Here's an interesitng account of Jane's possible parentage, via the licence for the second marriage of her dau. Joan:

From: therav3@aol.com
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
Subject: Possible identification of Jane, wife of Sir Richard Empson (d. 1510)
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 16:49:30 +0000 (UTC)

Dear Adrian, Doug, Chris, Rosie, Leo, Ian, et al.,

     The ancestry of the infamous Sir Richard Empson and his wife Jane is
little known, but a piece of evidence has come to my notice which should
provide direction to resolving at least part of this puzzle.

     The following record is given in Testamenta Eboracensia:

     â_˜ 1507-8, Jan. 22.  Licence from the archbishop of Canterbury
      for Sir William Pierrepoint, knt., and Joan, widow of Henry
      Sothill, late dioc. Lincoln, to marry.  On Jan. 20th, a
      dispensation was given to them at London by Hadrian, cardinal-
      priest of St. Grisogonus, they being related in 3rd and 4th
      degrees.  Reg. Bainbridge, 5 a. â_˜ [1]
    
     The above entry provides a date for the licence for Joan Empson,
widow of Henry Sothill or Soothill, to marry her 2nd husband.  I had
not seen this date cited previously, so this appears to provide that
further detail for those interested in/descended from this couple.

     More importantly, this record also evidences that there was
a near relationship between Joan Empson and Sir William Pierrepont.
The relationship is poorly defined at best: without an examination
of the original document or a more complete transcript, it is
possible that a relationship of affinity is intended (i.e., that
husbands #1 (Henry Sothill) and #2 (Sir William Pierrepont) were
themselves related by blood).

     Despite this uncertainty, I would like to suggest a possible area
for further study, and what may well be the relationship that existed
between Joan Empson and Sir William Pierrepont.  Sir William's
maternal grandfather was John Burdon 'of Nottingham', most likely of
the same family as Sir Nicholas Burdon, 1st husband of Millicent
Beckering or Bekeryng [2].  Millicent Beckering married 2ndly Sir
John Markham, as his 2nd wife, by whom she had Sir John Markham, later
Lord Chief Justice (1461-1469) under Edward IV.  Sir John Markham had
issue by his wife Margaret Leke: the possibility that this issue may
have included a daughter Jane, wife of the attorney Sir Richard Empson
presents itself, and would solve the relationship as follows (note
conjectured relationships denoted ......) :

                                <2>                              <1>
      1) Sir Nicholas     =   Millicent    = 2) Sir John   = Elizabeth
        Burdon (d. 1403)  I   Beckering    I    Markham    I   Cressy
                          I          _____ I ______________I
     _____________________I__        I     I_______
     I                      I        I            I
  NN Burdon            Elizabeth = Robert      Sir John Markham
     :                             Markham     Chief Justice (d. 1479)
     :                                            :
  John Burdon                                     :
     I                         Sir Richard  =  Jane [Markham ?]
     I                          Empson      I
  Margaret  =  Sir Francis      (exe. 1410) I
            I  Pierrepont          _________I_____________________
            I                      I       I       I      I      I
            I                      I     Thomas  John  Elizabeth I
            I                      I                          ___I
   2) Sir William Pierrepont  =   Joan   = 1) Henry           I
                              I  Empson  I   Sothill        Anne
                              I          I
                              V          V


     The above chart would provide the 3rd & 4th degree relationship
stipulated in the licence and dispensation of 20 Jan 1507/08.  

     The descendants of Sir Richard and Jane (___) Empson are legion,
including Prince Charles, Sarah (Duchess of York), and many SGM
list members, to name but a very few.  Should anyone have additional
information concerning the Markham, Burdon or other families that
would serve to confirm or disprove the relationship conjectured
above, that would be greatly appreciated.

     Cheers,

                               John *



NOTES:

[1] Testamenta Eboracensia: A Selection of Wills from the Registry
     at York (Durham: Andrews & Co., 1865), III:365.

[2] See Rosie Bevan's post to SGM entitled <Cressy and Markham Problems>,
    13 Oct 2002, which cites S. J. Payling, Political Society in Lancastrian
    England (OUP, 1991).
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