STOUTE, William

More may be added to the earlier biography. The Commons 1386-1421, iv. 499.

Besides serving on the jury which, at Bramber in 1426, gave evidence concerning certain lands pertaining to Horsham’s lord, John Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, Stoute appeared as a juror at Horsham at inquiries regarding the now deceased duke’s holdings there six years later. C139/25/40; 60/43. Indeed, he was regularly called upon for like service in his home town, where he testified at inquisitions post mortem regarding the heirs of John Lewknor in 1422, the duke of Norfolk’s aunt Margaret, wife of Sir Roland Lenthall, in 1424, and Sir Hugh Cokesey* in 1446. C139/5/35; 8/89; 122/36. Such appearances, taken together with his four elections to Parliament, provide a measure of Stoute’s standing in the town and its locality.