William Esturmy

arms of Esturmy: Argent, three demi-lions rampant gules

Sir William Esturmy (died 1427[1]) (alias Sturmy), was Speaker of the House of Commons, a Knight of the Shire and hereditary Warden of the royal forest of Savernake Forest, Wiltshire.

Origins

He was born in about 1356, the son of Geoffrey Sturmy (d.1381) and nephew and heir of Sir Henry Sturmy of Wolfhall in the Savernake Forest, Wiltshire.

Career

He inherited in 1381 and was knighted by October 1388. He held the post of hereditary warden of Savernake Forest from 1381 to 1417 and from 1420 until his death in 1427. He served as knight of the shire for Hampshire in 1384 and again in 1390, and also eight times for Wiltshire and twice for Devon between then and 1422. He was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 1404 during the reign of King Henry IV, known as the Illiterate or Unlearned Parliament because the king forbade lawyers from attending.[2] He was appointed High Sheriff of Wiltshire for 1418. He held a number of public posts and served several times as an ambassador abroad.

Marriage & progeny

He married Joan Crawthorne, the widow of Sir John Beaumont of Shirwell and Saunton in North Devon, by whom he had no male progeny, only two daughters and co-heiresses including:

Death

He died at Wolfhall in 1427.

References

  1. Easton Royal History
  2. The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons, from the Time of King Edward III to Queen Victoria: Comprising the Biographies of Upwards of One Hundred Distinguished Persons, and Copious Details of the Parliamentary History of England from the Most Authentic Documents, James Alexander Manning
  3. Loades, David, The Seymours of Wolf Hall: A Tudor Family Story, Chapter 1: The Origins
Political offices
Preceded by
Sir Arnold Savage;
Speaker of the House of Commons
1404
Succeeded by
Sir John Tiptoft
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