Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Tyrrell, John
TYRRELL, Sir JOHN (d. 1437), speaker of the House of Commons, was the son of Sir Thomas Tyrrell of Herne in Essex by his wife Elianor, daughter of John Flambard. The family claimed descent from Walter Tirel [q. v.], the reputed slayer of William Rufus. John was returned to parliament for the county of Essex in 1411, and also sat in that which met at Westminster on 14 May 1413. On the outbreak of the French war he served under Henry V in France, was present at Agincourt among the king's retinue, and was appointed by him surveyor of the carpenters of the new works at Calais. He represented Essex in the parliaments of 1417 and 1419 and in the first parliament of 1421, and in those of 1422, 1425, 1427, 1429, 1431, 1433, and 1437. In 1423 he was appointed sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire. In the parliament of 1427 he was elected speaker of the House of Commons, and was again nominated to the same dignity in 1431 (Rolls of Parl. iv. 317, 368). On 9 March 1430–1 he was appointed by the king to attend him as one of his council in France, and on 23 April he was allowed pay for two men-at-arms and nine archers (Nicolas, Acts of the Privy Council, iv. 82, 84). On 1 March 1431–2 he was acting as treasurer of the war in France, and on 13 July he is styled treasurer of the king's household (ib. pp. 109, 121). In April 1434 he took part in a great council held at Westminster by the Duke of Gloucester (ib. p. 212), and in 1437 he was chosen speaker of the lower house for the third time (Rolls of Parl. iv. 496). In March, however, he was compelled by illness to retire, and he was succeeded as speaker by William Burley [q. v.] Tyrrel died before 1 Sept. 1437 (Cal. Inquis. post mort. iv. 181). He was married to Eleanor, who was second daughter of Sir William de Coggeshall of Little Coggeshall Hall. He was succeeded in his estate by his son, Sir Thomas Tyrrell (d. 1476). Another son, William, was father of Sir James Tyrrell [q. v.], the alleged murderer of the princes in the Tower.
[Visitation of Essex, Harl. Soc.; Manning's Lives of the Speakers, 1850, pp. 77–9; Nicolas's Hist. of the Battle of Agincourt, 1832, p. 385; Rotuli Normanniæ, 1835, p. 348; Morant's Hist. of Essex, passim.]Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.268
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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