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Thomas Chaucer
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Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367 – 18 November 1434) was an English courtier and politician. The son of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife Philippa Roet, Thomas was linked socially and by family to senior members of the English nobility, though he was himself a commoner. Elected fifteen times to the Parliament of England, he was Speaker of the House of Commons for five parliaments in the early 15th century.
Thomas Chaucer was a relative by marriage of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, through his aunt Katherine Swynford. Katherine (born Roet) was the sister of his mother, Philippa Roet. Swynford was first Gaunt's mistress, and then his third wife. Their four children, John Beaufort, Henry Beaufort, Thomas Beaufort and Joan Beaufort, were first cousins to Thomas Chaucer, and all prospered: John's family became Earls and subsequently Dukes of Somerset, Henry a Cardinal, Thomas became Duke of Exeter, Joan became Countess of Westmorland and was grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III.
King Henry IV, the son of John of Gaunt by his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster, was half-brother to Thomas Chaucer's Beaufort first cousins. Thomas was able to buy Donnington Castle in Berkshire for his only daughter Alice de la Pole.
Early in life, Thomas Chaucer married Matilda (or Maud) Burghersh, second daughter and coheiress of Sir John Burghersh, nephew of Henry Burghersh (1292–1340), Bishop of Lincoln (1320–1340) and Lord Chancellor of England (1328–1330), younger son of Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh (died 1305), and a nephew of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere. The marriage brought him large estates, including the manor of Ewelme, Oxfordshire.
He was Chief Butler of England for almost thirty years, first appointed by Richard II, and on 20 March 1399 received a pension of twenty marks a year in exchange for offices granted him by the Duke, paying at the same time five marks for the confirmation of two annuities of charges on the Duchy of Lancaster and also granted by the Duke.
These annuities were confirmed to him by Henry IV, who appointed him constable of Wallingford Castle, and steward of the honours of Wallingford and St. Valery and of the Chiltern Hundreds. About the same time he succeeded his father Geoffrey Chaucer as forester of North Petherton Park, Somerset. On 5 November 1402, he received a grant of the chief butlership for life. On 23 February 1411 the queen gave him the manor of Woodstock and other estates during her life, and on 15 March the king assigned them to him after her death.
Chaucer served as High Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire during 1400 and 1403 and as High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1413. He attended fifteen parliaments as knight of the shire for Oxfordshire (1400–1401, 1402, 1405–1406, 1407, 1409–1410, 1411, 1413, 1414, 1421, 1422, 1425–1426, 1427, 1429, 1430–1431) and was Speaker of the House five times, a feat not surpassed until the 18th century.
He was chosen speaker in the parliament that met at Gloucester in 1407, and on 9 November reminded the king that the accounts of the expenditure of the last subsidy had not been rendered. The chancellor interrupted him, declaring that they were not ready, and that for the future the lords would not promise them.
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Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367 – 18 November 1434) was an English courtier and politician. The son of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife Philippa Roet, Thomas was linked socially and by family to senior members of the English nobility, though he was himself a commoner. Elected fifteen times to the Parliament of England, he was Speaker of the House of Commons for five parliaments in the early 15th century.
Thomas Chaucer was a relative by marriage of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, through his aunt Katherine Swynford. Katherine (born Roet) was the sister of his mother, Philippa Roet. Swynford was first Gaunt's mistress, and then his third wife. Their four children, John Beaufort, Henry Beaufort, Thomas Beaufort and Joan Beaufort, were first cousins to Thomas Chaucer, and all prospered: John's family became Earls and subsequently Dukes of Somerset, Henry a Cardinal, Thomas became Duke of Exeter, Joan became Countess of Westmorland and was grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III.
King Henry IV, the son of John of Gaunt by his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster, was half-brother to Thomas Chaucer's Beaufort first cousins. Thomas was able to buy Donnington Castle in Berkshire for his only daughter Alice de la Pole.
Early in life, Thomas Chaucer married Matilda (or Maud) Burghersh, second daughter and coheiress of Sir John Burghersh, nephew of Henry Burghersh (1292–1340), Bishop of Lincoln (1320–1340) and Lord Chancellor of England (1328–1330), younger son of Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh (died 1305), and a nephew of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere. The marriage brought him large estates, including the manor of Ewelme, Oxfordshire.
He was Chief Butler of England for almost thirty years, first appointed by Richard II, and on 20 March 1399 received a pension of twenty marks a year in exchange for offices granted him by the Duke, paying at the same time five marks for the confirmation of two annuities of charges on the Duchy of Lancaster and also granted by the Duke.
These annuities were confirmed to him by Henry IV, who appointed him constable of Wallingford Castle, and steward of the honours of Wallingford and St. Valery and of the Chiltern Hundreds. About the same time he succeeded his father Geoffrey Chaucer as forester of North Petherton Park, Somerset. On 5 November 1402, he received a grant of the chief butlership for life. On 23 February 1411 the queen gave him the manor of Woodstock and other estates during her life, and on 15 March the king assigned them to him after her death.
Chaucer served as High Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire during 1400 and 1403 and as High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1413. He attended fifteen parliaments as knight of the shire for Oxfordshire (1400–1401, 1402, 1405–1406, 1407, 1409–1410, 1411, 1413, 1414, 1421, 1422, 1425–1426, 1427, 1429, 1430–1431) and was Speaker of the House five times, a feat not surpassed until the 18th century.
He was chosen speaker in the parliament that met at Gloucester in 1407, and on 9 November reminded the king that the accounts of the expenditure of the last subsidy had not been rendered. The chancellor interrupted him, declaring that they were not ready, and that for the future the lords would not promise them.
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