NB  The earliest form of the name contained a K instead of G up the 17th Century, hence Okeburn,  Okebourn etc

The details given below in the 14th and 15th Centuries show numerous instances of commissioning of services by the crown from a number of people bearing the name of ‘de Okebourn’ who it seems reasonable to assume were made in recognition of their ability to delivery the tasks mentioned.

1228	Thomas, son of Ernest de Akebourn, struck Geoffrey le Carbuner, so that his life was despaired of; Thomas took refuge in the church, & abjured the realm. Geoffrey has recovered. Thomas petitions to be allowed to return, & assume the habit of a Cistercian monk in the abbey of Stanley, Wilts. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1225-1232 p 199
10 Sept 1299	Henry de Okeburn, sometime bailiff of Weedon, Northants, one of those accused of the death of William son of Agatha, wife of Hugh, son of Adam de Wedone, the others being Theobald, Prior of Okeburn, Wm de Harden & Henry Boleny. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1292 – 1301 p 474
1305	Assignment of dower to Alice late the wife of Ingelram le WaleysIn Wilts. – a tenament with a little garden in Okebourne, worth 3s. a year; and rent of £4.6.10 ½d from other lands that Ingelram demised to Alexander de Okebourn, clerk, for his life, in the town of Okebourn. Calendar of Close Rolls 1302-1307 p339
12 Feb 1318	Presentation of Adam de Okebourne to the church of Felmersham, Co. Bedford. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1317 – 1321 p 79
1319	Stephen de Okebourn & other felons, escaped from the King’s gaol of Wallingford castle, during the time that Edmund Bacon was the keeper. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1317 – 1321 p 340
1320	Adam de Okeburne, one of a number of men going beyond the seas, on the King’s service. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1321-1327 pp 418 & 446
28 Aug 1326	Order to the steward & marshal of the King’s household to deliver to the Bishop of Salisbury John de Okebourn & other clerks, charged with divers crimes, to be tried by ecclesiastical jurisdiction. They have escaped from the bishop’s prison, & were taken within the verge of the King’s household. (The King was then at Clarendon, Wilts) Calendar of Close Rolls 1323-1327 p 604
May 1334	Peter de Okebourn, going to Ireland with John de Ellerker the younger, clerk, treasurer of Ireland. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1334-1338 p 104
1337	William de Okeburn* security for the money owed to the King by the prior of Wyleford, Co Lincoln.Calendar of Close Rolls 1337-1339 p 176*In a corresponding entry on the Fine Roll (Cal 1337-1347 p 30) he is described as of co. Wilts.
1338	Peter de Okebourn, one of two attorneys in Ireland of John de Ellerker, clerk, staying in England. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1338-1340 p 47
2 Sept 1338	Peter de Okebourn confirmed steward of the liberty of Wexford (Ireland) in the King’s hands by reason of the minority of Lawrence de Hastynges, – during pleasure. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1338-1340 p 127
3 Jan to 18 March 1339	The King’s clerk, Adam de Okebourn, Keeper of the lands which Ralph de Monthermer & Isabel his wife, late the wife of George? de Hastyng, tenant in chief, held as her dower, she having married the said Ralph without the King’s permission. Calendar of Fine Rolls 1307-1318 pp388 & 394
7 Mar 1339	Order to the Bishop of Hereford, keeper of Ireland, to commit to Peter de Okebourn the office of changer for making the King’s money in that land, if he is fit for it; to hold that office at will. Calendar of Close Rolls 1339-1341 p 32
25 March 1339	The King is sending to Ireland by Peter de Okeburn 8 pairs of stamps for sterlings, 8 pairs for halfpennies, & 8 pairs for farthings, in a bag under the chancellors’ seal. Calendar of Close Rolls 1339-1341 p 59
15 Sept 1339	Peter de Okebourn, one of the two attorneys of Roger de Glaunvill, staying in England for a year.(the document says England, but must surely be a misprint for Ireland. )Calendar of Patent Rolls 1338-1340 p 314
12 Oct 1346	Wm. De Okebourn has a pardon, dated at Calais, of all homicides, felonies, robberies, etc etc. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1345 – 1348 p 475  (following The Battle of Crécy which place on 26 August 1346 in northern France )
16 Oct 1347	Peter de Okebourn appointed constable of Limerick Castle for life Calendar of Patent Rolls 1345 – 1348 p 416
12 July 1348	Peter de Okebourn, one of the Attorneys in Ireland, of John Darcy, staying in England for two years.(In 1349 the like, on behalf of Wm. Darcy, ibid. p261 In 1350 the like, on behalf of Sir John Moryz ibid. p 503. He acts for others in 1352 & 1353, 1355, 1356, 1357, 1358,1360, 1362, 1363 & 1364)
12 Dec 1351	Grant to the King’s clerk, William de Okebourn, of the prebend of Bishopstone in the cathedral church of Salisbury. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1350-1354 p191
26 Feb 1351	William de Okebourne, parson of Bugbrooke, Northants, exchanges that living for Houghton on the Hill, Co. Leicester. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1350-1354 p 40
14 Oct 1359	Pardon of Richard Okebourn of N.Bovy (Co Devon) of his outlawry in the court of husting of London for not appearing to answer Adam Stable, citizen and mercer of London, for a debt of 78s., he having now surrendered to the Fleet Prison. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1358-1361 p 288
20 Oct 1359	Order to the bailiffs of Devizes (Wilts) to let Thomas de Okeburn, whom the King has appointed Keeper of Charles de Bloys and his children, to have men of that town, as he shall need them, for the custody of the castle there, so that there may be no danger of their escape. Calendar of Close Rolls 1354-1360 p 158
1359	John Okebourn of Co. Essex )Ralph de Okebourne ) purveyors of oats for the King’s household.Calendar of Close Rolls 1354-1360 p 545
16 Apr 1361	Grant for life to Ralph Okebourn, one of the King’s sumpters, of an annuity of 40s. at the Exchequer. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1361-1364 p 7
6 Apr 1361	Grant for life, or until other order, to John de Okebourne, for long service & because he has been maimed in such service, of 1½d a day at the Exchequer. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1361-1364 p16
13 Feb 1364	Appointment of Peter Okebourn to be second chamberlain of the Exchequer of Ireland, during good behaviour. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1361-1364 p 468
14 Aug 1369	Confirmation to Nicholas de Okebourn of a grant to him of 2d. a day by the late Queen Phillipa. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1369-1370 p 323
12 Aug 1370	William Okeburne & Henry Gilbert appointed to repair defects in the paling of the park, & in houses and buildings of the manor of Claryndon (Wilts); taking carpenters, hewers of stone and other workmen, to stay at the said work, at the King’s wages, as long as need be, with power to commit to prison any that are contrariant in the matter. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1367-1370 p459
5 March1371	William de Okebourne & Thomas Erlestoke, clerk, overseers of repair of the default of Old Sarum (Salisbury) castle. Calendar of Close Rolls 1369-1374 p 218
1 June 1377	John Okebourne, parson of Chiddingstone, Kent, a feoffee of Sir Robert de Swyllyngton, Knight.Calendar of Close Rolls 1374 – 1377 p 549
May 1378	William Okebourne a witness to a deed executed that day at Olford, Kent. Calendar of Close Rolls 1374- 1377 p 97
July 1379	Presentation of Walter Okebourne, parson of Marksbury,(Somerset), to the church of Grimsted, (Wilts), on an exchange of benefices. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1377-1381 p372
20 Jan 1380	John Okebourne of the county of Kent makes a declaration in Chancery as to John Somery, collector of the subsidy in Kent. Calendar of Fine Rolls 1377-1383 p 235
25 Apr 1390	Pardon to Robert de Okebourn & Joan his wife for acquiring for their lives, from Henry de Ferrers, lord of Groby, without licence, a yearly rent of 12 marks out of the manor of Groby (Co.Leicester). Calendar of Patent Rolls 1388-1392 p 263
5 Aug 1394	License for William Okebourne, born in Ireland, to remain in England, notwithstanding the proclamation made for all men born there to return. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1391-1396 p 457
17 Aug 1398	Grant to the King’s servants John Lankryge & John Okburn of a fine of £10 from the warden of the Common Pleas prison, for the escape of a prisoner. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1396-1399 p 374
1398	Reference to a grant [in trust?] by Henry de Ferrers, son & heir of William de Ferrers de Groby, of the advowsons of the church of High Laver, Essex to Robert Okebourne & others. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1396-1399 p 430
8 Dec 1422	Robert Okebourne, deputy of John Arderne, clerk of the works at the manor of Claryndon, [Wilts] Calendar of Patent Rolls 1416-1422 p 411
1415	Robert Okbourne, clerk, trustee (with John Peryman esq & others) for John Hore of Cambridge Esq., and his wife, as to the manor of Lockele in Welwyn (Co.Herts) & the advowson of Welwyn church. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1413-1415 p335
1420	Confirmation of grant made in 1415 of tenement in Havering atte Bower (Essex) of which John Peryent, Esq., and Robert Okeburne & others were tenants)Calendar of Patent Rolls 1416-1422 p 301
27 Jan 1429	Presentation of William Okeburne, chaplain, to the chantry of Holy Cross in the King’s castle of Old Saresbury (Old Sarum, Wilts). Calendar of Patent Rolls 1422-1429 p 526
27 Feb 1449	The gaol of Worcester castle to be delivered to William Okeburn. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1446-1452 p 237
7 Sept 1483	Appointment of William Okburne, yeoman of the crown, to take cars, wagons and mares for the transport of certain ordnance and habitments of war to the town & castle of Berwick, [upon Tweed, English/Scottish border] for the defence of the same. Calendar of Patent Rolls 1476 – 1482 p 462  {In July 1482 an English army invaded Scotland during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. The town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and its castle were captured}

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Further summaries of procedings in the Court of Chancery in the 15th century
(Taken from publications of the Wiltshire Record Society)

Early Chancery proceedings C1/17/7
as C1/16/214 or 49 HenryVI – 20-22 Edward IV 1470 – 1483

The Answer of John Grove to the bill of Sir William Okeborne.

That the said William had alleged that this defendant “by undue means of malice and against all conscience dayly vexeth and troubleth him” by diverse suits in the County of Middlesex.

In reply to him the defendant answered that “an action of conspiracy the which is yet hanging in the King’s Court at Westminster” before the justices of the King’s Bench between Richard Hounford of Elmyngdon in the County of Warwick clerk against the said John Grove and others for the part of the said Richard maintained for the which maintenance the said John Grove and others sueth the said William Okeborne in the said Shire of Middlesex as he hath cause and as leave will without that he dayly vexeth and troubleth him by undue means of malice “as William alleged in his bill.

He denied everything in the bill and said “it is untrue and that he is in no point thereof guilty.

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Early Chancery proceedings C1/16/214

8 Henry IV – 35 Henry VI 1406 – 1457

John Grove, Thomas Bele and Sir Gerard Snarr, priest

V
William Okebourne clerk, parson of Saint Anselms atte Poulesgate of London
On St Andrews day last the defendant said he will undo utterly your said supplicant and spend on him XI m [£40]

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Early Chancery proceedings C1/31/24

Edward IV – 1403/4

Richard Warla of Wilton, Wilts farmer
John Okeburn Prior of St John’s Wilton

V
The Mayor and Bailiffs of Wilton [Wiltshire]
That the said prior owed Sir Thomas Bishop priest 13s 4d but the prior is now taken prisoner by yonde see [beyond the sea – i.e. in a foreign country ?] in going toward Rome. And the said Richard Bishop had commenced an action of debt before the Mayor and Bailiffs of Wilton and “the said mayor being favourable unto the said Sir Thomas and judge of that court would condemn him in the said sum.

(It became customary, in the later 15th century, to elect the priors of  St. John’s as burgesses of Wilton. Prior Thomas Baker was steward of the borough in 1489-91, and one of the auditors in 1500; (fn. 43) and in 1467, 1520, and 1537 the prior was elected portreeve (prepositus) of the borough. (fn. 44) John Ogbourne, clerk, was a burgess from 1461 to his death in 1474; (fn. 45) he was prior of St. John’s when he set out for Rome and was captured and held in prison overseas.)