James Fiennes (abt.1395-1450) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree (original) (raw)

Sir James "1st Baron Saye and Sele" **Fiennes**aka Fynes

Born about 1395 in Englandmap

Ancestors ancestors

Descendants descendants

Died 4 Jul 1450 at about age 55in Cheapside, London, Middlesex, Englandmap

Profile last modified 6 May 2023| Created 21 Feb 2011

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Note: Sir James Fiennes was featured in the February 2020 Magna Carta Project Newsletter.

Contents

Biography

Birth and Parentage

James Fiennes was the son of William Fiennes and Elizabeth Battisford.[1][2][3] His birth date is uncertain but was probably about 1395[1][2][3]: he was old enough to fight in France in 1415.[4]

Marriages and Children

James married twice. His first wife was called Joan, and her family origins are unknown.[1][2] They had two children:

Before 5 August 1441 James married his second wife, Emmeline Crowmer or Cromer.[1][2][3] They had two daughters:

Life

After his father's death in 1402, James's older brother Roger probably granted him two manors in Oxfordshire.[4]

James fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and subsequent campaigning in Normandy.[4] Henry V rewarded him with property in Normandy, including Court-le-Comte and in Caux[1][2][4][3] and Rouen.[4] In 1419 he became Captain of Arques; in 1421[1][2][3], Lieutenant of Caudebec; and in 1430, Captain of Evreux.[1][2]

By February 1430 he held Hever, Kent, which his brother Roger had acquired in 1423: this became his main seat.[4] By that date he was an Esquire of Henry VI's household, and he accompanied the young Henry VI to his coronation as King of France in December 1431.[4][3]

From 1433 he was a Justice of the Peace for Kent.[4][3] He was Sheriff of several counties:

He represented Kent in Parliament in 1441/2 and 1446.[1][2]

In 1438 he became an Esquire of the Body to Henry VI, putting him at the centre of the royal household.[4] For this he received an annuity of £100.[1][2][5] He assisted Henry VI in the foundation of Eton College and of King's College, Cambridge.[4] In 1443, Henry VI obtained for him the position of High Steward of the Archbishop of Canterbury.[1][2][4] Closely allied with William de la Pole, he was given a number of royal manors and official positions.[4] In 1447 he became Chamberlain to Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou.[4]

After Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (uncle of Henry VI) died in February 1447, William de la Pole became the effective head of royal government in England. James and William were rumoured to have had Humphrey killed.[4] William profited from the death: he successfully sought a number of the positions Humphrey had held, including Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports[1][2][4][3][5] He was summoned to Parliament by writ in March 1447 as Lord Saye and Sele.[1][2][4] That summer he was made Constable of the Tower of London.[1][2][4][3] In 1449 he became Lord High Treasurer.[1][2][4][3] When Parliament refused to grant taxation for war in France, James set about securing loans, and himself lent £2000.[4]

Fall from Power and Death

Following the loss of almost all the English possessions in France, William de la Pole fell from power in late 1449, and was killed after being intercepted on his way into exile.[6] James's position became precarious.[4]

After Jack Cade's rebellion erupted, James was arrested on 19 June 1450 and sent to the Tower of London[4], accused of being responsible for Anjou and Maine passing out of English hands.[1][2] A few days later he was handed over to the rebels. Following a sham trial, he was beheaded at Cheapside, London on 4 July 1450.[1][2][4][3] His head, and that of his son-in-law William Crowmer, were paraded through London on pikes held so that they appeared to be kissing each other, before being placed on London Bridge[4][3], while Jack Cade rode on horseback dragging his body.[1][2][4][3] On 11 July he was buried at Greyfriars, London.[1][2][4][3]

James left a will dated 12 April 1449/50 (probably a regnal year, meaning 1450).[1][2][4] After his death, a commission investigated charges that he had seized lands illegally and engaged in extortion in Kent.[4]

Research Notes

Fiennes surname

Variants: Fenys, Fienles, Fyenles, Fynys.[5] Most recent sources such as Richardson use the modern spelling 'Fiennes', occasionally the more archaic 'Fynes'. The modern pronunciation is "Fines" but the medieval pronunciation is likely to have been different, quite possibly as two syllables.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol I, pp 562-563 CROMER 8, Google Books
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, Vol. II, pp. 348-9. Salt Lake City: the author, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 G E Cokayne. Complete Peerage, revised edition, Vol. XI, St Catherine Press, 1949, pp. 479-481, SAYE and SELE I
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Fiennes, James, first Baron Saye and Sele', print and online 2004, revised online 2008, available online via some libraries
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 History of Parliament Online, entry for 'FIENNES, Sir Roger (1384-1449), of Herstmonceux, Suss.'
  6. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Pole, William de la, first duke of Suffolk', print and online 2004, revised online 2012

Acknowledgments

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was reviewed/approved for the Magna Carta Project by Michael Cayley on 11 January 2020.

James Fiennes is a descendant of Magna Carta Surety Barons Geoffrey de Say and Richard de Clare in badged trails to the following Gateway Ancestors:

James Fiennes also appears in unbadged trails (needing work) to the following Gateways:

See Base Camp for more information about Magna Carta trails. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".

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