Appendix C3: The composition of the Parliament of September 1397-January 1398

The composition of the Parliament of September 1397-January 1398

Richard Fitzalan, earl of Arundel, facing his accusers at his trial for treason at the start of this Parliament, was stung into protesting at the false assumption that the charges against him were made in the name of the people: ‘fideles plebei Regni non sunt hic’. Thomas Walsingham, the St. Albans chronicler, further substantiated the earl’s complaint by referring to the presence in the Commons of a number of knights of the shire who had not been elected by their communities according to established custom, but rather had been chosen at the behest of the Court. According to his admittedly subjective account, nothing was allowed to be said, or petitioned for, which did not please Richard II. There is no doubt that in this Parliament the Commons were at the forefront of the political action on the King’s behalf, and that from Arundel’s point of view the ‘faithful commons’ were simply not in evidence, or else, if present, were unable or unwilling to make their voices heard in his defence. The reasons for this are not readily apparent. The charges made against Richard II after his deposition asserted that, having appointed his own creatures as sheriffs, he deliberately used them to influence the return of knights of the shire in his own interest. Yet there is no reason to suppose that the outgoing sheriffs who presided over the election of Members to the Parliament of September 1397 were unduly subservient to the King (even though Richard certainly did, in October—after the first session had ended—appoint many of his supporters to the shrievalties), and evidence of widespread and systematic packing has not been found. Some contemporary accounts report that the Parliament assembled at Westminster in an open-sided building with the royal archers ranged around it, fully visible to those present, who were thus exposed to direct intimidation.1Hist. Vitae et Regni Ric. II ed. Hearne, 137; Annales Ric. II in J. de Trokelowe, Chron et Annales ed. Riley, 209; RP, iii. 420; A. Steel, ‘Sheriffs of Cambs. and Hunts.’, Cambridge Antiq. Soc. Procs. xxvi. 1-34.

Whether or not these reports are true, there is an alternative explanation for the Commons’ willingness to endorse and promote royal policy: that this largely came about through the careful management of the proceedings by one of the King’s most articulate councillors, Sir John Bussy, whom (so Walsingham asserted) Richard had appointed (‘constituit’) as their Speaker. As the lists below make clear, Bussy could look for support in the House to several Members who had been formally retained by the King, some of them as knights or esquires of his household. Indeed, Bussy himself and the majority of this group of 29 individuals (14% of the total of 203 Members known) had been granted annuities and/or appointed to crown offices within the previous six years, in several cases only very recently, as a consequence of Richard’s deliberate policy of increasing the size of his personal retinue. Opinion could well have been orchestrated by three other leading and highly remunerated members of the King’s Council present in the House: the experienced parliamentarian Sir William Bagot, the astute Sir Henry Green and the long-serving Sir John Russell, master of the King’s horse. Bussy and these fellow councillors had all once been prominent in the service of the Lords Appellant of 1387-8, but now, having been newly won round to the King’s party, were all the more zealous proponents of his views on the royal prerogative. Around this key group, firmly committed in their support for King Richard, were ranged at least a dozen Members who were closely associated with his friends—the eight noblemen who as counter-appellants were to be the instruments of Richard’s policy of retaliation, and Sir Thomas Percy, who in the trials held during the first parliamentary session was to act as proctor for the clergy. The identity of those Members who were considered on the strength of their stance in the House to have shown appropriate loyalty to the King in the course of that session may be deduced from the appointments to office or the rewards in the form of grants authorized in their behalf, either before the prorogation on 29 Sept. or while Parliament was in recess. Of particular interest are those whom Richard then selected to be sheriffs and, in contravention of the statutes, subsequently chose to keep on in office for a second year in the autumn of 1398.

The King’s men in the Commons may not have been dominant numerically, but there was quite clearly a cadre of his adherents well able to manage the House in the way he wanted. They were doubtless helped in their task by the fact that 42% of the Members (86 out of 203) had apparently never entered the Commons before, and were, therefore, quite likely to be overawed by the proceedings. Moreover, as many as 21 constituencies (six of them shires) had sent to the House two individuals without any previous parliamentary experience. For several communities this in itself was a most unusual step to take: Cambridge, Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire, Nottingham and Salisbury had never before in our period returned two newcomers together to a Parliament (that is, at ten or more consecutive elections); indeed, for Dorset it was the first time this had happened in 20 years, for Essex in 17 years and for Gloucestershire in 15. Apart from the complete novices, there was also a group of 11 men who had not served in the Commons for a very long time (upwards of 13 years), and, except in the cases of Sir John Russell, the King’s councillor, and Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn, a knight of his chamber, they may well have been out of touch with current political issues. Then again, the Lower House also contained a number of complete nonentities sitting as knights of the shire, whose election is difficult to explain save either because of a marked reluctance of established members of the shire communities and experienced parliamentarians to put themselves forward, knowing that Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick had been arrested and a political crisis was imminent, or else as a consequence of outside interference in the free choice made at the shire courts. There can be no doubt that in several constituencies the normal pattern of representation was disrupted. In Wiltshire, for example, it would appear that direct pressure was exerted on the electorate, for the newly-appointed sheriff, Richard Mawarden*, one of the King’s retainers, returned to Parliament a councillor, Sir Henry Green, in company with a knight of the chamber, Sir Thomas Blount, neither of whom had previously shown any interest in the affairs of the local community. Elsewhere, the results of the elections may reflect more of a general disinclination on the part of the leading gentry to be party to the proscription of the King’s opponents.

For 108 of the 203 Members whose names are recorded this was to be their final appearance in the Commons. For, whatever their reasons, they did not seek election again, or else were unsuccessful when they did so. Perhaps the experience of Richard II’s last Parliament had proved particularly unedifying. Only 27 of the MPs who sat at Westminster and Shrewsbury in 1397-8 were chosen to represent their constituencies in the assembly of estates which formally deposed the King in 1399, and which shortly afterwards met as Henry IV’s first Parliament.

 

RICHARD II’s RETAINERS AND SERVANTS

Name	Status	Annuity	Date granted
Ashcombe, Robert	King’s embroiderer
Bagot, Sir William	councillor	£60	Aug. 1397
Blount, Sir Thomas	knight of King’s chamber	£40	1383
Bukton, Robert Bussy, Sir John	King’s esquire	20 marks 40 marks 20 marks	Apr. 1397 1391 Mar. 1397
	councillor	£100	1 Aug. 1397
Calveley, Sir John	King’s knight	manor worth
		c. £30 p.a.	1394
Chelmswick, Richard	King’s esquire	40 marks £12	1394 1395
Cholmley, Robert	King’s esquire	£20 £6 13s.4d.	1383 Feb. 1397
Clanvowe, (Sir) Thomas	King’s esquire King’s knight	40 marks £20 two tuns of wine	1391 1395 Mar. 1397
Cobham, John	King’s esquire	£20 £20	1395 1396
Dagworth, Sir Nicholas	diplomat; knight of King’s chamber in 1380s	100 marks	bef. 1377
Fitzwaryn, Sir Ivo	knight of King’s chamber	£40	1395
Golafre, John	King’s esquire	40 marks	1395
Green, Sir Henry	King’s knight councillor	40 marks £100	Mar. 1397 1 Aug. 1397
Gresley, William	royal archer	6d. per diem	1385
Heron, Sir Gerard	diplomat	40 marks	1393
Howard, Sir John	King’s knight	£40	1394
Morton, Robert		40 marks granted to his wife
Mulsho, John	the King’s messenger 5 Sept. 1397 to persuade William Rickhill, c.j.c.p., to hear Gloucester’s ‘confession’ at Calais
Newport, Andrew	King’s esquire		from 1392
Pickering, Sir James	King’s knight	40 marks	1390
Russell, Sir John	knight of King’s chamber councillor	£50	1387 c. Sept. 1397
Shelley, Thomas	King’s esquire		1396
Skydemore, John	King’s esquire		by 1396
Tey, Robert	King’s esquire	40 marks	1394
Thorpe, Sir Edmund	King’s knight	50 marks	1393
Trevarthian, John	King’s esquire		by 1392
Wilcotes, William	King’s esquire	£20 £18	1391 1395
Worship, John	usher of the chamber	ten marks	1395

 

THE COUNTER-APPELLANTS AND THEIR ASSOCIATES

Name	Created on 29 Sept.
Thomas Mowbray, earl of Nottingham	duke of Norfolk
Edward, earl of Rutland	duke of Aumâle
Thomas Holand, earl of Kent (the King’s nephew)	duke of Surrey
John Holand, earl of Huntingdon (the King’s half-brother)	duke of Exeter
John Beaufort, earl of Somerset	marquess of Dorset
Thomas, Lord Despenser	earl of Gloucester
Sir William le Scrope	earl of Wiltshire
John Montagu, earl of Salisbury
Sir Thomas Percy, proctor for the clergy	earl of Worcester
1. Nottingham
Bagot, Sir William	Att., E, O, R
Calveley, Sir John	A
2. Rutland
Calveley, Sir John	O
Courtenay, Sir Hugh	A, M
Morton, Robert	poss. O
Mulsho, John	Att.
Northborough, Hugh	A
Tyndale, John	R (40 marks p.a.)
Shelley, Thomas	A
3. Kent
Bathe, John	A, O
Wintershall, Thomas	A, prob. R
4. Huntingdon
Shelley, Thomas	C, M, O
Thomer, William	O
Tilliol, Sir Peter	R
5. Despenser
Browning, John	M, R
Mortimer, Hugh	M, R (£40 p.a.)
Ruyhale, Richard	A, Att.
Sackville, Sir Thomas II	A, prob. R
Wilcotes, William	Att.
6. Salisbury
Francis, Sir Adam	brother-in-law (but there is no evidence of a close association between them)
7. Percy
Bukton, Robert	M, O, R
Thorpe, Sir Edmund	A, M, R

 

RETAINERS OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND HENRY OF BOLINGBROKE

Lancaster and his sons stood by the King in September 1397; the former, as steward of England, presiding over the trials of Arundel and Warwick. Gaunt and Bolingbroke had been given licence to assemble large retinues in anticipation of the meeting of Parliament, and Bolingbroke was created duke of Hereford on 29 Sept., the same day that the counter-appellants, including his half-brother the earl of Somerset, received new titles as their rewards. Gaunt’s associates are marked *.

Bagot, Sir John	*M
Bagot, Sir William	*R; A, O, R
Bardwell, Sir William	*M
Bonville, Sir William I	*M
Boteler, Sir John	*M, O, R
Bussy, Sir John	*O, R; A
Chelmswick, Richard	M
Dabrichcourt, Sir John	*E, M, O, R (£20 and 50 marks p.a. plus 50 marks p.a. granted Sept. 1397)
Englefield, John	*M, R (£20 p.a.)
Green, Sir Henry	*M, R (50 marks p.a.)
Hasilden, Thomas II	*O; R (£10 p.a.)
Hodings, John	R
Ramsey, Ralph	R (£10 p.a.)
Rempston, Sir Thomas I	*M; M, R (£20 p.a.)
Rochford, John	*O
Roucliffe, Sir David	*M, O, R (£40 and 40 marks p.a.); O

 

HOLDERS OF OFFICES IN THE CROWN’S APPOINTMENT

1. Customs officials
Bernard, John	controller, Ipswich
Debenham, William I	dep. butler, Ipswich
Hulle, William II	dep. butler, Chichester, Shoreham and Seaford
*Newport, Andrew	collector, London
Pope, John I	alnager, Gloucester
2. Constables of royal castles
*Bukton, Robert	Eye, Suff.
*Bussy, Sir John	Somerton, Lincs.
*Chelmswick, Richard	Kilgerran, Pemb.
*Cholmley, Robert	Winchester, Hants
*Fitzwaryn, Sir Ivo	Whittington, Salop
*Skydemore, John	Goodrich, Herefs.
*Tey, Robert	Colchester, Essex
3. Stewards
*Bagot, Sir William	Cheylesmore
*Chelmswick, Richard	duchy of Cornw.
*Wilcotes, William	Queen Anne’s estates
4. Others
*Chelmswick, Richard	keeper, forests of Morfe and Shirlet, Salop
Coventre, William II	keeper of the rolls in KB
*Heron, Sir Gerard	chancellor and chamberlain, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Ilshawe, William	under sheriff, Warws.
*Newport, Andrew	warden of the Mint; keeper of gold and silver stamps at the Tower and in Canterbury
*Russell, Sir John	master of the King’s horse
Tyndale, John	hereditary forester of Sule, Northants.
5. Justices of the peace
†Arundell, John I	Cornw.
†Bagot, Sir William	Warws.
†Bernard, John	Ipswich
†Biere, Walter	Dorset
†Brooke, Sir Thomas	Som.
†Bussy, Sir John	Lincs.
†Carew, Nicholas	Surr., Suss.
†Clanvowe, (Sir) Thomas	Herefs.
†Francis, Sir Adam	Mdx.
†Green, Sir Henry	Northants.
†Hasilden, Thomas II	Cambs.
†Howard, Sir John	Suff.
Knyvet, John	Hunts. (removed Nov. 1397, during the recess)
†Mulsho, John	Northants.
†Rochford, John	Lincs.
†Ruggewyn, John	Herts.
†Russell, Sir John	Worcs.
Ruyhale, Richard	Worcs. (removed Nov. 1397, during the recess)
Tey, Robert	Essex (removed Nov. 1397, during the recess)
†Wilcotes, William	Oxon.

 

* Also in receipt of annuities from Richard II

† Kept on the bench after the Parliament was dissolved

 

APPOINTMENTS MADE WHILE THE PARLIAMENT WAS IN PROGRESS OR SHORTLY AFTERWARDS

1. Justices of the peace (in addition to those marked † above. Appointed on 12 Nov. 1397 unless noted otherwise)
Bagot, Sir William	Salop
Bussy, Sir John	Cambs., Suff.
Chelmswick, Richard	Salop
Cobham, John	Surr.
Golafre, John	Oxon.
Green, Sir Henry	Wilts. 26 Oct. 1397
Heron, Sir Gerard	Northumb.
Mauleverer, Sir Oliver	Rutland
Oudeby, Sir Thomas	Rutland
Pickering, Sir James	Yorks.
Tilliol, Sir Peter	Cumb.
Worship, John	Beds.
Wroth, Sir John	Mdx. 20 Dec. 1397
2. Sheriffs (appointed on 3 Nov. 1397 unless noted otherwise)
Browning, John	Glos. 17 Nov. 1398
*Clanvowe, (Sir) Thomas	Herefs.
Curwen, Sir William	Cumb.
*Golafre, John	Oxon. and Berks.
*Morton, Robert	Notts. and Derbys.
*Mulsho, John	Northants.
*Newport, Andrew	Cambs. and Hunts.
*Oudeby, Sir Thomas	Rutland
*Pickering, Sir James	Yorks.
Radcliffe, Sir Ralph	Lancs. 10 Oct. 1398
*Worship, John	Beds. and Bucks.
3. Others
Bagot, Sir William	steward and surveyor of estates forfeited by the earl of Arundel in Wales and the marches 22 Sept. 1397; constable of Holt castle 22 Sept. 1397
Bussy, Sir John	keeper of confiscated estates of Mowbray Sept. 1398; envoy to Scotland 1398, 1399
Golafre, John	verderer, royal park at Woodstock (£10 p.a.) Apr. 1398
Green, Sir Henry	envoy to Scotland 1398, 1399
Heron, Sir Gerard	collector of customs, Berwick-upon-Tweed 9 Dec. 1397; envoy to Scotland 1398, 1399
Oxney, William I	collector of customs, Gt. Yarmouth 1 May 1398
Shelley, Thomas	warden of the stannaries, Cornw. 10 Dec. 1397; duchy steward in Cornw. 23 Aug. 1398

 

* Kept on in office for a further year in the autumn of 1398, evidently they had proved satisfactory either as administrators or from the political point of view.

 

COMMISSIONERS TO SEIZE AND SURVEY THE ESTATES DECLARED FORFEIT IN THE PARLIAMENT, 3 OCT. 1397.2CPR, 1396-9. pp. 307-8.

Bagot, Sir William	Staffs., Salop, Herefs.
Brooke, Sir Thomas	Som., Dorset, Hants, Wilts.
Carew, Nicholas	Surr., Suss.
Courtenay, Sir Hugh	Devon, Cornw.
Hasilden, Thomas II	Cambs., Hunts., Norf., Suff.
Heron, Sir Gerard	Cumb., Northumb., Westmld., Yorks.
Howard, Sir John	Essex
Skydemore, John	W. Midlands, Herefs.
Tilliol, Sir Peter	Cumb., Northumb., Westmld., Yorks.
Wilcotes, William	Berks., Glos., Oxon.
Morton, Robert	to audit accts. of Thomas Arundel, former abp. York, Feb. 1398
Russell, Sir John	to take possession of the horses forfeited Sept. 1397

 

MEMBERS OF THE COMMONS NAMED ON THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE APPOINTED 31 JAN. 1398

This, consisting of six commoners, ten lords, and two earls acting as clerical proctors, was given responsibility for completing the business of the Parliament, and hearing the charges brought by the dukes of Norfolk and Hereford against each other.

Bussy, Sir John	Green, Sir Henry
Chelmswick, Richard	Russell, Sir John
Golafre, John	Tey, Robert

 

GRANTS MADE TO MEMBERS WHILE THE PARLIAMENT WAS IN PROGRESS, OR SHORTLY AFTERWARDS

Bukton, Robert	extension for life of his annuity of 20 marks, 15 Oct. 1397
Bussy, Sir John	Arundel’s household goods in London and Warwick’s barge, jointly with Green, 26 Sept.; Warwick’s manor of Kirtling, Cambs. in tail-male 28 Sept.; Mortimer’s manors in Suff.; Cobham’s inn in London, jointly with Green, 3 Oct. 1397
Green, Sir Henry	Arundel’s household goods in London and Warwick’s barge, jointly with Bussy, 26 Sept.; two of Arundel’s manors in Wilts., one of Warwick’s in Warws., and two more in Northants., in tail; Cobham’s inn in London, jointly with Bussy, 3 Oct. 1397
Hayward, John	Exchequer lease 18 Sept. 1397
Radcliffe, Sir Ralph	annuity of £40 as ‘King’s knight’, 22 Sept.; wardship 3 Oct. 1397
Russell, Sir John	Warwick’s lands, rents, and certain manors in Worcs. 28 and 29 Sept. 1397
Skydemore, John	Exchequer lease, Talbot lands Feb. 1398
Syreston, Robert	Exchequer lease Dec. 1397
Wilcotes, William	custodianship of crown property, Oxon. Nov. 1398; in tail from May 1399 at reduced rent
Worship, John	manor of Worplesdon, worth £20-£30 p.a., Jan. 1399

 

ASSOCIATES OF THE LORDS APPELLANTS OF 1387-8

Only 17 men who had sat in the Merciless Parliament (6% of the total) were elected to the Parliament assembled in September 1397, and none of them, even if they had been adherents of the Appellants then, was evidently so any longer. It will be noted that, apart from the three Members listed as having close contact with the earl of Warwick, the former Appellants could not look to the support of any of their more influential retainers in the House. Those listed as being connected with Gloucester and Arundel had served them merely in the capacity of knights on military expeditions, and as long ago as the 1380s.

1. Gloucester
Aylesbury, Sir Thomas	M (1378, 1380)
Bardwell, Sir William	M (1380)
Fitzwaryn, Sir Ivo	M (1381)
Pecche, Sir William	M (1380)
2. Arundel
Bardwell, Sir William	M (1387)
Calveley, Sir John	M (1387)
Courtenay, Sir Hugh	M (1387)
Howard, Sir John	M (1387)
3. Warwick
Brome, John	A
Crewe, Thomas	A, C, F, O
Ruyhale, Richard	A, Att., C

 

THOSE GRANTED PARDONS, 1397-8

Altogether 48 Members (24% of the total) obtained royal pardons, 15 of them expressly for their subversive or overtly treasonable activities in 1386-8. Several of them were by the autumn of 1397 retainers of the King, but evidently even those most firmly in his favour, such as Bagot, Bussy and Green, felt the need of his assurance that they would not be prosecuted for anything that had earlier caused him deep offence. Pardons granted specifically for adherence to the Appellants of 1387-8 are marked *; those enrolled on the patent roll are marked †.

Aylesbury, Sir Thomas	9 June 1398
Bagot, Sir John	16 June 1398
*Bagot, Sir William	†1 Mar., *20 Oct. 1398
Bailly, Thomas	1 May 1398
*Benstede, Sir Edward	*6 May 1398
*Bixton, Walter	†*20 May 1398
Bonville, Sir William	4, 20 Feb. 1398
Boteler, Henry I	10 June 1398
Boteler, Sir John	13 June 1398
Brome, John	16 June 1398
Brooke, Sir Thomas	4 Feb., 20 Apr. 1398
Brown, William	15 June 1398
*Bukton, Robert	*17 Aug. 1398
*Bussy, Sir John	†*1 May 1398
*Calveley, Sir John	*1 May 1398
Canynges, John	14 Mar. 1398
*Chelmswick, Richard	*2 May 1398
Cholmley, Robert	12 June 1398
Cobham, John	12 June 1398
Courtenay, Sir Hugh	10 June 1398
*Crewe, Thomas	*1 May 1398
Curwen, Sir William	16 Feb. 1398
Fitzwaryn, Sir Ivo	3 May 1398
*Green, Sir Henry	†*1 May 1398
Groos, William	16 June 1398
Hasilden, Thomas II	12 June 1398
*Hodings, John	*25 Sept. 1398
*Hulle, William II	*10 Oct. 1398
Laxfield, Seman	29 May 1398
Lisle, Sir Robert	25 Apr. 1398
*Maryot, John	†*14 May 1398
*Mortimer, Hugh	*22 June 1398
Mulsho, John	12 June 1398
Ottworth, John	29 Mar. 1398
Oudeby, Thomas	16 Apr. 1398
*Patching, John	*15 June 1398
Pigot, (Sir) Baldwin	14 June 1398
Rempston, Sir Thomas I	12 June 1398
Rochford, John	5 Feb., 5 June 1398
Russell, Sir John	20 May 1398
Ruyhale, Richard	20 June 1398
*Sackville, Sir Thomas II	†*3 May 1398
Skydemore, John	18 Feb., 12 June 1398
Tilliol, Sir Peter	13 May 1398
Tyndale, John	15 June 1398
Wodeland, Richard	10 June 1398
Worship, John	16 June 1398
Wroth, Sir John	24 Apr. 1398

 

UNUSUAL FACTORS

The surveys for each individual constituency draw attention to any unusual factors in its representation, Parliament by Parliament. The following list is intended merely as a brief summary of such matters as they affected the Membership of Richard II’s last Parliament.

Constituency	Member	Unusual factors
Beds.	Worship, John	something of an outsider: came from Surr.
Berks.	Hartington, John	obscure nonentity, never appointed to positions of authority in the shire; connected with the King’s councillor, Laurence Drew*
Bucks.	Shelley, Thomas	outsider whose territorial stake in Bucks. was not firmly established; retainer of the earl of Huntingdon
Cambs.	Tyndale, John	outsider: had been returned seven times previously for Northants.
Exeter	Frye, William	a landowner and lawyer who had little to do with the affairs of the city
	Wilford, William	he and Frye were paid 4s. per diem for service in Parliament, whereas Exeter usually paid only 2s.
Dorset	Martin, William	obscure nonentity, illegitimate, never given positions of authority
Melcombe	Coventre, William II	outsider whose principal interests were in Berks. and Wilts.; keeper of the rolls in KB
Glos.	Mortimer, Hugh	outsider with no local concerns or contacts among the Glos. gentry; retainer of Lord Despenser
Hants	More, Robert II	obscure; connected with the Brocas family established at Court
London	Ashcombe, Robert	relatively obscure artisan; not a member of a city guild; King’s embroiderer
	Newport, Andrew	newly made alderman, but did not belong to any guild, and was not a Londoner by birth; King’s esquire
Bishop’s Lynn	Rawlin, Roger	lawyer living outside the borough, though poss. town clerk; most MPs for Lynn were merchants
Nottingham	Gresley, William	royal archer; most MPs for Nottingham were merchants
Salop	Pembridge, Sir Fulk	had taken no part in shire administration for previous 20 years
Warwick	Ilshawe, William	‘maintained’ by Sir William Bagot
Wilts.	Blount, Sir Thomas	outsider from Oxon., no involvement in Wilts. affairs; Household knight
	Green, Sir Henry	outsider from Northants.; member of King’s Council
Salisbury	Cary, John	exceptional in that he never held civic office
Worcs.	Russell, Sir John	King’s councillor who had not been elected for Worcs. since 1379. The sheriff was a royal nominee, rather than the deputy of the earl of Warwick, as had been the case previously