1513, he had the King's letters of protection, being made captain of the pioneers at the siege of Therovene. In 6th Henry VIII. he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer for life; and that year attended the Lady Mary, the King's sister, into France, to her marriage with Lewis XII. In 19 Henry VIII. he obtained a grant from the King, of the inheritance of the manors and advowsons of Oakham, Effingham, Waldingham, Titsey in Surrey, Stratton, Audeley in Oxfordshire, Knoke in Wiltshire, and Up-Clatford in Southamptonshire, with all the knights fees belonging to them. It is also observable, that this John Lord Berners was a person so eminent for his learning, that by the command of King Henry VIII. he translated the Chronicle of Sir John Froisart, out of French into English: he likewise translated several other works, out of French, Spanish, and Italian, as, the Life of Sir Arthur, an Armorican Knt. The famous Exploits of Hugh of Bourdeaux. Marcus Aurelius, and the Castle of Love. Besides which, he composed a book, Of the Duties of the Inhabitants at Calais, and a comedy intituled, Ite in Vineam. He had issue, only two daughters,
Mary, married to Alexander Unton, Esq. son and heir of Sir Thomas Unton of Wadley in Berkshire, Knt. to whom she was first wife, but died without issue, and
Jane, her sister, by her death, became sole heir to her father; she married Edm. Knevet, Esq. serjeant-porter to King Henry VIII. who became lord and patron of Ashwellthorp, and owner of the Thorp's estate; he was second son of Edmund Knevet of Bukenham castle in Norfolk, Esq. and settled at Ashwell-Thorp-hall, and had in his wife's right, the manors of Barneholt, Horham, Thorp-hall, and Cowling in Suffolk, Thetford in the isle of Ely, Loveden in Tyd St. Mary in Lincolnshire, Ashwell-Thorp, Colkirk, North-Creke, Gateley, &c. in Norfolk; Killingholm, Alyseby, Boston, Toft, Skyrbeck, Pynchbeck, Thorp-hall, and Bacons, in Quaplode in Lincolnshire; Ryngburgh in Yorkshire, Fisherwick, Bacre, Bromwych, and Shefeld in Staffordshire, and Stonham Aspal in Suffolk, &c. of all which, except the six last manors, the said Edmund Knevet, Esq. and Jane his wife, had livery, 5th July, 25 Henry VIII. together with Walpole manor in Lincolnshire. He was constituted receiver of the revenues of the King's domains in Denbigh in North-Wales; and dying in 1546, was buried in the chapel adjoining to Ashwellthorp chancel; and then Jane his widow surrendered the manor of Thetford in Ely isle, to her eldest son John, and Agnes his wife: and her manor of Gately in 1551, to William and Edmund Knevet, her younger sons, for life; and in 1557, her manors of Quaplode, Holbech, Pynchbek, Multon, Skyrbek, Boston, Killingholm, and Aylsby in Lincolnshire, to the use of her other executors, for 80 years, &c. and then to her right heirs. In 1560, she made her last will, and ordered her body to be buried by her husband: she gave Colkirk to her 2d son William, and Gately and North Creke to her son Edmund, remainder to her right heirs, her daughters, Rose widow of Oliver Reymes, Alice wife of Oliver
