James Peckham

{{Short description|English politician (c.1346–1400)}} {{for|the American Olympic wrestler|Jim Peckham}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}} '''James Peckham''' (c. 1346 – 1400) was an English politician.<ref>N.H. Nicolas, ''De Controversia in Curia Militari inter Ricardum Le Scrope et Robertum Grosvenor milites'', 2 vols (Privately printed, 1832), II, [https://archive.org/details/decontroversiai00scrogoog/page/n454 pp. 435-36] (Internet Archive).</ref>

==Life== Peckham was the eldest son of John and Ellen Peckham of Yaldham, near Wrotham, Kent. His first wife was named Margery. At some point by December 1376, he was married to the widow Lora Morant, the sole daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Morant, of Morant's Court, Chevening and widow of Sir Thomas Cawne.<ref>The sequence of marriages in shown in a suit of 1418, The National Archives (UK) De Banco rolls CP40/625, 17 Easter 5 Henry V (1418), membranes 306-06a. [http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no625/aCP40no625fronts/IMG_0620.htm View original at AALT, images fronts, 0620-21], [http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no625/bCP40no625dorses/IMG_1500.htm dorses, 1500-01], [http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no625/aCP40no625fronts/IMG_0622.htm fronts, 0622] (AALT).</ref> She brought him, among other estates, the manor of Barsted, near Borough Green, in Wrotham. He had two legitimate daughters and an acknowledged illegitimate son, John Wrotham. He is recorded as helpful to his stepchildren, Robert and Alice Couen, the children of his second wife Lora.<ref>L.S. Woodger, 'Peckham, James (d.1400), of Yaldham in Wrotham and Hadlow, Kent', in J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe (eds), ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421'' (from Boydell and Brewer, 1993), [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/peckham-james-1400 History of Parliament Online].</ref>

==Career== In 1377, he was poll tax collector for Kent.

Peckham was Member of Parliament for Kent 1372, October 1377, February 1383, February 1388, and September 1388.<ref>''History of Parliament online''</ref>

He was appointed Sheriff of Kent in 1380 and 1389.<ref>E. Hasted, 'Wrotham', in ''The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent'', Vol. 5 (W. Bristow, Canterbury 1798), pp. 6-32. British History Online [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp6-32 pp. 6-32] (British History Online).</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peckham, James}} Category:1340s births Category:1400 deaths Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:English MPs 1372 Category:English MPs October 1377 Category:English MPs February 1383 Category:English MPs February 1388 Category:English MPs September 1388 Category:High sheriffs of Kent Category:People from Wrotham