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John Raynsford

1482 – 1559

English politician

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About John Raynsford

Lived 1482 – 1559 (aged 76–77). John Raynsford was a politician.

Sir John Raynsford (by 1482 – 1559) was an English politician.

John Raynsford was the only son of Sir John Raynsford of Bradfield Hall, Essex, and his first wife, Anne Starkey (d. 26 December 1488), widow of John Writtle, esquire, and daughter and coheir of Sir Humphrey Starkey of Littlehall in Wouldham, Kent, Chief Baron of the Exchequer. After the death of Anne (née Starkey), Raynsford's father married Margaret Ilam, widow of Sir John Shaa, Lord Mayor of London, and daughter of Thomas Ilam (d. 1482) and Jane Verdon, by whom he had a daughter, Julian Raynsford, who married Sir William Waldegrave of Smallbridge, Suffolk.

Raynsford succeeded his father in 1521. He was a captain in the army in the French wars and was knighted on 1 July 1523 for his services. He served as a justice of the peace for Essex from 1523 to 1530 and from 1536 until his death and was appointed High Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire for 1537–38.

He was elected member of parliament (MP) for Colchester in 1529.

Raynsford married firstly Elizabeth or Isabel Knyvet, the daughter and heiress of Edward Knyvet of Suffolk, and secondly Winifred Pympe, the daughter and heiress of John Pympe of Nettlestead, Kent. He had no issue by either of his marriages.

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Important facts

Born
1482
Birth century
Died
1559
Occupation
Positions held
Member of Parliament in the Parliament of England, Member of the 1529-36 Parliament

People in John Raynsford's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Raynsford's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Raynsford?

English politician

When was John Raynsford born?

John Raynsford was born in 1482.

When did John Raynsford die?

John Raynsford died in 1559.

What was John Raynsford's occupation?

John Raynsford was a politician.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Raynsford

· Wikidata: Q16203515

· DBpedia: John Raynsford

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Raynsford. https://biography.guide/john-raynsford/

MLA: "John Raynsford." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-raynsford/.

Chicago: "John Raynsford." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-raynsford/.

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