{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Sir Edmund Bedingfield''' or '''Bedingfeld''' (1479/80 – 1553) was an English landowner and steward of the household of Katherine of Aragon at Kimbolton Castle<ref>W.J . Sheils, 'Bedingfield family (per. 1476-1760)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004)</ref>
== Family background == He was the third son of Sir Edmund Bedingfield, Knight of the Bath (who had licence to build Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk in 1482), and his second wife Dame Margaret, daughter of Sir John Scott (Marshal of Calais), of Scot's Hall in Kent.<ref>J. Greenstreet, 'Bedingfield of Oxburgh', ''Notes and Queries'' 5th Series, IX (2 February 1878), [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951p01073052v&view=1up&seq=92 p. 82] (HathiTrust), reciting some of her inquisitions.</ref> Sir Edmund the father died in 1496–97, making his will at Calais.<ref>Will of Sir Edmond Bedingfield or Bedyngfield (P.C.C. 1497, Horne quire).</ref> His widow died in 1514, having made her will the previous year, in which she established the Bedingfield chapel in St John's parish church at Oxborough.<ref name=Blom/>
His eldest brother was Sir Thomas Bedingfield, who died without male issue. The second brother, Robert, was in holy orders, and therefore the estates passed him by, and descended to Edmund as heir.<ref name=Blom>F. Blomefield (ed. C. Parkin), 'Oxburgh', in ''An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk'', Vol. 6: Hundred of South Greenhoe (W. Miller, London 1807), [https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol6/pp168-197 pp. 168-97] (British History Online).</ref> Bedingfield's sister Mary was the first wife of Sir Edward Echyngham.<ref>The National Archives (UK), Early Chancery Proceedings, ''Echyngham v Bedyngfield'', [https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7472878 ref. C 1/503/23] (Discovery). View original at AALT, [http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT6/ChP/C1no503/IMG_0035.htm image 0035] (partly illegible).</ref>
== Career == Edmund Bedingfield married Grace Marney, daughter of Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney, before 1509. She died in or after 1553.<ref>See the Will of Sir John Marny of Layer Marney (P.C.C. 1525, Bodfelde quire); abstract in N.H. Nicolas, ''Testamenta Vetusta'' (London 1826), II, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vi3y8SxJpKsC&pg=PA626 pp. 626-28] (Google).</ref>
In November 1523 Bedingfield was knighted for bravery by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk on the occasion of the taking of the French town of Montdidier,<ref>W.A. Shaw, ''The Knights of England'' 2 vols (Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906), [https://archive.org/details/knightsofengland02shaw/page/n7/mode/2up p. 45] (Internet Archive).</ref><ref name=Blom/><ref>E. Gruffydd and M. Bryn Davies, 'Suffolk's expedition to Montdidier', ''Bulletin of the Faculty of Arts, Fouad 1 University'', Series, vols 7, 11 and 12 (Fouad University, Cairo 1944-1950).</ref> according to some sources, at the "field of Roye".<ref>James R. Scott, ''Memorials of the family of Scott, of Scot's-hall'' (London, 1876), pp. 152, 154: John Gough Nichols, ''Chronicle of Calais'' (London: Camden Society, 1846), p. 100.</ref> Bedingfield went to France with Henry VIII in October 1532.<ref>John Gough Nichols, ''Chronicle of Calais'' (London: Camden Society, 1846), p. 42.</ref>
Subsequent to Henry VIII's ''Great Matter'' (his divorce), Edmund Bedingfield was entrusted with the custody of Katherine of Aragon at Kimbolton Castle and was steward of her household. He did not understand Spanish and had difficulty reporting to Thomas Cromwell about her conversations. Bedingfield and Edward Chamberleyn wrote to Cromwell with news of her death on 7 January 1536. Grace, Lady Bedingfield was appointed chief mourner for the funeral at Peterborough Cathedral and issued with black cloth for mourning clothes.<ref>James Gairdner, ''Letters and Papers Henry VIII'', 10 (London, 1887), pp. 11 no. 28, 14 no. 37, 23 no. 65: Paul Friedmann, ''Anne Boleyn'', 2 (London, 1884), p. 167.</ref>
In 1539, Bedingfield inherited from his brother Robert the great estate of Oxburgh Hall, King's Lynn, Norfolk, and was chosen as an attendant of the Duke of Norfolk at the reception of Anne of Cleves.<ref>John Gough Nichols, ''Chronicle of Calais'' (London: Camden Society, 1846), p. 174.</ref>
His first son Sir Henry Bedingfield (by 1509–1583) succeeded to his estate in June 1553.<ref>R. Virgoe, 'Bedingfield, Sir Henry (by 1509-83), of Oxborough, Norf.', in S.T. Bindoff (ed.), ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558'' (from Boydell and Brewer 1982), [https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/bedingfield-sir-henry-1509-83 History of Parliament Online].</ref><ref>Will of Sir Edmund Bedingfeld of Oxborough, Norfolk (P.C.C. 1553, Tashe quire).</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedingfield, Edmund}} Category:15th-century births Category:1553 deaths Category:Knights of the Bath Category:16th-century English knights Category:15th-century English knights Category:Year of birth missing