Sir William Knyvett

Sir William Knyvett (1441/2 – 2 December 1515) was an English knight in the late Middle Ages. He was the son of John Knyvett and Alice Lynne, the grandson of Sir John Knyvett, and assumed the titles of Sheriff of Norfolk & Suffolk, Burgess of Melcombe, Bletchingley, & Grantham, Constable of Rising Castle.

Life Sir William married three times. The first was to Alice Grey (d. 1474 ), daughter of John Grey, Esq., of Kempston, eldest son of Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn by his second wife, Joan Astley; by whom he had issue. ), widow of Sir Roger Clifford, and daughter of Thomas de Courtenay, 5th Earl of Devon, a friend of York, and his wife, Lady Margaret Beaufort; they had no issue.

In 1483, he was attainted by the name of Sir Will. Knevet, Knt. of Bukenham, conjurer, together with the Earl of Richmond and John, Earl of Oxford in the parliament summoned the 25 January 1st Richard III, as being partakers with Henry, Earl of Richmond (afterwards Henry VII).

Sir William Knyvett was one of the Knights Bachelor at the coronation of Elizabeth of York in 1487.

Sir William Knyvett died 2 December 1515. In his will dated 18 September 1514 and proved 19 June 1516 he requested to be buried in the church of Wymondham, Norfolk. As executors Knyvett appointed his son, Edward, together with Lord Fitzwalter, Sir Thomas Wyndham, the lawyer, Francis Moundford, and his servants, Richard Banyard and John Kensey. As overseer he appointed 'my most singuler good and gracious lord, my lord of Buckingham.' Edward proved the will on 19 June 1516.

At New Buckenham, in 1888, the following inscription was found on a brass, loose in the Church Chest:

Issue His children by his first wife, Alice Grey (d. 4 April 1474 ) of Buckenham, who married Eleanor Tyrrell, Eleanor was sister of Sir James Tyrrell. Sir Edmund Knyvett, his eldest son by his first marriage, was partly disinherited by his father, who left Buckenham Castle and other properties to Sir Edward Knyvett, the eldest son of his second marriage to Joan Stafford. Children of Sir Edmund Knyvett and Eleanor Tyrrell: Sir Thomas Knyvett of Buckenham, Norfolk (c. 1485 – 10 August 1512) who married Muriel Howard (d.1512), the widow of John Grey, 2nd Viscount Lisle, by whom she was the mother of Elizabeth Grey, Viscountess Lisle, who was at one time betrothed to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and was the wife of Henry Courtenay. Muriel Howard was the daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth Tilney. ), esquire, sergeant porter to King Henry VIII, who married Joan Bourchier (d. 17 February 1561/2 ), the only surviving child of John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, (1517 and had: Thomas Knyvett (1539–1616) of Ashwellthorpe, de jure 4th Baron Berners, High Sheriff of Norfolk from 1579, m. Muriel Parry, daughter of Sir Thomas Parry, Comptroller of the Household to Queen Elizabeth I, and had: Sir Thomas Knyvet (d. 1605), of Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk and Stradbroke Katherine Knyvett, Lady Paston, one of the writers of the Paston Letters Muriel Knyvett, who married Sir Edmond Bell, as his second wife Mary Knyvett, who married Sir Thomas Holland of Quidenham, Norfolk, and had Sir John Holland, 1st Baronet Abigail Knyvett, m. Sir Edmund Moundeford of Mundford and Hockwold, Norfolk the grandson of Francis Mountford, as his second wife. From his first marriage he had Sir Edmund Moundeford (1596 – May 1643), who left much of his inheritance to his half-sister, Abigail's daughter Elizabeth Edmund Knyvett Henry Knyvett ), who married Martin Sedley of Morley, Norfolk (1531 ), Elizabeth Knyvett, who married Anthony Ashfield This has been discounted because of the arms registered in visitations and which are on display on the tomb of her daughter Bennet (also a Knyvett name), as Rose's coat of arms is given as Gules, three plates charged with a cinquefoil sable, ), second son, married Dorothy (buried 2 March 1616 Thomas (baptised 21 July 1563 – buried 12 November 1595), the second son, died without issue married 16 April 1611 to William Baldwin His mother surrendered her manor of Gately in 1551 jointly to her sons William and Edmund Knevet. He married firstly Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Knyvett, and secondly Elizabeth Gooday on 3 December 1563. He had issue from both wives ), married as his second wife Oliver Reims of Burnham Debden in Norfolk and of Hempton by Fakenham Alice, wife of Oliver Shiers of Wreningham Katherine Knyvett (d. 1595/6 ), married firstly John Walpole of Harpley & Colkirk in Norfolk (d. 1557/8 Elizabeth, married Francis Bohun of Tressingfield in Suffolk Anne, married Edmund Thimelthorpe of Worsted in Norfolk Christopher likely followed his elder siblings to the court of Henry VIII at the beginning of the new reign, establishing his presence there by October 1512 when he was dispatched as an envoy to the court of Margaret, Duchess of Savoy, the regent of the Netherlands. Margaret’s court was renowned for its culture, nobility, and learning, attracting English ladies such as Anne Boleyn for their courtly education. Although it’s tempting to connect Christopher’s marriage to the 'daughter and heir of the lord of Ashe near Brussels' and the painting to this diplomatic mission, he was probably quite young at that time. It's more plausible that the marriage occurred due to a later mission, as the painting is dated '1519'. While there is no direct evidence of Christopher being in the Netherlands after 1512, it seems highly probable, especially since his brother Anthony was sent there on a mission in 1518. If Anne Ashe was indeed an heiress, as genealogical records suggest, this marriage was an exceptionally advantageous match for a younger son without clear prospects of acquiring land. It is indeed true that he appeared to enjoy favor at Court, and from 1515, he received an annual wage of £20 for his role in the Household. It's likely that he joined the King during the siege of Tournai in 1513, and in 1515, he and his brothers, James and Anthony, were granted the lands and possessions of two 'rebels' in that city. However, whether they benefited financially from this grant remains uncertain. There is no additional evidence of any other grants or promotions in the King's service. Nonetheless, his prospects improved significantly at the end of 1519 when he inherited the reversion of a modest yet substantial estate in Northamptonshire from his cousin, John Colet, Dean of St. Pauls. On 14 November of that year, he was granted control of the estate, subject to a rent of 20 marks per year payable to Colet's mother, Christian Colet, who was Christopher's great-aunt. It's possible that Christopher's marriage and the commissioning of the Triptych were linked to his newfound status as a small landowner, although there is no evidence to support this. No further mentions of Christopher have been found following the payment of his half-year's wages in early 1520, and it is likely that he died later that year or shortly thereafter. If he had moved to live on his wife's estates in Brabant, it would be difficult to explain how the Triptych ended up at his brother Edmund's residence in Ashwellthorpe. There is no evidence that he had any children, and his wife's fate remains unknown. center The Ashwellthorpe Triptych. The figures on the far right and the far left shown kneeling and praying are believed to be Christopher Knyvett and his wife Anne Ashe. Christoper is wearing the arms of Knyvett, Argent, a bend within a bordure engrailed all sable, quartered with those of Clinton, chequy or and gules, a bend ermine. Above the lady is Knyvett impaling the lady's coat of arms, Or a fess sable Saltire gules James Knyvett. citizen and Sheriff of London in 1539. The Nicholas Gibson Free School was founded by Avice and Nicholas. William Knyvett. Margaret Katherine, and George Selection of gold and silver muskballs, EuropeBennet Knyvett ), a daughter, latinized Benedicta, in 1499 (d.1540+), daughter and coheiress of Thomas le Strange of Walton D'Eivile in Warwickshire, Esq., widow of Robert le Strange and mother Sir Thomas le Strange and his two sisters. Charles Knyvett, according to Carole Rawcliffe, in The Staffords, Earls of Stafford and Dukes of Buckingham 1394–1521, Charles Knyvett witnessed against the Duke because he had "wrongfully withheld" the possessions of Elizabeth Knyvett after her death. He married firstly before 1512 a wife Richardson gives as unidentified, and secondly by settlement of 26 April 1513/4 Anne Lacy (d.1562), the daughter and heiress of Walter Lacy of London by his wife Lucy. The Lacys were apparently from Norfolk and one source calls him a knight. Anne and her mother Lucy were robbed in 1530, and their maid Joan Cake murdered. Anne later remarried to the gentleman John Sebyll or Sybley. It would appear as if this first, unidentified wife could be Agnes Calthorpe, daughter of Sir John Calthorpe and the widow of William Curson (d. 21 or 22 August 1485 ) and John Crane (d. 1504), although Charles does not appear on any Calthorpe pedigrees and Agnes would have had to name two sons Robert and three daughters Elizabeth. Agnes held the manor of Bury-in-Barton in 1494 in dower for her life from her first husband. ), married as the widow of John Cressener (d. 24 August 1485 ) to Edward Knyvett of Stanway (d. 4 February 1501 ), who like Sir William Knyvett, descended from John Knyvet (died 16 February 1381), Chief Justice of the King's Bench and Lord Chancellor of England. Brothers-in-law John Cressener and William Curson both died in the days of the Battle of Bosworth Field. Robert Knyvett (1511 –1549 son by Charles Knyvett's first wife. His “next friends’ at the inquest that assigned dower to Edward’s widow in May 1529 were the Duke of Norfolk, Robert Holdiche and Richard Banyard (his uncle’s executor), but on 24 January 1530 Robert’s wardship was granted to Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire. Robert entered the service of the Duke of Norfolk and while serving him at Chelsea in 1536 he was reported to have 'the sickness'. He lived, however, until he was slain at Kett's camp, and later buried at St. Peter Mancroft with many of his comrades. Elizabeth had to marry with the consent of the Duchess of Norfolk, in whose household she was placed. Elizabeth married Richard Fitzwilliam, Esquire, of Kilburn, Middlesex, Ringstead, Northamptonshire, Merchant Taylor, Sheriff of London, servant of Cardinal Wolsey, and a member of the council of Henry VII, by marriage settlements dated 16 November 1528. By Anne Lacy: Richard Knyvett ), married to Helen Harding, the daughter of William Harding of London and Knowle Park, Cranleigh, Surrey (d. 7 September 1549), citizen and goldsmith of London, by Cecily Marshe, the daughter of Walter Marshe of London. Their children were Mary (b. 27 February 1557), who married Sir Henry North of Mildenhall in Suffolk and had Sir Roger North; and Henry (3 April 1559 – June 1603). His widow Helen married secondly Sir Thomas Browne (d. 1597) Anthony Knyvett of Chiddingstone in Kent, one of the leaders of Wyatt's Rebellion, William Knyvett at Sevenoaks in Kent Anne, Alice, The two were related through her mother. Roger Virgoe also writes that it was this Elizabeth who was a household servant of her cousin, the Duke of Buckingham, and she did not marry, dying at Eastington in Gloucestershire in 1518 ''Charles Clifford (born 1480/1

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