RETURN TO MEDIAEVAL FAMILIES PAGE

WINGFIELD

The Wingfield pedigree has been documented on many occasions, with certain inconsistencies. The main sources have been:

• Various Herald's Visitations to Suffolk (e.g. in 1561), undertaken to check that the arms borne by various families of landed gentry were authentic;

• "Sepulchral Monuments in Great Britain" by Richard Gough (1796), which also included half-dozen pedigrees, one being that of Wingfield.

The main sources for monumental inscriptions are:

• Gough above;

• "Ancient Funerall Monuments of Great Britain" (John Weever, 1631);

• "Transcripts of the Parish Registers and Monumental Inscriptions at Letheringham in the County of Suffolk" (Percy Chas. Rushen, 1901).

The title of "Muniments of the Ancient Saxon Family of Wingfield" (Viscount Mervyn Edward Wingfield, 1894) implies an Anglo-Saxon origin, but the Viscount afterwards admitted there was no absolute proof of his Saxon origin. He cited a manuscript in the British museum which stated that "Wingfield was sometime the estate of Richard de Brews, but more anciently belonged to a family who took their name from it and who were in great reputation there for many ages". The Viscount also quoted (from family folk-lore no doubt) that King Harold once visited Suffolk and stayed with the Noble Thegn of Wingfield, though he was not necessarily the antecedent of this family.

[WING451] Lord Robert of Wingfield m. ?
. [WING461] Lord John of Wingfield m. ?
. . [WING471] Lord Robert of Wingfield m. [FAST472] Joan Fastolfe
. . . [WING481] Thomas de Wingfield m. [WEYX492] Alice Weyland
. . . . [WING491] Lord John of Wingfield & Dennington m. [PECH492] Anne Peche
. . . . . [WING501] Lord John of Wingfield m. [HONE502] Elizabeth Honypot
. . . . . . [WING512] Lord Thomas de Wingfield of Letheringham m. [BOVI502] Margaret Boville
. . . . . . . [WING522] Lord John Wingfield of Letheringham m. [HAST522] Margaret Hastings of Strensham
. . . . . . . . [WING532] Lord Robert Wingfield of Letheringham m. [RUSS532] Elizabeth Russell
. . . . . . . . . [WING542] Lord Robert Wingfield of Letheringham m. [GOWS542] Elizabeth Gowsell
. . . . . . . . . . [WING551] Sir John Wingfield of Letheringham m. [FLEW552] Elizabeth FitzLewes
. . . . . . . . . . . [WING561] Lord John Wingfield of Letheringham m. [AUD2562] Anne Audley
. . . . . . . . . . . . [WING572] Anne Wingfield m. [WINW572] Lewis Winwood

25.  [WING451] Robert de Campo Venti [of the field of the wind] (born c.1140), was 1st feudal Lord of Wingfield Castell.

24.  [WING461] John Wingfield (born c.1180), was 2nd feudal Lord of Wingfield.

23.  [WING471] Robert Wingfield (born c.1216), 3rd feudal Lord of Wingfield, married [FAST472] Joan (daughter of 24. [FAST461] John Fastolfe/Falstaff).

22.  [WING481] Thomas Wingfield (born c.1250) married [WEYX492] Alice (born c.1255, daughter of Nicholas Weyland, of Westerfield, see WEYLAND).

21.  [WING491] Sir John Wingfield (born c.1279), feudal Lord of Wingfield and Dennington, married [PECH492] Anne (daughter of 22. [PECH481] John Peche; the Peche family held lands in Bricket, Drinkstone, Stowlangtoft, and Great Thurlow). John and Anne had at least four children:

• 20. [WING501] John "alias William", married Elizabeth, see later;

• Richard, married Mary;

• Giles, died without issue;

• Roger, died without issue.

20.  [WING501] Sir John (alias William) Wingfield (born c.1305), feudal Lord of Wingfield, married [HONE502] Elizabeth (born c.1308, daughter and heiress of 21. [HONE491] John Honypot of Wingfield, by Juliana, son of 22. [HONE481] Arnold Honeypot, son of 23. [HONE471] John Honypot). They had two sons:

• John, 1st son, married Elenor Glanvyll which carried on with the Wingfield manor line;

• 19. [WING512] Thomas, 2nd son, married Margaret, see later.

John died 1327, and from here on, the story moves from Wingfield to Letheringham.

19.  [WING512] Sir Thomas Wingfield (2nd son of Sir John) married [BOVI502] Margaret (see BOVILLE), as a result of which he became feudal Lord of Letheringham (1362-63). (Margaret had previously married 1. Sir John Carbonell of Badingham.) Thomas & Margaret had three children:

• 18. [WING522] John, married Margaret, see later;

• Eleanor, married Sir William Hoo;

• Margaret, said to have married Sir Thomas Hardell.

Thomas died August 1378.

It is recorded on a Website that at Norwich Cathedral:

On the underside of the seat of the 5th stall from the west corner in the back row on the north side is the magnificently-carved misericord (3-D wood carving) - believed to have been put there in 1415 (and possibly carved then) of the chubby, jolly-looking Sir Thomas Wingfield and his buxom smiling wife, Lady Wingfield, the Letheringham heiress nee Margaret Bovile, the uncle and aunt of the Countess of Suffolk nee Katherine Wingfield, of Wingfield Castle, who died in 1389 and 1387.

Note: This Katherine Wingfield was a daughter of Sir John Wingfield of the Wingfield line, who married Elenor Glanvyll, mentioned earlier in passing. This Katherine married Sir Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk.

18.  [WING522] Sir John Wingfield married [HAST522] Margaret (see HASTINGS BARONY). They had two sons:

• John, died without issue;

• 17. [WING532] Robert, married Elizabeth, see later.

John became feudal Lord of Letheringham (1378), and also held the manors at Potsford and Laxfield, Suffolk. He was MP for Suffolk (1383) and was Knighted (1389). Very soon after, John died (1389), and afterwards his widow Margaret married 2. [RUSS522] Sir John (see RUSSELL). Margaret died 1396. There is a full-length brass memorial of Sir John in Letheringham church.

17.  [WING532] Sir Robert Wingfield ([born c.1370], 2nd son of Sir John) married his step-sister [RUSS532] Elizabeth (see RUSSELL). They had four children:

• 16. [WING542] Robert, married Elizabeth, see later;

• William, stated to have married Elizabeth Barnake;

• Anne;

• Margaret became a nun.

Robert became feudal Lord of Letheringham (1389), and at the time of his death he also held the manors of Iken, Thorp, Colston, Westhall, Shelton, Laxfield and Sutton. He died May 1409, succeeded by his son Robert, who was then a minor.

16.  [WING542] Sir Robert Wingfield (born c. 1403), feudal Lord of Letheringham (1409),  married [GOWS542] Elizabeth (born c.1402, daughter of Elizabeth, Dowager DUCHESS OF NORFOLK, see GOWSELL). He was knighted by King Henry VI at Hereford (19th May 1426), was Knight of the Shire for Suffolk (1427-6), appinted Steward of the Honour of Richmond in Norfolk (28th November 1436), Steward to John de Mowbray, 3rd DUKE OF NORFOLK (1443), and accompanied the Duke to the court of King Charles VII of France. He was accused of rioting (1447) and was imprisoned in the Marshalsea political prison in Southwark, but pardoned in 1448. He was appointed Knight of the Shire for Hertfordshire (1449), and became a Member of Parliament under King Henry VI. He was denounced in the Parliament (1450) as one of the King's "evil advisors". He received a Royal Commision (1451). He had thirteen children:

• Richard, died without issue (1510);

• 15..[WING551] John, married Elizabeth, see later;

• Robert, knighted, married Anne Harling;

• Thomas, knighted. married 1. Mary Clifford then 2. Philippa Tiptoft;

• Henry, knighted, married 1. (before 1470) Alice Harte then 2. Elizabeth Rokes;

• William, died without issue (1509);

• Anthony, married Mary Duke;

• Elizabeth, married Sir William Brandon;

• Anne, married John Framlingham;

• Katherine, married John Bonville; she was buried at Boxgrove Priory, Sussex, (1498);

• Agnes, married John de Fremingham;

• Alice, died unmarried;

• Margaret, died unmarried.

Robert died 21st November 1454.

15.  [WING551] Sir John Wingfield (son & heir) became feudal Lord of Letheringham (1431), then Sheriff of Norfolk & Suffolk (1444). He married (c.1455) [FLEW552] Elizabeth (see FITZLEWIS). They had sixteen children:

• 14. [WING561] John the elder, see later;

• Edward, married Anne Widvile;

• Henry, became a priest;

• John the younger, married Margaret Durward;

• William, married Joan Waldegrave;

• Thomas, killed at the Battle of Bosworth (22nd August 1485);

• Robert, married 1. Eleanor Ramsbury then 2. (licensed 1519) Joan or Jane widow of Thomas 8th Lord Clinton;

• Walter, married a daughter of --- Mackwilliam;

• Lewis, married Margaret Noone, whose grandson was Sir Richard Wingfield, Viscount Powerscourt);

• Edmund, married Margaret Wentworth;

• Richard, married 1. Katherine Widvile then 2. Bridget Wiltshire;

• Humphrey, married Anne Wiseman;

• Anne, married John Echingham;

• Elizabeth the elder, become a nun;

• Katherine, married to Robert Brewse;

• Elizabeth the younger, married Francis Hall.

Sir John was bestowed Knight of the Bath (at the Tower of London 1461), became Lord of the Manor of Easton (1463), and became Sheriff of Norfolk & Suffolk again (1472). He died 10th May 1481, and Elizabeth died 22nd December 1500.

14.  [WING561] Sir John Wingfield [born c.1455] married [AUD2562] Anne Audley (see AUDLEY (TUCHET) BARONY). They had six children:

• Anthony, married Elizabeth de Vere (daughter of Sir George de Vere);

• Edmund;

• Henry or Hugh, still living 1578;

• Elizabeth, married (1510) Henry Noone;

• 13. [WING572] Anne, see later;

• Margaret (1493-), married Sir Thomas Seckford.

He became feudal Lord of Letheringham (1481), High Sheriff of Norfolk & Suffolk (1483). He was attainted of High Treason (January 1484) for bearing arms against King Richard III, but later pardoned. He fought at the Battle of Bosworth Field (22nd April 1485), and became High Sheriff of Norfolk & Suffolk again (1492). He died 1509.

• 13. [WING572] Anne Wingfield (daughter of Sir John) married Lewis (see WINWOOD).

Most of the Letheringham branch of the family were buried there, within a small Augustinian Priory, founded by Sir John Boville (see BOVILLE) as a cell of the Priory of St. Peter's, Ipswich. These tombs were ornate incorporating coats of arms. The Priory was closed by King Henry VIII and over the succeeding years much damage was done to the stone and brass work. The priory was then adapted to become the parish church (apparently in 1588, in which year the parish registers commenced.) The Wingfield monuments remained in the church, including those for:

• 19. Sir Thomas and his wife Margaret

• 18. Sir John, and a separate monument for his widow Margaret (who had subsequently remarried)

• 17. Sir Robert and his wife Elizabeth

• 16. Sir Robert and his wife Elizabeth

• 15. Sir John

The inscriptions of these much damaged monuments were recorded in "Funeral Monuments" (John Weever, 1631), and details have survived (see INSCRIPTIONS).