Sir John Conyers (died 1490), one of twenty-five children of

Christopher Conyers Christopher Conyers may refer to: *Christopher Conyers, 2nd Baron Conyers (c. 1491–1538), English baron and aristocrat *Sir Christopher Conyers, 2nd Baronet (1621–1693), of the Conyers baronets *Christopher Conyers of Hornby, owner of Crakehall ...

(died 1460),Ross, C.D., ''Richard III'', London 1981, p.50 was a pre-eminent member of the gentry of Yorkshire, northern England, during the fifteenth century Wars of the Roses.

Life and career

Based in Hornby Castle, he was originally retained by his patron, the regional magnate Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury at a fee of £8 6''s.'' 8''d.'' By 1465, he was steward of the Honour of Richmond and was being retained, along with his brothers William and Richard, by Salisbury's son and successor as regional magnate, the earl of Warwick, for which he received £13 6''s.'' 8''d.'' He accompanied Salisbury on his journey from Middleham to Ludlow in September 1459, and took part in the

Battle of Blore Heath The Battle of Blore Heath was a battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought on 23 September 1459, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire. Blore Heath is a sparsely populated area of farmland, two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in ...

on the 23rd of that month. He later took part in Warwick's rebellion against

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

in 1469 and the Battle of Edgcote, raising his 'Wensleydale connection, and possibly even being the ringleader, ' Robin of Redesdale.' He submitted to the King in March 1470. After Edward's successful return to power in 1471 he was a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Yorkshire's North Riding. A loyal retainer and probable ducal councillor of Edward's brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III, (who retained him for £20 annually) he was made a Knight of the Body, at 200 marks ''per annum'' annuity, and substantial estates in Yorkshire, "where he was very active on local commissions." He was also elected to the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

. In August 1485 he appears to have fought in and survived the

Battle of Bosworth Field The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Augu ...

in the army of Richard III, and was later granted offices in Richmondshire by the new king, Henry VII in February 1486, as a result of 'good and faithful service.' He supported Henry during the first rebellion of his reign, in spring 1486, a position that has been called 'particularly significant' and, according to Michael Hicks, it 'was a momentous decision'.Hicks, M.A., ''The Wars of the Roses'', London 2012, p.342

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conyers, John 15th-century English people 1490 deaths Year of birth unknown Esquires of the Body Garter Knights appointed by Richard III 15th-century English military personnel