Bassingbourne Gawdy (died 1590)

Bassingbourne Gawdy (1535[1] – 20 January 1590[2]), of West Harling, Norfolk, was an English landowner, magistrate and Member of Parliament (MP).[3]

He was the second son of Thomas Gawdy (d.1556) of Shotesham and Redenhall, Norfolk, by his father's first wife, Anne, daughter and coheiress of John Bassingbourne of Woodhall, Hatfield, Hertfordshire.[2] He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, matriculating in 1545,[4] and trained in the law at the Inner Temple.

In 1557 Bassingbourne was investigated for selling wood at Middleton Hall.[5] On 26 September 1558 Gawdy married Anne Wotten.[6][7] Through her, Bassingbourne obtained property in West Harling.[8]

He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Suffolk from c. 1573 and for Norfolk from c. 1583, and was High Sheriff of Norfolk for 1578–79.[2] In 1584 he was elected an MP for Eye, Suffolk.

Bassingbourne Gawdy was buried on 25 January 1589/90 at West Harling.[9][10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c J.H., 'Gawdy, Bassingbourne I (d.1590), of West Harling, Norf.', in P.W. Hasler (ed.), The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603 (from Boydell and Brewer, 1981), History of Parliament Online.
  3. ^ J. Rowe, 'Gawdy family (per. c. 1500–1723)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press 2004, updated version 2008), subscription required for internet access.
  4. ^ "Gawdy, Bassingborne (GWDY545B)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  5. ^ M.M. Gowdy, ed. G.T. Ridlon, A Family History Comprising the Surnames of Gade [etc] ... and the Variant Forms, from A. D. 800 to A. D. 1919, 2 vols (Journal Press, Lewiston, Me. 1919), I, pp. 41-42 (Hathi Trust). This source is utterly confused.
  6. ^ 'The king and prince at Culford, 1618-19', in J. Nichols, The Progresses, Processions and Magnificent Festivities of King James the First, 3 vols (J.B. Nichols, London 1828), III, at pp. 525-6 from BL MS 4173.(Google).
  7. ^ H. L. Meakin, The Painted Closet of Lady Anne Bacon Drury (Ashgate, Aldershot, 2013), pp. 32-3, has the visit at Redgrave.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Bassingborne Gawdye sen. esquier was buried xxv. daye of January 1589", Parish Registers of West Harling, Norfolk, commencing 1538: Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, ref. PD 27/1.
  10. ^ Blomefield mistakenly gives 1569 for the date of the elder Bassingbourne's death, and therefore wrongly assigns the shrievalty of 1573 to the younger Bassingbourne, see Jeayes, Letters of Philip Gawdy, Introduction, pp. viij-ix (Internet Archive).