BROUGHTON, William

Broughton’s distinction lies in his ten elections as mayor of Rye, a number which exceeded that of any other holder of the office in the fifteenth century. This, together with his five elections to Parliament, indicates the regard in which he was held in his home town. Little is known about his personal circumstances, save that as a Portsman he claimed exemption from payment of parliamentary subsidies on his chattels outside the liberty of Rye, at Wivelridge and Hope,3 E179/227/94, 229/138. and that in Rye itself he possessed a tenement and some land.4 Cat. Rye Recs. deed 122/9. For a while he also held several acres of marsh and a vacant building with a cellar in Rye, but apparently only as a feoffee. In 1444 he leased these premises for seven years to Thomas Pope*, the bailiff of Rye, after which term it was entailed successively on Robert Onewyn I* and John Greenford* and their wives, the daughters of Roger atte Gate*.5 Ibid. 122/10. Broughton was described in a lawsuit as a ‘merchant’, and the maltolts he paid indicate that he dealt in fish and wine, but no further details of his trading interests survive.6 CP40/680, rot. 346; Rye mss, 60/2, ff. 2, 3, 8v.

It is likely that Broughton was elected a jurat at Rye before his first return to Parliament in 1427. When returned again, to the assembly summoned for 22 Sept. 1429, he was serving as mayor. Indeed, on 4 Sept., shortly before he set off for Westminster, he drew up some new ordinances for the government of Rye.7 Rye mss, ct. bk. 33/7, f. 39; custumal 57/1, ff. 60-62v. Other responsibilities of the mayoral office included the grant he made in a full meeting of the commonalty in St. Mary’s church in December 1430, whereby the tower which formed an important part of the defences of Rye was conveyed to John Ypres, esquire. Broughton made sure that the authorities at Rye would retain the right of entry to the premises in time of hostilities or war.8 Cat. Rye Recs. deed 124/1. Despite the duties of the mayoralty, it would appear that Broughton had been among the bailiffs of the Cinque Ports sent to officiate at the Yarmouth herring fair of the previous autumn. One of those who certainly was, John Adam* of New Romney, became a victim with his fellows of the obstructions which the men of Great Yarmouth all too frequently placed in the way of their unwelcome guests from the Ports. The bailiffs of the town refused to publish a writ ordering that the Ports’ delegates should enjoy their customary liberties in peace; nor would they let Adam and his colleagues sit to hear cases in the guildhall unless they themselves could adjudicate with them; and when the Ports’ bailiffs set about keeping the peace of the fair and surveying the sale of herring, as they were entitled to do, the Yarmouth bailiffs came with an armed following and assaulted them. The Ports immediately laid a bill of complaint before the King’s Council, and Broughton was among those delegated to conduct the suit.9 SC8/296/14753-4. This was almost certainly heard during the Parliament of January to March 1431, for the other delegates, Adam, Thomas Carpenter* and Stephen Alby*, were all then, like him, representing their home Ports in the Commons. The authorities at Dover paid him and Adam £7 10s. for conducting a plea between the Cinque Ports and Yarmouth.10 Add. 29615, f. 173. While up at the same Parliament Broughton had personal business to attend to in the law-courts: he brought a suit against a labourer of Rye for a debt of £4 8s. 8d. and another against a yeoman from Wye in Kent for 41s. 8d.11 CP40/680, rot. 346.

In his official capacity as mayor of Rye in 1432 Broughton witnessed important transactions at Winchelsea marking the completion of provisions made long before in the will of John Salerne† (d.1410).12 Cott. Julius BIV, ff. 46-50. It may have also been during this mayoralty that he was named with three other Portsmen to present a suit to the warden of the Ports, Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and his counsel asking for their case to be heard regarding letters the duke had sent in contravention of the liberties of the Ports.13 White and Black Bks. 1. Broughton was very frequently sent by Rye as a deputy to Brodhulls meeting at New Romney, and after his parliamentary career ended he is known to have attended 23 such assemblies.14 Ibid. 3, 7, 8, 11-19, 21-25. At the Brodhull of March 1436 it was agreed that he and two others would go before the duke of Gloucester and the King’s Council to demonstrate the finer points of the Ports’ liberties, taking with them copies of royal writs sent from the time of Kings Henry IV and V.15 Ibid. 7. Broughton was to be elected mayor of Rye seven more times, but following his re-election in August 1448, he died in office on 13 Dec. On the same day John Sutton* was chosen in his place.16 Rye mss, 60/2, f. 2. His widow, Joan, subsequently paid his maltolts.17 Ibid. ff. 2, 3, 8v. There is no indication as to who inherited his land, which was described in one source as ‘formerly Deodrawghts’.18 Cat. Rye Recs. deed 137/17.