TREWEMAN, Richard

The identification of the man who represented Barnstaple in the Parliament of November 1449 presents some problems. No man of this name has been found locally, yet the MP was clearly distinct from Richard Newcomb, mayor of Barnstaple at the time of the Parliament, whom Wedgwood proposed as a possible candidate.1 HP Biogs. ed. Wedgwood and Holt, 875. What is known for certain is that Treweman and his parliamentary colleague, John Creche*, were elected on 30 Oct. by an assembly presided over by Mayor Newcombe, and including, among others, Walter Gayncote*. Prior to their election, the two designated MPs agreed to forgo their traditional wages of 2s. per day and to serve in return for a lump sum of 6s. 8d. each.2 KB146/6/30/2/141. From this, it would seem that Treweman had personal reasons to want to travel to Westminster, and subsequent events may have owed something to Parliament’s prorogation to Leicester the following spring. After the hasty dissolution in June 1450, precipitated by the news of Cade’s uprising, the two Barnstaple Members procured writs de expensis, and proceeded to use these in a bid to secure wages at the customary rate. As Parliament had lasted for a total of 150 days, the cost faced by the burgesses of Barnstaple was a substantial sum in excess of £30, which they were unwilling, and probably also unable, to pay. The dispute ground on until the end of 1451, but seems to have been settled in favour of the mayor and commonalty of Barnstaple.3 KB145/6/30/68-69; KB146/6/30/2/141; Parliamentarians at Law ed. Kleineke, 260-2.