RADCLIFFE, Sir Thomas

More may be added to the earlier biography.2 The Commons 1386-1421, iv. 165-7.

In the late 1420s Radcliffe fell out with his neighbour, Richard Boteler of Kirkland, a kinsman of his long-dead first wife. At the assizes of August 1429 Boteler sued him for assaulting him and his servants at Garstang, which lay between their respective homes. Since the county sheriff, Sir Robert Laurence†, and two of the county coroners, John Morley* and Roger Caterall, were joined with him as defendants, it seems that he had considerable support for the violent action alleged against him. Unfortunately no details of the assault are given, but it is a fair assumption that the quarrel between Radcliffe and Boteler explains why on 12 Aug. they were called upon to find sureties for their appearance at the next assizes. The identity of those prepared to put at hazard 100 marks each for Radcliffe’s compliance – Sir Richard Molyneux, Sir John Pilkington, Sir John Byron* and Richard Haryngton* – demonstrates the strength of his connexions among the county elite.3 PL15/2, rots. 27, 32.

Soon after, Radcliffe entered into a transaction that was to lead to dispute within his immediate family. On 16 Mar. 1433 he agreed with his recently-widowed mother to pay her £20 p.a. for her dower lands in Clitheroe and Astley. He and his son, Richard, gave her bonds in 200 marks each for payment. On his death in 1440 the farm was in arrears, and Margaret complained to the chancellor that Richard, his mother, Katherine, and Katherine’s new husband, Nicholas Boteler*, now refused to pay either arrears or farm. Further, at the Lancashire assizes of August 1443, she sued what she took to be Sir Thomas’s executors on his bond. She believed, seemingly erroneously, that he had named as many as six executors, that is his wife, two of his sons, George and Robert, and two of the county coroners, Thomas Atherton and Hugh Clayton, together with the sheriff, Byron. This, as perhaps also the similar claim about the involvement of sheriff and coroners made by Richard Boteler in 1429, may have been merely a tactic in pleading, to prevent process in the case being served by officials she knew were opposed to her claim. If so, it was ineffective in so far as she secured no redress through the court.4 C1/39/46; PL15/5, rot. 12; PL14/155/4/38. In any event, if Radcliffe did name so many executors, only his two sons played any part in the execution of the will. It was they who pursued his debtors.5 PL15/3, rots. 3d, 16.