Babylon Graundfote

Babylon Graundfote Esq (c. 1420 – 1480) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at several points between 1459 and 1465, and also served as Mayor of Rye between 1463 and 1475.

Biography Graundfote (whose surname was alternatively written as Gramfree) was born in 1420, presumably as the son of Richard Graunford of Broadwater, Sussex, a gentleman who was pardoned for an offence in the Pardon Roll of 1446. Graundfote's names, in the assessment of Josiah Wedgwood "show close association with the other side of the channel; thought it remains doubtful whether the surname comes from a Franch Grandfort or from an out-size in shoes".

Graundfote was first mentioned as coming before the Gestling Hundred Court in 1447 at Icklesham in Sussex, as a plaintiff in a case against Alice Taillour and Jane Danyell, where it was alleged that Taillour, "a common scolde" has made use of "sorserie" to cause bodily harm on Graundfote. The Court awarded the aggrieved party an amercement of 4d from Taillour and 12d from Danyell. Graundfote is recorded in 1449 as an elector in the county constituency of Sussex. In July 1461, he was appointed with the Mayor of neighbouring Winchelsea to a commission on piracy. In 1466, Graundfote and his son John were granted the office of bailiff of Rye, a position that came with the caveat of a lifetime appointment for the two men. Despite this he was charged as an accessory before the King's Bench in 1468, yet he would receive two pardons on the 28 January 1461 and again on 9 January 1472, when he was referred to as 'Babilo Graunfort of Rye, esq.'.

Beginning from 1474, Graundfote would steadily retire from his various positions. That year he was recorded as handing over, sole, the bailivy of Rye to his son John, who by this point was a Yeoman of the Crown. On 28 August 1475 Graundfote retired as Mayor of Rye, yet his influence in local politics is seen when he was in attendance at the Cinque Ports meeting in New Romney as Master Graundfote. In 1475, he was recorded as having been a shipowner, and having in his possession several workshops in the market and the strand, for which he is noted as having paid a rent of 12d.. While no notice of death has survived, Wedgwood concluded that Graundfote died around the year 1480, at which time he would have been around sixty years of age.