Friends and Enemies

Jon Wenlok

Wenlok unusually fits into the category of both friend and enemy as he often changed sides between the Houses of Lancaster and York. He was known as " the Prince of turncoats" although he was not alone in often changing sides.

He first came to prominence in France under Henry V, he was granted lands  and was the constable of Vernon. He was elected to parliament for Bedfordshire from 1433 through to 1456, he was elected speaker of the house in 1455. He entered service with Margaret of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI in 1450. Both kings used Wenlok as a diplomat and he was on the diplomatic mission to the Duke of Alencon in 1456 with John Clay.

He is believed to have met the Duke of York whilst on a diplomatic mission and was converted to his cause.

In the wars of the roses, Wenlok fought at the battle of St Albans on the losing Lancastrian side, he later fought at Blore Heath, Mortimers cross and Towton on the Yorkist side.

He was attainted alongside Clay in 1459.

He besieged the Tower of London on behalf of Edward IV in 1461 and was made a Knight of  the Garter in the June of 1461, later in the year he was created Baron Wenlok.

When Warwick turned on Edward IV, Wenlok defected with him, although not immediately. He accompanied Margaret of Anjou on her journey to England  from France.

Wenlok commanded the middle of the Lancastrian army in the Battle of Tewkesbury and he was killed on the field.

Some sources report that he was killed by the Duke of Somerset, who rode at him and smashed his head in with a poleaxe, Somerset was enraged at the failure of his own attack and blamed Wenlok for not supporting him.

Wenlok had no heirs, despite being married twice and the Barony died with him.

His second wife, Agnes married another friend of John Clay, Sir John Say.

Wenlok served as an executor to Sir John Clay.

For his sins he was buried in Luton.

John Say

John Say and John Clay may well have been close friends, they both lived in the same county and both served as MPs for the county.

Clay was witness to documents of John Say including Broxbourne where he lived.The manor of Broxbourne and the Manor of Cheshunt are less than three miles apart.

Whilst he looks every inch the fighting man and he may have been in his spare time, he was trained as a lawyer,  he was appointed a  Kings Sergeant, Coroner of the Marshalsea, yeoman of the Chamber and Crown, Keeper of Westminster palace, Squire of the Body and Privy councillor.

He was elected for parliament for Cambridge in 1447 and then a Knight of the shire, 1449 he was elected speaker of the house. At some point he lost the support of Henry VI and he was banished from court, he was later pardoned.

He was elected MP for Hertfordshire from 1453 to 1478, when he died, he was also chosen to serve as Speaker of the house, again.

In 1465 he was knighted in to the order of the bath.

 He was not attainted and he appears not to have fought in any of the battles.

The Elizabeth Say who was granted Clay's manor of Cheshunt may have been his sister, who married John Norbury. Elizabeth Say was the Godmother of Edward IV.

He later remarried Agnes widow of Jon Wenlok.

William Oldhall

William was born in Norfolk.

He was in France under Henry V, taking part in the siege of Rouen in 1418.

In 1424, like John Clay, he fought at the battle of Verneuil and it is said winning his spurs. He was later in the same year, appointed Seneschal of Normandy.

By the year of 1440, Oldhall was chamberlain to the Duke of York, in 1450 he became an MP for Hertfordshire and later became the speaker of the house.

In 1452 he was suspected and later indicted for his part in the rebellion of Jack Cade, the Duke of York was suspected as the ultimate figure behind this rebellion and Oldhall was his man in power. Following his indictment, he was found guilty and attainted on the 22nd of June 1452. He took sanctuary until 1455 and the first battle of St Albans and his attainder was then struck. He was attainted again in the proclamation of 1459, he was listed four men below John Clay. He died in 1460 and in 1461 on the accession of Edward IV, his attainder was again struck.

Andrew Ogard

Served the Duke of Bedford when he fought in France  and was his second chamberlain, in 1425 he  participated in a march towards Anjou. In 1433-34 he was the commanding officer of the fortress of Vire in Normandy, and in 1433 he was naturalized by parliament. In 1440 he was chamberlain to the Duke of York. In 1443 he was granted the right to build and crenellate his manor house at Rye.

He died in 1454.

Hugh Fenn

Born c1418, in Norfolk,  Hugh Fenn was the grandson of Hugh Fenn MP.

He was appointed as a Royal  official, taking charge of properties that were taken in to the hands of the crown, such as those of the attainted of 1459.

Westminster, March 16th 1460

 Appointment, for three years, on the advice of the council, of Thomas Westminster. Thorp, Brian Rouclyff, John Broun, John Poutrell, Hugh Fenne and John Lenton as receivers of all the possessions of the late Richard, Duke of York, Edward, Earl of March, Richard, Earl of Warwick, Richard, Earl of Salisbury and Alesia his wife, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, John Clynton, Lord Clynton, Thomas Neville, knight, John Neville, knight, Thomas Haryngton, knight, John Wenlok, knight, James Pykeryng, knight, John Conyers, knight, Thomas Parre, knight, John Bourghchier, Edward Bourghchier, William Stanley, Thomas Meryng, Thomas Colt, John Cley, Roger Eyton, Robert Boulde, William Oldhall, knight, and Thomas Vaghan, in England, in Wales and in the march there, among the hands of the king by their attacker for high treason in parliament last held at Coventre, and of all profits arising from all confiscations, losses, wards, marriages and annulments in England, Wales and their march, for hold themselves or by the deputies, taking the annual sum provided by the king's council; so that the said John Broun and Hugh shall not meddle in the receipt of any sum from any of the premises in England or in the march of Wales; and all persons having rents or transfers of premises will have pre-close before others for the payment of these. (43)

Strangely, this did not seem to affect any relationship that he may have had prior with Sir John as he was an executor of Sir John's will. He was of course only doing his job on the orders of the council. They may have had connections via friends, Hugh Fenn was a well respected and trusted official, he knew the Paston family well and he also knew Sir John Fastolf.

When the Mayor of London, Sir Mathew Phillip, walked out of a feast on an account of protocol, the delegation that went to the guildhall to apologise comprised amongst others, Sir John Say, Sir John Clay and Hugh Fenn.

Account of the debates which took place at a party given by the sergeants-at-law in their hall on Monday October 7, 3 Edward IV. [ANNOUNCEMENT. 1463], (fn. 9) to which Matthew Philip, the mayor and other citizens had been invited, but whom they abruptly left, because the mayor had not been given the seat of honor which he had claimed and which had been attributed to him. to the Lord Treasurer. The dinner being over, a deputation consisting of John Clay, Knt., John Say, president, John Denham and Hugh Fen, under-treasurer of England, was sent to the mayor to assure him that what had happened was not serious. did not meet with the approval of the lords present, and to ask him to honor them with his presence the next day at dinner, when he would be given a place suitable to his position. To this the mayor indicated that he would give a response the next day after consulting the aldermen. When the time came, and the deputation appeared again in the inner chamber of the Guildhall, the answer was made only to the extent that (59c)

As it happens, it would appear that Hugh did not act in the capacity of executor for Sir John.

Thomas Butler 7th Earl of Ormond

Butler was born in Kilkenny, Ireland.

He was attainted by Edward Iv and part of his lands were granted to Sir John Clay in lieu  of his manor at Cheshunt being held by Elizabeth Say.

Grant in fee simple to the said John Clay, for his good services rendered to the king and the king's father, of all the lands and possessions of which Thomas Ormond, esquire, was seized in the counties of Essex and Cambridge, into the hands of the king due to its confiscation, to the value of 200 marks per year. (54)

In 1478 he became the 7th Earl of Ormond after his two brothers the 5th and 6th Earls died without issue.

After Bosworth and in the parliament of November of 1485, he was restored by Henry VII.

He was one of the richest men in the land by the time he died in 1515.

Were he and Sir John enemies, possibly, they had fought on different sides in the wars of the roses and Sir John ended up with  all of his property in Cambridge and Essex.

Sir Richard Wydville, 1st Earl rivers

Woodville was a captain in 1429, served in France  until 1441/2. He served under Bedford, Talbot and finally York. He married the widow of Jaquetta of Luxembourg and became a very wealthy man. The paths of wodville and Clay would have passed many times as Clay was Woodville's attorney in 1428. He was created Baron rivers by Henry VI in 1448.

Appointed Warden of the Cinque ports in 1459, he was captured in Kent by the Nevilles, who abused him because of his low birth. Edward IV also joined in this abuse.

He initially supported HenryVI but changed to the Yorkist side when he viewed the Lancastrians as a lost cause.

His daughter Elizabeth Woodville secretly married Edward IV in 1464. He was created Earl by Edward IV in 1466 and later Constable of England.

The family of Woodville received special favours of marriage and position by Edward leading to unrest and ill feeling towards the Woodville family.

In the later unrest created by Richard, Earl of Warwick and Clarence, the brother of Edward, Earl Rivers and his son, John were captured at the battle of Edgecote, 1469. They were summarily tried and executed by Warwick.

Sir William Scott 1428-91

William Scott was MP, for Huntingdon, he was the third son of William Scott Mp, who died in 1433, he was the brother of Sir John Scott. He served as executor on Sir John Clay's will.

His rise was possibly mainly due to martial exploits of his older brother John.

Sir John Scott 1423-85

Sir John was appointed to many commisions mainly in the Kent area. He was with John Fogge sucesful in the suppression of Jack Cades uprising. He was a justice of the peace and a Sheriff of Kent. 

In 1460 he lent his support to the Yorkist's in Kent that led to the capture of Sir Richard Woodville.

In 1461 after the coronation of Edward V, he was rewarded with a knighthood, a pension and various positions.

Later after the attainder of the Earl of Oxford, he was granted all of his lands.

He went into exile with Edward IV and returned with him in 1471.

He died in 1485.

Sir Thomas Colt

Listed above John Clay on the 1459 proclamation of attainder is the name Thomas Colt, Gentleman of London. 

Sir John Astley

Sir John Astley was brother in law to Sir John Clay, for more on him go to the page of the Astley family.