The Baynard family - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Baynards
such as the collection of a relief, or the supervision of the
county levies raised for special purposes. 221
Edward can be seen exercising his power as a justice of the peace in
a writ he and John Pye issued in 1544, telling the Sheriff of
Wiltshire 222 to take into custody William Jefferey of Devizes, who
faced “diverse charges of transgression and felony” 223
Edward Baynard was Warden of Chippenham and Melksham Forests
between March 1534 and the 11 th April 1546 224 and, in his turn,
High Sheriff of Wiltshire, his letter patent being signed “Jane the
Queen”, the only known signature of Lady Jane Grey as such. Queen
Mary confirmed the appointment, post dated to the day of Edward
IV’s death, July 6th 1553 225 .He replaced Sir William Sharrington of
Lacock, who had died a few days after the king
In 1556 Edward was developing the infrastructure at Hilmarton; he
leased 226 part of Redlofte, and the Redlofte Brook, which runs
221 Hasler, PW (1981) The House of Commons 1558-1603 vol 1 HMSO pp 407-8
222 Jackson, JE (1856) Sheriffs of Wiltshire WAM 3 WANHS p212
Robert Hungerford of Cadenham
223 W&SHC 1720/1038
224 VCH Wiltshire vol IV p437
225 Edward Baynard’s Letters Patent were granted on 14 July, 1553. Queen
Mary backdated the Patent to the day of Edward IV’s death because it was
deemed that Jane Grey had never been Queen, and all her appointments were
being removed from the record. (Kite, E (1899) Wilts Notes and Queries vol
3 p 58). See Mackie, JD (1951) The Oxford History of England : The Earlier
Tudors 1485 - 1558 OUP p470 ff for details of the rather complicated
events surrounding Lady Jane Grey. See also Jackson, JE (1856) Sheriffs of
Wiltshire WAM 3 WANHS p213
226 Gloucester Record Office D2700/NR11/1/21 dated 20 October 1556
The rent was £16 a year, which shows how profitable a mill could be.
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