Family and Education

b. by 1502, 2nd s. of Thomas Quarnby of Derby. m. Julian, da. and h. of one Mapurley, wid. of Robert Mellors (d.1515 or later) of Nottingham.2

Offices Held

Biography

Of Derby origin, Nicholas Quarnby married the widow of an influential Nottingham freeman, whose own family, the Mapurleys, had supplied a Member for the town in 1478. Unlike his nephew Humphrey Quarnby he did not make use of his marriage to enter the governing body of Nottingham although he appears to have had no property or other interests elsewhere. He was involved in several chancery suits before Wolsey, one as plaintiff against William Hyton for retaining the title deeds to his land in Nottingham, and another as defendant in a similar action brought against him by one of his wife’s kinsmen; he also sued Oliver Rigby, the parson of Cossall church, for giving to another the tithe corn promised him in 1523. In 1533 he was himself successfully sued in the Exchequer for a debt of £40 by the widow of a London alderman.3

Quarnby’s return for Nottingham at the by-election held on 29 Jan. 1535, only four days after the death of one of the Members, Henry Statham, he probably owed to his nephew William Mellors, then one of the sheriffs of the borough and as such debarred from election. Two other members of the Mellors family were among the electors. This is the last reference found to Quarnby, who may not have survived to sit in the Parliament of 1536 in accordance with the King’s general request for the return of the previous Members.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: C. J. Black

Notes

• 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.
• 2. Date of birth estimated from first reference. Thoroton, Notts. ed. Throsby, ii. 41.
• 3. C1/438/3, 540/34-6, 560/2; E13/211, m. 19.
• 4. C219/18A/10 gives 29 Jan., not 25 Jan. as ptd. in OR.