John Dinham (1359–1428)

Sir John Dinham (1359–1428) was a knight from Devonshire, England. His principal seats were at Hartland in North Devon, Kingskerswell and Nutwell in South Devon, Buckland Dinham in Somerset and Cardinham in Cornwall. He killed one of the murderers of his father in Exeter Cathedral, for which he was pardoned by the king. He later broke into Hartland Abbey and assaulted the Abbot over a long-standing disagreement, and also performed other acts of violence. He married three times; his heir was John Dinham (1406–1458). His monument survives in Kingskerswell parish church.

The Dynham family took its name from its ancient manor of Dinan in Brittany. They had been at Nutwell since about 1122 and were one of the leading gentry families in Devon. They founded Hartland Abbey in 1169 on their manor of Hartland.

John Dinham was the son and heir of Sir John Dinham (1318–1383) by his wife Muriel Courtenay, the elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Courtenay (1312–1362) of Wootton Courtenay in Somerset. Thomas Courtenay was the fourth son of Hugh de Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon (1276–1340)) by his wife Agnes de Saint John. Muriel's mother was Thomas de Courtenay's wife Muriel de Moels (died before 1369), the elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir John de Moels (died 1337), feudal baron of North Cadbury in Somerset.

Dinham's father was murdered by robbers on 7 January 1383, when John was aged 24. He inherited his father's estates including Hartland and Nutwell in Devon, Buckland Dinham in Somerset and Cardinham in Cornwall. He also inherited from his mother 3 1/2 knight's fees, including the former de Moels estate of Kingskerswell in Devon, which he made his seat, and also Woodhuish, Dunterton in Devon and Cricket Malherbe and Northome in Somerset and Over Worton with a moiety of North Stoke in Oxfordshire and Over Wallop in Hampshire together with 4 advowsons.

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