He inherited his father's estates including Hartland and Nutwell in Devon, Buckland Dinham in Somerset and Cardinham in Cornwall.

On 16 March 1383 he received the king's pardon for his action,[9][a] but was ordered by the Bishop Thomas de Brantingham to perform penance for having violated the right of sanctuary.

The penance mandated by the bishop on 21 March 1383 was:[11] "that on a Sunday before this Pentecost he should stand at the small altar between the choir and the high altar on the south side, with head uncovered with a lit candle of 2 lbs weight in his hand from the start of the high mass, that is to say the Confession (Confiteor) until the end of the same mass and then if he should so wish to make gift at the offertory of the same candle into the hand of the celebrant at the high mass".There had been a long history of quarrelling between the abbots of Hartland Abbey and the Dinham family, founders of the abbey, mainly concerning patronage and occupation of the abbey during a vacancy.

In August that year Dinham was accused by the Abbot of Hartland of "breaking into his houses, assaulting him and chasing him to his chamber and ill-treating his servants".

[14] This action prevented the abbot from cultivating his land for a long period and frightened away his tenants and the lucrative flow of visitors come either to pray at the holy sites or to buy tithes.

[19] Eleanor was granted licence by Bishop Brantingham in 1382 to hold divine service during one year in her chapel situated within her manor of Kytone,[20] and John and "Elianora" were also granted by the bishop on 3 January 1384, licence to celebrate divine mass in their chapel within their manor of Kingskerswell.

Dinham's second marriage, before 26 November 1396, was to Maud Mautravers (died c. 1402), a daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Mautravers of Hooke, Dorset (a cousin of John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers (1290?–1365) of Lytchett Matravers, Dorset[22]) and widow of Piers/Peter de la Mare (b.1368) of Offley, Hertfordshire and of the Market Lavington, Wiltshire family.

All the monuments been moved from their original unknown positions[citation needed] to each occupy a separate window ledge in the north aisle.

The effigy of Dinham himself retains one front of its chest-tomb base, decorated with angels holding heraldic escutcheons.