II Indentures of Retinue with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Enrolled in Chancery, 1367–1399

N. B. Lewis

doi:10.1017/S0068690500002713

II Indentures of Retinue with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Enrolled in Chancery, 1367–1399

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 December 2009

N. B. Lewis

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N. B. Lewis: Affiliation:
Emeritus Professor of Medieval History in the University of Sheffield

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The documents here collected are exemplifications, enrolled in chancery, of indentures of service between John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, and a number of his retainers who secured confirmation of them from the reigning king: all but two of these exemplifications were issued by Richard II, when, after the duke's death, his lands were in the king's hand; and, in a large proportion of cases, the opportunity was taken to transfer the duke's former retainers to the king's sole service. The indentures themselves are examples of the type of contract, familiar in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, by which magnates formed the retinues of knights and squires who maintained their position in the country in time of peace and fought under their command in time of war. Of such retinues John of Gaunt's must have been one of the largest; and we have a more detailed knowledge of it than of any other, thanks to the large number of indentures and other evidences recorded in the two volumes of his register.

Type: Research Article
Information: Camden Fourth Series , Volume 1: Camden Miscellany Vol. XXII , July 1964 , pp. 77 - 112

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068690500002713 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1964

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^{page 77 note 1} Crown copyright material in the Public Record Office; printed by permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

^{page 77 note 2} P[ublic] R[ecord] O[ffice], Duchy of Lancaster, Misc. Books nos 13 and 14: published by the Royal Historical Society respectively as John of Gaunt's Register, 1372–1376, ed. Armitage-Smith, S. (Camden Third Series, xx and xxi, 1911)Google Scholar, and John of Gaunt's Register, 1379–1383, ed. Lodge, E. C. and Somerville, R.Google Scholar (ibid., lvi and lvii, 1937), here referred to respectively as Register, i, and Register, ii; the indentures of retinue are nos 775–870 in Register, i, and nos 23–55 in Register, ii.

In addition to the 42 indentures here collected, there are four others similarly enrolled—those of Robert Standish, Walter Blount, Robert de Haytfield and William de Lussy (Patent Rolls no. 352 (22 Ric. II, part 3), mm. 9, 24 and 33, and no. 351 (22 Ric. II, part 2), m. 8)—which have not been included, because they are recorded in the duke's register and are respectively printed in Register, i, nos 787, 855 and 837, and calendared in Register, ii, no. 41. Apart from the fact that the enrolled copies give the duke's title and the corroboration and dating clauses in full instead of in abbreviated form, and make one minor factual omission, the only differences are in spelling and, occasionally, in word order.

Indentures and letters patent of the duke described in the exemplifications as having been handed in to his chancery to be cancelled are referred to in footnotes when they can be identified.

^{page 78 note 1} The presence of subordinates is, however, commonly provided for in the clauses dealing with ‘allowances’.

^{page 79 note 1} Register, i, no. 789. The document does not specify to whom Swynton owes this superior allegiance, but it must have been either to the king of England or, possibly, to the king of Scotland.

^{page 80 note 1} Register, i, no. 832.

^{page 80 note 2} And even in their general scope: Sir Walter Urswick's contract in Aug. 1372 (ibid., no. 823) is as brief and as general as that of Sir John de Ipres; and Sir William Beauchamp's (ibid., no. 832) of Feb. 1373, as detailed and varied as Lord Neville's, with which it shares the special proviso about taking arms under another leader.

^{page 80 note 3} Infra, nos 23 and 38.

^{page 80 note 4} Infra, nos 19, 21, 29–31 and 37.

^{page 80 note 5} Infra, nos 7 and 24 (knights on wages or board); nos 19–21 and 27–30 (squires on war wages or wages with board).

^{page 80 note 6} Infra, no. 26. An earlier example of a knight receiving wages without board is no. 6 (1384), but he had an additional fee in war time.

^{page 80 note 7} The highest annual fee for a knight in the later period was 50 marks (£33 6s. 8d.) (infra, nos 23 and 25); but in the earlier period we find a knight with a fee of 200 marks (Register, i, no. 841), another with £100 (ibid., no. 823), two with fees of 100 marks (ibid., nos 832 and 835) and one with 70 marks and a manor at a nominal rent (ibid., no. 849). Among the squires the disparity is much less marked, the highest fee in the earlier period being £20 (e.g. ibid., nos 797 and 844) as against 20 marks in the later (infra, nos 8, 19 and 21).

^{page 81 note 1} Out of nearly 75 contracts recorded in the first volume of the register, fourteen contain this proviso (Register, i, nos 803, 808, 819, 823, 830, 832, 834, 835, 838, 844, 845, 847, 849 and 855).

^{page 81 note 2} Ibid., nos 782, 788, 789, 804, 819, 832, 857, 866 and 867.

^{page 81 note 3} Infra, no. 25.

^{page 81 note 4} Register, i, nos 802, 803, 819, 823, 835, 849 and 855.

^{page 81 note 5} Ibid., nos 788, 793, 800, 809, 832 and 850.

^{page 81 note 6} Infra, nos 19 and 25. The attribution of the annuity to good service in the past as well as in the future was not merely a formal recognition of the retainer's past services, but might have a material effect on his financial rights since it appears from an entry in the Year Book for Edward I's last year (Year Books, 33–35 Edw. I, ed. Horwood, A. J. (Rolls Series, 1879), p. 403Google Scholar) that, if an annuity had been granted on these terms, the grantor was under obligation to continue to pay it, even if the retainer failed, on some occasion subsequent to the grant, to render service when called upon.

^{page 81 note 7} Infra, no. 6: and that no later than 1384.

^{page 81 note 8} Infra, nos 14 and 33 make no reference to mobilization arrangements.

^{page 82 note 1} In the early period five contracts (Register, i, nos 782, 788, 789, 832 and 868), out of nearly 75 in the register, assign a fixed share, normally one-third, to the duke, and in the later period six (infra, nos 10–14 and 18), out of nearly 40, assign the same proportion. Register, i, no. 832 and, in certain circumstances, infra, no. 2 assign a half share to the duke.

^{page 82 note 2} John Tybenham (infra, no. 37) has a fee of 100/- a year instead of the normal squire's fee of 10 marks.

^{page 82 note 3} Infra, nos 34–42: 1 Oct. 1397–2 Jan. 1399.

^{page 82 note 4} Infra, nos 23, 33 and 34.

^{page 82 note 5} Infra, nos 10–14.

^{page 82 note 6} Infra, nos 15–17.

^{page 82 note 7} E.g. Sir Henry Hoghton, infra, no. 26.

^{page 82 note 8} Infra, nos 16, 19 and 20–22.

^{page 82 note 9} Infra, nos 16 and 30.

^{page 83 note 1} Infra, nos 10–14.

^{page 83 note 2} Infra, no. 15.

^{page 83 note 3} Infra, nos 1, 2 and 3.

^{page 83 note 4} Infra, nos 4–14.

^{page 83 note 5} Infra, nos 15–18.

^{page 83 note 6} Infra, nos 21–40.

^{page 83 note 7} Infra, nos 8, 9 and 14.

^{page 83 note 8} Infra, nos 15–18 and 27–30.

^{page 83 note 9} Infra, nos 19–26.

^{page 84 note 1} Infra, nos 31–42: Leicester, Lenton Abbey (Notts.), Pontefract, Rothwell (Yorks.) and Ightonhill (in Whalley, Lanes.).

^{page 84 note 2} From 1386 the only contract which uses the old repetitive formula is that of William Neuport (infra, no. 8) of 4 Dec. of that year.

^{page 84 note 3} Supra, p. 81.

^{page 84 note 4} E.g. Register, i, nos 786, 789, 804, 813 and 832.

^{page 84 note 5} Infra, nos 10–14.

^{page 84 note 6} Infra, nos 27–30.

^{page 84 note 7} Infra, nos 34–41.

^{page 87 note a} mement, MS.

^{page 87 note b} des les, MS.

^{page 87 note c} A variant of achater in the sense of ‘take possession’.

^{page 87 note 1} Nájera, Spain, prov. Logroño.

^{page 87 note 2} Overton, Lanes.

^{page 87 note 3} Slyne, Lanes.

^{page 87 note 4} Lonsdale, Lanes.

^{page 88 note a} le, MS.

^{page 88 note 1} West Derby, Lanes.

^{page 88 note 2} Raby, co. Durham.

^{page 88 note 3} Danby, Yorks., North Riding.

^{page 88 note 4} Forcett, Yorks., North Riding.

^{page 89 note a} Possibly sufficeants, MS.

^{page 89 note 1} This ‘first indenture’ has not been traced.

^{page 90 note 1} Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. Cf. Register, i, no. 850. For a still earlier indenture (later cancelled), see ibid., no. 809.

^{page 91 note a} assaivoir, MS.

^{page 91 note 1} Melbourne, co. Derby.

^{page 92 note a} Perhaps jour should be supplied here.

^{page 92 note 1} Bonsall, co. Derby.

^{page 93 note 1} Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs.

^{page 94 note a} Apart from minor verbal changes and differences in the titles of the parties, these formulas for the allowances and corroboration clauses are normal in succeeding contracts.

^{page 94 note b} le, MS.

^{page 94 note 1} Spain, prov. Orense.

^{page 94 note 2} Tutbury, Staffs.

^{page 95 note a} Omitted in MS.

^{page 95 note 1} Spain, prov. Pontevedra, parish of Santa Maria de Areas.

^{page 95 note 2} Kingston Lacy, Dorset.

^{page 95 note 3} Cotton, in Sandbach, co. Chester.

^{page 96 note 1} Halton, co. Chester.

^{page 96 note 2} Monmouth, co. Monmouth.

^{page 96 note 3} Kingston Lacy, Dorset.

^{page 97 note 1} Kingston Lacy, Dorset.

^{page 99 note 1} Kingston Lacy, Dorset.

^{page 100 note 1} Halton, co. Chester.

^{page 101 note a} gages de guerre ou, repeated in MS.

^{page 103 note 1} Higham Ferrers, Northants.

^{page 103 note 2} Monmouth, co. Monmouth.

^{page 104 note a} Omitted in MS.

^{page 104 note 1} The name of the English branch of the Hainault family of Aubrécicourt generally appears in this form.

^{page 104 note 2} Calendared in Register, ii, no. 39.

^{page 104 note 3} Tutbury, Staffs.

^{page 104 note 4} Duffield, co. Derby.

^{page 106 note a} prendre, MS.

^{page 107 note 1} Pontefract, Yorks., West Riding.

^{page 108 note a} plarra, MS.

^{page 108 note 1} Rawcliffe, Lanes.

^{page 108 note 2} Lenton, Notts.

^{page 109 note 1} In view of the long interval between this contract and no. 2, and the fact that here the retainer is granted a smaller fee, it seems unlikely that it was the same Nicholas de Atherton who entered into both. The opposite view is expressed by Roskell, J. S., Lancaster Knights of the Shire (Chetham Soc., N.S., xcvi), pp. 94–98.Google Scholar

^{page 110 note 1} Yorks., West Riding.

^{page 110 note 2} Lines.

^{page 111 note a} plarra, MS.

^{page 111 note 1} Yorks., West Riding.

^{page 111 note 2} In Whalley, Lanes.

^{page 111 note 3} Monmouth, co. Monmouth.

^{page 112 note 1} Kingston Lacy, Dorset.

^{page 112 note 2} Kidwelly, co. Carmarthen.

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II Indentures of Retinue with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Enrolled in Chancery, 1367–1399

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