TREGOLD, Thomas

Tregold’s origins are obscure, but he was certainly local to the borough that he represented in the Commons, at least in so far as his landholdings were concentrated in south-western Devon. In the first half of the 1420s he was periodically in dispute with his lesser neighbours over various minor infractions of his rights in Cornwood and Colmer,3 CP40/651, rot. 320; 652, rots. 1, 353. and in 1424 his title to some of his holdings was itself in dispute. In February of that year Tregold and his wife sued out an assize of novel disseisin against Alice, the widow of Thomas Halghwell, and others over property in Brixton, Harford and Modbury.4 C60/231, m. 1; C66/413, m. 12d. These holdings had probably come to Tregold with his wife, the executrix of William Scoose of Modbury, perhaps her first husband, and the execution of Scoose’s will embroiled the couple in further litigation in subsequent months.5 CP40/652, rot. 223d; 670, rot. 6d.

By 1427 Tregold had entered the service of John Holand, earl of Huntingdon, as park-keeper of his manor of Dartington, to the north of Totnes, while he had about the same time also forged ties with another leading local landowner, Edward Pomeroy† of Berry Pomeroy.6 Watkin, i. 357; KB27/670, rot. 55. Between them, these connexions were probably instrumental in securing Tregold’s return for Totnes to the Parliament of 1432, for although he occasionally attested his neighbours’ property deeds, he is not otherwise known to have played any part in the public life of the borough.7 Devon RO, Dartington parish recs., 57/15/2/1/5. Indeed, some of his interests took him rather further afield: thus, he was among a group of Devon men on board Le Barge Saynt John who in October 1430 were accused of having plundered two Flemish ships at sea.8 CPR, 1429-36, p. 129.

The date of Tregold’s death has not been established, and he may even have died during his term in the Commons. He was certainly dead by November 1433, by which time his widow was married to John Champneys.9 CP25(1)/46/83/107. The Thomas Tregold who by the mid 1450s was trading from the port of Plymouth was a younger namesake: C67/41, m. 21.