HORE, William I

More may be added to the earlier biography.2 The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 419-20.

The surviving evidence suggests that Hore officiated as mayor of the staple of Chichester for 28 years (from 1420 to 1448) without break, save for a short period of nine months in 1425-6 when Thomas Baron I* served in his place.3 C267/6/13. He took advantage of his position by suing out writs against those defaulting on bonds entered to him in his own staple court. Thus Philip Balman of Chichester, who owed him ten marks under a bond of 1422, suffered confiscation of his property to satisfy Hore 20 years later, although whether Hore ever achieved satisfaction in his pursuit of other debtors is not recorded.4 C241/224/19, 20; 225/89, 91; 229/12; 230/65; C131/65/2. This pursuit was primarily conducted in the court of common pleas, where his suits reveal more about the scope of his trading activities. Described as a ‘mercer’ in 1426 he sued Sir John Germyn of Suffolk for a debt of £10, and in 1433 he began a plea against William Pakyn* of Salisbury for £20. Yet several of the other defendants, including two innkeepers, William Lede* and Henry Wyndover*, came from his home city.5 CP40/661, rot. 71; 691 rot. 226d; 699 rot. 25; 738 rots. 53, 378d.

More rarely, Hore himself was prosecuted in the common pleas, although some of these suits may have arisen from distraints he had made in his capacity as mayor of the staple and city of Chichester. For instance, one John Roper alleged he had stolen his horse; and John atte Wood accused him and others including William Bernard* of having assaulted him and held him prisoner until he paid a fine of £2.6 CP40/699, rot. 651; 715 rot. 71d. As Hore is known to have traded overseas, in wool, skins and other commodities, it may well have been he (although his place of residence is not recorded) who in April 1434 took out letters of attorney to safeguard his affairs while on a visit to Santiago de Compostella.7 E159/210, recorda Hil. rot. 9; DKR, xlviii. 297. Towards the end of his life Hore’s lawsuits included one brought in 1445 against a local widow named Joan Frampton to whom he had leased four messuages and six acres of land in Chichester for term of her life. He accused Joan of wasting his inheritance, and a local jury found her guilty on various counts, so that he recovered his property with tripled damages amounting to £6. Other pleas were brought against men of Portsmouth, among them Adam Copendale*, who allegedly owed him £10, and against a man from Poynings for a debt of 40 marks.8 CP40/738, rot. 486; 740, rots. 187d, 451.

Hore died while still in office as mayor of the staple of Chichester, whereupon John Fust* was elected to replace him as from 8 Apr. 1448.9 C67/25. Besides Robert Seman*, the constable of the staple who had successfully established his innocence of charges of treason a few years earlier, Hore’s executors included the prominent local lawyer Humphrey Heuster*, and a London fishmonger. Together they actively prosecuted the testator’s debtors in the common pleas, and were still sorting out his affairs eight years later in 1456.10 KB27/752, rot. 21; CP40/779, rot. 43d; 780, rot. 11.