Constituency Dates
Rutland 1397 (Jan.), 1399, 1402, 1404 (Oct.), 1414 (Apr.), 1414 (Nov.), 1415, 1416 (Mar.), 1416 (Oct.), 1417, 1419, 1422
Family and Education
s. and h. of William Flore† (d.c.1405/6) of Oakham, prob. by his w. Ellen. m. (1) by Sept. 1398, Katherine, da. and h. of William Dalby (d.1405) of Oakham, at least 4s. inc. Thomas*, 3da.; (2) by Jan. 1412, Cecily, da. of John Samon (d.1416) of Nottingham by his w. Agnes, at least 2s. 1da.1 The identity of his 2nd w. is established by his own will of 1424, where her mother is named as Agnes Samon, and the bequest in the will of John Samon of ten marks to the marriage of Agnes, daughter of Roger Flore of Oakham: Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (EETS, lxxviii), 58; Borthwick Inst., Univ. of York, Abps. Regs. 18 (Bowet), ff. 364-5.
Offices Held

Attestor, parlty. elections, Rutland 1407, 1420, 1421 (May), 1423, 1425, 1426.

Coroner, Rutland by May 1391.

J.p. Rutland 12 Nov. 1397–9, 16 May 1401 – Dec. 1416; ex officio (as steward of the duchy of Lancaster, north parts), Derbys., Leics., Lincs., Northants., Northumb., Notts., Rutland, Staffs., Westmld., Yorks. 1 Dec. 1416 – d.

Keeper of the park of Flitteris in the forest of Leighfield and the warrens of the lordship of Oakham for Edward, earl of Rutland, 1 Nov. 1399 – d.

Commr. Rutland, Northants., Lincs., Leics. Dec. 1399 – July 1426; of gaol delivery, Oakham Oct. 1412, Oct. 1413, June 1418, Oakham castle June 1422.2 C66/391, m. 5d; 401, m. 22d; 406, m. 16d.

Steward, abbot of Westminster at Oakham by 1400.3 Agrarian Hist. of Eng. and Wales, 1348–1500, ed. Miller, 375.

Verderer, royal forest of Rutland to 19 Aug. 1401, Rockingham forest, Northants. bef. 1415 – d.

Escheator, Rutland 1 Dec. 1405 – 9 Nov. 1406, Rutland and Northants. 12 Nov. 1414 – 14 Dec. 1415.

Sheriff, Rutland Mich. 1407 – 15 Nov. 1408, 3 Nov. 1412 – 6 Nov. 1413.

Mayor, staple of Calais by May 1411–?4 Foedera ed. Rymer (orig. edn.), viii. 681.

Ambassador to treat for truce with king of France and duke of Burgundy May 1411.5 Ibid.

Searcher of ships at Plymouth and Fowey, Cornw. 9 Feb. 1412 – Mar. 1413.

Speaker 1416 (Oct.), 1417, 1419, 1422.

Steward of the duchy of Lancaster, north parts, 1 Dec. 1416 – d.; chief steward of the duchy estates in Lancs. and Cheshire 22 Feb. 1417 – 9 July 1425, for Hen. V’s feoffees in Lancs. 1422 – 23.

Justice of the great sessions, lordship of Cantreff Selyff c. 1422 – 24.

Parlty. proxy for abbot of Croyland, Lincs. 1425, 1426.6 SC10/48/2383, 2390.

Address
Main residence: Oakham, Rutland.
biography text

More can be added to the earlier biography.7 The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 91-94.

In the tax returns of 1412 Flore’s estates in Rutland were assigned an annual value of £48 p.a., making him comfortably the most substantial gentry landholder in the county. However, not all of this was derived from his own estates for he enjoyed an income of £25 p.a. from the lands of his ward and son-in-law, (Sir) Henry Pleasington*. Judging from the valuations in the returns, his own lands in the county were of similar value to those of other leading families there, such as Burton and Basings. Yet this underestimates his wealth. Not only was his landed income supplemented by his holdings outside Rutland and by various annuities, but he enhanced his local resources by farming the tithes and demesne of Westminster abbey’s rectory at Oakham.8 E179/387/21; Agrarian Hist. 375.

The most important omission from the earlier biography is Flore’s tenure of the office of mayor of the Calais staple at the end of Henry IV’s reign. His appointment is to be explained by interest in the wool trade. Another new reference reflects his standing as a lawyer. At Stamford on 23 Sept. 1424 he headed a panel of four arbiters who returned an award in a dispute between the wealthy Nottinghamshire esquire, Hugh Willoughby*, on the one part, and John Billing and John Frende, over the park at Willoughby’s manor of Dunsby in Lincolnshire.9 Foedera, viii. 681; Nottingham Univ. Lib., Middleton mss, Mi D 3473.

Author
S.J.P.
Volume
Commons 1422-1461
Notes
  • 1. The identity of his 2nd w. is established by his own will of 1424, where her mother is named as Agnes Samon, and the bequest in the will of John Samon of ten marks to the marriage of Agnes, daughter of Roger Flore of Oakham: Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (EETS, lxxviii), 58; Borthwick Inst., Univ. of York, Abps. Regs. 18 (Bowet), ff. 364-5.
  • 2. C66/391, m. 5d; 401, m. 22d; 406, m. 16d.
  • 3. Agrarian Hist. of Eng. and Wales, 1348–1500, ed. Miller, 375.
  • 4. Foedera ed. Rymer (orig. edn.), viii. 681.
  • 5. Ibid.
  • 6. SC10/48/2383, 2390.
  • 7. The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 91-94.
  • 8. E179/387/21; Agrarian Hist. 375.
  • 9. Foedera, viii. 681; Nottingham Univ. Lib., Middleton mss, Mi D 3473.