John Stratford (verderer)

Coat of arms associated with John Stratford:
Gules, a fess humette between three trestles, or^[1][2]

John Stratford (1380 – July 1433), also known as John Stratforde, was a medieval English verderer and landowner.

John was born into the landed Wessex Stratford Family of Hampshire and Wiltshire, son of Robert Stratford, grandson of Andrew de Stratford. As his father died when he was still in infancy, John was raised as a ward of the King. On reaching 21 John inherited much of his late fathers estate in Hampshire and Wiltshire, including a meadow called ‘Haresmede’ in North Baddesley in the New Forest, which he held as a knight's fee, and land in Alderstone, Farnham, Chute, Whelpley, Cowesfield, and Winterbourne.^[3] He regularly sat as a juror in Inquisitions Post Mortem,^[4] and acted as Verderer in the forests of Chute and Milchet in Wiltshire until his death in July of 1433.^[5][6]

Notes

1. Guillim, John. "A Display of Heraldry" 1724
2. Bedford, WK Riland. "The Blazon of Episcopacy" 1858
3. 'Close Rolls, Henry VI: May 1425' July 12. Westminster., in Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 1, 1422-1429, ed. A E Stamp (London, 1933), pp. 174-177 [accessed 11 February 2016].
4. Calendar of inquisitions post mortem and other analogous documents preserved in the Public Record Office, Volume 23. Public Record Office, Christine Carpenter, Claire Noble. Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2004 - pp.53, 54, 115.
5. 'Close Rolls, Henry VI: September–November 1429' - Nov. 22. Westminster., in Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 2, 1429-1435, ed. A E Stamp (London, 1933), pp. 1-3 [accessed 11 February 2016].
6. 'Close Rolls, Henry VI: July 1433' - July 14. Westminster., in Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 2, 1429-1435, ed. A E Stamp (London, 1933), pp. 217-219 [accessed 11 February 2016].