Sir John ("of Shurland, in the Isle of Sheppy") Cheney of Shurland was born in 1415 in Shurland House, Eastchurch, Kent, England. He died in 1467, at age ~52. He was buried in Salisbury Cathedral.
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http://www.britishplate.org.uk/johncheney/johncheney.html
(Photos of armour and swords are included on this site.)
"About Sir John Cheney
The family of Cheney can be traced back to Ralph de Caineto who diedin1086. Ralph came over with William the conqueror. The family namecamefrom either de Caineto and possibly through du Chene (of theoak)thespellings change through generations and branches of the familytofinally settle on the spelling we are familiar with. Whether the nameisde Caineto, du Chene, Chene, Cheyne, Cheney or Cheyney, thefamilydescent is the same.
In the intervening generations the Cheney family served as sheriffsandother offices. The family had a tradition of service as royalretainers,so it was only to be expected that the eldest son of thisgenerationwould continue in royal service
Through patronage and marriage the Cheney family grew in prominenceandtheir subsequent positions within the great houses gained influenceandconnections.
(Roger du Cheyne was a squire in the household of John, duke ofLancaster,eventually making knight.) John’s father, also called JohnCheney wasnoted as being in the retinue of Henry VI as knight of thebody in 1460.
John was the eldest son of John Cheney and Eleanor Shottesbroke. Hewasborn at the family manor of Shurland, Eastchurch, Kent.
John Cheney was born about 1447 in the reign of Henry VI at ShurlandinKent
23 May 1465 John was one of the men created knight of the bath inhonourof Elizabeth Woodville’s coronation.
In 1465 he was sent with Dr Goldwell, dean of Salisbury to the KingofDenmark. Here, apparently, he got his nickname of ‘strenuus miles’
In 1467 his father died
1471 finds John in the royal household as an esquire of the body toEdwardIV. He also is Master of the Henchmen and Master of Horse forEdward IV.These offices were consistently held by the king’s closestservants.Edward’s interest in the hunt meant that John was frequentlywith theking.
1475, John, with a retinue of six men at arms, is with Edward and thearmyin France, in the campaign to secure English territory in France.LouisXI, brokers a deal with Edward, to leave France in exchange for apaymentand further payments yearly in exchange for a nine year truce,known asthe Treaty of Picquigny. To ensure that Edward complied with theterms ofthe treaty, John Cheney, master of the horse and Lord Howardwere leftwith Louis XI as hostages. Both were treated well and receivedgifts ofpensions from Louis when Edward and his army had left France.The generalsoldiers were not happy with this arrangement as part of thespoils of warwas plunder, and to be denied this personal fundraisingspread discontent.
1478-9 John was master of the bodyguard for Edward IV
1479 John married the widow of Baron Stourton, who was the heiress ofthetitle. On his marriage John became Lord Stourton of Stourton in rightofhis wife. Margaret Chidiock was 53 at the time she married John, whowas32. The concept of marrying an heiress was a popular way ofincreasinglands and prestige, and younger men marrying older heiresses orwidowswas fairly commonplace. One marriage which did raise eyebrows forthe agedifferential was the marriage, in 1465/6 of John Woodville toKatherineNeville, dowager duchess of Norfolk. He was aged 20 and thedowagerduchess was 65 to 66 years old.
After the death of Edward IV, John was officiating at the funeral on16April 1483. At the coronation of Richard III, the majority ofEdward’sknights, one of whom was John Cheney, now made knight of thebody,attended the celebrations, and led the courser of state, trapped inclothof gold and arms, and John received a gift of cloth of silver.
With the sons of Edward IV, in the Tower, and effectively out ofthesuccession, after Richard’s usurpation, John Cheney was involved inaplot to release the princes in late July. The plot involved JohnCheneyand Margaret Beaufort at its head. Their plans to fire parts ofLondon,as a distraction, storm the tower and rescue the princes; andtherebyrestore Edward V to the throne supported by an invasion by JasperandHenry Tudor from France, failed. Over 50 conspirators were arrestedandincluded men who had worked under Cheney in the royal household. Itwasabout this time that John Cheney fell from gracewith Richard,notunsurprisingly, and left Richard’s Household.
In Buckingham’s rebellion of 1483, one of the centres of revoltwasSalisbury, and John Cheney was one of the leaders in theSalisburyrising. This was a huge rising that began shortly after thefailure ofthe rescue plan. The culmination in October 1483 in the risingsin Kent,Central South and the West, with the Duke of Buckingham at itshead,presented a challenge to Richard III’s reign. Richard was aware oftherising by 11 October and managed through the mistiming of groups oftheplotters to quell the rising. Richard had the duke of Buckingham, whowashis, (the king’s) cousin, executed on the 2nd of November 1483atSalisbury.
John Cheney, with others had sensibly fled before Richard arrivedinSalisbury, making their way across the channel to Brittany to joinHenryTudor in exile. In January 1484, John Cheney is named on thefour-partattainder issued by Richard’s parliament.
In Brittany, John was with Henry Tudor, this is particularlyinterestingin view of his connection with Margaret Beaufort. Jones &Underwood(authors of The King’s Mother) gently infers that there waskinshipbetween the Cheney and Beaufort families.
On arrival at Milford Haven, with Henry Tudor’s invasion force, 7Aug1485, John is one of the group of companions who are knighted.HenryTudor’s growing forces cross Wales heading for England. Richard wasawareof the invasion force and the two armies arrived near Bosworth on21August 1485. The next morning in the battle John is one of HenryTudor’sbodyguards. During the battle Richard III sees the opportunitytoeliminate his rival, charging towards Henry’s and killingWilliamBrandon, Henry’s standard bearer, and unhorsing John Cheney with ablowto the head from his broken lance, Richard is soon fighting bravelybutis cut down, the last English King to die on the field of battleonEnglish soil.
On November 7 1485 the attainders on the rebels were reversed. Therewardsfor support came quickly from Henry VII: John was made a knightof thebody. On the field at Stoke, before the battle John was createdaknight-banneret. John Cheney with three others were ennobled afterthebattle of Stoke 1487, becoming Lord Cheney of Falstone Cheney, andalsobecame a knight of the Garter in 1486, (number 229 in succession).Johnalso held the post of royal standard bearer to Henry VII
John’s military campaigns won high praise, he was sent to BrittanywithWilloughby as the Franco-Breton crisis escalated.
In his parliamentary capacity he sat for his county, summonedtoparliament in 1487 and continued to be called until 14 October 1495andalso was speaker of the House of Commons.
John died in 1499 as is quoted on the plaque on his effigy inSalisburyCathedral. However it is possible that he died in 1496 whenseveralsources quote inheritance of his estates in that year.
He was interred in the beautiful chantry of his friend BishopRichardBeauchamp, which was situated on the north side of the LadyChapel. TheChantry was demolished by Wyatt in the 18th century and theeffigiesmoved to the central aisle. The base that John’s effigy now restswasmade up of pieces of the Beauchamp chapel.
The effigy itself is of marble, now heavily scored by graffiti datingbackcenturies. The head of the heraldic beast at the effigies feet nolongerhas its head, but is possibly a lion, or dragon as it has athree-prongedtail overlying its body. On the soles of the feet are twodifferingcarvings, which do not appear to make sense; are they also ofheraldicmeaning? – Hamilton Rogers claims an oak leaf anda scroll
The effigy is wearing German Gothic style plate, double layer breastandpossibly back-plate (hidden by the cloak), mail collar and thefixingsfor a bevoir on the breastplate. The breastplate is waistedandhas setsof 3 buckled lames and tassets, two front, two sides and a mailskirtunder. The leg armour is also German Gothic style with a knee copwithspade poleyns. There are three lames either side ofthe knee cop,thelowest of the three pointed and scalloped over the grieve. He iswearingsabatons and appears to have a size five or six shoe size.
It is difficult to describe the arm armour, apart from the largeshapedcouters and plain vambrace, as the effigy is wearing a cloak withGarterinsignia on the left Shoulder. It is cord tied, the tasselsofwhich fallonto the tassets. A garter is shown below the left knee cop,which alsosupplements the insignia. Under the cloak, but over thebreastplate theeffigy wears a Lancaster ‘SS’ chain with the Beaufortportcullis andTudor Rose pendant. Encompassing the tassets is the leathersword beltshowing a widening vee, frog style sword housing, holding thebare swordto his left side. The sword has been broken so only part of thehilt andblade now remains. On his right side about waist height is adagger, butthis looks added in, or replaced in restoration. The hands arebare inprayer although there are many rings showing, not always worn atthe baseof the fingers. The figure also has flowing hair of a wavy natureand issupported by a pillow and two angels or family members with wings.
The accompanying inscription provided for tourists in thecathedralstates:
John Lord Cheney
Bailiff to Bishops Beauchamp and Woodville
He fought alongside Henry Tudor against King Richard III
at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 and rescued Henry’s standard
when its bearer was killed. He was later appointed
Master of the Horse, Knight of the Garter and
Privy Councilor. He died in 1499
John Cheney’s heraldry has several references –
“among the “knightes made at the landinge of Kinge Henry the SeventhatMylforde Haven,” fourth on the list occurs Sir John Cheney. His armsarethus given – Quarterly 1 and 4 Azure, six lioncels rampantargent,acanton ermine; 2 and 3, ermine, a chief per pale indented or andgules,in the dexter side a rose of the last (Shottesbroke) Crest, twobullshorns argent, separated from the scalp roots or “fixedto themantlewithout toree” (Metcalfe’s Book of Knights) (Strife of the Roses)
John Cheney of Shurland
The arms of Cheney (of Shurland) are recorded as Argent, on a bendsable,three martlets or, quartering, azure, five lioncels argent, acantonermine – or according to another authority azure, six lioncelsthree,two, one argent (Shurland) (no arms are visible at Salisbury)”
Bibliography
Richard III and Buckingham’s Rebellion – Louise Gill
Strife of the Roses and the Days of the Tudors in the West – W.H.HamiltonRogers
Henry VII – S.B. Chrimes
Edward IV – Charles Ross
The King’s Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond andDerbyM.K. Jones & M.G. Underwood
The Making of the Tudor Dynasty – R.A. Griffiths & R.S Thomas
WWW.Tudorplace.com
WWW.sheppey.free-online.co.uk/history/cheyne/
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/henry7.html
My work on this tree is to honor those whose hard work and sacrifices helped to develop the wonderful country I’m proud and privileged to live in – the United States of America! GOD BLESS AMERICA andmay He give us strength to preserve and protect the freedom our ancestors fought so hard to preserve! 1 _UID E8939197-CFFB-4CE4-B0B7-B71389070D7C. Sir John ("of Shurland, in the Isle of Sheppy") Cheney of Shurland had person sources.
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