Commons 1422-1461

Attestor, parlty. election, Yorks. 1449 (Feb.).

Commr. of inquiry, Cumb. Westmld. Feb. 1458 (lands of Thomas, Lord Dacre).

Steward of the duchy of Lancaster estates in Norf., Suff. and Cambs. 30 June 1425–1461 (jt. with John Heydon* from 24 Nov. 1443), R. Somerville, Duchy, i. 594. duchy manor and lordship of Gimmingham, Norf. by Oct. 1443; Paston Letters ed. Gairdner, ii. 57. jt. steward (with William de la Pole, earl of Suffolk), of the north parts of the duchy and chief steward of Lancs. Mich. 1443–15 Apr. 1451. Ibid. 420–1, 492. In 1450 one of the Pastons’ correspondents mistakenly referred to him as jt. steward of the south parts: ibid. 150.

Sheriff, Norf. and Suff. 5 Nov. 1432 – 4 Nov. 1433.

J.p. Norf. 15 Mar. 1434 – Oct. 1450, 28 Mar. 1455 – Nov. 1460, Suff. 13 May 1449 – Oct. 1450.

Steward, Swaffham 1435–?, H.R. Castor, King, Crown and Duchy of Lancaster, 97; Paston Letters ed. Davis, ii. 528. for Katherine, dowager duchess of Norfolk, in Essex by June 1446-bef. June 1457. Essex RO, ct. roll manor of Harwich, 1441–60, D/B 4/38/8.

Commr. to distribute tax allowance, Norf. Jan. 1436, Apr. 1440, Mar. 1442, June 1453; of inquiry, Norf., Suff. Nov. 1437 (illegal export of wool and other merchandise), Norf. May 1438 (lands and goods of Ralph Garneys), July 1441 (misgovernment by corporation of Norwich), Mar 1442 (information of William Dallyng), Norf., Suff. Feb. 1448 (concealments), Mistakenly referred to as ‘Sir John Tuddenham’ in the patent rolls: CPR, 1446–52, p. 139. Norf. Feb. 1452 (treasons), Suff. Aug. 1452 (lands and goods of a suicide), Norf. Mar. 1455 (concealments), Oct. 1457 (treasons of John Wode of East Barsham), Mar. 1460 (treasons and other offences committed on estates of Yorkist lords); sewers, Cambs., Hunts., Lincs., Northants. Feb. 1438, Aug. 1439, Jan. 1441, Norf. May 1438; to treat for loans Nov. 1440, Mar., May, Aug. 1442, June 1446, Norf., Suff. Sept. 1449, Dec. 1452, Apr. 1454, Norf. May 1455; PPC, vi. 238. of oyer and terminer, Norf. June 1441, Sept. 1452; gaol delivery, Norwich castle Mar., Nov. 1446, May, Nov. 1447, May 1456; C66/461, m. 8d; 463, m. 24d; 465, m. 22d; 481, m. 17d. array, Norf. Sept. 1457, Sept. 1458, Feb., Dec. 1459; to assign archers Dec. 1457; of arrest Dec. 1458; to resist Richard, earl of Warwick, and his supporters Feb. 1460.

Keeper, great wardrobe, Mich. 1446-bef. 23 Dec. 1450. CPR, 1446–52, pp. 4, 408; E403/791, mm. 3, 6; 793, m. 7; 817, mm. 4, 8; 819, m. 1.

Treasurer of the Household 30 Oct. 1458-aft. 3 Mar. 1460. Handbk. British Chronology ed. Fryde etc. (3rd edn.), 81.

Chief steward for Katherine, dowager duchess of Norfolk, in Essex by June 1457.Essex RO, ct. roll manor of Harwich, 1441–60, D/B 4/38/8.

Escheator, Norf. and Suff. 7 Nov. 1457 – 23 Oct. 1458.

Commr. of inquiry, Cambs., Essex, Herts., London, Mdx., Norf., Suff. Feb., Mar. 1460 (lands and goods of Sir William Oldhall*).

Receiver-general of John Neville, earl of Northumberland, by Sept. 1464. Cumbria RO, Carlisle, Aglionby mss, D AY1/146.

Receiver, John, Lord Beaumont, by Mich. 1435–? CP40/699, rot. 156.

Commr. of inquiry, Lincs. July 1452 (extortion); sewers, Lindsey, Holland Feb. 1453; to distribute allowance on tax, Lincs. June 1453.

Collector of customs and subsidies, Boston 21 Mar.-1 June 1455. E356/20, rot. 28d.

Jt. steward and receiver (with his fa.) of Hawarden and Mold, Flints. 30 Jan. 1437 – 21 May 1439; sole May 1439–? CPR, 1436–41, pp. 33, 279.

Parker of Pickan in Hawarden 8 Feb. 1437–?; CPR, 1436–41, pp. 35, 279. jt. parker (with his fa.) of Shotwick, Cheshire 19 May 1437–? CPR, 1436–41, p. 57.

Commr. to survey King’s Langley, Herts. May 1438; seize grain bought by forestallers, Cheshire Nov. 1438; DKR, xxxvii (2), 718. distribute tax allowance, Herts. Mar. 1442; of inquiry, Cheshire Apr. 1442 (King’s right to property at Clutton). Ibid. 397.

Sheriff, Cheshire 29 Sept. 1438–10 July 1439. Ibid. 136; xxxi. 251.

Chamberlain of Chester 16 June 1439–?April 1457. CPR, 1436–41, p. 275; 1452–61, p. 338; DKR, xxxi. 252; xxxvii (2), 720; Clayton, 165–6.

Keeper of Padeswood park, Flints. 10 Dec. 1439–? DKR, xxxi. 252; xxxvii (2), 719.

King’s remembrancer at the Exchequer (jtly. with Thomas Daniell*) 11 Mar. 1447-bef. 4 Nov. 1450. CPR, 1446–52, pp. 33, 405; E159/223, brevia Easter rot. 19d.

Surveyor of manors of Hope and Hopedale, Flints. and Northwich and Overmarsh, Cheshire for Henry Holand, duke of Exeter 26 Nov. 1447–? Add. Ch. 72497.

Attestor, parlty. elections, Arundel 1459, 1460.

?Controller of customs and subsidies, Poole 8 Sept. 1451 – 10 Feb. 1452.

Mayor, Bodmin 4 Oct. 1447 – 48, 1453 – 54, ?1454–5. CP40/750, rot. 103d; 778, rot. 315d. The evidence for Trott’s final mayoralty is dubious. J. Maclean, Trigg Minor, iii. 683 added it as an afterthought, citing a deed in private hands. A modern manuscript list among the Bodmin records (Cornw. RO, Bodmin bor. recs., B/Bod/302, f. 4) suggests that Trott served a further term of office in 1450–1, while another list in the same collection, previously in the possession of a Mr. Bell, town committee clerk, is ambiguous in naming Thomas Bere as mayor in 1450, and assigning the mayoralty of 1451 to both Trott and James Flamank.

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.