Sir Stephen Hales (before 1331 – 1394/5), of

Testerton Testerton is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Pudding Norton, in the North Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located between the village of Great Ryburgh and the market town of Fakenham. In ...

, Norfolk, was an English soldier and politician.

Biography

Hales was born the son and heir of William Hales of Testerton and was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

at some point before November 1372. He took part in military campaigns in the wars with France. After being blooded in a sea battle against the Spanish off Winchelsea in 1350, he joined the army of the Black Prince in Gascony from 1355 to 1357. He was present when Edward III's forces approached Paris in the spring of 1360 and fought at the Battle of Nájera under the Black Prince in 1367. Hales was elected 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

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

in January 1377, January 1380, 1381, May 1382, October 1382, Feb. 1383, October 1383, November 1384 and 1386. 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 Norfolk from 1380 to his death and was appointed

High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk This is a list of Sheriffs of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Sheriff (since 1974 called High Sheriff) is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually by the Crown. He was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the c ...

for 1378–1379. He married Joan, who was probably the daughter of John Novers of

Swanton Novers Swanton Novers is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is west-south-west of Cromer, north-north-west of Norwich and north-north-east of London. The village lies south-west of the town of Holt. The neares ...

, Norfolk. They had no children and was thus succeeded by his brother Thomas.

Notes

References

* 1394 deaths English MPs January 1377 People from North Norfolk (district) English soldiers English knights High Sheriffs of Norfolk High Sheriffs of Suffolk Year of birth uncertain Members of the Parliament of England for Norfolk English MPs January 1380 English MPs 1381 English MPs May 1382 English MPs October 1382 English MPs February 1383 English MPs October 1383 English MPs November 1384 English MPs 1386 Military personnel from Norfolk {{14thC-England-MP-stub