John Paveley (died 1371)


John Paveley was Grand Prior of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem from 1358 until his death in 1371. In 1360 he served as Admiral of the Fleet against the French towards the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War.

Career

He served as Lieutenant Prior and Turcopolier and was named Grand Prior of England in a bull of Roger de Pins, Grand Master, dated Rhodes, 14 October 1358. As Turcopolier he was in charge of the coast defences of Rhodes and Malta, naval experience which clearly suited him to be selected later as Admiral of the Fleet of England.

Admiral of the Fleet

Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas wrote as follows concerning Paveley's appointment as Admiral of the Fleet:

Arms and ''Paveley Rudder''

Arms of John Paveley: Azure, a cross patoncée or, as depicted in St John's Gate, Clerkenwell. These were also the arms used by the Paveley family of Broke in Wiltshire, whose heir was
the Cheney family and subsequently Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke, who quartered the Paveley arms. The Paveley Rudder was a heraldic badge used by the Paveley family, later adopted by the Cheneys and by Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke.