TROPENELL, Thomas (d.1487), of Neston in Corsham and Atworth and Great Chalfield, Wilts.

Attestor, parlty. elections, Wilts. 1435, 1437, 1447.

Receiver-general of the estates of Sir Walter Hungerford†, Lord Hungerford, ?by 25 Mar.-Aug. 1449, His precise term as receiver-general is difficult to establish. J.L. Kirby, ‘Hungerford Fam.’ (London Univ. M.A. thesis, 1939), 111–12, 192–3, gives it as 1448–57, but, confusingly, also says that it was only when Lord Walter died [in Aug. 1449] that Tropenell replaced John Mervyn in the office. Mervyn was still receiver-general at Mich. 1448 (SC6/1119/12), but an acct. of a rent collector for 25 Mar. 1449-Mich. 1450 (SC6/1057/1), names Tropenell as such. Robert, 2nd Lord Hungerford, by Mich. 1449-May 1459; SC6/971/10–13. Margaret, Lady Hungerford, May 1459-bef. Mich. 1464; SC6/971/9 (called John in error); 1054/5–7; 1057/1; 1061/19; 1119/14. supervisor of Lady Margaret’s cts. in Cornw. by Oct. 1476; SC6/HENVII/43. steward, Hungerford estates, Wilts. bef. 1483. SC6/HENVII/979.

Commr. of array and to arrest rebels, Wilts. Sept. 1450; of inquiry, Salisbury, Wilts. Mar. 1451 (theft of wool and other goods), Berks., Devon, Dorset, Hants, Mdx., Oxon., Som., Wilts. June 1459 (estates of Robert, 2nd Lord Hungerford), Wilts. Oct. 1470 (felonies), Aug. 1473 (unpaid farms); arrest, Bristol, Dorset, Som., Wilts. June 1459 (Thomas Herbert†).

Alderman, Salisbury 2 Nov. 1461–2, 1479 – 80; reeve 1462–3. Wilts. Hist. Centre, Salisbury city recs., ledger bk. 2, G23/1/2, ff. 54v, 57v, 137v. It is difficult to discern his intentions in positioning himself in the government of Salisbury in these troubled times, or in becoming a burgess of Wilton (which he had done by the time of the earliest list of freemen in 1467, remaining so until his death): Wilton bor. recs., gen. entry bk. G25/1/21, ff. 587–9, 591–8.

J.p. Wilts. 18 Nov. 1470 – June 1471.

Constable of Trowbridge castle, Wilts. ? by 1479. There was considerable controversy over the constableship, which ostensibly pertained to the owner of Great Chalfield: Tropenell Cart. i. 272–3, 294–5, 316–19, 369; ii. 222–3. Tropenell’s post mortem, CIPM Hen. VII, i. 315, states that he had held Great Chalfield of the duchy of Lancaster as of the honour of Trowbridge, for the service of acting as constable of Trowbridge castle, but duchy officials had earlier been wholly adverse to his pretensions, and treated the office as being at their own disposal: Wilts. Arch. Mag. xxxvii. 567–70; VCH Wilts. vii. 132.