HERLETON, Henry

On 4 Sept. 1441 Herleton obtained formal confirmation from Henry VI of his tenure for life of the office of clerk to the justiciar of North Wales and the counties of Cheshire and Flint, with responsibility for keeping the rolls, writs, memoranda and bills of the courts, and for supervising officials of the chamber and lower exchequer within the shire hall at Chester. The tower known as ‘Mayshams Toure’ in Chester castle, where the rolls were kept, was assigned to his use. The post had been granted to him by the justiciar, William de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, as a reward for his exemplary service in the earl’s retinue overseas in the wars in France and to the King in England.1 CPR, 1441-6, p. 1. No trace of Herleton’s activities in France has been discovered, but it is likely that he had accompanied Suffolk there in the 1420s or 1430s. An exemplification of the grant was recorded in Chester in January following, and it may be assumed that Herleton continued to hold the office until his master, Suffolk, was murdered in May 1450.2 DKR, xxxi. 207; xxxvii (2), 359. Meanwhile, he had been returned to the Parliament of February 1449 as a representative for Wallingford, where de la Pole, by then risen to be duke of Suffolk and chief minister of the King, was constable of the castle and steward of the honour. There can be little doubt that he owed his election to his patron.

It is not known what happened to Herleton after the duke’s death.