Sir John Tyrrell (c.1382 – 2 April 1437), of Heron in the Essex parish of East Horndon, was an English landowner, lawyer, administrator, and politician who was chosen three times as Speaker of the House of Commons.

Origins

John Tyrrell was the eldest son of Walter Tyrrell of Avon Tyrrell, Hampshire, by his wife Eleanor Flambard (died 29 March 1422), daughter and heiress of Edmund Flambard of Shepreth, Cambridgeshire, by his wife Elizabeth FitzRalph, daughter of Richard FitzRalph. After the death of Walter Tyrrell, Eleanor remarried to Sir Nicholas Haute (1357–c. 1415), MP, of Wadden Hall in Waltham, Kent. John was the grandson and heir of Sir Thomas Tyrrell (died 1382) who was buried at Downham, Essex, in 1382, and was survived by his wife, Alice.

Brothers

Tyrrell had the following four brothers:

Sisters

He probably also had a sister:

Career

John Tyrrell was appointed High Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1413 and again in 1423. He was elected knight of the shire for Essex 12 times between 1411 and 1437 and once for Hertfordshire in 1427. He was elected Speaker of the House of Commons three times, in 1421, 1429 and 1437. In 1427 he was appointed steward of Clare in Suffolk and Thaxted in Essex, during the minority of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, and chief steward of the Duchy of Lancaster north of Trent. He was a member of King Henry VI's council in France in 1431. He was knighted in 1431 and in May of that year was appointed Treasurer of the Royal Household, a post he held until his death.

Marriages and issue

First marriage

Tyrrell married firstly, at some time before 1411, Alice Coggeshall (died 1422), daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Coggeshall by his wife Antiocha Hawkwood, daughter and heiress of Sir John Hawkwood, by whom he had five surviving sons and four daughters, including:

Second marriage

He married secondly, at some time before 1427, Katherine Burgate (died after 1436), the widow successively of Robert Stonham (died 1397), of Stonham Aspal, Suffolk, and John Spencer (died 1417), of Banham, Norfolk, and daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Burgate (died 24 July 1409) of Burgate, Suffolk, by his wife Eleanor Visdelou, daughter of Sir Thomas Visdelou, by whom he had a daughter.

Sources