Note: This profile draws heavily from: J. S. Roskell, L. Clark, and C. Rawcliffe, eds., The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1386-1421, pages 286-287, a biography of John Salerne (d. 1415). There's an online copy, as well. Their biography cites some additional sources that I have not incorporated below—deliberately, since I didn't consider the information interesting, genealogically important, or (in some cases) was unable to verify/find supporting evidence. If you intend to review their source citations, this list of abbreviations will prove helpful.

On 20 September 1364 1050814John Salerne received a license to export money and cloth, apparently to Gascony.1 On 26 September he received a similar license to export via the Port of Ipswich.2 The earlier record describes him as a vintner (wine-seller) from Rye, and the latter as a vintner from Hastings. Thus begins the paper trail of an apparent businessman who seems to have been fairly well off throughout his life in East Sussex.

In 1374 a man named John Glesham was in debt to 1050814John Salerne, who therefore had Glesham arrested in Rye. However, a group of "evildoers and accomplices" broke into the prison and freed Glesham. On 20 November 1374, the warden of the Cinque Ports ordered the re-arrest of Glesham and an investigation of who broke into the prison.3

In the midst of the Hundred Years War, on 29 June 1377 French soldiers invaded East Sussex, destroyed Rye, then proceeded to raid other nearby towns over the following months. Historian Jonathan Sumption describes the attack on Rye:4

On 29 June 1377 the French and Castilian admirals landed at dawn beneath the ruins of Winchelsea. The invaders beached their ships and made their way in the early light along the marshy estuary of the Rother to fall on Rye. Rye was vulnerable, as those who remembered the French raid of 1339 knew. It was a small river port which then stood about a mile inland on a low cliff above the river estuary, gnawed by the tides on its eastern side. The municipality had levied money to build a circuit of walls but the defences were still incomplete when the French returned. The inhabitants at first resisted with ferocity. But after the first assault, in which many of them were killed, the rest fled into the country around or surrendered to the invaders. The French Admiral, Jean de Vienne, occupied the town. He sent most of his army back to the ships to continue their cruise west towards Hastings. He himself planned to dig his force in at Rye and use it as a base for wasting the surrounding, region.4

Not surprisingly, then, Englishmen in the area were fearful of French invasion for some years thereafter. On 14 January 1385, 1050814John is explicitly mentioned as one who had left the area, apparently to avoid a suspected impending invasion. Despite his absence, he was ordered to contribute money to help fortify the area.5

He wasn't gone for long, though, since a record dated 12 January 1387 notes that he was the mayor of Rye, a baron of the Cinque Ports, and was also preparing a navy for an expedition.6 In 1386, 1388, and 1391, he represented Rye in Parliament; one record mentions his expenses for traveling to London to convene with Parliament.7 (In addition to the aforementioned 1387 record, a later record dated 18 July 1391 also describes him as mayor.8)

A 1388 court record mentions his wife 1050815Agnes, and is the earliest record I've found that mentions her.9 (The History of Parliament article by Roskell et al. states that they had married sometime before April 1379, although I've been unable to determine which source they cite to support this statement.)

Sometime between 25 December and 2 February 1389/90, 1050814John had hired a chaplain to obtain papal bulls (from Pope Boniface IX) for (1) indulgences for himself and his wife 1050815Agnes, and (2) a license to have a priest at his manor called Leigh in Iden. The chaplain was supposed to return with the papal bulls by midsummer 1390, and 1050814John had already made a partial payment, but the chaplain didn't come through. 1050814John therefore sued him, claiming £20 in damages.10 As best I can tell, Leigh manor no longer exists.

Beginning in the late 1390's, 1050814John is named as a party in various land transactions/records. Below is a summary of some of these.

1050814John was the Sheriff of Sussex and Surry counties from 3 November 1397 to 16 November 1398.18

1050814John's wife 1050815Agnes was still living in February 1405,15 but she died sometime thereafter (and before her husband).19 (She may have died by 1407, but this is somewhat unclear.20) 1050814John re-married to Margery ___.19

This February 1405 court record is the last I've found that mentions 1050814John and 1050815Agnes together. Full page.15

A record dated 12 Febuary 1415 shows that someone was in debt to 1050814John for £110, a very large sum, so it's plausible that 1050814John may have taken up money-lending as a business.21

1050814John died a few months later. Below is a transcription of his will, which is in Latin, along with an English translation. The will is dated 14 November 1415 and was proved 8 December.19

As you can see, 1050814John requested to be buried in Iden's parish church, i.e. All Saints, which is at coordinates N50.9813 E0.7274. Below is a photo of the church's interior.22

The interior of All Saints Church, Iden, East Sussex, where 1050814John is buried.22

Sources Cited:

1: Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office, Edward III, Volume XIII (1364-1367), page 16.

2: ibid., page 17.

3: Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office, Edward III, Volume XVI (1374-1377), 57.

4: Jonathan Sumption, The Hundred Years War, Volume 3: Divided Houses (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009), page 281.

5: Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office, Richard II, Volume II (1381-1385), page 519.

6: Calendar of the Close Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office, Richard II, Volume III (1385-1389), page 290.

7: John Stokes, "The Barons of New Romney in Parliament," Archaeologia Cantiana, Volume 29, pages 46-47.

8: Fifth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts: Part I (London, 1876), page 512, abstract of a deed from Robert Bocher to John Macope and his wife Alice. The abstract simply provides the year (15 Richard II), but the record is actually dated 18 July 1391.

9: L. F. Salzmann, An Abstract of Feet of Fines For the County of Sussex, From 1 Edward II to 24 Henry VII [Volume 3] (Sussex Record Society, 1916), page 196, entry #2588. The entry is in the section for the year 12 Richard II [= 1388] and reads, "John Salerne of Rye and Agnes his wife (by Robert Oxebrigg) v. Thomas Cokefeld and Laurencia his wife; 7 marks rent in Idenne; to John and Agnes. (File 77. No. 7.)."

10: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office reference RYE/47/1/4. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the link provided.

11: L. F. Salzmann, An Abstract of Feet of Fines For the County of Sussex, From 1 Edward II to 24 Henry VII [Volume 3] (Sussex Record Society, 1916), page 208, entry #2680. The entry is in the section for the year 21 Richard II [= 1397] and reads, "Robert Oxenbregge and William Marchaunt v. John Salerne and Agnes his wife; a messuage, 152 acres of land, 10 acres of wood, 40 acres of heath, 310 acres of marsh, £4 13s. 4d. rent in Idenne, Playdenne, Rye and Bekkele; to John and Agnes for life, remainder to William son of Roger Asshburnham and Ann his wife, daughter to the said John and Agnes, and heirs of their bodies, contingent remainder to right heirs of John. (File 79. No. 11.)."

12: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office reference number RYE/136/152. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the link provided.

13: L. F. Salzmann, An Abstract of Feet of Fines For the County of Sussex, From 1 Edward II to 24 Henry VII [Volume 3] (Sussex Record Society, 1916), page 212, entry #2680. The entry is in the section for the year 2 Henry IV [= 1401] and reads, "William Marchaunt and Richard Huntyngdon v. John Salerne and Agnes his wife; a messuage, 162 acres of land, 10 acres of wood, 50 acres of heath, 310 acres of marsh, 77s. rent in Idenne; to John and Agnes for life, remainder to Richard Brenchesle and Ann his wife for life, remainder to right heirs of John. (File 80. No. 18.)."

14: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office reference number RYE/122/2. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the link provided.

15: UK National Archives reference CP 25/1/112/263/248. I obtained an image of this record from: Anglo-American Legal Tradition, O'Quinn Law Library, University of Houston; <http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT4/CP25(1)/CP25_1_112/IMG_0289.htm>, accessed 12 May 2022. An abstract of this record at <https://www.kentarchaeology.ac/Records/KRNS5-2.pdf> (Search "248") reads as follows:

16: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office (ESBHRO) reference RYE/136/163. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the link provided.

17: Inquisitions and Assessments Relating to Feudal Aids [...]: 1284-1431, Volume 6 (London, 1920), page 527.

18: David Burns, The Sheriffs of Surrey (Phillimore, 1992), page 55.

19: E. F. Jacob, ed., and H. C. Johnson, The Register of Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury: 1414-1443, Volume II (University Press, Oxford, 1937), page 70. This a transcription of the will of Iohannis Salerne, which is in Latin. I have been unable to find the original record that Jacob and Johnson transcribed.

20: UK National Archives reference C 1/4/78. I obtained an image of this record from: Anglo-American Legal Tradition, O'Quinn Law Library, University of Houston; <http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT4/ChP/C1no4/IMG_0091.htm>, accessed 12 May 2022.

21: UK National Archives reference C 131/59/8

22: Leonard Bentley, "All Saints Church, Iden" (photograph taken 30 December 2015). Flickr, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/31363949@N02/24038021106/, accessed 31 May 2022. Mr. Bentley has made this image available under a Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0 license.