OGLE, Sir Robert I

In September 1407 Ogle was present in Durham cathedral to witness the installation of Bishop Langley. His close connexion to the bishop was further demonstrated in January 1417 when he was one of four Northumberland knights who witnessed the formal conclusion of the bishop’s long dispute with the burgesses of Newcastle-upon-Tyne over the Tyne Bridge.5 Durham Univ. Lib., cathedral. muns. cartulary I, ff. 118v-20; C.D. Liddy, Bishopric of Durham, 185-6. Only a few other incidental references have been found to supplement the earlier biography.6 The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 859-62. He was knighted a little earlier than suggested there. It was as a knight that on 27 Nov. 1409 he sued out a protection for military service under the King’s son, John, afterwards duke of Bedford, the warden of the east march. On 3 Nov. 1434 he headed the jury assembled at Newcastle for the inquisition post mortem of the much-married Joan Holand, widow of Edmund, duke of York (d.1402). Given his apparently exclusive involvement with northern affairs, it is surprising to find that, in 1430, he was sued by a London skinner, William Pepir, for abducting one of his apprentices.7 C71/79, m. 9; CIPM, xxiv. 256; CP40/677, rots. 30d, 170d.

Ogle’s failure to secure the payment of the moneys owed him by the Crown for his service as keeper of Roxburgh meant that, late in his career, he was faced with severe financial difficulties. This explains his failure to answer the northern peer, John, Lord Greystoke, for a debt of over £130 and his consequent outlawry in the London hustings in March 1435. Since he was then serving under the warden of the marches, Richard, earl of Salisbury, in defence of the border, this was as unwelcome as it was undeserved. On the following 10 July he appeared personally in the King’s bench to seek the outlawry’s revocation, and it may be that the matter prompted him on 8 Sept. to secure election to the Parliament due to assemble at Westminster on 10 Oct. Twice during that assembly he came again into King’s bench, and on the octave of Martin, his outlawry was formally revoked.8 KB27/697, rot. 58; C219/14/5. By then, however, the Ogles were faced by new and graver difficulties. Only two days after our MP had secured election, his son and heir, leading a raid into Scotland, had been captured by the Scots at Piperdean and put to ransom.9 PPC, iv, p. lxxxiv. No doubt the father took advantage of his time at Westminster to raise funds for that ransom.

In respect of the subsidy voted in this Parliament, Ogle was assessed on an income of £80 p.a. derived from lands in Northumberland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Cumberland and Lancashire.10 E179/158/38.