John Wilcotes (died 1422), of

Great Tew Great Tew is an English village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about north-east of Chipping Norton and south-west of Banbury. The 2011 Census gave a parish population of 156. This qualifies it for an annual parish meeting, not a monthly p ...

, Oxfordshire, was an English politician.

Family

Wilcotes is thought to have been a younger brother of

William Wilcotes William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

. John married a woman named Alice, circa 1396. She was probably a widow from Chelmscote of Great Tew. She died in 1410. Wilcote's second wife was Elizabeth Cheyne, daughter of Richard Cheyne of

Shurland Shurland is a place near Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England. Shurland Hall stood here and was visited by Henry VIII of England and used during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, w ...

Isle of Sheppey The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale. ''Sheppey'' is derived ...

, Kent, and Margery Cralle of Cralle, Sussex, a sister of William Cheyne. The Cheynes were a prominent Kentish family. Elizabeth was also a widow, having previously been married to Sir William Septvance of Milton near

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

. He had died in 1407. They had two daughters, and he had an illegitimate son, Thomas Wilcotes.

Career

Wilcotes was a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

in 1399, 1401, October 1404, 1406, 1407, May 1413, April 1414, November 1414, 1417, 1419 and May 1421. He was an MP for

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

March 1416. He was appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire for 1402, 1408, 1416, 1420 and from May 1422 to his death later that year. He also served as

High Sheriff of Gloucestershire This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire, who should not be confused with the Sheriffs of the City of Gloucester. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (in England and Wales the office previously kn ...

from November 1420 to May 1422. He was appointed receiver-general of the

Duchy of Cornwall The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...

, steward of the duchy's Devon estates and

Warden of the Stannaries The Lord Warden of the Stannaries (from la, stannum for Tin, Sn) used to exercise judicial and military functions in Cornwall, England, and is still the official who, upon the commission of the monarch or Duke of Cornwall for the time being, h ...

for Devon from 2 April 1413 to his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcotes, John Year of birth missing 1422 deaths 14th-century births English MPs 1399 English MPs 1401 High Sheriffs of Berkshire High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire People from Oxfordshire English MPs October 1404 English MPs 1406 English MPs 1407 English MPs May 1413 English MPs April 1414 English MPs March 1416 English MPs 1417 English MPs 1419 English MPs May 1421