Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mordaunt, John (d.1504)
MORDAUNT, Sir JOHN (d. 1504), speaker of the House of Commons, son and heir of William Mordaunt of Turvey, Bedfordshire, and his wife Margaret, daughter of John Peeke of Cople in that county, had succeeded to his paternal inheritance in 1481, at which time his mother was living. He was one of the commanders at the battle of Stoke, 20 June 1487, and was chosen speaker of the House of Commons in the parliament which assembled at Westminster on 3 Nov. the same year, being representative of the county of Bedford. He was called to the degree of serjeant-at-law 10 Sept. 1495, was constituted one of the king's Serjeants on 25 Nov. following, and became chief justice of Chester in or about 1499. He received the honour of knighthood at the creation of Henry, prince of Wales, 18 Feb. 1502-3, and on 6 April 1504 was appointed high steward of the university of Cambridge (Cooper, Athenæ Cantabr. i. 9). He became chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster 24 June 1504, and on 28 Aug. following he had a grant from Pope Julius II of special liberties and privileges. For many years he was a member of the privy council. He died between 5 Sept. and 6 Dec. 1504, and was buried in the church of Turvey, where there is a handsome altar-tomb, with his effigy in armour, and a Latin inscription.
He married Edith, daughter and heiress of Sir Nicholas Latimer, knight of Duntish, Dorset, and by this lady, who survived him, left John, his son and heir (afterwards Lord Mordaunt of Turvey) [q. v.], William, and Joan, wife of Giles Strangeways.
By his will he gave legacies to the churches of Turvey, Mulso,and Stachedon, the monasteries of Newnham and Warden, and for the establishment of a perpetual chantry in the church of Turvey, for two secular chaplains, one of whom was to teach grammar freely (Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta, p. 461).
[Cambridge Antiquarian Communications, i. 275; Churton's Lives of Smyth and Sutton, pp. 100-3, 247, 453, 490; Dugdale's Baronage; Halstead's Genealogies; Lysons's Bedfordshire, p. 147; Manning's Speakers, p. 129; Expenses of Elizabeth of York, pp. 101, 210; Sharpe's Peerage (1833), sig. 3 G 6.]