22:
393:
289:, celebrated for his resistance to royal power. It is not known how long they stayed in France, but it seems likely that Giffard returned for further sessions of the Reformation Parliament. He certainly went off northward to defend its decisions by force of arms in 1536. There is no record of who Staffordshire returned to Parliament in 1536, but Henry VIII had forcefully requested that all existing members serve again, so it is likely that both he and Littleton were re-elected. He was now over seventy years of age and his son Thomas took over from him in the 1539 election.
278:. This abolished the right of appeal to the Pope in both civil and ecclesiastical cases, and opposition to it was considered a touchstone of religious conservatism. However, Giffard attended the coronation of Ann Boleyn at the end of the 1533 session, and there is no hint that he opposed any of the more radical reforms that came later. Thomas Giffard and Littleton were soon involved in friendly competition for the monastic properties made available after the dissolution of 1536, while Sir John himself enquired after monastic lands at the Blackheath reception 1540.
405:
298:
114:
121:
From 1509 Giffard's career in royal service becomes known and notable. As well as the posts of gentleman usher and sewer, in which Henry VIII perhaps confirmed him, he was appointed Ranger of the Seven Hayes of
Cannock Forest on 2 June 1509. A few months later, the title was altered to the less
356:
By the time of his death he also held a substantial part of Broom Hall as tenant of the bishop, although it seems that Sir John made a wedding present of his land at Broom Hall to Thomas
Giffard in 1531. The estate was divided between the Giffards and the Lanes of
240:, which lasted from 1529 until 1536. However, his name appears on subsidy commissions, the bodies charged with imposing taxation and made up mainly of MPs, between 1512 and 1524, so he may have held a seat outside Staffordshire before the known election.
255:, above his friend and neighbour Littleton. In the first half of the 16th century, most member for the county sat for only one term, and Littleton's record in serving in five parliaments was unique. Members came from a small circle of
340:
at
Chillington, from which a panther escaped. The point at which he shot it with a crossbow is marked by Giffard's Cross, which is now in the garden of a small Georgian gate lodge. The original wooden cross, with its
435:, was his second wife. The date of the marriage is uncertain but was by April 1515, when Giffard got into trouble with Henry VIII for marrying without permission. Elizabeth was the widow of Sir John Montgomery of
281:
It is possible that
Giffard was feeling some disquiet at the pace of change, however, and on 5 June 1533 he obtained a licence for himself and his wife to leave the country on a pilgrimage to
301:
Giffard's Cross and the
Georgian entrance lodge at the Upper Avenue, Chillington. The cross is said to commemorate the shooting dead of an escaped and dangerous panther by Sir John Giffard.
181:
For all his attendance at court, Giffard was a serious soldier. In 1513, he distinguished himself in Henry's invasion of northern France, in which
English troops defeated the French at the
82:'s wealthiest landowner, in 1483, when he was about 17 years old. About the age of 20, in 1486, his father Robert died and he inherited the substantial Giffard estates, centred on Brewood.
447:
Giffard and his wives were interred in the parish church of St. Mary and St. Chad in
Brewood. An impressive alabaster tomb was later installed, with part-gilded effigies of all three.
559:
93:. Certainly he was well enough known there to be present in 1509 at Henry VII's funeral and at the coronation of his son, Henry VIII. From that date he held important posts in the
129:
Giffard was at court regularly for thirty years or more, and accompanied the royal family on many important state occasions. In 1520 he crossed the
Channel again to attend the
126:
in France. However, in 1515, Giffard, now a widower, offended the king by remarrying without his permission. He was able to repair relations, but only after paying a fine.
384:
in 1509 – part of a shower of honours that descended on him that year. However, he was also
Sheriff a further five times: 1517–18, 1522–3, 1526–7, 1530–1, 1541–2.
365:
in 1651. In addition to these important local acquisitions, he also obtained from the king a number of lordships in
Staffordshire, including Plardiwick, near
321:
built by Edward Littleton. It was considered "remarkable for the various forms of its windows and chimneys." As the same site was also used for the extant
361:. One of Sir John's tenants at Broom Hall was Thomas Careless. This partnership of the Lane, Giffard and Careless families was to prove crucial in the
117:
The embarkation of Henry VIII in 1520. Giffard accompanied him on this expedition, during which he met both the French king and the Emperor.
248:
313:. Sir John carried out a complete reconstruction of the house on the same site. The new hall was a quadrangular building house with a
325:
house, only fragments of Sir John's building remain, probably including carved panels incorporated into the present fireplace of the
221:
554:
549:
420:, Shropshire. They married in 1483 and she died in childbirth on 8 December 1491, having borne 7 daughters and 2 sons, including
498:
266:
Giffard joined Queen's Head group – a discussion meeting of MPs in the Queen's Head tavern. Another member of the group was Sir
122:
grandiloquent Ranger of Cannock Forest, and Giffard was to hold it until his death. On 25 September 1513 he was knighted at the
574:
305:
Giffard's main estate was Chillington, which had a small village, since disappeared, and a water mill, as well as the medieval
526:
260:
512:
480:
544:
204:
Giffard was granted a standard in 1523 and may have served in southern France. At some time by 1533, he was made a
85:
It is thought that Thomas Horde, his father-in-law might have advanced his career, perhaps introducing him at the
75:, daughter of Thomas Humphreston. The Giffard family had been settled at Chillington since the late 12th century.
275:
237:
142:
259:
families: Giffard was reckoned a leading man in the county at the time of his election – second only to the
194:
149:, but his position seems not to have been damaged when they separated. He was present at the coronation of
416:
Jane Horde or Hoord was his first wife. She was the daughter of Thomas Horde of Horde Park, just north of
527:
The History of Parliament: Members 1509–1558 – LITTLETON, Edward (Authors: L. M. Kirk / A. D.K. Hawkyard)
499:
The History of Parliament: Members 1509–1558 – GIFFARD, Sir John (Authors: L. M. Kirk / A. D.K. Hawkyard)
208:, a member of the royal body guard, a courtly and military honour. In 1536 he was sent to help fight the
421:
270:, whose sister married Thomas Giffard. Throckmorton, Littleton and Sir John Giffard were all placed by
182:
154:
130:
123:
25:
Sir John Giffard and his wives, Jane and Elizabeth, from their alabaster tomb in Brewood parish church.
21:
190:
352:. He began to extend his family's holdings locally. In 1495 he leased the estate of Hatton from the
193:
before the king during this campaign, on which he was accompanied by his friend and near neighbour
579:
101:
and sewer of the chamber, and it seems likely that he held them even earlier. He had been made a
466:
440:
392:
358:
169:. Early in 1540 he also acted as whiffler, or horn-blower, when Anne was publicly received at
564:
432:
322:
310:
56:
400:, when Catholicism was temporarily restored. He is flanked by his wives, Jane and Elizabeth.
569:
362:
102:
90:
481:
The History of Parliament: Constituencies 1509–1558 – Staffordshire (Author: N. M. Fuidge)
408:
Children on Sir John Giffard's tomb, most predeceasing him, as shown by the grave clothes.
8:
513:
The History of Parliament: Members 1509–1558 – GIFFARD, Thomas (Author: A. D.K. Hawkyard)
425:
353:
267:
252:
244:
209:
146:
134:
436:
377:
233:
205:
170:
45:
397:
404:
286:
33:
271:
98:
94:
439:. She and Giffard had 4 sons and a daughter, Frances. Frances was the mother of
348:
In addition to Chillington, Giffard inherited the small estate of Walton, near
158:
538:
381:
318:
256:
198:
166:
49:
297:
217:
162:
150:
86:
428:. Most of the children seem to have died at birth or while still young.
417:
370:
349:
330:
326:
138:
79:
78:
Little is known of his early life. He married Jane Horde, daughter of
337:
314:
213:
52:
113:
345:
terminals to the arms, decayed and the present cross is a replica.
41:
366:
342:
317:
on its eastern side – a plan similar to the roughly contemporary
186:
37:
141:
two weeks later for the king's meeting with the queen's nephew,
376:
As befitting an important landowner in the county, Giffard was
282:
306:
201:. It was after the taking of Tournai that he was knighted.
105:
in Staffordshire in 1501, a post he held until his death.
560:
People associated with the Dissolution of the Monasteries
431:
Elizabeth Montgomery, daughter of Sir Thomas Gresley of
396:
Sir John Giffard, who died in 1556, during the reign of
274:
on a list believed to be of members opposed to the 1533
424:, Sir John's heir, and Cassandra Giffard, who married
145:. He was a confidant of both the king and the queen,
467:Victoria County History, volume 5, chapter 8, s.3.
232:Giffard's only definite period as a Member of the
329:, thought to occupy the site of the 16th century
536:
157:were sent to Kent to prepare for the arrival of
185:, going on to take the important stronghold of
55:, who made his mark mainly during the reign of
153:on 1 June 1533. Late in 1539, he and his son,
62:
476:
474:
462:
460:
222:Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act
471:
457:
403:
391:
296:
112:
20:
522:
520:
508:
506:
494:
492:
490:
488:
387:
227:
537:
517:
503:
485:
243:Giffard's election in 1529 was as a
71:of Chillington by his second wife,
16:Member of the Parliament of England
13:
14:
591:
412:Sir John Giffard married twice.
555:16th-century English landowners
276:Statute in Restraint of Appeals
32:(c. 1465-13 November 1556), of
550:High sheriffs of Staffordshire
238:English Reformation Parliament
189:. He was allowed to carry the
67:Giffard was the eldest son of
1:
575:16th-century English soldiers
450:
251:. He was placed first in the
143:Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
292:
7:
108:
10:
596:
176:
131:Field of the Cloth of Gold
336:Allegedly Giffard kept a
247:for his native county of
191:Royal Standard of England
63:Background and early life
133:, Henry's meeting with
441:John Talbot of Grafton
409:
401:
302:
118:
26:
545:English MPs 1529–1536
433:Colton, Staffordshire
407:
395:
311:fortified manor house
300:
116:
73:Cassandra Humphreston
24:
388:Marriages and family
363:Escape of Charles II
228:Parliamentary career
103:Justice of the Peace
89:during the reign of
426:Humphrey Swynnerton
354:Bishop of Lichfield
268:George Throckmorton
253:order of precedence
245:knight of the shire
210:Pilgrimage of Grace
183:Battle of the Spurs
147:Catherine of Aragon
135:Francis I of France
124:battle of the Spurs
437:Cubley, Derbyshire
410:
402:
303:
261:Earl of Shrewsbury
234:English Parliament
206:knight of the body
137:, and was also at
119:
46:English Parliament
27:
40:, was a soldier,
587:
529:
524:
515:
510:
501:
496:
483:
478:
469:
464:
380:High Sheriff of
287:John the Baptist
212:, the rising in
195:Edward Littleton
44:, member of the
30:Sir John Giffard
595:
594:
590:
589:
588:
586:
585:
584:
535:
534:
533:
532:
525:
518:
511:
504:
497:
486:
479:
472:
465:
458:
453:
390:
295:
272:Thomas Cromwell
236:was during the
230:
179:
111:
99:gentleman usher
95:royal household
65:
17:
12:
11:
5:
593:
583:
582:
580:Giffard family
577:
572:
567:
562:
557:
552:
547:
531:
530:
516:
502:
484:
470:
455:
454:
452:
449:
445:
444:
443:, MP (d.1611).
429:
422:Thomas Giffard
389:
386:
294:
291:
285:, a shrine of
229:
226:
178:
175:
159:Anne of Cleves
110:
107:
69:Robert Giffard
64:
61:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
592:
581:
578:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
546:
543:
542:
540:
528:
523:
521:
514:
509:
507:
500:
495:
493:
491:
489:
482:
477:
475:
468:
463:
461:
456:
448:
442:
438:
434:
430:
427:
423:
419:
415:
414:
413:
406:
399:
394:
385:
383:
382:Staffordshire
379:
374:
373:and Marston.
372:
368:
364:
360:
355:
351:
346:
344:
339:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
319:Pillaton Hall
316:
312:
308:
299:
290:
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
269:
264:
262:
258:
257:landed gentry
254:
250:
249:Staffordshire
246:
241:
239:
235:
225:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
202:
200:
199:Pillaton Hall
196:
192:
188:
184:
174:
172:
168:
167:Sittingbourne
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
127:
125:
115:
106:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
81:
76:
74:
70:
60:
58:
54:
51:
50:Staffordshire
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
23:
19:
565:1460s births
446:
411:
375:
347:
335:
304:
280:
265:
242:
231:
220:against the
218:Lincolnshire
203:
180:
163:Dover Castle
128:
120:
84:
77:
72:
68:
66:
29:
28:
18:
570:1556 deaths
151:Anne Boleyn
87:royal court
34:Chillington
539:Categories
451:References
418:Bridgnorth
398:Queen Mary
371:Pattingham
350:Eccleshall
331:great hall
171:Blackheath
139:Gravelines
80:Bridgnorth
57:Henry VIII
338:menagerie
315:gatehouse
293:Landowner
214:Yorkshire
91:Henry VII
53:landowner
323:Georgian
109:Courtier
42:courtier
378:pricked
367:Gnosall
359:Bentley
343:trefoil
187:Tournai
177:Soldier
165:and at
38:Brewood
327:saloon
307:moated
283:Amiens
155:Thomas
309:and
216:and
48:and
197:of
161:at
36:in
541::
519:^
505:^
487:^
473:^
459:^
369:,
333:.
263:.
224:.
173:.
97:,
59:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
