27. Sir John¹³ KNYVETT (Sir John¹², Richard¹¹, John¹⁰, John⁹, Thomas⁸, John⁷, Manser⁶, Thomas⁵, Drugo⁴, Edmund³, Alfred² LE KNEVET, Ofthomarus¹) was born in Mendelsham, Suffolk, ENG CA 1350. John died 4 DEC 1418 in Mendelsham, Suffolk, ENG, at 68 years of age.

He married Joan BORTETORT 1377. Joan was born in Mendelsham, Suffolk, ENG ABT 1356. Joan was the daughter of John BORTETORT and Katherine WAYLAND. Sir John succeeded his father in 1381 but had to wait for the bulk of his inheritance until the death of his mother. His marriage to Joan acquired the manors of Hamerton, Huntingdonshire, Boxworth, Cambridgeshire, and Mendlesham in Suffolk. The death of his mother's nephew, Sir Ralph Basset, also brought him a claim to a share of the Basset lands centred upon Great Weldon in Northamptonshire. He and the other co-heir sued for the lands in 1391 but they had to wait until about 1400 to obtain the inheritance.

His share included the estate at Great Weldon. After the death of his mother, John was a substantial land-owner in Northamptonshire, as well as in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Suffolk. For reasons that have not been discovered he had been under a cloud in the 1380s, being arrested for contempt in 1383 and having his lands seized by the Crown. These were restored to him in 1388. Thereafter he played a full part in the local political and administrative life of the counties where he possessed estates in Norfolk and Suffolk in 1391-2 and of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in the following year.

In 1394-5 he was escheator of Norfolk and Suffolk. He served on a number of local commissions and was knight of the shire for Huntingdonshire in 1397 and 1407. His connections with the political factions of these years is unclear but in 1418, he testified that he had borne a torch at the baptism of William de la Pole, son of Michael, 2nd Earl of Suffolk twenty one years before, which might suggest a connection with that family. His later years were less active. His offices and elections suggest that he was mainly resident at Hamerton, Boxworth or Mendlesham.

He died on the day he made his will and was buried at Mendlesham where his tomb remains. It is not very informative, though rather unusual in making nospecific religious or charitable bequests except for one penny to each poor person present at the funeral. As executors he appointed his wife, Joan, and his son, John, together with William Weston, parson of Boxworth, and William Leek.

Sir John KNYVETT and Joan BORTETORT had the following children:

29 i. Margaret¹⁴ KNYVETT.

30 ii. Elizabeth KNYVETT.

31 iii. Catherine KNYVETT.

+ 32 iv. Sir John KNYVETT was born CA 1380.

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