mordaunts

The family was believed to have been founded by Osbert le Mordaunt who was a knight with William the Conqueror and came to this coutry immediately after the Noman Conquest (1066). Of course many noble families claimed just such a descent so this may not really be the case at all! However, William I did indeed hold possession on 'the lordship of Turvey in the county of Bedford' so who knows?

The earliest Turvey Mordaunt we know of is Sir John whose effigy is in the church. His parents were William Mordaunt and Margaret, the daughter of John Pecke of Cople, Beds. John Mordaunt inherited the estate on his fathers death in 1481. He was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for life in the reign of Henry VII and claimed he was eleventh in descent from the above mentioned Osbert. He fought, and was wounded, at the battle of Barnet with the Earl of Warwick and also saw action at Bosworth Field and was a commander at the battle of Stoke (1487) - on King Henry;s side or course (the Lancastrian king). He was speaker of the House of Commons from 1487.His armour was kept in Turvey Church for many years. He became a serjeant-at-law on 10 September 1495, a Kings Serjeant on 25 November 1496 and was MP for Bdford county. Around 1499 he was attorney to Prince Arthur and the Chief Justice of Chester. He was knighted in 1502/3 and appointed High Steward of the University of Cambridge in 1504. He was also a member of the Privvy Council and granted special privilages by the Pope.

Sir John's wife was Lady Edith, the daughter and heiress of Sir Nicholas Latimer of Duntish in Dorset. She was the widow of John Greene of Stotfold.

Sir John died on 11 September 1504. A full transcription of his will coming to this page soon!

Sir John and Lady Edith's eldest child was another John.and he was made the first Baron Mordaunt of Turvey by King Henry VIII. His wife was Lady Elizabeth Vere of Addinton and they are both buried in the Chancel. As well as a wife, the baron aquired the lordships of Drayton and Thrapston as a dowry. He died in the 1500's and was quite elderly. He was succeeded by his son whose details follow.

The second Lord Mordaunt, unfortunatly I do not know his name, died in 1571. His first wife was Lady Eleanor FitzLewis of West Thorndon, Essex and his second wife was called Lady Joanna. When they met, during the rising in behalf of Lady Jane Grey (1553), Joanna was in attendance upon Queen Mary at Framligham Castle in Suffolk. Joanna was young and beautiful and a widow. Both wives share their husbands tomb and have effigys in the church.

The second Lord and his first wife, Eleanor, had an eldest son called Lewis. He was made the third Baron of Turvey. His is the plain black marble tomb in the church. Lewis was one of the judges at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots and it is said that with her death sentence 'he did mose unwillingly concur'. He had served in Parliment before inheriting his father's peerage. He commanded troops when it was thought that the Spanish Armada would invade. He died at his manor house in Drayton, Northants and was buried in Turvey in 1601. The title and property passed to his son, Henry.

The fourth Baron, Lord Henry, was suspected of being a party to the famous Gunpowder Plot, when Guy Fawkes and his accomplacies attempted to blow up the King in Parliament. Lord Henry was sent to the Tower of London but managed to escape with his life after paying a steep fine to the Star Chamber. The fact that he was a Roman Catholic, I am sure, didn't help his cause. He had a son, also called Henry, who was buried at Turvey Church on 2 October 1610. The baron died in 1608, his long spell in captivity almost certainly hastening his end, but it is not known where he was buried.

Mordaunt Entries in the Turvey Parish Registers - 1602 - 1812

Please note that spelling is as in the transcription I got this from!

1610 Dec 4 - Henry son of Rt Hon Hen, Lord Mordant buried

1622 Jan 23 - Elizabeth, sister of Lord Henry Mordant buried

1676 May 18 - burial of Mrs Elixabeth Mordaunte

1697 Jun 29 - Henry, Earl of Peterborough, died Jun 19, interred

1702 24 Apr - burial of The Rt Hon. Penelope, Countess of Peterborough, 'No Affidavit brought'

1709 28 May - burial of The Rt Hon. Cary, Countess of Peterborough 'No Affidaveit brought'

1709 March 1 - The Hon Capt Henry Mordaunt, 2nd son to the Rt Hon Charles Earl of

Peteroro' was interred, no affidavit brought

1710 Apr 13 - John, Lord Mordaunt, eldest son to Rt Hon Charles Earl of Peterboro', interred, no affadavit brought

1715 Aug 5 - burial of Hon. Frances Lady Mordaunt Relicit of Hon John Lord Mordaunt affidavit same day

1735 Nov 21 - burial of Rt Hon Carles, Earl of Peterborough & Monmouth "no affidavit brought"