Chaucer's Official Life

by James R. Hulbert

John de Beverle is particularly interesting to us because in 1376 he was joined with Chaucer as surety for William de Beauchamp when the latter received the custody of the castle and county of Pembroke. [Footnote: L. R., p.213] The first mention of him in the public records occurs in 36 Edward III when he was granted the custody of all the lands and tenements of James de Pabenham, Knight, defunct, during the minority of the heir, [Footnote: Pat. Roll 265, mem. 17.] and when he and Amicia de Bockeshill his wife were granted twenty pounds yearly by the king. [Footnote: idem 266, mem. 29.] In the next year he was granted the office of constable of the castle of Limerick and certain water rights at the same place. [Footnote: idem 267, mem. 6, 8.] In 38 Edward III John de Beverle, who was holding the manor of Pencrich, Staffordshire, from the king in capite, having acquired it from John, son and heir of Hugo Blount, was pardoned the transgression committed in entering upon it. In the same year he was granted the right to hold a fair at Pencrych. [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Chart, p. 185.] In 39 Edward III, he received a grant of two tenements in the parish of St. Michael atte Corne, London, [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Pat. Tur. Lon., p. 179 b] at the customary rent; he established a chantry; [Footnote: Inq. Ad. Quod Damnum, p. 335.] and received a grant of the constableship of the castle of Leeds for life, with wages 100s. therefore. [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Pat. Tur. Lon., p. 180.] In 39-40 Edward III, he was granted the right of free warren in Mendlesden, [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Chart, p. 185.] Hertfordshire. In 39 Edward III, he was granted the manor of Mendlesden [Footnote: Pat. Roll 272, mem. 4.] and two dolia of Gascon wine yearly. [Footnote: idem 271, mem. 21.] In 40 Edward III, the king granted his mother, Matilda, a number of tenements and shops in London. [Footnote: idem 274, mem. 2.] He himself was in that year granted the manor of Bukenhull for life, with reversion to his heirs, [Footnote: idem 278, mem. 37.] and the custody of the manor of Melton in Kent during the minority of the heir. [Footnote: idem 274, mem. 43.] He seems also in that year to have sold to the Count of Arundell and others his manor of Pencrych. [Footnote: idem 273, mem. 13.]

In 41 Edward III John de Beverle was granted the manor of Bofford in Oxford. [Footnote: idem 276, mem. 6.] In the next year he was granted the right to hunt in the parks and forests of the king, with this prologue: "Redeuntes ad memoriam obsequia et servicia placida que dilectus armiger noster Johannes de Beverlee nobis non absque periculis et rerum despendiis a longo tempore impendit" etc. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 278, mem. 8.] In 43 Edward III permission was given to Walter Bygod, miles, to grant at farm to John de Beverle the manors of Alfreston (Essex) and Marham (Norfolk) at a rent of L200 to Walter Bygod. [Footnote: idem 279, mem. 12.] In that year also a grant by Ingelram de Courcy to John de Beverle of the manor of Tremworth in Kent was confirmed by the king. [Footnote: idem 280, mem. 28.] Finally he was granted the parkership of Eltham forest for life with pay of three pence per day. [Footnote: idem 279, mem. 28.] He was at this time drawing an annuity of L40, 8s. 9d. for life and he was also paid (in this year, 1370) L107, 15s. 5d. for his wages and those of his men at arms and archers in the war. [Footnote: Devon's Issues 1370, pp. 35, 81.] In 1371 he was paid 100m. [Footnote: Rymer, old ed. VII, 178.] In 44 Edward III the king granted John de Beverle the manor of Rofford in Oxfordshire, [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Pat. Turr. Lon., p. 186. Error for Bofford?] and the custody of the lands of John de Kaynes, defunct, during the minority of his heir. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 281, mem. 2] In 46 Edward III the king granted him the custody of all the lands of Walter Bygod, chivaler, in Essex and Norfolk, with marriage of the heir. [Footnote: idem 287, mem. 5.] He was also in that year granted an annuity of 33s. 4d. and the manor of Rodbaston in Staffordshire. [Footnote: idem 287, mem. 18, 34.] The next year, John de Beverle received a grant of the reversion to two parts of the manor of Godyngdon in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and also of the manor of Bokenhull in Oxfordshire. [Footnote: idem 289, mem. 17.] He was at that time paying ten pounds yearly for the farm of the manor of Godingdon. [Footnote: Cal. Rot. Pat. Turr. Lon., p. 188.] In 48 Edward III he received a grant of the goods and chattels of Thomas de la Bere, an outlaw, [Footnote: Pat. Roll 290, mem. 8.] and also of all the trees cut down in Eltham forest. [Footnote: idem 290, mem. 10.] Finally he had a grant of the manor of Bikenhull (sic). [Footnote: idem 290, mem. 30.] In 49 Edward III he was granted certain tenements and rents in London. [Footnote: idem 292, mem. 28.] In 50 Edward III, he and his wife acquired the manor of Pencrych (Stafford) from Thomas, son of Hugo Blount, Knight, [Footnote: C. R., mem. 1.] and he was granted custody of the lands of John Ferrers, Knight, with marriage of the heir. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 295, mem. 23.] In 1377 he was one of the witnesses to Edward III's will. [Footnote: Test Vet., p. 12.] In 1377 he testified against Alice Perrers before Parliament. He said that she took care not to say anything about the matter under dispute before him. (Ele soi gardst bien de lui qu'ele ne parla rien en sa presence.) [Footnote: Rot. Parl., p. 14.]

In 1377 we find an acknowledgement of one hundred marks which John de Beverle had lent to the king for the expeditions over sea, [Footnote: Cal Pat. Roll, p. 29.] and in this year he is said to have been armour-bearer to the king [Foornote: Dunkin's Oxfordshire I, 197.] (Edward III). In 1 Richard II, he acquired a rent of forty shillings from lands and tenements in Buckenhull. [Footnote: Ms. Cal. C. R., p. 14.] In 1378 certain men were imprisoned for a debt of one hundred pounds to John de Beverle and Joan de Bokkyng, [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll, p. 130.] and in that year he paid twenty pounds for leave to alienate certain property of six marks rent which he held from the king. In 1378 he was retained to serve Richard II and confirmed in his possession of the office of parker of Eltham parks, an annuity of ten pounds and the fee farm rent of eighty-one pounds for the manor of Hedyngdom. [Footnote: al. Pat. Roll, p. 143.] In 1380 his office of constable of the castle of Leeds, the profits of the mills there and the custody of the park there, were exchanged for ten pounds to be deducted yearly from his rent of twenty pounds paid to the king for the manor of Tremworth. [Footnote: idem, p. 506.]

In 1381 John de Beverle was dead leaving seven manors and other property. [Footnote: Cal. Inq. P. M. III, 29.] In 17 Richard II his wife, Amicia, had become the wife of Robert Bardolf, miles. [Footnote: C. R. 235, mem.]

In the index to his Froissart, Kervyn de Lettenhoeve describes John de Beverle as "moult grant baron d'Angleterre" and refers to a list of chevaliers who were going to Portugal in 1384 with the master of the order of St. James. [Footnote: Cf. Rymer old ed. VII, 451.] This was certainly not our John de Beverle because the latter was dead in 1381.

GEFFREY STUCLE

The first mention I find of Geffrey Stucle is in 1347 when he had a grant of the bailiwick of Cork in Ireland made at the request of Henry, Earl of Lancaster. [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll, p. 367.] This grant was confirmed by one of 32 Edward III—an inspeximus and confirmation of letters patent of Maurice, Count Dessemond, according to which Maurice granted the bailiwick of Cork to Geffrey Styeucle at the request of Lionel, Count of Ulster. According to this last document Stucle had the office with all its fees and privileges and was to pay for it a rose yearly at the feast of St. John the Baptist. [Footnote: Pat. ROLL 255, mem. 29.] In 1348 also a statement is made that Stucle is going to Brittany on the king's service.

In 29 Edward III Stucle appears under entirely different circumstances: he is then "vallettus" of the Countess of Ulster and is paid forty shillings and sixty shillings for attending to certain business of the countess. [Footnote: Issues, P. 212, mem. 22, 27]. Again he is mentioned as "vallettus" of the Countess of Ulster, staying in London on her affairs, and paid sixty shillings therefor. [Footnote: idem, P. 294, (214?) mem. 23.] In 31 Edward III he had a grant—as "vallettus" of the king's household—of ten marks per annum, "for good services to the king," etc. [Footnote: Issues, P. 217, mem. 14.] Evidently then Stucle came into the king's household, just as Chaucer did, from the household of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster, and it is to be noted that he received an annuity within a year or a little more, possibly as soon as he shifted to the king's service. In the same year he was sent on a mission of the king's and paid 26s. 8d. [Footnote: idem, mem. 18] In 33 Edward III he was sent on the king's secret business to Normandy and paid L16,13s.4d. for his wages. [Footnote: idem, P. 223, mem. 17] He was paid ten pounds more in the same year for a mission of the king—possibly the same as the foregoing. [Footnote: idem, P. 222, mem. 20.] In 35 Edward III he was sent on the king's business to Normandy and paid ten pounds for his wages. [Footnote: idem A 169, mem. 30.] Likewise in the same year he was paid twenty pounds for his wages in going to France and Normandy in the diplomatic service of the king—possibly the same as the foregoing. [Footnote: idem A 169, mem. 38.] In 36 Edward III he was paid ten pounds for going on another journey [Footnote: ISSUES P. 228, mem. 2.] and L6,13s.4d. for a journey on the king's business to Britanny. [Footnote: idem, P. 229, mem. 25] In the same year he was paid sixty shillings for his robe. [Footnote: idem] In 37 Edward III he was sent to Jersey in the company of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster, [Footnote: idem, P 232, mem. 20.] and his annuity was increased to twenty marks. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 267, mem. 21.]

In 38 Edward III Stucle was granted, at his own request, custody of all lands and tenements which were formerly the property of Richard de la Rynere, defunct, during the minority of the heir. [Footnote: idem 269, mem. 43.] In 39 Edward III he went on a diplomatic mission to the duke of Britanny, and was paid L26,13s.4d. therefor. [Footnote: Issues, P. 239, mem. 31] In 40 Edward III he was granted one tenement and two shops in the parish of St. Michael over Cornhill, London. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 273, mem. 35.] In 41 Edward III he was paid forty pounds for a mission to Spain. [Footnote: Issues, P. 248, mem. not numbered.] In 42 Edward III he was paid forty pounds for a journey to the Prince of Aquitain. [Footnote: Issues, P. 249, mem. 4.] In 1370 he was given ten marks in addition to his wages for the five voyages which he had made to Calais for the king. [Footnote: Devon's Issues, p.409.] In that year also he was sent on secret business of the king to Nottingham. [Footnote: idem.]

In 47 Edward III, Stucle was sent to Flanders with certain letters of privy seal 'directed to various bannerets and knights of the king's retinue who were staying in Germany, directing them to prepare themselves to go with John, duke of Lancaster, to France on the king's business. [Footnote: Issues, P. 262, mem. 9.] For this he was paid L13,6s.8d. and he received ten pounds more for a journey to Flanders with letters directed to Simon, Archbishop of Canterbury. [Footnote: idem 264, mem. not numbered.] In 49 Edward III he was sent to Brugges to report to the council the results of the conference between the ambassadors of the king and the king of France for a treaty of peace. [Footnote: idem, P. 271, mem. 17.] In the same year he was granted custody of all the lands and tenements formerly belonging to John Dakeneye, chivaler, defunct, with marriage of the heir. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 293, mem. 19. GEORG FELBRIGG]