Commons 1422-1461

Constable, Bath c. June 1442–3; mayor 1451–2. Bath and N.-E. Som. Archs., Bath Ancient Deeds, BC151/3/78, 5/18, 87.

Tax collector, Bath July 1446. CFR, xviii. 40.

Escheator, Oxon. and Berks. 5 Nov. 1433 – 2 Nov. 1434, 23 Nov. 1437 – 5 Nov. 1438.

Commr to distribute tax allowance, Oxon. May 1437, June 1453; of gaol delivery, Aylesbury, Bedford, Bury St. Edmunds, Cambridge castle, Huntingdon, Norwich castle, Wallingford June 1437, Oxford castle Sept. 1438, Wallingford castle Nov. 1440, June 1443, June 1445, July 1447, Wallingford Feb. 1442; C66/440, m. 12d; 443, m. 39d; 448, m. 30d; 451, m. 15d; 456, m. 25d; 460, m. 14d; 464, m. 23d. to treat for payment of subsidies, Oxon. Feb. 1441; of weirs, Oxon., Berks. July 1443; take an assize of novel disseisin, Oxon. May 1444; C66/458, m. 23d. treat for loans June 1446; assess subsidy Aug. 1450; assign archers Dec. 1457; of array Dec. 1459; inquiry, Kent May 1463 (lands of Richard, late duke of York).

J.p. Oxon. 8 Aug. 1442 – Nov. 1458, Berks. 24 June 1449 – Mar. 1452.

Gov. L. Inn Nov. 1441–2, 1446 – 47, 1454–5. J.H. Baker, Men of Ct. (Selden Soc. supp. ser. xviii), i. 605.

Commr. of inquiry, Lincs., Yorks. Feb. 1435 (piracy), Surr. Nov. 1457 (escapes); sewers, Kent, Surr. Jan. 1447, Oct. 1452, Apr., June 1453, May 1455; to assess subsidy, Surr. Aug. 1450; of gaol delivery, Guildford June 1454 (q.), C66/478, m. 12d. Mar., Oct. 1457.

J.p.q. Surr. by 5 Nov. 1444–d. He does not appear on an enrolled comm.. until Aug. 1448, but he sat as a j.p. as early as 5 Nov. 1444: CPR, 1452–61, p. 596; CP40/740, rot. 462d.

Attestor, parlty. elections, Norwich 1432, 1433, 1449 (Feb.), 1449 (Nov.), 1453, 1455, 1460.

Treasurer, Norwich Mich. 1423–4; Norf. RO, Norwich city recs., chamberlains’ accts., 1384–1448, NCR 18a, ff. 77, 142, 143. sheriff 1428 – 29; jt. keeper of city’s treasury 1428–9; Norwich view of treasurers’ acct., 1429–30, NCR 7d. alderman by Mar. 1432–d.; C219/214/3; Norwich assembly bk., 1434–91, NCR 16d, ff. 18v, 62. supervisor Mich. 1434–41, 1445–6; Chamberlains’ accts. NCR 18a, ff. 96v, 98, 100, 102, 103, 107; Recs. Norwich ed. Hudson and Tingey, ii. 70. mayor June 1449–50, 1455–6. Cozens-Hardy and Kent, 25.

Tax collector, Norwich Sept. 1431, June 1445, July 1446.

J.p. Norwich 14 July 1439 – Mar. 1443, Mar. 1452–d. Norwich’s charter of 17 Mar. 1452 made all aldermen who had served as mayor j.p.s for as long as they remained aldermen: Recs. Norwich, i. p. xcviii.

Commr. to distribute tax allowance, Norwich Mar. 1442; assess tax Aug. 1450; of gaol delivery Feb., Nov. 1454, May 1455, Mar. 1456; C66/478, m. 21d; 480, m. 19d; 481, m. 17d. to survey walls and clear ditches and rivers July 1458.

Alderman, St. George’s guild, Norwich 1456 – 57.

Attestor, parlty. election, Kent 1460.

Jurat, Dover 8 Sept. 1451–3, 1457 – 58, 1462 – 63; mayor 1453–7. Add. 29615, f. 212; 29616, f. 3; 29810, ff. 67v, 72, 73v, 76; Egerton 2105, ff. 51, 52; J.B. Jones, Annals of Dover, 290.

Attestor, parlty. election, Devon 1472.

J.p.q. Devon 4 July 1461 – Nov. 1470, 20 June 1471 – Sept. 1474, Nov. 1475 – d.

Commr. of gaol delivery, Exeter castle May 1457; C66/483, m. 19d. inquiry, Oxon., Berks., Som., Dorset, Hants, Wilts., Mdx., Devon June 1459 (Hungerford estates), Devon, Cornw., Som., Dorset Apr. 1465 (estates of the earls of Devon and Wiltshire), Devon, Cornw. Apr. 1468 (wreck); to requisition ships, N. Devon July 1461; of arrest, Devon July 1465; to distribute tax allowances June 1468; of oyer and terminer, Devon, Glos. Aug. 1468, Devon July 1472.

Recorder, Exeter ?1464–d. KB9/342/43–45; Devon RO, Exeter city recs., receivers’ accts. 8 Edw. IV-1 Ric. III. The exact date of Dowrich’s appointment to the recordership is uncertain, and has been variously given as 1462 (Trans. Devon Assoc. lxix. 168), 1464 (ibid. lxx. 421), and 1468 (ibid. lxii. 218). Although he is only named explicitly as recorder in the city receivers’ accts. from 1468, he may have been appointed not long after the death of his predecessor, John More, in 1464: J.H. Baker, Men of Ct. (Selden Soc. supp. ser. xviii), i. 601.

[Tax assessor, Devon Apr. 1483.] Appointed, although already deceased: CPR, 1476–85, p. 353.

Attestor, parlty. elections, Devon 1425, 1435, 1450.

Feodary and bailiff of the duchy of Lancaster in Devon 1 Oct. 1422–24 Feb. 1429. DL42/18, f. 202v; R. Somerville, Duchy, i. 634.

Filacer, ct. of KB Mich. 1425–43. Legal Recs. and the Historian ed. Baker, 135.