STAUNTON, Thomas (d.1436), of Radbourne, Derbys. and Sutton Bonington, Notts.

Great care should be taken in distinguishing this MP from his contemporary and namesake, Thomas Staunton (d.1447) of Staunton-in-the-Vale, Notts. The latter was the s. and h. of Ralph Staunton (d. by Oct. 1408), and married Margaret, a da. of Thomas Mapperley* of Nottingham (R. Thoroton, Notts. ed. Throsby, i. 306, 308; Notts. RO, Staunton mss, Rr 2, 3, 10). He owned extensive estates in the county, valued at pound;20 p.a. in 1412 but clearly worth far more by the time of his death, and was also seised of the manors of Bassingham, Quarrington and Scredington in Lincolnshire, which produced about as much again (E179/159/48; Thoroton Soc. v. 27; Feudal Aids, vi. 482; Staunton ms Kk2). Nevertheless, despite his wealth and position he played very little part in local affairs, acting twice as a tax collector in Notts. (in 1428 and 1429), but otherwise living quietly out of the public eye. The two men are very easily confused, especially as they both left sons called Thomas, although the Thomas Staunton of Staunton-in-the-Vale who succeeded his father in 1447 was born in 1433, by which date our Member’s son was already serving in the royal household. HP ed. Wedgwood 1439-1509, Biogs. 803, has, even so, failed to make the right identification.