ALESTRE, Nicholas, of Nottingham.

Alestre’s activities were restricted to Nottingham, where, at the time of his return to Parliament, he was engaged in the production of woollen cloth.E101/343/21, 346/9. However, his main interest was in selling hardware, for he was usually referred to as ‘ironmonger’. In 1396 he was accused at the great tourn with causing the common sewer to be blocked up with ordure, weeds and cinders, and in 1408 it was alleged that he had carved out an entrance into his garden from the town wall over common ground.Nottingham Recs. i. 320; ii. 61. At Christmas 1395 he was pledge for the admission as a burgess of his son John, and in the same year they together sold half a tenement in Cow Lane (now Clumber Street) and a messuage round the corner in Long Row. In 1414 father and son acquired another building in Long Row, but their title may have been spurious, as they were charged at the assizes in later years with being in illegal possession of property and rents in the town.Ibid. i. 284; Nottingham Univ. Lib. Middleton mss D782, 783; Nottingham Archs. ct. roll 1308 mm. 18d, 21d; JUST 1/1524 mm. 11d, 12. In the meantime, in 1411, Nicholas Alestre attested the borough returns to Parliament; and in September 1413 and March 1414 he served on juries presenting evidence about disputed municipal and parliamentary elections and against local lollards.C219/10/6; KB9/204/1 m. 29; C145/292/25. He was still alive in 1422, when John Alestre made his will, for he and his wife were then listed as beneficiaries of the sum of 40 marks. However, he almost certainly died before the will was proved nine years later.Borthwick Inst. York, York registry wills, ii. f. 644.