Submitted by legacy on
Family and Education
s. of Gilbert Mitford (fl. 1353) of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. m. at least 2s. inc. William, 2da. Kntd. by 29 Nov. 1402.PRO List ‘Sheriffs’, 98. John Mitford is not to be confused with his contemporary and namesake, who, by 1381, was dep. constable of Bordeaux (J. Hodgson, Hist. Northumb. ii (2), 45). The latter was still active in August 1409, when orders were issued for his arrest because of irregularities in his accounts (J.H. Wylie, Hen. IV, iii. 98, 274-5). Some sources, following Hodgson, describe Alexander Mitford (fl. 1367) as Mitford’s son, but it is clear from contemporary evidence that the two men were brothers (Cal. Scots. Docs. iv. no. 717). On the other hand, the John Mitford the younger, who, in 1391, was granted two livings in Northumberland by the Crown, may well have been the MP’s son, especially as one of his beneficies was at Mitford (CPR, 1389-92, p. 414).
Offices Held

Steward of Corbridge, Northumb. for Henry, Lord Percy (later earl of Northumberland) 28 Feb. 1370 – bef.25 Nov. 1408, of Morpeth for Percy by 25 Apr. 1380-bef. 8 Oct. 1384.Hist. Northumb. x. 451–2; Hodgson ii (2), 494–5.

Collector of taxes, Northumb. Mar., June 1371 (Hexhamshire only), Oct. 1371, Nov. 1377; an aid for the marriage of Princess Blanche Dec. 1401.

Commr. of inquiry, Northumb. June 1371 (lands of the countess of Atholl), Cumb. Mar. 1377 (seizure of the manor of Lee), Northumb. Oct. 1378 (petition from burgesses of Newcastle-upon-Tyne), Nov. 1383 (contents of the castle chapel at Newcastle), May 1385 (an idiot), Feb. 1387 (murder), July 1387 (claims to the manor of Eslington), May 1389 (damage done by the Scots), July 1391 (concealment of weapons at Bamburgh castle), Mar. 1392 (smuggling of wool), Dec. 1392 (defects in the defences at Bamburgh), Mar. 1393 (suicide), July 1393 (pollution of water supply, Newcastle), Mar. 1395 (drainage at Newcastle), Dec. 1395 (illicit mining), Nov. 1396 (defects in the defences at Roxburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed), May 1399 (murder in Tynedale), June 1399, July 1401 (estates of John del Chamber), Feb. 1401 (illicit exports to Scotland),Cal. Scots Docs. iv. no. 572. Aug. 1403 (goods of the late Sir Henry Percy), June 1406 (concealments), June 1408 (age of William Whitchester), June 1408 (estates of Sir Henry de la Val); to perambulate the boundaries of Corbridge May 1373; of oyer and terminer, Northumb., Cumb., Westmld. Aug. 1374 1374 (smuggling of wool), Northumb. Feb., June 1375 (poaching and disorder at Benwell), Dec. 1378 (disorder at Whittingham), Westmld. Aug. 1386 (disorder at Kirkoswald), Northumb. Nov. 1392 (evasion of wool custom); gaol delivery, Newcastle bef. May 1375, Jan. 1378, July 1380, Dec. 1381, Feb. 1386, Feb. 1387, Feb. 1389, Feb. 1393, Appleby (Westmld.) Feb. 1395, Newcastle Oct. 1397;C66/299 m. 26v, 307 m. 40v, 311 m. 11v, 320 m. 39v, 323 m. 24v, 327 m. 23v, 336 m. 1v, 347 m. 7v. kiddles, Northumb. July 1375; to survey the defences at Newcastle May 1380; conserve salmon fisheries, Northumb. May 1381, Jan. 1386; receive ransom money from Robert II of Scotland Dec. 1383, Dec. 1389;Rot. Scot. ed. Macpherson etc. ii. 56, 57, 102. provision Berwick-upon-Tweed Feb. 1386; array the garrison there Feb. 1386;Ibid. ii. 78, 79. survey measures for selling coal, Newcastle Apr. 1389; of array, Northumb. Mar. 1392, Dec. 1399; to prevent forestalling of wool supplies Mar. 1393; partition the estates of the late Sir Alan Heton July 1394; prevent the spread of treasonous rumours May 1402; take oaths of loyalty to Henry IV from leading gentry Aug. 1403; prevent unlawful assemblies at Alnwick July 1405; raise royal loans June 1406.

J.p. Northumb. 10 Aug. 1372 – Dec. 1375, 15 July 1376 – d.

Escheator, Northumb., Cumb. and Westmld. 1 Dec. 1383 – 3 Dec. 1386, Northumb. 8 Nov. 1401–29 Nov. 1402.

Keeper of the seal of the liberty of Tynedale, Northumb. for Edmund, duke of York c.1386.Hodgson, ii (2), 45.

Steward of Hexhamshire, Northumb. after the confiscation of the temporalities of Alexander Neville, abp. of York 20 Mar. 1388.

Envoy to Scotland on various diplomatic missions 10 Nov., 18 Dec. 1389, 13 Mar., 27 May, 1 June, Dec. 1390, 4–12 Mar., 27 June, 13 July 1391, 26 Jan., 30 May, 20 July, 15 Nov. 1392, Apr., 27 June, 22 Aug., 26 Oct. 1393, 9 Feb., 20–27 Aug. 1394, 12 Feb., 6 May 1395, 22 Sept. 1398, 26 June, 7 Aug., 4 Dec. 1400, 18 Mar. 1401, 21 Aug., 23 Sept. 1404, 4- 5 Mar. 1405, 7 Feb. 1406, 27 Mar., 17 Aug. 1407.PPC, i. 17–18, 27, 33–34; Rot. Scot. ii. 101, 103, 104, 105, 108–10, 112, 115, 117, 118, 121–3, 125–7, 142, 155, 156, 168, 170, 173, 177, 183; Cal. Scots Docs. iv. nos. 409, 554, 673, 784; Dip. Corresp. Ric. II (Cam. Soc. ser. 3, xlviii) nos. 167, 179.

Supervisor of murage and pontage, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Roxburgh 2 Mar. 1392.Rot. Scot. ii. 115.

Alnager, Northumb. 20 July 1394–17 Oct. 1399.

Constable and keeper of Mitford castle, Northumb. for Sir John le Scrope 1396–d.Hodgson, ii (2), 536.

Sheriff, Northumb. 29 Nov. 1402–5 Nov. 1403.

Parlimentarian
MITFORD, John (d.1409), of Molesden in Mitford, Northumb.
Main residence: Molesden in Mitford, Northumb.
Metteford, Mitteford, Mydeforde
Author
C.R.
Volume
Commons 1386-1421
Web Title

MITFORD, John (-d.1409)

Will
Estates
Oxford 1644
No
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