| Notes |
- [[Category: England, pre-1700 Managed Profiles]]
[[Category:Cranbrook, Kent]]
{{England}}
==Biography==
{{Notables Sticker}}
James was the first of four sons, born to [[Wilsford-4|Thomas Wilsford]] and his wife [[Culpepper-45|Elizabeth Culpepper]], who also had nine daughters. After his mothers' death his father remarried and had a further fives sons and one daughter. <ref name="Wikipedia">‘James Wilsford’. In Wikipedia, 2 January 2019. [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Wilsford&oldid=876526707 Wikipedia entry]</ref>
James' family originated from Devon, but had settled in Kent by the beginning of the 16th century. James' Grandfather, also named James, a merchant tailor, sheriff and alderman of London, had established the family's fortunes and it was the estates in Kent which Thomas, James' father had inherited. <ref name="ODNB">‘Wilford, Sir James (b. in or before 1517, d. 1550), Soldier | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography’. Accessed 1 March 2019. [https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/29406 ODNB]</ref><ref name="HOPO">‘WILFORD, Sir James (by 1517-50), of Hartridge, Kent. | History of Parliament Online’. Accessed 2 March 2019. [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/wilford-sir-james-1517-50 History of Parliament Online]</ref>
It is here that it should be noted that the James Wilford of this profile, should not be confused with his first cousin, James Wilford, of Broad Street ward, London, and Surrey, eldest son of John Wilford.
In 1538, James was considered for the post of daily waiter in the household of [[Cromwell-12|Sir Thomas Cromwell]], [[Tudor-4|Henry VIII]]'s secretary. It is not certain if the post was offered or accepted, but he was not affected by Cromwells' downfall and in 1542 had obtained a minor position in the King's service. In that same year, James and his lifelong friend [[Wyatt-244|Thomas Wyatt]], were granted a pardon for an assault and robbery.<ref name="ODNB" /><ref name="HOPO" />
James married Joyce, daughter of John Barrett of Aveley, Essex, by 1543. They had one son, Thomas, and two daughters. <ref name="ODNB" />
In 1544, at the outbreak of war, James was included in the Kent muster and served with distinction in the campaign which led to the fall of Boulogne.<ref name="HOPO" /> He was offered a command at Basse Boulogne under Adrian Poynings in June 1546, but he refused. However, the refusal to command under Poynings did not go against him, and Henry VIII rewarded him with an annuity worth £50. <ref name="HOPO" /> In 1547, a note in the state papers said "''whiche either for ther experyens wysdom lernyng or languages ar mete to serve in the most part of things''". Following this he was appointed provost-marshal of the army for the Scottish campaign of the lord protector, [[Seymour-76|Edward Seymour]], Duke of Somerset. The Battle of Pinkie was where James showed his valour. He was noted to have, on the 10 September 1547, "''placed himself with the foremost of the foreward''". His bravery was to be rewarded on the 28th September 1547, when he was given a Knighthood.<ref name="ODNB" />
It is without doubt, that Somerset recommended James for the Barnstaple seat in Parliament in 1547. He was almost certainly chosen in his absence, but when finally returning South with the army, he would have spoken out at the first session, to instill the need to end the war.<ref name="HOPO" /> After the prorogation, he traveled back to London, where he raised more troops in the hope of ending the war. By the 22nd February, 1548, he was on his way back to Scotland. He arrived at Newcastle upon Tyne on 12th March 1548, and took up the command of Lauder, Berwickshire. By April, he was involved in the capture of Haddington, and was subsequently made Governor by the 13th Lord Grey de Wilton. For almost a year, despite poor defenses, lack of food and sickness, he held Haddington, until an ill advised attack on Dunbar Castle in early 1549, lead to his being wounded and subsequent capture. <ref name="HOPO" />
James' health deterioated rapidy, and upon hearing this, Lord Grey persuaded the council to gain his release with an exchange of prisoners. In November 1549, he arrived at York in an extremely weak condition. He had missed the second sitting of Parliament and would have definitely missed the third due to his deteriorating health. His wife came with their children to attend to him.<ref name="HOPO" />
James was awarded the keepership of Otford Park, Kent, made steward of the manor of Gravesend, Kent, and awarded an annuity of £133 6s. 8d during February and March of 1550, <ref name="Wikipedia" />although he was living in the Crutched Friars, London, at a house belonging to Sir Thomas Wyatt, when he made his will on 18th Nov. 1550. His death came soon after at the Crutched Friars, London house, and he was buried at St Bartholomew by the Exchange on 24th November 1550. His eulogy was delivered by Miles Coverdale. <ref name="Wikipedia" /><ref name="HOPO" /> <ref name="ODNB" />
==Sources==
<references />
== Acknowledgements==
This profile was supported through the import of Frank Walter Sands_ Family Tre.ged on Nov 14, 2011 by [[Sands-185 | Frank Walter Sands]].
Author: Gillian Thomas
Author: Robin Lee
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My Family History
Abt 1516 - 1550 (34 years)