Talk:John Long (16th-century MP)

Errors in the Reference article

It should be noted that the reference article from The History of Parliament contains several errors, most notably the claim that his will was proved on 11 June 1602. In it he mentions his married sister and sole heir Clare Clary, therefore this was the will of his grandson John Long of Lymington (c.1571-1602) (visitation of Hampshire, Thomas Benolt).

John Long of Lymington, the son of Sir Henry Long - whom the HoP article incorrectly identifies as one and the same with the M.P of KNARESBOROUGH Apr. 1554, HEDON Nov. 1554, NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME 1563 and SHAFTESBURY, was mentioned in the will of Sir Henry's friend Richard Beauchamp, Lord St Armand in 1508, which would make him well over 100 years old in 1602. Extremely unlikely! The John Long who was Burgess of Lymington identified in 1574 and was later Mayor, apparently could not write, marking his name with a cross. This would preclude him from being the same John Long, writer of a still surviving account book as steward to the Earl of Pembroke.

There were several men named John Long living at the time of this M.P, and the HoP article is based on supposition that the subject is John Long of Draycot Cerne and later of Lymington, - not at all on any known fact. None of it adds up. There is no documentary evidence to support any of the author's assumptions regarding his identity, therefore the inclusion of this reference only perpetuates the error and should be removed.

It is unlikely that the John Long M.P of the article lived to the ripe old age of 85 at a time when the average lifespan of an adult male was 47 years, therefore no credibility can be given to the assumed date of death either. Brograve (talk) 00:10, 22 September 2012 (UTC)