John Holt (15th-century judge) facts for kids

John Holt (who passed away in 1418) was an English judge. He worked in the Court of Common Pleas, which was an important court in England. John Holt was from a place called Northamptonshire and owned land there. His name appears in old legal records from 1366, during the time of King Edward III.

A Judge's Life and Challenges

In 1377, which was the last year King Edward III ruled, John Holt became a King's Serjeant. This was a special type of lawyer who worked for the King.

Later, in 1383, he was chosen to be a judge in the Court of Common Pleas. This court handled many important legal cases for regular people. Around Christmas in 1384, he was also made a Knight banneret, which was an honor given to brave knights.

A Difficult Time for Judges

In 1387, John Holt and other judges were called to meet with King Richard II in Nottingham. The King wanted their opinion on some decisions made by the parliament. The judges, including John Holt, agreed that parliament's actions, which had set up a special council, were not allowed by law.

Because of this opinion, John Holt was arrested on February 3, 1388, while he was working in court. He was put on trial on March 2. He explained that he felt pressured by powerful people like the Archbishop of York and the Earl of Suffolk to give that opinion. However, parliament still found him guilty.

Banishment and Return

Important church leaders spoke up for John Holt, and his life was saved. Instead of a harsher punishment, he was sent away to live in Ireland for the rest of his life. He was given money to live in a town called Drogheda.

In 1391, his lands were given to his son, also named John. But things changed! In 1397, parliament decided to end his banishment, and the next year, his punishment was completely reversed. This meant his lands were supposed to be given back to him.

However, King Richard II was removed from power, which made it hard for John Holt to get all his lands back right away. In the second year of the next king's rule, John Holt asked again for his lands. His request was granted, but because some of his lands had been given to other people, he had to agree to fair payments for those who now had them. After these agreements, his lands were finally returned to him.

When John Holt passed away in 1418, his lands went to his son, Hugh.

Studying John Holt's Land Dealings

John Holt's involvement with a specific piece of land called the manor of Whilton in Northamptonshire is discussed in a book by Robert Palmer. The book is called 'The Whilton Dispute, 1264-1380: A Social-Legal Study of Dispute Settlement in Medieval England'. It helps us understand how land disagreements were settled a long time ago.