John Bayntun was the sole heir of the de la Mare, de la Roche and Beauchamp Saint Amand families after the death of his cousin, Sir Richard de Beauchamp

Married:
JOAN DIGGES
The daughter of Thomas Digges, of Chilham, Kent
This marriage took place in 1480

John Bayntun was born in 1460, at Faulston House, in the County of Wiltshire. Medieval documents refer to him as John Baynton, however the family changed the spelling of their surname to Bayntun sometime around the beginning of the 17th century.

By an Act of Parliament, he obtained a reversal of the attainder of his father, Robert Bayntun, for high treason committed at Tewkesbury in 1471, with a restoration in blood and inheritance and thus recovered the many family manors, including the Manor of Fallerston (Faulston). This was the main Bayntun family residence for nine generations and remained in the family until 1577, along with the Manor of Horton and the Manor of Tollard Lucy.

The following is the wording of the Bill presented to the aforesaid Lord King in the aforesaid Parliament, 19 Henry VII, February, 1504, containing the text of an Act giving His Majesty the authority to make restitution to certain persons; the tenor of which follows and is thus:

Our Sovereign Lord the King, in consideration of the fact that many different people, some of whom, and some of whose ancestors, were and are attainted of high treason for various offences committed and done by them contrary to their natural duty of allegiance, sue and have sued urgently and diligently in great humility to His Highness, that he might of his mercy and pity have the said attainders reversed, and each of the same persons so attainted restored: that is to say, Humphrey Stafford, son of Humphrey Stafford, esquire, John Baynton, son of Robert Baynton, late of Fallesdon in the county of Wiltshire, Robert Ratclyff, son of John Ratclyff, knight, late Lord Fitzwalter, Thomas Mountford, son and heir of Simon Mountford, knight, Thomas Wyndham, son of John Wyndham, knight, Thomas Tyrell, son of James Tyrell, knight, John Charleton, son of Richard Charleton, knight, Charles Clifford, son and heir of Jane, sister and heir of Thomas Courteney, late earl of Devon, John Malory of Litchborough in the county of Northampton, gentleman. The King's Highness, of his especial grace, mercy and pity, being sorry for any such injury and fall of any of his subjects in such a case, is therefore inclined in reason to hear and expedite the said petitioners, were there convenient time and space in this present Parliament, as there is not on account of the great and weighty matters concerning the common weal of this land which have been dealt with in the same, and that the said Parliament is nearly at an end, and afterwards, for the ease of his subjects, his same Highness does not intend to call and summon a new Parliament for a long time, unless for great need and pressing reasons, during which long period of time the said suitors and petitioners would and should be without comfort, and despair of the expedition of their suits, petitions and causes, unless an appropriate remedy were provided for them in this matter. Wherefore and in consideration of the foregoing, the King's Highness has agreed and is content that it be enacted by the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and of the commons assembled in this present Parliament, and by authority of the same, that the King's Highness shall henceforth, during his lifetime, have full and complete authority and power, by his letters patent under his great seal, to reverse, annul, repeal and make void all the attainders of the said persons and each of them, and of the heirs of each of them, and of all other persons, and of the heirs of such persons and each of them, as have been attainted of high treason by Act of Parliament or by the common law, at any time between the 22nd August, in the first year of his most noble reign [1485], and the first day of this present Parliament, and also of all other persons attainted in and by the present Parliament, and also of all other persons attainted of treason at any time during the reign of King Richard III, both by process and order of the common law, and by authority of Parliament or otherwise. And furthermore the King's Grace, by his letters patent under his said great seal, shall have full authority and power to restore the same persons attainted in this way, and their heirs, and each of them, and to enable them in name, blood and inheritance as if the said attainders, or any of them, had never been had or made; and the said letters patent setting out the said reversal, repeal, annulment and voiding of these said acts of attainder or any of them, and the restitutions and enablements of the said persons or any of them, and the inheritance contained in any of the king's said letters patent to be made at any time hereafter, according to the effect of this Act, shall be as good, effectual and valid in law to each of the same persons to whom they shall be made, after the effect, tenor, purports, grants and words contained in them, according to the effect of this act, as if the same matters, words, tenors and purports contained in any of the said letters patent so made had been fully enacted, decreed and authorised by authority of Parliament.

When this Bill was read, and fully understood, in the said Parliament, it was answered as below by the said Lord King, by the aforesaid advice, assent and authority:

"The King wills it. Provided always that all persons that have or hold any honours, castles, lordships, manors, lands, tenements, fees, offices, annuities, fee-farms, rent charges, liberties, franchises and other hereditaments or possessions, assigned by the King's letters patent, privy seal, placard or bills, in fee-simple, fee-tail, or for term of life or years, or at will, or by letters patent made by King Edward IV, shall have, hold and enjoy to themselves, their heirs and assigns, against such persons as shall hereafter be restored in this way, and their heirs and assigns, and against all others to their use, and against no-one else, all the same honours, castles, manors, lordships, lands, tenements, fees, offices, rents and other things stated, according to the form, tenor and effect of the same letters patent, privy seal, placards or bills by which they have been assigned, as if this Act, or any such restitution made to them, had never been had or made".

Also in 1504, John sold the Manor of Marsh Baldon in Oxfordshire to Andrew Windsor, who was a member of an ancient family which had been Lords of Stanwell in Middlesex since the Conquest and had claimed to have held Marsh Baldon in the 11th century.

John Bayntun inherited a fortune in land and property from his first cousin, thrice removed, Sir Richard Beauchamp – Lord Saint Amand who died without legitimate issue in 1508. This branch of the de la Mare (Delamare), Roche, and Beauchamp families, became merged in the Wiltshire family of Bayntun. Their ancestor, Nicholas Bayntun (1382-1422) of Faulston, had married Joan, the younger daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Roche, and their son Sir John Bayntun (1407-c1447), afterwards married Jane, daughter of Sir Richard Dudley – the granddaughter and eventual heiress of Elizabeth, the elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Roche. Therefore the Bayntuns thus became the representatives of both families and the arms of the heiresses of Dudley, Beauchamp, Lord Saint Amand, Roche, de la Mare and Wanton were blazoned as quarterings on the Bayntun shield.

As a result John was raised to great riches and Bromham village, between Calne and Devizes, thenceforward formed the basis of the wealth and influence which would lead to the Bayntun family becoming the most prominent gentry family in north central Wiltshire. Faulston House ceased to be the family's main residence, although it remained Bayntun property for many years after and the main branch of the family appear to have resided thereafter at the 13th century Bromham House, where Sir Edward, the son and heir of John Bayntun, re-vamped and built the magnificent new– Bromham House.

Some of the many manors inherited by John Bayntun from the Roche/de la Mare/Beauchamp/Saint Amand familes were:

THE MANOR OF BROMHAM ROCHES
After the death of Sir Richard Beauchamp, John Bayntun became Lord of the Manor of Bromham Roches – one of Wiltshire's most famous manors.

THE MANOR OF OVER-WROUGHTON
John had previously held the Manor of Lower Wroughton, which was inherited by his ancestor, Nicholas Bayntun from the Daundely family who held it as far back as 1275. In 1508 John acquired the Roche's half of Overwroughton with lands at Nether-Wroughton.

THE MANOR OF BULKINGTON
The Manor of Bulkington was previously owned by Lord Saint Amand and for a long period of time was part of Keevil parish and much of its history is tied in with the Manor of Keevil. It was inherited by John Bayntun and was eventually sold to Roger Earth of Salisbury in 1562 by John's grandson, Sir Andrew Bayntun. In 1554 it was said that a rent out of a holding in Baynton's manor of Bulkington had formerly been paid to a chantry priest at Lavington, but no further reference to this has been found.

THE MANOR OF WHADDON
The Manor of Whaddon was owned by Sir John Roche and was passed onto his daughter, Elizabeth, at the time of her father's death and later inherited by John Bayntun from Lord Saint Amand. It was eventually sold by his grandson, Sir Andrew Bayntun, in 1555.

STOCK STREET FARM
Stock Street Farm comprised of 39 acres and was held in the late 14th century by Sir John Roche. This was also inherited by John Bayntun. It was sold sometime between 1771 and 1774 by Sir Edward Bayntun Rolt to Thomas Singer.

NUTHILL FARM
Nuthill Farm was also land inherited by John and this had also previously belonged to the Roche family, It comprised of 113 acres, with adjoining or nearby land at Chittoe, then in Bishop's Canning parish and lay northwest of Whetham Manor. This remained Bayntun property until 1739 when it was sold by Sir Edward Bayntun Rolt to Ralph Broome.

CHERHILL ESTATE
Before his death in September 1400 Sir John Roche had estates lying in Cherhill. These previously belonged to Guy de Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick and his wife Alice de Toni in 1315 and had descended through Saint Amand and then onto John Bayntun.

CHEDGLOW ESTATE
Land belonging to Sir John Roche – inherited by John Bayntun.

THE MANOR OF CHISENBURY
The Manor of Chisenbury (or Chisenbury de la Folly) was another manor inherited by John at this time. It remained part of the Bayntun estate until it was sold by Sir Andrew Bayntun in 1555.

NUTHILL FARM

John Bayntun was mentioned in a Tourn (a type of Court Roll for the local business of the village), as John Bayntun knight, holding one knights fee, military service in Faulston in 1506. However the inscription on the brass slab in his memory in the Bayntun Chapel at the Church of St. Nicholas in Bromham, does not indicate he was knighted. Instead he is referred to as John Bayntun, Arminger (esquire – entitled to bear arms without being knighted). He is again listed in another Tourn, dated 1515, as a resident or taxpayer in Faulston.

John and his wife, Joan Digges, had four sons and three daughters. His eldest son and heir was called Edward, followed by Richard, John and Thomas. Afer John's death his family dispersed to occupy Beauchamp property in various counties. Records also show that John had a sister, Elizabeth, who was a nun at Lacock Abbey circa 1515.

Before his death, Sir John Bayntun, made a gift, for the term of one life to his son, Robert and his wife, Elizabeth, the Manor of Marsh Baldon with appurtenances in Marsh Baldon and Newnham, in the county of Oxfordshire; the Manor of Compton Bassett, with appurtenances in Compton Bassett, Tilshead, Wilton and Barford St. Martin. Also a meadow called 'Kingesham', with appurtenances in Compton Chamberlayne, and lands and tenements in East Winterslow. The parties to this deed were: John Bayntun knight, Robert Bayntun and Elizabeth his wife (the son and daughter-in-law of John). Witnessed by Henry Makenay, John Athelham, John Gullok, Thomas Alewyn.

When John died on 31st October 1516, King Henry VIII had been on the throne for seven years and he was buried in the parish church of St. Nicholas in Bromham.

His wife had pre-deceased him and in his last will, dated 27th October 1515, three of his sons are mentioned – Edward, Richard and Thomas and his desire to be buried at St. Nicholas Church. His other son, John, was not included - perhaps he had died some time before this.

On the floor in the chapel there is a very interesting full sized slab (pictured below), bearing a brass effigy of a man in armor - nearly three feet long and an inscription written around the edges in Latin:

Orate pro aia John Baynton, Armigeri, filli et hered Roberti Baynton, militas. Consanguinei et hered Richardi de Beauchamp, domino de sco. Amando qui obiit ultimo die mensis Octobris. Anno domini millmo VCXVI. Cujus aie propicietur deus. Amen.

Translated:
Pray for the soul of John Bayntun, Arminger, son and Heir of Robert Bayntun, knight. Kinsman and heir of Richard Beauchamp, Lord St. Amand, who died the last day of October. Anno domini. On whose soul may God have mercy. Amen.

John Bayntun was succeeded by his eldest son and heir Sir Edward Bayntun