Sir John Hody (say 1395 – 1441-12) was my double 16th-great-grandfather and a lawyer, Member of Parliament, and jurist who held the position of Chief Justice of the King’s Bench for all of England from 1440-04-13 till his death. His legal acumen continued to be held in esteem for centuries to come. He married Elizabeth Jewe, and their daughter and my ancestor Joan/Joanna Hody married Sir Nicholas Latimer.
John fell violently ill while away from home. Realizing he may not survive, he composed a will dated 1441-12-17. He reportedly died before the end of the month.
John served in Parliament for several years, five times in all, in addition to his prestigious judicial appointments. He also served as an occasional advisor to Henry VI. See his linked biography below.
John’s wife Elizabeth’s brothers all died without issue, making her the heir to her father’s estate, which thus devolved to the Hodys.
John’s will lists four sons John, William, Thomas, and Alexander; a daughter Joanna (my ancestor); and unmarried daughters not named, but believed to be Mary and Margaret.ref His son William went on to become Attorney General of England and Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
His widow Elizabeth remarried to Robert Cappes.
The Hody family is documented in Devon for centuries back, but only sparsely, and John’s Hody descent has not been traced beyond his grandfather Adam Hody. However, Adam’s wife Isabel Gilbert can be traced through Hugh le Waleis back to Jocelyn de Welles the Fleming, John’s 11th-great-grandfather, who was born around 1030.ref