John Prysot
Encyclopedia
His Worship Sir John Prysot JP
KS (died 1461) was a British justice. Records of his early life and career are sketchy, but from the late 1330s he was active in Cambridgeshire
and Hertfordshire
, starting as a Justice of the Peace
in Cambridgeshire in 1437 followed by appointment as an Escheator for that county and for Huntingdonshire
in 1438 and a second period of service as a Justice of the Peace in 1443, this time for Hertfordshire. In July of the same year he was made a Serjeant-at-law
; the following year he was promoted to King's Serjeant. Between 1445 and 1447 he served as legal counsel for the Duchy of Lancaster
, and in 1448 he was appointed an Assize Justice for Ely
. His career took a sharp upturn when he was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
on 16 January 1449 despite having never served as any kind of Puisne Justice
.
Soon after his appointment he continued his activities outside Westminster
, serving on a commission of Oyer and terminer
in Kent
in 1451 following the rebellion of Jack Cade
by a similar commission in Lincolnshire
in 1452 and at York
in 1454. In the Parliaments of 1453 and 1455 he served as a Trier of Petitions from Gascony
and other overseas territories. In 1455 he also served on a Hertfordshire commission raising funds for the defence of Calais
, and in 1459 he became a Feoffee
for various estates belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, and was also knighted. He died early in 1461, and was buried in Wallington, Hertfordshire
.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
KS (died 1461) was a British justice. Records of his early life and career are sketchy, but from the late 1330s he was active in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, starting as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Cambridgeshire in 1437 followed by appointment as an Escheator for that county and for Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
in 1438 and a second period of service as a Justice of the Peace in 1443, this time for Hertfordshire. In July of the same year he was made a Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
; the following year he was promoted to King's Serjeant. Between 1445 and 1447 he served as legal counsel for the Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
, and in 1448 he was appointed an Assize Justice for Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
. His career took a sharp upturn when he was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
on 16 January 1449 despite having never served as any kind of Puisne Justice
Puisne Justice
A Puisne Justice or Puisne Judge is the title for a regular member of a Court. This is distinguished from the head of the Court who is known as the Chief Justice or Chief Judge. The term is used almost exclusively in common law jurisdictions such as England, Australia, Kenya, Canada, Sri Lanka,...
.
Soon after his appointment he continued his activities outside Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, serving on a commission of Oyer and terminer
Oyer and terminer
In English law, Oyer and terminer was the Law French name, meaning "to hear and determine", for one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1451 following the rebellion of Jack Cade
Jack Cade
Jack Cade was the leader of a popular revolt in the 1450 Kent rebellion during the reign of King Henry VI in England. He died on the 12th July 1450 near Lewes. In response to grievances, Cade led an army of as many as 5,000 against London, causing the King to flee to Warwickshire. After taking and...
by a similar commission in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
in 1452 and at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 1454. In the Parliaments of 1453 and 1455 he served as a Trier of Petitions from Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
and other overseas territories. In 1455 he also served on a Hertfordshire commission raising funds for the defence of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, and in 1459 he became a Feoffee
Feoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
for various estates belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, and was also knighted. He died early in 1461, and was buried in Wallington, Hertfordshire
Wallington, Hertfordshire
Wallington is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hertfordshire, near the town of Baldock. Nearby villages include Rushden and Sandon.-George Orwell:...
.