My Family Tree

Thomas Acton was my 15th great grandfather born 1415 in Longnor, Shropshire to William Acton and Mary Sprencheaux.

He was a lawyer at the Temple and member of the Vintners company in London; JP for Shropshire; MP for Bletchingley (Surrey), 1449, Arundel (Sussex) 1450-51 and Shropshire, 1459; and a supporter of the Yorkist faction who served on the commission of array in 1459 and accompanied King Edward IV on his campaign to beseige Lancastrian castles in the north of England in 1462.

In 1449 he married his first wife, Mary Horde and there were no children of this marriage. He married again to Joan Downton and they had 4 children. Thomas, John, Richard and Katherine.

He was a supporter of Richard, Duke of York as the following extraction from accounts shows:

The following extract from the accounts of the Bailiffs of Shrewsbury, A.D. 1457, refers to this fact: – “Paid for a breakfast to Thomas Acton and Thomas Hoord, for their good council, touching the return of a precept to the Duke of York, directed to the Bailiffs for surety of the peace.”

He inherited an estate at Longnor from his father before 1443 and purchased the Aldenham estate in 1465. Thomas died on the 8th February 1480

Records not imported into INDI (individual) Gramps ID I312681185334:

Line ignored as not understood Line 112503: 2 _CROP
Line ignored as not understood Line 112504: 3 _LEFT 147
Line ignored as not understood Line 112505: 3 _TOP 0
Line ignored as not understood Line 112506: 3 _WDTH 385
Line ignored as not understood Line 112507: 3 _HGHT 385
Line ignored as not understood Line 112508: 3 _TYPE primary