My ancestors - Knyvet - Contents

Knyvet of Southwick Hall, Northamptonshire

Also spelled Knyvett and Knivett.

Richard Knyvet,
of Southwick Hall, Northamptonshire.
Southwick Hall was known as "Knyvet's Place".
He mar Joanna Wurth [dau of Sir John Wurth].
He died 1352 [RCHME, 1984].
They had issue:

Sir John Knyvet.
See wikipedia.
He mar Eleanor Basset [dau of Ralph Basset, Lord Basset of Weldon, Northamptonshire].
He probably built the tower of Southwick church, which has Knyvet and Basset shields.
[RCHME, 1984] says it was him who did the mid-late 14th century additions at Southwick Hall.
Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1365 to 1372.
Lord Chancellor of England from 1372 to 1377.
He was an executor of the will of Edward III (who died 1377).
He died Feb 1381.
Eleanor died 1388.
They had issue:

John Knyvet,
born 1358/1359.
See wikipedia and historyofparliamentonline.
He mar 1stly, by 1377, to Joan Boutetout [dau of Sir John Boutetout of Mendlesham, Suffolk].
MP for Huntingdonshire 1397.
Joan died c.1417.
He mar 2ndly but died soon after.
He died at Mendlesham on 4 Dec 1418.
He had issue by 1st wife:

1. Sir John Knyvet,
   of Southwick Hall, Northamptonshire, and other properties,
   born c.1394 (age about 24 when father died).
   See wikipedia and historyofparliamentonline.
   
   He mar pre-1412 to Elizabeth Clifton [dau of Constantine de Clifton, 2nd Baron Clifton by his wife Margaret Howard].
   Elizabeth was the heiress of Buckenham Castle, Norfolk.
   
   Sir John was knighted by the time of his father's death 1418. He inherited estates in seven counties.
   MP for Northamptonshire 1421.
   He had a long military career, serving with the English army in France in the Hundred Years' War.
   As at June 1438 he had been captured by the French while fighting in Picardy. They demanded £1,000 for his release. His wife Elizabeth petitioned Henry VI for help.
   Elizabeth died 1441.
   Southwick Hall was sold in 1442 to Sir John's son-in-law John Lynne. [RCHME, 1984] says this was part of the arrangements to fund the release of Sir John: "in 1442, [Sir John] being held prisoner in France, Southwick was sold by [Sir John's son] to his brother-in-law John Lynne, apparently as a family arrangement."
   Knyvet seat moved to Elizabeth's inheritance of Buckenham Castle. Southwick Hall became the Lynne seat.
   Sir John died 9 Nov 1445.
   Sir John and Elizabeth had issue:

   
   

   1. John Knyvet.
      He mar August 1430 to Alice Lynne.
      He inherited Buckenham Castle.
      He died 1446 [Green, 1877].
      They had issue:
      1. Sir William Knyvett.
         He died 1515.

      
      

   2. Joan Knyvet,
      or Joane.
      She mar before 1442 to John Lynne and had issue.
      In 1442 they acquired her family property Southwick Hall.

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Buckenham Castle, Norfolk

Buckenham Castle, Norfolk.
The Knyvet castle is New Buckenham Castle, two miles SE of Old Buckenham Castle, in SC Norfolk.
The ruin is on private property.

New Buckenham Castle on OS map. Surveyed: 1882 to 1883. Published: 1883.
See modern map.
See modern 360 view.

Remaining foundations of circular stone keep of Buckenham Castle.
Photo 2007. See full size.
From Tommy Johansson. Used with permission.

The moat, Buckenham Castle.
Photo 2007. See full size.
From Tommy Johansson. Used with permission.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• [Blomefield's history of Norfolk]
  • NEW BUKENHAM (New Buckenham) on pp.395-405 (see text) of vol.1 (1805).