GRYGGES, Andrew

Grygges’s background is obscure, but it seems quite likely that he was related to Roger Grygge, who had acted in 1403-4 as receiver of the estates in Norfolk and Suffolk belonging to Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk,1 Egerton Roll 8776. especially as he himself entered the service of that earl’s son and eventual successor, William, who rose to be marquess and then duke of Suffolk. He is first recorded in 1442, on the electoral return for Wallingford to the Parliament summoned to meet on 25 Jan. that year, but although his name is given on the dorse of the writ as one of the two elected representatives of the borough, on the indenture itself, drawn up at the guildhall in Wallingford on 12 Jan., that of John Stokes I* appears in his place, written in a different ink from the rest of the document.2 C219/15/2. We cannot therefore be sure that Grygges actually sat in Parliament. What is more certain is that he owed his initial candidacy to William de la Pole, for the earl, whose principal seat was situated nearby at Ewelme, was constable of Wallingford castle.

Although the evidence is lacking, we may assume that Grygges was already employed by de la Pole, perhaps as his receiver-general,3 The name of his immediate predecessor in the office is not known, although John Squyer had been rec.-gen. in 1429-30: Egerton Roll 8779. and his subsequent appearance at parliamentary elections held in East Anglia, where his lord exerted considerable influence, indicates that his presence was deemed to be useful in helping to decide the outcome. At the Suffolk elections held at Ipswich on 27 Oct. 1449 some 160 electors, including Grygges, were named on the indenture, many of them the duke’s men, which suggests that their master was anxious to secure a favourable result, but even so neither of the knights of the shire returned were Suffolk’s retainers.4 C219/15/7. Following Duke William’s murder in May 1450, Grygges continued to serve his widowed duchess, Alice. In October that year, as her receiver, he was assigned the difficult task of levying the sum of 3,500 marks which she had promised to lend to Henry VI for the transmission of an army to Gascony and Aquitaine. This he had to do from the revenues of her manors in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, and by pawning certain of her jewels. The King commissioned six men, headed by one of the esquires for the body, to assist Grygges in this task, and to provide an escort to guard him while bringing the money to the Exchequer with all speed. There was undoubtedly a strong element of duress in these instructions, and, indeed, the dowager was shortly afterwards brought to Parliament to face trial by her peers for treason. She was acquitted.5 CPR, 1446-52, p. 431; Letters and Pprs. Illust. Wars of the English ed. Stevenson, ii (2), 770.

As receiver-general of the dowager’s estates in East Anglia, Grygges carried out many tasks on her behalf. For instance, in July 1451 he consulted with a carpenter from Norwich about building a mill on the de la Pole property at Cawston,6 C.F. Richmond, Paston Fam.: First Phase, 240n (from Staffs. RO, Costessey acct. D641/4, packet 5). and his accounts for 1453-5 reveal how he earned his fee of £10 p.a. In the period from 8 Jan. 1454 to 10 Feb. 1455 he spent as many as 113 days travelling about the estates, levying the duchess’s dues and carrying out her instructions. His expenses, at the rate of 20d. a day, amounted to £9 8s. 4d. Grygges turned out at Eye on 8 Aug. 1454 with (Sir) Philip Wentworth*, (Sir) Miles Stapleton* and other of Alice’s counsellors to discuss what should be done about the transgressions of Thomas Cornwallis* and his servants, and on 8 Nov. he rode from Lavenham to London taking the sum of £100 for his lady’s use. During the first two weeks of February 1455 a number of costs were incurred in recovering possession for Duchess Alice of the manor of Stockton, which had been seized by the duke of Norfolk. Grygges again rode to the capital with funds, this time being absent for 11 days.7 Egerton Roll 8779. For Stockton see Richmond, 144-8. It was with other of the duchess’s men – Stapleton, Simon Brayles (her household treasurer) and Edward Grimston – that he visited Sir John Fastolf at Caister on 24 June 1456, taking with them the sum of 253 marks, which was apparently owed to the knight. Nevertheless, they did not hand the money over, as Fastolf failed to have the relevant bond ready to return to them for cancellation.8 Paston Letters ed. Davis, ii. 554; Richmond, 248. Grygges is not mentioned in the records subsequently.