1447 William Stoughton and Joan, widow of John Rycard, were married before November 26. [1]
William Stoughton of London 'fisshmonger' and Joan his wife, late the wife of John Rycard of Corby co. Lincoln merchant and one of his executors, to Robert Rycard and Nicholas Rycard the other executors. Discharge of all goods, chattels, sums of money and other property to the said Joan bequeathed, assigned etc.; and general release of all actions, plaints, claims, demands and executions. Dated 26 November 26 Henry VI. [No acknowledgment.]
1450 Lands Hertfordshire were granted to William Stoughton on September 21. [2]
William Buttiller of the king's household to William Stoughton citizen and fishmonger of London, his heirs and assigns. Charter with warranty of all the lands in the towns and fields of Redburne, Harpedene and Whatemstede co. Hertford which the grantor and Rose his wife, now deceased, had by demise and feoffment of Henry Maiot of St. Albans and John Kent of Redburne. Witnesses: John Hunte, John Chopyn, Thomas Pecok, Robert Heyward, Walter Fyssh. Dated Redburne, 21 September 29 Henry VI.
William Buttiller to William Stoughton (both as above), his heirs and assigns. Quitclaim with warranty of all the lands in Redburne, Harpedene and Whatemstede which he has by gift of William Buttiller. Witnesses (as above). Dated 10 December 29 Henry VI.
Memorandum of acknowledgment of the foregoing charter and writing, 10 December.
Research Notes:
Turner and Turner state, [3]
Of these three brothers, John appears to have been the eldest. He was appointed in 1436 one of the yeoman of the Catery, serving in various capacities until 1460. William embarked on a similar career in 1450 until his death in 1491. In several instances their appointments in the King's service were duplicated, such as controller of the customs in Boston, England. In 1486, more than a year after Henry VII had won the crown of England on Bosworth Field from the Yorkish King Richard III, William Stoughton was admitted to be a "Poor Knight of Windsor" on the ground that "he had spent his whole youth in the service of Henry VI, and suffered great persecutions, tribulations and losses on account of his love." The Poor Knights of Windsor were a body, originally twenty-four, instituted by Edward III in 1348 in connection with the establishment of the College of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and are still in existence.
[1] C.T. Flower, ed., Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 5, 1447-1454 (London: HMSO, 1941, reprinted 1971), 31, [FHLBook].
[2] C.T. Flower, ed., Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 5, 1447-1454 (London: HMSO, 1941, reprinted 1971), 232, [FHLBook].
[3] Ethel McLaughlin Turner and Paul Boynton Turner, The English Ancestry of Thomas Stoughton, 1588-1661 (Waterloo, Wisc: Artcraft Press, 1958), 36-37, [HathiTrust].