Chaucer's Official Life

by James R. Hulbert

We can scarcely expect any outright statement of the reasons in general or in particular for the appointment of esquires. Nevertheless I find two circumstances which may indicate the conditions of appointment; first, some previous connection of their fathers with the king's court, and second, some previous connection on their own part with the household of one of the king's children. Of those whose fathers or relatives had been in the court, may be mentioned John Beauchamp, [Footnote: Cf. p. 6, supra.] Patrick Byker, [Footnote: p. 6.] Nicholas Careu, [Footnote: p. 6.] Robert Corby, [Footnote: p. 7.] Collard Dabriohecourt, [Footnote: p. 7.] Robert de Ferrers, [Footnote: p. 8.] and William Burele [Footnote: Gal. Pat. Roll, 1378, p. 283.] (who was son of the Sir John de Burley with whom Chaucer was associated on one mission). Of course John Legge's father—as mayor of London—must have been known at court, and one of Thomas Hauteyn's progenitors had been receiver of king's customs at London. [Footnote: of. p. 9, supra.]

Even more interesting is the case of those esquires who before entering the king's service had been in the household of one of his children, i. e. Edward the Black Prince, Lionel, duke of Clarence (or his wife), John of Gaunt, Isabella, wife of Ingelram de Coucy, and Edmund, Count of Cambridge. Roger Archer, Griffith de la Chambre, Henry de Almaigne and Richard Torperle seem to have been in the service of Isabella, the king's daughter, for, in the grants of annuities which they received, special mention is made of their service to her. [Footnote: Issues P. 241, mem. ll. p. 239, mem. 15. p. 301, mem,] Possibly they were always in her service. Stephen Romylowe is expressly called esquire of Edward prince of Wales (the Black Prince), and he held an annuity from that prince. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 272, mem. 22, 285 mem. 25. 10 Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 197, 1385, p. 26.] Richard Wirle signed an indenture to serve John of Gaunt as an esquire in 46 Edward III, after the date at which he is mentioned in the household books. [Footnote: Duchy of Lancaster Registers No. 13. f. 125 dorso.] Since he seems never to have received an annuity from the king, or a grant—except in one instance for his wages in the wars—it seems likely that he was never actually in the king's service, but rather in that, of John of Gaunt. Robert Ursewyk was connected in some way with John of Gaunt and also with Edmund, Count of Cambridge, son of Edward III. [Footnote: idem f. 94. Pat. Roll, 274, mem. 29.] Roger Mareschall, John Joce and Robert Bardolf held annuities of twenty pounds each per annum from Lionel Duke of Clarence [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Boll 1383, p. 326.] and so were probably at one time in his service. Finally the most interesting case of all is that of Geoffrey Stucle, whose career and employments curiously parallel Chaucer's and who in 29 Edward III was valet to Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster. [Footnote: Issues, P. 212, mem, 22, 27.]

CLASSIFICATION

The two lists in the household books classify the members of the household in different ways—one list according to function and the other, apparently, according to length of service. The first is the system according to which the schedule of names conjecturally dated December 1368 [Footnote: Printed as number 53 of the Chaucer Records (page 162).] was made, and the latter is the system governing the list of September 1, 1369 (number 58 Chaucer Records, page 172.) A glance at the second of these and comparison with the first will show how it was made up. It classifies the esquires in two groups—"esquiers de greindre estat" and "esquiers de meindre degree." Looking at the names of the "esquiers de greindre estat" we notice that the first thirteen are names which appear in the group of "esquiers" of 1368, that the next ten are identical—even in the order of occurrence—with the list of "sergeantz des armes" of 1368, that the following seven are the first seven in the list of "sergeantz des offices parvantz furrures a chaperon" of 1368 (in the same order), that then Andrew Tyndale who in 1368 was an "esquier ma dame" appears, and is followed by the rest of, the "sergeantz des offices parvantz furrures," etc., (in the same order as in 1368) that the next six were in 1368 "esquiers ma dame," and that finally occur ten names not found in the lists of 1368. From this comparison it is clear that the list of 1369 was made up from a series of lists of different departments in the king's household.

The list of "esquiers de meindre degree" of 1369 was doubtless made in the same way, although the evidence is not so conclusive. The first twenty-two names correspond to names in the list of esquiers of 1368; the next eleven occur in the list of "esquiers survenantz" of 1368; the following five appear among the "esquiers ma dame" of 1368; the next thirteen do not occur in the lists of 1368; but the following eight correspond even in order to the list of "esquiers fauconers" of 1368. It is therefore clear that we have here a cross division. That the list of 1368 gives a division according to function is clear from the titles of all groups except one. The esquires classified as "fauconers" "survenantz," "ma dame," etc., performed the functions suggested by those titles—a fact which can be demonstrated by many references to the function of these men in other documents. In the case of the one exception, the "sergeantz des offices parvantz furrures a chaperon," it is clear that they performed duties similar to those of the "esquiers survenantz." For example, Richard des Armes was valet of the king's arms; [Footnote: Exchequer, K. R. Accts. 392, 12, f. 36 dorso. idem. No. 15.] William Blacomore was one of the king's buyers, subordinate to the purveyor of fresh and salt fish [Footnote: C. R. 1359 p. 545.] John de Conyngsby was likewise a buyer of victuals for the household [Footnote: Pet. Roll 276, mem. 4.], John Goderik and John Gosedene were cooks in the household [Footnote: Pat. Roll 1378, p. 212, Devon's Issues, 1370, p. 311.]; Richard Leche was king's surgeon [Footnote: idem. P. 230 mem. not numbered.], Thomas de Stanes was sub-purveyor of the poultry [Footnote: C. R. 1359, p. 545.]; William Strete was the king's butler [Footnote: Issues, P. 228, mem. 38.]; Edmond de Tettesworth was the king's baker [Footnote: Pat. Roll, 1378, p. 224.], etc. Hence it is clear that all these performed duties which in the main were of a menial character.

On the other hand, the division into two groups in the list of 1369 seems to indicate not the function of the esquires, but their rank in the household. Their rank, in turn, appears to be determined by various considerations—function (all the falconers of 1368 are enrolled among the esquires of less degree in 1369), length of service, and to some extent considerations which are not manifest. That length of service played some part in the division seems clear from a study and comparison of the careers of the various men. Since we are interested in knowing particularly the significance of the classification of Chaucer who appeared in 1368 as an esquier, I shall confine myself to a consideration of the "esquiers" of that year. The names of the esquires of greater degree with the date at which they are first mentioned in connection with the household (in documents outside the household books) follow:

Johan Herlyng. 18 Edward III (1344)
[Footnote: Abb. Rot. Orig., vol. 2, p.65.]
Wauter Whithors. 1343
[Footnote: C. R., p. 203.]
Johan de Beverle. 36 Edward III (1362)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 265, mem. 17.]
Johan Romeseye. 35 Edward III (1361)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 264, mem. 24.]
Wauter Walsh. 36 Edward III. (1362)
[Footnote: idem 266, men. 47.]
Roger Clebury. 1349
[Footnote: idem, p. 227.]
Helmyng Leget. 33 Edward III. (1359)
[Footnote: Issues, P. 223, mem. 32.]
Rauf de Knyveton. 35 Edward III. (1361)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 264, mem. 18.]
Richard Torperle. 38 Edward III. (1364)
[Footnote: idem 272, mem. 22.]
Johan Northrugg. 37 Edward III. (1363)
[Footnote: Issues, P. 232, mem. 5.]
Hanyn Narrett. 38 Edward III. (1364)
[Footnote: Issues, P. 237, mem. 17.]
Symond de Bokenham. 37 Edward III. (1363)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 267, mem. 7.]
Johan Legg. 36 Edward III. (1362)
[Footnote: idem 266, mem. 3.]

The "esquiers de meindre degree" follow:

Hugh Wake. 1353
[Footnote: idem, p. 380.]
Piers de Cornewaill. 37 Edward III. (1363)
[Footnote: idem 268, mem. 18.]
Robert Ferrers. 1370
[Footnote: Rymer III, 902.]
Robert Corby. 43 Edward III. (1369)
[Footnote: C. R. mem. 23, dorso. The last
two are difficult to distinguish from their fathers of the same
name who had been in the King's court before their time]
Collard Daubrichecourt. 44 Edward III. (1370)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 281, mem. 18.]
Thomas Hauteyn. 41 Edward III. (1367)
[Footnote: idem 1399, p. 65. Issues, p. 250, mem. 2.]
Hugh Cheyne. 32 Edward III. (1358)
[Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 248.]
Thomas Foxle.
[Footnote: I cannot identify him surely; a Thomas de Foxle was in
the King's court in 4 Edw. III ff (Abb. Rot. Orig. II, p. 39); he was
growing old in 1352 (Cal. Pat. Roll, p. 270) and-died 30 Edw. III (Cal.
Inq. P. M. II 220, leaving his property to a son and heir John).]
Geffrey Chaucer.
Geffrey Styuecle. 31 Edward III. (1356)
[Footnote: Issues, p. 217, mem. 114. In
29 Edw. III in service of Countess of Ulster.]
Symon de Burgh. 44 Edward III. (1370)
[Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 189.]
Johan de Tychemerssh. No mention outside of household books, where he
appears for first time in 1368.
Robert la Zouche. 29 Edward III. (1355)
[Footnote: Issues, p. 213, mem. 24.]
Esmon Rose. 17 Edward III. (1343)
[Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1348, p. 39.]
Laurence Hauberk. 1370
[Footnote: Issues 1370, Devon, pp. 136, 444.]
Griffith del Chambre. 28 Edward III. (1354)
[Footnote: Issues, p. 294, mem. 18.]
Johan de Thorpe. 30 Edward III. (1356)
[Footnote: idem, p. 214, mem. 8.]
Thomas Hertfordyngbury. 41 Edward III. (1367)
[Footnote: Pat. Roll 275, mem. 13.]
Hugh Straule. No certain mention as valet or esquire.
Hugh Lyngeyn. 37 Edward III. (1363)
[Footnote: Idem 267, mem. 37]
Nicholas Prage. 33 Edward III. (1359)
[Footnote: Exchequer K. R. Accts., Bundle 392, No. 15]
Richard Wirle. No record as valet or esquire of the king.

A comparison of the two sections shows that the first contains the names of two men whose service goes back as far as 1343, 1344, and that it contains the name of no one who was not by 1364 associated with the court. The second section, on the other hand, contains but one name of a date earlier than 1353 and several which do not occur in the records before the time of this document, or in fact until a year or two later. The fact however that in a number of cases the second section contains names of men who entered the household years before others whose names occur in the first section makes it seem probable that special circumstances might influence the classification of a given esquire.