Chaucer\'s Official Life

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CHAUCER'S OFFICIAL LIFE

BY

JAMES ROOT HULBERT

NOTE

In making reference to books and manuscripts, I have attempted to use
abbreviations which seem, reasonably clear. Perhaps the least
intelligible are C. R. which stands for Close Rolls, and L. R. which
stands for Life Records of Chaucer (Chaucer Soc.) Wherever possible, I
have referred to prints rather than to original manuscripts because the
printed calendars are much more accessible. In a work which has involved
the copying of innumerable references, many of which are to documents in
the Public Record Office not available to me as I revise my copy, it is
too much to expect that there should be no inaccuracies. Therefore, if
the reader discovers erroneous references, I must ask his leniency.

For their courtesy and assistance in making books and documents
accessible to me, I wish most heartily to thank J. A. Herbert, Esq., of
the Manuscript Department, the British Museum, and Edward Salisbury,
Esq., and Hubert Hall, Esq., of the Public Record Office. To my friend
and colleague, Dr. Thomas A. Knott, of the University of Chicago, I am
deeply indebted for his kindness in reading over parts of my manuscript
and trying to make their style clearer and more readable. My greatest
obligation, however, is to Professor John M. Manly, not only for
encouragement and specific suggestions as to the handling of this
subject, but for a training which has made possible whatever in my
results may be considered of value.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: Statement of the problem
THE ESQUIRES OF THE KING'S HOUSEHOLD:
Their Families
Appointment
Classification
Services
Rewards
Marriage
Careers of the Esquires of 1368
THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
THE CUSTOMS
SIR JOHN DE BURLEY
SIR EDWARD DE BERKELEY
SIR THOMAS DE PERCY
SIR WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP
RICHARD FORESTER
HENRY SCOGAN
OTO DE GRAUNSON
BUKTON
CHAUCER'S CAREER AND HIS RELATION TO JOHN OF GAUNT
CHAUCER'S RELATION TO RICHARD II
SOME GENERAL POINTS

INTRODUCTION

The researches of Sir Harris Nicolas, Dr. Furnivall, Mr. Selby and
others have provided us with a considerable mass of detailed information
regarding the life and career of Geoffrey Chaucer. Since the publication
of Nicolas's biography of the poet prefixed to the Aldine edition of
Chaucer's works in 1845, the old traditional biography of conjecture and
inference, based often on mere probability or the contents of works
erroneously ascribed to Chaucer, has disappeared and in its place has
been developed an accurate biography based on facts. In the sixty-five
years since Nicolas's time, however, a second tradition--connected in
some way with fact, to be sure--has slowly grown up. Writers on
Chaucer's life have not been content merely to state the facts revealed
in the records, but, in their eagerness to get closer to Chaucer, have
drawn many questionable inferences from those facts. Uncertain as to the
exact significance of the various appointments which Chaucer held, his
engagement in diplomatic missions and his annuities, biographers have
thought it necessary to find an explanation for what they suppose to be
remarkable favors, and have assumed--cautiously in the case of careful
scholars but boldly in that of popular writers--that Chaucer owed every
enhancement of his fortune to his "great patron" John of Gaunt. In
greater or less degree this conception appears in every biography since
Nicolas. Professor Minto in his Encyclopedia Britannica article
[Footnote: Ed. Scribners 1878, vol. 5, p. 450.] says with regard to the
year 1386: "that was an unfortunate year for him; his patron, John of
Gaunt, lost his ascendancy at court, and a commission which sat to
inquire into the abuses of the preceding administration superseded
Chaucer in his two comptrollerships. The return of Lancaster to power in
1389 again brightened his prospects; he was appointed clerk of the
King's works," etc.

Similarly, Dr. Ward in his life of Chaucer, after mentioning that
Chaucer and John of Gaunt were of approximately the same age,
writes: [Footnote: English Men of Letters. Harpers. 1879, p. 66.]
"Nothing could, accordingly, be more natural than that a more or less
intimate relationship should have formed itself between them. This
relation, there is reason to believe, afterwards ripened on Chaucer's
part into one of distinct political partisanship." With regard to the
loss of the controllerships Dr. Ward writes: [Footnote: p. 104.] "The new
administration (i.e. that of Gloucester and his allies) had as usual
demanded its victims--and among their number was Chaucer.... The
explanation usually given is that he fell as an adherent of John of
Gaunt; perhaps a safer way of putting the matter would be to say that
John of Gaunt was no longer in England to protect him." A little further
on occurs the suggestion that Chaucer may have been removed because of
"his previous official connection with Sir Nicholas Brembre, who,
besides being hated in the city, had been accused of seeking to compass
the deaths of the Duke and of some of his adherents." [Footnote: It is
curious that Dr. Waul did not realize that Chaucer could not possibly
have belonged to the parties of John of Gaunt and of Brembre.] Later, in
connection with a discussion of Chaucer's probable attitude toward
Wiclif, Dr. Ward writes: [Footnote: p. 134.] "Moreover, as has been seen,
his long connexion with John of Gaunt is a well-established fact; and it
has thence been concluded that Chaucer fully shared the opinions and
tendencies represented by his patron."

Dr. Ward's treatment is cautious and careful compared to that of Prof.
Henry Morley in his "English Writers." For example, the latter
writes: [Footnote: Vol. 5, p. 98.] "Lionel lived till 1368, but we shall
find that in and after 1358 Chaucer's relations are with John of Gaunt,
and the entries in the household of the Countess Elizabeth might imply
no more than that Chaucer, page to John of Gaunt, was detached for
service of the Countess upon her coming to London." A few pages further
on [Footnote: p. 103.]in the same volume occurs a paragraph on the life
of John of Gaunt glossed "Chaucer's Patron." With regard to the grants
of a pitcher of wine daily, and the two controllerships, Professor
Morley writes: [Footnote: p. 107.] "These successive gifts Chaucer owed
to John of Gaunt, who, in this last period of his father's reign, took
active part in the administration." And again, [Footnote: p. 109.] "John
of Gaunt had administered affairs of government. It was he, therefore,
who had so freely used the power of the crown to bestow marks of favour
upon Chaucer." [Footnote: p. 110.] "It was his patron the Duke,
therefore, who, towards the end of 1376, joined Chaucer with Sir John
Burley, in some secret service of which the nature is not known."
[Footnote: Studies in Chaucer, vol. I, pp. 81-82.]

Finally, after mentioning Chaucer's being "discharged" from his
controllerships, Morley writes: [Footnote: p. 243.] "During all this time
Chaucer's patron John of Gaunt was away with an army in Portugal."

Such absolute certainty and boldness of statement as Professor Morley's
is scarcely found again in reputable writers on Chaucer. Professor
Lounsbury in his life of Chaucer implies rather cautiously that Chaucer
lost his places in the Customs because of John of Gaunt's absence from
the country, and as the result of an investigation of the customs. Mr.
Jusserand in his Literary History of England writes: [Footnote: Eng.
trans., 1894, p. 312.] "For having remained faithful to his protectors,
the King and John of Gaunt, Chaucer, was looked upon with ill favour by
the men then in power, of whom Gloucester was the head, lost his places
and fell into want." F. J. Snell in his Age of Chaucer has similar
statements, almost as bold as those of Professor Morley. [Footnote: p.
131.] "John of Gaunt was the poet's life-long friend and patron."
[Footnote: p. 149.] "Chaucer was now an established favourite of John of
Gaunt, through whose influence apparently he was accorded this desirable
post" (i. e., the first controllership.) Most remarkable of all:
[Footnote: p. 230.] "Outwardly, much depended on the ascendancy of John
of Lancaster. If the Duke of Lancaster prospered, Chaucer prospered with
him. When the Duke of Gloucester was uppermost, the poet's sky was over
cast, and he had hard work to keep himself afloat."

The last quotations which I shall give on this point are from Skeat's
life of Chaucer prefixed to the single volume edition of the poet's
works in the Oxford series: [Footnote: p. XIII.] "As the duke of
Gloucester was ill disposed towards his brother John, it is probable
that we can thus account for the fact that, in December of this year,
Chaucer was dismissed from both his offices, of Comptroller of Wool and
Comptroller of Petty Customs, others being appointed in his place. This
sudden and great loss reduced the poet from comparative wealth to
poverty; he was compelled to raise money upon his pensions, which were
assigned to John Scalby on May 1, 1388." On the same page: "1389. On May
3, Richard II suddenly took the government into his own hands. John of
Gaunt returned to England soon afterwards, and effected an outward
reconciliation between the King and the Duke of Gloucester. The
Lancastrian party was now once more in power, and Chaucer was appointed
Clerk of the King's Works," etc.

Closely connected with the question of Chaucer's relations with John of
Gaunt, and indeed fundamental to it--as the constant reference in the
foregoing extracts to the grants which Chaucer held would indicate--is
the problem of the significance of Chaucer's annuities, offices, and
diplomatic missions. Extracts from two writers on Chaucer's life will
show how this problem has been treated. Professor Hales in his D. N. B.
article [Footnote: 1 Vol. 10, p. 157.] says of the first pension from
the King: "This pension, it will be noticed, is given for good service
done ... The pension is separate from his pay as a 'valettus' and must
refer to some different service." Similarly Professor Lounsbury in his
Studies in Chaucer writes: [Footnote: 2 Vol. 1, p. 61.] "It is from the
statement in this document about services already rendered that the
inference is drawn that during these years he had been in close
connection with the court." In regard to the grant of the wardship of
Edward Staplegate, he says: [Footnote: 3 idem, p. 65.] "This was a
common method of rewarding favourites of the crown. In the roll which
contains this grant it is said to be conferred upon our beloved
esquire." By way of comment on the grant of a pitcher of wine daily, he
writes: [Footnote: 4 idem, p. 63.] "Though never graced with the title
of poet laureate, Chaucer obtained at this same period what came to be
one of the most distinguishing perquisites which attached itself to that
office in later times." With regard to the offices: [Footnote: 5 idem, p.
66.] "Chaucer was constantly employed in civil offices at home and in
diplomatic missions abroad. In both cases it is very certain that the
positions he filled were never in the nature of sinecures." As to the
diplomatic missions [Footnote: 6 idem, p. 70.] "their number and their
variety, treating as they do of questions of peace and war, show the
versatility of his talents as well as his wide knowledge of affairs. Nor
can I avoid feeling that his appointment upon so many missions, some of
them of a highly delicate and important nature, is presumptive evidence
that he was not a young man at the time and must therefore have been
born earlier than 1340.... these appointments are proofs that can hardly
be gainsaid of the value put upon his abilities and services. Then, as
now, there must have been plenty of persons of ample leisure and lofty
connections who [Footnote: I Vol. 10, p. 157.] [Footnote: 8 Vol. 1, p.
61.] [Footnote: idem, p. 65.] [Footnote: idem, p. 63.] [Footnote: idem,
p. 66.] [Footnote: idem, p. 7 0.] were both ready and anxious to be
pressed into the service of the state. That these should have been
passed by, and a man chosen instead not furnished with high birth and
already furnished with other duties, is a fact which indicates, if it
does not show convincingly, the confidence reposed in his capacity and
judgment." With regard to the controllership, Professor Lounsbury
writes: [Footnote: Studies in Chaucer, p. 72.] "The oath which Chaucer
took at his appointment was the usual oath. ... He was made controller
of the port because he had earned the appointment by his services in
various fields, of activity, and because he was recognized as a man of
business, fully qualified to discharge its duties." [Footnote: idem,
p.74.] "In 1385 he was granted a much greater favor" (than the right to
have a deputy for the petty customs). "On the 17th of February of that
year he obtained the privilege of nominating a permanent deputy. ... It
is possible that in the end it wrought him injury, so far as the
retention of the post was concerned".

A merely casual reading of such statements as those I have given above
must make it clear that they attempt to interpret the facts which we
have about Chaucer, without taking into consideration their setting and
connections--conditions in the courts of Edward III and Richard II, and
the history of the period. [Footnote: Note for example the statement on
page 3 above that "the Duke of Gloucester was ill disposed towards his
brother John."] Surely it is time for an attempt to gain a basis of fact
upon which we may judge the real significance of Chaucer's grants and
his missions and from which we may determine as far as possible his
relations with John of Gaunt. In the following pages then, I shall
attempt first to discover the relative importance of Chaucer's place in
the court, and the significance of his varied employments, and secondly
to find out the certain connections between Chaucer and John of Gaunt.
The means which I shall employ is that of a study of the lives of
Chaucer's associates--his fellow esquires, and justices of the peace,
and his friends--and a comparison of their careers with that of Chaucer
to determine whether or not the grants he received indicate special
favor or patronage, and whether it is necessary to assume the patronage
of John of Gaunt in particular to explain any step in his career.

THE ESQUIRES OF THE KING'S HOUSEHOLD

THEIR FAMILIES

We have the names of the esquires of the king's household in two lists
of 1368 and 1369, printed in the Chaucer Life Records [Footnote: See
page 13 ff.]. In the study of the careers of these esquires the most
difficult problem is to determine the families from which they were
derived. Had they come from great families, of course, it would not have
been hard to trace their pedigrees. But a long search through county
histories and books of genealogy, has revealed the families of only a
few, and those few in every case come from an unimportant line. It is
clear then that they never were representatives of highly important
families. A statement of the antecedents of such esquires as I have been
able to trace, the names arranged in alphabetical order, follows.

John Beauchamp was almost certainly either that John Beauchamp of Holt
who was executed in 1386, or his son. In either case he was descended
from a younger branch of the Beauchamps of Warwick. [Footnote: Issues,
p. 232, mem. 26, Peerage of England, Scotland, etc., by G. E. C., vol.
1, p. 278.]

Patrick Byker, who was King's "artillier" in the tower of
London, [Footnote: 1362 Cal. C. R., p. 373.] was the son of John de Byker
who had held the same office before him. [Footnote: 35 Edw. III, p. 174
Cal. Rot. Pat. in Turr. Lon.] William Byker, probably a relative, is
mentioned from about 1370 on as holding that office [Footnote: Devon's
Issues, 1370, p. 33, Issues, p. 303, mem. 14.]. I have been able to
learn nothing further about the family.

Nicholas Careu: in the records one finds reference to Nicholas Careu the
elder and Nicholas Careu the younger [Footnote: Ancient Deeds 10681.].
Since the elder was guardian of the privy seal from 1372 to 1377
[Footnote: Rymer, p. 951, 1069.] and in 1377 was one of the executors of
the will of Edward III, it seems likely that the esquire was Nicholas
Careu the younger. At any rate the younger was the son of the older
[Footnote: C. R. 229, mem. 33 dorso, 12 Rich. II.] and they were
certainly members of the family of Careu in Surrey [Footnote: 1378 Cal.
Pat. Roll, p. 143, 1381-5 Cal. Pat. Roll, passim, Cal. Inq. P. M. III,
125.]. The pedigrees of this family do not show Nicholas the younger (so
far as I have found). But a Nicholas, Baron Carew, who may have been the
keeper of the privy seal, does occur [Footnote: Visitation of Surrey
Harleian Soc. p. 17.]. The name of his son, as given in the pedigree, is
not Nicholas; consequently Nicholas, the younger, was probably not his
eldest son. This last supposition is supported by certain statements in
Westcote's Devonshire [Footnote: p. 528. Of course it is not certain
that this Sir Nicholas was the Keeper of the Privy Seal.] where we are
told that "Sir Nicholas Carew, Baron, of Carew Castle, Montgomery in
Wales, married the daughter of Sir Hugh Conway of Haccomb, and had issue
Thomas, Nicholas, Hugh," etc.

Roger Clebury. In Westcote's Devonshire [Footnote: p. 555.] occurs an
account of a family named Cloberry, of Bradston. In the course of his
statement, which is devoid of dates or mention of lands other than
Bradston, Westcote refers to two Rogers.

Several men of the name of William de Clopton are mentioned in the
county histories. Unfortunately no facts appear in the records to
connect any one of them with the esquire of that name. At any rate from
the accounts given in Gage [Footnote: Gage's History of Suffolk: Thingoe
Hundred, p. 419.] and Morant [Footnote: Morant's Essex, vol. 2, p. 321.]
the following pedigree is clear:

-------------------------------------
Thomas de Clopton Sir William de Clopton
(20 Edw. III) |
-----------------------------------------
Sir William, Edmund, John, Walter, Thomas William

The elder Sir William, according to Gage, married first Anet, daughter
of Sir Thomas de Grey, and secondly Mary, daughter of Sir William
Cockerel. With his second wife he received the manor and advowson of
Hawsted and lands in Hawsted, Newton, Great and Little Horningsherth and
Bury St. Edmunds. Morant speaks of the family as an ancient one and
traces it back to the time of Henry I.

Robert de Corby was son of Robert and Joan de Corby [Footnote: Pat. Roll
291, mem. 1.]. His father had been yeoman in the King's court and had
received a number of grants from the King [Footnote: Cal. C. R., p. 496
(1345). Cal. Rot. Pat. Turr. Lon. 38 Edw. III, p, 1'78 b.].

Collard, or Nicholas, Dabrichecourt was a son of Nicholas Dabrichecourt,
brother of Sir Eustace Dabridgecourt of Warwickshire [Footnote: Visit of
War (Harl.) p.47, Beltz Mem. of Garter, p. 90.]. The latter had won the
favour of Philippa in France and had come to England when she was
married to Edward III. George Felbrigge was, according to Blomefield's
Norfolk, [Footnote: Vol. 8, p. 107 ff.] descended from a younger branch
of the Bigods. The head of this family was the Earl of Norfolk.

Sir Simon, third son of Hugh, Earl of Norfolk
|
Sir Roger
----------------+-----------------
Sir Simon John le Bigod
Sir Roger Roger le Bigod
Sir Simon Sir George

The younger branch of the family had assumed the name of Felbrigge from
a town of that name in Norfolk. As will be seen, George Felbrigge came
from the younger branch of a younger branch of the family, and his
ancestors seem to have been neither influential nor wealthy.

Robert de Ferrer's pedigree was as follows: [Footnote: Baker's
Northampton, vol. 1, p, 123.]

John Ferrers = Hawise d. of Sir Robert Muscegros.
Baron Ferrers
Robert, 2nd baron = Agnes ( 8) d. of Humphrey Bohun,
| Earl of Hereford
----------+------------------
John, 3rd baron Robert
obit. 2 Apr. 1367 died 1381

Since his brother died only a year before the date of the first of the
lists, it is very likely that Robert became a member of the King's
household, while still a younger son. His father, Robert, second baron
Ferrers, was one of the Knights of the King's Chamber. He fought in the
campaigns in France and Flanders.

Thomas Frowyk was probably a member of a prominent London family of
merchants. Lysons writes of the family as follows: [Footnote: Parishes
in Middlesex, etc, p. 228.] "The manor of Oldfold was at a very early
period the property of the Frowyks or Frowicks. Henry Frowyk, who was
settled at London in 1329, was sixth in descent from Thomas Frowyk of
the Oldfold, the first person mentioned in the pedigree of the family.
... Thomas Frowyk, a younger brother of Henry above mentioned, inherited
the Oldfold estate, which continued in the family till his grandson's
time." This Thomas Frowyk is mentioned in the Close Rolls between 1351
and 1353 as Justice of the Peace for Middlesex, and in [Footnote 1:
Ancient Deeds A 9086.] 27 Edward III as lieutenant of the Queen's
steward.

The connections of Thomas Hauteyn are not quite so clear but apparently
he likewise was derived from a family of London merchants. Blomefield's
Norfolk [Footnote 2: Vol. 10, p. 426 ff.] tells of a family of Hauteyns
of knightly rank. Sir John Hauteyn probably became a citizen of London
in 16 Edward II and was subsequently receiver of the King's customs of
wool at London. Even earlier than this, in 15 Edward I, a Walter Hawteyn
was sheriff of London [Footnote 3: Ancient Deeds A 1625]. In 7 Edward
III a John Hawteyn was alderman of a ward in London [Footnote 4: idem, A
1472]. We can suppose some connection between Thomas Hauteyn and this
family because he held certain tenements in London [Footnote 5: idem, A
7833].

John de Herlyng, who was usher of the King's chamber and the most
important of the esquires in Chaucer's time, came of a family settled in
Norfolk. Blomefield gives a pedigree of the family beginning with this
John de Herlyng [Footnote 6: Vol. 1, P. 319], but, is unable to trace
his ancestry definitely. He finds mention of a certain Odo de Herlyng,
but is forced to the conclusion that the family was an unimportant one
before the time of John de Herlyng.

With regard to Rauf de Knyveton very little information is forthcoming.
Glover's Derby [Footnote 7: Vol. 2, P. 135, 6.] gives the pedigree of a
family of Knivetons who possessed the manor of Bradley and says that
there was a younger branch of the family which lived at Mercaston.
Ralph, though not specifically mentioned, may have been a younger son of
one of these branches.

Although Helmyng Leget was an important man in his own time-sheriff of
Essex and Hertfordshire in 1401 and 1408 [Footnote 8: Morant's Essex,
vol. 2, p. 123.], and Justice of the Peace in Suffolk [Footnote 9: Cf.
Cal. Pat. Roll. 1381-5, p. 254.]--Morant is able to give no information
about his family. Perhaps his position in the society of the county was
due in part to the fact that he married an heiress, Alice, daughter of
Sir Thomas Mandeville. [Footnote 10: Cf. Cal. Pat. Roll. 1381-5, p.
254.]

John Legge, who is on the lists as an esquire, but in the Patent Rolls
is referred to chiefly as a sergeant at arms, was, according to H. T.
Riley, son of Thomas Legge, mayor of London in 1347 and 1354. [Footnote
11: Memorials, P. 450.] Robert Louth was evidently derived from a
Hertfordshire family. A Robert de Louth was custodian of the castle of
Hertford and supervisor of the city of Hertford in 32 Edward III
[Footnote: Cal. Rot. Pat. Turr. Lon., p. 169 b.] and between 1381 and
1385 was Justice of the Peace for Hertford. [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll
index.] Probably Robert de Louth was a younger son, for John, son and
heir of Sir Roger de Louthe (in 44 Edward III) deeded land in
Hertfordshire to Robert de Louthe, esquire, his uncle. [Footnote: Ancient
Deeds, D 4213.]

John de Romesey comes of an eminent Southampton family of the town of
Romsey [Footnote: Woodward, Wilks, Lockhart, History of Nottinghamshire.
vol. 1. p. 352.] which can be traced back as far as 1228, when Walter of
Romsey was sheriff of Hampshire. His pedigree is given as follows by
Hoare: [Footnote: History of Wilts, vol. 3, Hundred of Oawdon, p. 23.]

Walter de Romesey 34 Edward I.
|
Walter de Romesey 23 Edward III = Joan
|
John de Romesey = Margaret d. and
(Co. Somerset) heir of...?

Hugh Strelley was a member of the family of Strelley (Straule) of
Nottingham and Derby. From the fact that his name does not occur in the
pedigree given in Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire [Footenote: Vol.
2, p. 220.] and that he held lands of Nicholas de Strelley by the fourth
part of a knight's fee, [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll, 1892, p. 56.] it is
clear that he belonged to a subordinate branch of the family. Further,
he was even a younger son of this secondary stock, for, as brother and
heir of Philip de Strelley, son and heir of William de Strelley, he
inherited lands in 47 Edward III. [Footnote: C. R. 211, Mem. 38.]

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