CHAPTER 2
The Social and Economic Background of
Office-holders
Notes (2)
81 J. Jeaffreson, H.M.C. 11th Report, appendix, part II, p.228; R. Mander, "Walter Coney of Lynn," East Anglian Magazine, VII (1947-48), 600; Parker, op.cit., 16, 142; Hillen, op.cit., I, 87; Morey, op.cit., 150; Green, op.cit., II, 253-54, 403; Howlett, op.cit., 31; McKisack, "Parliamentary representation of King's Lynn," 583; Ingleby, Red Reg., I, i-ii.
82 Gross, op.cit., I, 36, 64-65, 74-75, 83, 107-08. He was scathingly critical of what he saw as selfish, clannish, monopolistic policies of the gild undermining democracy in boroughs.
83 See Walter Cony's complaint about being elected mayor while alderman; KL/C7/4 f.165.
84 Gross, op.cit., I, 66-67, II, 167; the ordinance of 1357 also demonstrates the separateness of gild and borough machinery.
85 KL/C39/32, 34, 45.
86 KL/C38/11 m.2r.
87 Except, of course, for the mercantile supervision which was the special function of Merchant Gilds.
88 Meyer, op.cit., XVII, 417.
89 Tait, op.cit., 232-34; Records of Norwich, I, 17, 260-61; Hudson, "Revised list of bailiffs," 245-56. Toftes' predecessor in the office was also an ex-bailiff.
90 Gross, op.cit., II, 121-23; KL/C5/1; R.R. 4-9 Ric.II m.7d.
91 Gross, op.cit., II, 123-25, 154; G.C.R. 39-40 Hen.III mm.4d, 5d, 54-56 Hen.III passim; Martin, Borough and Merchant Community of Ipswich, 24-25. Again there was a similar arrangement in Lynn, whereby outsiders desiring the commercial privileges of freemen would join the gild.
92 Gross, op.cit., II, 125-26; Martin, Borough and Merchant Community of Ipswich, 62-63, 148-49; Dogget Roll 18-19 Ed.IV mm.4r, 15d; Add.Ms. 30158 f.9b.
93 Palmer, The History of Yarmouth by Henry Manship, 53, 245; Swinden, op.cit., 812; Rutledge, Court Rolls of Great Yarmouth, 3, 5; Saul, op.cit., 12-14.
94 This may be inferred from the removal of John Gedneye from the office of jurat in 1439 (KL/C7/3 f.106), and from the flurry of entrances into the gild by jurats 1435-36 (KL/C5/4 - a Corpus Christi gild roll, previously thought to have been a Merchant Gild roll).
95 Records of Norwich, II, 152; M. Grace, ed., Records of the Gild of St. George in Norwich, 1389-1547, (1937), 23, 39-43; N. Tanner, Popular Religion in Norwich with Special Reference to the Evidence of Wills, 1370-1532, (Oxford PhD thesis, 1973), 155-58.
96 P. Studer, ed., The Oak Book of Southampton of c. A.D. 1300, (1910-11), I, xxi, xxiii, xxx; Hammer, op.cit., 2-4; Martin, Borough and Merchant Community of Ipswich, 27-28; Dobson, York City Chamberlains' Account Rolls, xx; KL/C6/3 m.4r.
97 Lawson, op.cit., 15-16.
98 E. Rich, "The mayors of the staples," Cambridge Historical Journal, IV (1932-34), 121-31; C.Cl.R. 1360-64, 267; C67/22, 23 passim.
99 KL/C7/2, 3 passim; KL/C4/11.
100 Not to be taken in the modern sense.
101 Tait, op.cit., 69; Alsford, Urban Administration in Medieval Norwich, 24-25.
102 C.P.R. 1258-66, 235; C.Cl.R. 1377-81, 57; Red Parch. Bk., 39; KL/C10/2 f.3b; The record shows that the Norwich upper class was not composed solely of merchants.
103 Add.Ms. 30158 ff.14, 20b.
104 See chapter 1.
105 E.g. Records of Norwich, I, 98. In Norwich in 1389 a distinction was made between citizens sufficient to bear ballival office and common freemen; Alsford, Urban Administration in Medieval Norwich, 124.
106 Twiss, op.cit., 162; G.C.R. 1 Ed.I m.1r; Red Reg. f.144; KL/C7/3 ff.102, 117; D/B 3/3/28 m.2d; D/B 3/1/2 f.10; Col.C.R., I, 202.
107 Lawson, op.cit., 16; G.C.R.12-13 Ed.I m.2r.
108 Red Parch. Bk., 36, 39; Red Paper Bk., 14; White Domesday f.18b; KL/C7/3 f.100b; Records of Norwich, I, 98; KL/C2/29.
109 Records of Norwich, I, 286, II, li, 289; B. Cozens-Hardy and E. Kent, The Mayors of Norwich, 1403-1835, (Norwich, 1938), 18, 23, 30; White Domesday f.18; Red Parch. Bk., 36.
110 Records of Norwich, I, 66-67; KL/C6/6 m.20r; KL/C17/17 m.1r.
111 Meech and Allen, op.cit., 9.
112 For Yarmouth examples see Saul, op.cit., 235-36. The opinion of Platt, op.cit., 105, that such intermarriage was "the stuff of which borough government was made" is an allowable exaggeration perhaps suggested from his study of Southampton more strongly than from towns studied here.
113 Meech and Allen, op.cit., 24.
114 KL/C39/48 m.9r; KL/C17/13-22; KL/C5/4; KL/C6/5 m.7r; KL/C38/16.
115 Col.C.R./66 m.22r; Dogget Roll 4-5 Ed.IV m.15; Red Reg. ff.76, 157.
116 Pipe Roll 12 Hen.II, 25; C.F.R. 1200-16, 64.
117 C.P.R. 1281-92, 116; C.Cl.R. 1307-13, 127-28; Arundel Castle Ms. MD 424; KL/C37/1 mm.15r, 16d, 17r; E122/93/5; B. Quamme, "King's Lynn," Norseman, VII (1949), 90.
118 KL/C37/1 mm.14r, 17r; C.P.R. 1272-81, 26, 35; Smit, Bronnen..., I, 26; Power, op.cit., 10, 15, 96.
119 KL/C5/1 m.1r; Arundel Castle Mss. MD 425, 426.
120 KL/C7/2, 3 passim; Meech and Allen, op.cit., 221-23; Parker, op.cit., 11; E. Carus-Wilson, "The medieval trade of the ports of the Wash," Medieval Archaeology, VI-VII (1962-63), 198.
121 E122/93/31; E122/94/8, 12, 13, 14, 20; E122/95/3, 15, 27; Red Reg. f.119; KL/C10/2 ff.1b, 5, 41b, 121; KL/C7/4 f.60b; C.P.R. 1413-16, 138.
122 D/B 3/1/1 f.34b; D/B 3/1/2 ff.5-6, 22b.
123 Add.Ms. 30158 ff.6b, 41b.
124 C.P.R. 1429-36, 572, 1436-41, 47; N.C.C. Aleyn f.141; Cozens-Hardy and Kent, op.cit., 20; Morey, op.cit., 43.
125 As regards the natives, parental identity is specified in most cases; in others there is strong circumstantial evidence to suggest the relationship. Surname evidence has not been used as an indicator of geographical origins, although it would confirm that the overwhelming majority of migrants came from the local area; on this see McKinley, op.cit., 76-77; Platt, op.cit., 96.
126 20% of the natives, 17-25% of local immigrants (there being 2 problem cases), 67% of distant immigrants.
127 C.F.R. 1347-56, 273-74. By contrast, Yarmouth, Colchester, and Ipswich tended to serve their home counties mainly.
128 Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 79; KL/C7/3 f.16b.
129 KL/C37/4 m.3r; Red Reg. f.75; Davies, op.cit., 605. [Further analysis of the evidence has since led me to the conclusion that Burghard was a Norfolk man. S.A., 2003]
130 KL/C7/3 f.119b; PROB 11/6 qu.1; E122/51/28; Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 686.
131 KL/C7/3 f.197b; KL/C38/18 m.9d; C.P.R. 1446-52, 315, 1467-77, 79.
132 KL/C7/3 f.101b; E122/96/35; Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 809.
133 KL/C7/2 f.94; Smit, Bronnen..., I, 601-02, 607-08.
134 KL/C7/4 f.14b.
135 Red Reg. f.178; C.P.R. 1340-43, 252; C.F.R. 1347-56, 3, 44.
136 KL/C39/46 m.2r; E122/50/30, 33; E122/51/2.
137 KL/C7/2 f.177b; C.F.R. 1437-45, 242, 278; Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 166.
138 KL/C7/2 f.148b; Smit, Bronnen..., I, 616-17.
139 C.Cl.R. 1441-47, 113; C.P.R. 1446-52, 528-29; C1/16/377; C1/33/202; PROB 11/2 qu.1.
140 Col.C.R., III, 27; Col.C.R./41 mm.22r, 27d, /43 m.5r, /56 m.19d; C.P.R. 1399-1401, 443; E122/50/40; E122/51/2, 29; E122/193/33 f.42b.
141 Saul, op.cit., 170-72.
142 C.Cl.R. 1377-81, 112; Cal.Inq.Misc. 1377-88, 217, 221; C.P.R. 1361-64, 492, 495, 1364-67, 36, 1370-74, 307; Thrupp, Merchant Class of Medieval London, 339; Saul, op.cit., 134, 172, 234, app. VIIH, VIIK.
143 McKinley, op.cit., 77-80, 94; Platt, op.cit., 98.
144 KL/C7/3 f.233b; N.C.C. Typpes ff.100-101; Red Reg. ff.51-52.
145 Add.Ms. 30158 ff.1, 3b; Dogget Roll 17-38 Hen.VI m.1d; Red Parch. Bk., 128.
146 R.R. 4 Hen.IV m.1r; C. Palmer, The Perlustration of Great Yarmouth, (Yarmouth, 1872-75), I, 102; Col.C.R./41 mm.45r-46r, /72 m.18r; K. Newton, "Some original documents in the Morant Mss.," Trans. E.A.S., 3rd series, II (1970), 294-95. On the identity of Richard Purdaunce, in 2005 I modified my original statement (to the effect that the son-in-law of William atte Fen was the same man as the Norwich mayor), after being contacted by a descendant, Russ Spurdens (to whom I am grateful for information provided), whose research into family history suggested it must have been a son who moved from Ipswich to Norwich; in 2012 he advised me that his further research supported my original statement. The evidence remains inconclusive, but the source of confusion appears to be that the Norwich Richard's widow was named Margaret and she died ca. 1482, which would have made her (if Margaret atte Fen), improbably, around a hundred years old! It now seems plausible that Richard, still a young man, could have married Margaret atte Fen ca.1390, when her father William, an Ipswich mercer and ship-owner, was at the peak of his career; William is first mentioned in 1370 and last heard of in 1415, so it is likely his daughter would not have been a vastly different age to Richard, who himself was an outsider, apparently from a Lubeck family, and may conceivably have been one of William's apprentices or factors. Margaret's parents settled on the couple, for life, 9 shops near the corner of the fishmarket and Cooks Row (documented when they quitclaimed their rights in the same in 1402). When Richard moved to and took out citizenship at Norwich in 1394/95, he was described as a merchant, suggesting his business at Ipswich had prospered. But he had lost his wife in that period, and had taken a second, Emma, a Norwich widow with property interests; they are, in September 1394 (when Richard is still described as 'of Ipswich'), seen in the process of acquiring a property in Norwich marketplace. It appears that his second marriage provided Richard the reason or opportunity to relocate. In the years following that move he was exporting fur and cloth and importing leather and goods related to a mercer's trade. Emma also predeceased Richard, and he took a third, probably much younger, wife, Margaret. By the time of that third marriage, he had already held the office of city bailiff (1403/04), that of city sheriff (1405/06), and the first of his two mayoral terms. Purdaunce died in 1436.
147 Britnell, op.cit., 469; Reynolds, English Medieval Towns, 163; Pirenne, op.cit., 116ff.
148 E.g. favourable terms for entrance to the franchise and Merchant Gild, and a greater readiness to accept sons of fathers of known reputations.
149 Records of Norwich, I, 179; Morey, op.cit., 133-34; C.Cl.R. 1349-54, 609-10.
150 KL/C17/3 6; C.P.R. 1348-70, passim; KL/C39/48 m.9r.
151 R.R. 14-15 Ed.II m.1r, 15-16 Ed.II mm.1r, 2d, 2-3 Ed.III m.3r, 4-5 Ed.III m.1d, 5-6 Ed.III m.1r, 8-9 Ed.III m.1d, 11-12 Ed.III m.2d, 17-18 Ed.III m.1r, 19-20 Ed.III m.1d, 22-23 Ed.III mm.1d, 6r; C.P.R. 1340-43, 477.
152 Red Reg. f.110; D/B 3/1/1 ff.22b, 29b, 33b.
153 C.F.R. 1356-83, passim; Rot.Parl., II, 328; C.P.R. 1361-64, 495; C.Cl.R. 1385-89, 439; P.P.R. 17-18 Ric.II m.5d; V. Redstone, The Ancient House or Sparrowe House, Ipswich, (Ipswich, 1912), 19; Martin, Borough and Merchant Community of Ipswich, 190-91.
154 C.Cl.R. 1377-81, 342; C.P.R. 1324-27, 135, 137; Feudal Aids, II, 134, 150, 425, 438, III, 472, V, 35; Feet of Fines, Essex, II, 196; Britnell, op.cit., 472. On this topic see also N. Denholm-Young, The Country Gentry in the Fourteenth Century, (Oxford, 1969), 4-5, 65-66; Roskell, op.cit., 150; Col.C.R./40 m.44r, /54 m.30d.
155 Helen Sutermeister, who had made a thorough study of the social backgrounds of Norwich merchants, informed me that Thomas' descent is untraceable.
156 C219/11/1; Lawson, op.cit., 118-23; W. Blake, "Thomas Wetherby," Norfolk Archaeology, XXXII (1961), 60-68; Tanner, op.cit., 35, 37.
157 C.F.R. 1471-85, 235; C.P.R. 1436-41, 385; Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 313, 315, 684, 847; Wodderspoon, op.cit., 208-10; W. Haward, "Economic aspects of the Wars of the Roses in East Anglia," E.H.R., XLI (1926), 171, 180; E122/96/35, 37, 40; KL/C7/4 ff.43b, 160; Morey, op.cit., 137; Ingleby, Heart of Lynn, 86.
158 Palmer, Perlustration of Great Yarmouth, I, 102, II, 423; Swinden, op.cit., 816-17; Britnell, op.cit., 442-43, 447; C.P.R. 1313-17, 607, 1348-50, 79; C.Cl.R. 1302-07, 358; Col.C.R./45 m.39r; Cozens-Hardy and Kent, op.cit., 23.
159 C.Cl.R. 1323-27, 518; Cal.Inq.Misc. 1307-49, 71; Feudal Aids, V, 33, 36, 41, 53-54; E40/3448, 3521; Feet of Fines, Suffolk, 96, 105, 160; Feet of Fines, Essex, II, 42; R.R. 15-16 Ed.III m.3d; G.C.R. 11-12 Ed.I m.3r; E179/242/42.
160 See Palmer, Perlustration of Great Yarmouth, I, passim, and Saul, op.cit., 218-20, 234, for details. Want of space prevents listing of land-holders in our several towns.
161 Saul, op.cit., 93, 125, 230-32, app.VIIK; C.F.R. 1399-1405, 231, 1405-13, 131; C.P.R. 1399-1401, 151, 188, 232, 336; C.Cl.R. 1377-81, 112.
162 These figures must of course be taken as minima.
163 C.P.R. 1429-36, 404-07.
164 Cal.Inq.Misc. 1399-1422, 142; N.C.C. Jekkys f.2.
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