MARRIAGE LICENCE OF JOHN GOWER THE POET.
The following special licence of marriage extracted from the Register of William of Wykeham, preserved in the registry at Winchester, is a curious document in itself; but if, as there is much reason for supposing, the person on whose behalf it was granted was no less a man than the illustrious poet—the "moral Gower"—the interest attached to it is very much enhanced: and for this reason I am desirous of giving it publicity through the columns of "N. & Q."—a fit place for recording such pieces of information, relating to the lives of men eminent in the annals of literature. I have not been able to find any notice of the marriage of John Gower in the books to which I have been able to refer; and, though it may be perhaps an event of little importance, it is one which a faithful biographer would never omit to mention. The document is as follows:
"Willelmus permissione divina Wyntoniensis Episcopus, dilecto in Christo filio, domino Willelmo, capellano parochiali ecclesiæ S. Mariæ Magdalenæ in Suthwerk, nostræ diocesis, salutem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Ut matrimonium inter Joannem Gower et Agnetem Groundolf dictæ ecclesiæ parochianos sine ulteriore bannorum editione, dumtamen aliud canonicum non obsistat, extra ecclesiam parochialem, in Oratorio ipsius Joannis Gower infra hospicium cum in prioratu B. Mariæ de Overee in Suthwerk prædicta situatum, solempnizare valeas licenciam tibi tenore præsentium, quatenus ad nos attinet, concedimus specialem. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum fecimus his apponi. Dat. in manerio nostro de alta clera vicesimo quinto die mensis Januarii, A.D. 1397, et nostræ consecrationis 31mo."
The connexion of the poet Gower with the priory of St. Mary Overy is well known; as well as his munificence in contributing very largely to the reconstruction of the church of the priory, in which he also founded a chantry, and where his tomb still exists. It would appear from this document, that he actually resided within the priory.
This marriage must have taken place late in his life. The year of his birth is unknown. He is said to have been somewhat older than Chaucer, the date of whose birth is also uncertain; there being some grounds for assigning it to 1328, others, perhaps more satisfactory, for fixing it 1345. If the latter be correct, and if we allow for the disparity of age, we may suppose Gower to have been somewhere between fifty-five and sixty years of age at the time of his marriage with Agnes Groundolf.
W. H. Gunner.
Winchester.
[A reference to the will of Gower, which is printed in Todd's Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer, p. 87. et seq., confirms the accuracy of our correspondent's inference, that this is the marriage licence of the poet, inasmuch as it shows that the Christian name of Gower's wife was Agnes.—Ed. "N. & Q.">[