Family and Education

?s. of William Pedewell of Wells. m. Agnes, 2s.1

Offices Held

Keeper of the streets (vicorum), Wells Mich. 1391-3; rent collector 1409-11; constable of the peace 1413-14, 1419-20; master 1422-3.2

Biography

Pedewell was admitted to the freedom of Wells in 1390, by virtue of his having married the daughter of a burgess. His trade was then given as ‘webb’ (weaver), an indication that he was possibly the son of, and almost certainly related to, William Pedewell, who followed the same trade and had been admitted to the freedom in 1380. John was assessed for alnage on 71 ‘dozens’ sold in the locality between 1395 and 1397 and on 47 broad cloths produced in 1402-3. He provided pledges for the admission of ten other freemen between 1406 and 1428. Apart from his more permanent offices, he performed various other duties in Wells, including that of local tax collector in the High Street and ‘Towkerstrete’ in 1407-8 and 1419-20, respectively. In 1423 he was enfeoffed by Richard Setter* of the latter’s property in the town.3

Of his own holdings in Wells nothing is known save that from July 1405 he, his wife and his son, another John, had secured from the master and commonalty of Wells a lease for term of their lives of a messuage, for which they agreed to pay an annual rent of 20s.4

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: L. S. Woodger

Notes

• 1. Wells City Chs. (Som. Rec. Soc. xliv), 125, 141; Wells town Clerk’s office, convoc. bk. 1378-1450, f. 163.
• 2. Convoc. bk. ff. 95, 103, 179, 186, 200, 211, 235.
• 3. E101/343/28, 30, 344/3, 4; Wells City Chs. 105-6, 129, 134-8, 141-2; convoc. bk. ff. 174, 177, 222.
• 4. Convoc. bk. f. 163.