BARLEY, William

Admitted as a freeman of Norwich in 1436-7,4 ‘Old Free bk.’, NCR 17c, f. 48d. William was perhaps the son of John Barley. Although active in the city’s politics during the 1430s,5 KB9/241/20; 272/2, 3. in 1439 John joined the retinue that Sir William Chamberlain recruited for service in France.6 CPR, 1436-41, p. 275. A mercer, William took oath as one of the masters of the mercers’ craft at Norwich in 1446 and again two years later.7 Norwich city recs., mayor’s ct. bk., 1425-1510, NCR 16a, pp. 43, 46. Trading through Great Yarmouth, he exported cloth and imported a variety of goods, including madder, felt hats, wine and soap.8 E122/194/9, f. 2v; 151/70, f. 3d; 71A, f. 1d; 152/2, ff. 1v, 2, 5.

Barley lived in troubled times for the city, which lost its liberties and franchises following disorder there in early 1443. A few months later, Sir John Clifton, whom the Crown had appointed governor of Norwich after confiscating its privileges, sent Barley and five other citizens to petition the King at Windsor.9 Norwich city recs., chamberlains’ accts., 1384-1448, NCR 18a, f. 223v. In all likelihood, the delegation hoped to recover the lost rights, but the Crown did not restore them until late 1447. One of the chamberlains of Norwich at that time, Barley served as sheriff four years later. By the latter date, he was almost certainly a member of the city’s common council, if not already an alderman. He held the latter position in one ward, Conisford, while residing in another, Wymer, but such a situation was not exceptional in the second half of the fifteenth century.10 R.H. Frost, ‘Aldermen of Norwich, 1461-1509’ (Cambridge Univ. Ph.D. thesis, 1996), 30.

In the spring of 1453, Queen Margaret of Anjou visited the city, perhaps while on her way to Walsingham to give thanks for her pregnancy. To cover the costs of her visit, the city authorities sought loans from its aldermen, of whom they expected Barley to contribute four marks.11 ‘Old Free bk.’, NCR 17c, ff. 18d, 48d. He was a Member of the Commons at the time, since the electors of Norwich had returned him and John Jenney* to the Parliament which assembled at Reading on 6 Mar. that year. The two MPs were however obliged to forswear their parliamentary wages, probably because of the financial difficulties faced by the city’s corporation.12 F. Blomefield, Norf. iii. 165. During the later 1450s, Barley attended council meetings of the city’s guild of St. George,13 Recs. Gild St. George, Norwich (Norf. Rec. Soc. ix), 49, 50. helped to raise a force of 200 men that Norwich sent to help defend Great Yarmouth from enemy naval attacks,14 Assembly bk., NCR 16d, f. 34. and served on a commission that surveyed the city’s walls and ditches.15 HP Biogs. ed. Wedgwood and Holt, 41, suggests that he was also the William Barley whom the Crown appointed tronager at the port of Boston in 1456 (CPR, 1452-61, p. 329), but this is impossible to prove.

During the same period, Barley quarrelled with one of his apprentices, William Brunsted, whom he sued in the Norwich sheriffs’ court in 1458. He stated that Brunsted had begun his apprenticeship at Michaelmas the previous year, formally agreeing to certain conditions of service, including a ban on fornication in his master’s house. Despite this agreement, the apprentice had forcibly entered the house in the following June and raped Barley’s daughter, Agnes.16 The forcible entry claim is curious, for one might expect an apprentice to have had free access to his master’s house. Jarringly to modern sensibilities, Barley sued Brunsted for breach of covenant, because he had broken the terms of his apprenticeship, rather than specifically for the rape of his daughter. Brunsted responded to the suit by obtaining a writ of error and the case was removed for review in the court of King’s bench. It would appear likely that he had indeed raped Agnes, for he based his challenge entirely on legal technicalities. The court considered the matter in Trinity term 1459, but reserved judgement. It is not known what conclusion was reached in this case, or in a separate action of trespass which the MP had brought against Brunsted in King’s bench,17 KB27/793, rots. 64, 116. although it is quite possible that Barley died before any judgement was made. Still alive in March 1461, he was dead by 5 Apr. the following year, when John Aubry† replaced him as an alderman.18 Assembly bk., NCR 16d, ff. 48v, 52v. Barley could have died at any time between these two dates, since vacancies among the aldermen were filled only once a year.

Assuming Barley made a will, it is no longer extant, although other evidence shows that his real property was valued at £4 p.a. for tax purposes in 1451,19 R. Virgoe, ‘Norwich taxation list of 1451’, Norf. Archaeology, xl. 150. and that he lived at Strangers’ Hall, probably the scene of Brunsted’s misdeed. He carried out extensive work on this house (now a museum), realigning its hall, so that it ran parallel to the street instead of at right angles to it.20 Frost, 115. There is no evidence that Barley left any children: a namesake who served him as an apprentice was perhaps his nephew.21 ‘Old Free bk.’, NCR 17c, f. 46d. The younger William, who became a freeman of Norwich in 1462, was the son of Thomas Barley (d.1465) of Felmingham, Norf. His career as a mercer and merchant was not a success, for he ran into financial difficulties. He subsequently entered the service of the lt. of Ireland, George, duke of Clarence. In July 1471 he was issued with letters of protection prior to going to Ireland, but these were withdrawn within a week because he delayed in Mdx.: Norf. RO, Norwich consist. ct., Reg. Brosyard, ff. 355-6; C1/46/356; CPR, 1467-77, pp. 272, 274.