Sir Thomas Erpyngham (1357-1428)
Various dates during the life of Sir Thomas Erpyngham
Thomas, of Erpingham (Erpyngham) village Norfolk was born in 1357. The son of Sir John Erpingham, it is believed that he had at least two brothers John and Robert and one sister Julian. Sir Thomas married twice, firstly to Joan Clopton (d. 1404 sable a bend argent cotised dancetty or.) the daughter of Sir William Clopton and secondly to Joan Walton (d. 1424 argent on a chief indented sable three bezants) the daughter of Sir Richard Walton later in 1409. He died at the advanced age of 71 in 1428 and was buried on the north side of the presbytery at Norwich Cathedral. He left issue by neither wife; his sole heirs being Sir William Phelip and Sir John Phelip, sons of his sister by her husband Sir William Phelip.
1370
His father was buried at Erpingham village church when he died on the 1st August 1370. A brass at the church shows Sir John Erpingham in armour and great bascinet of a design more suited to the early 15th century. It is possible the brass was laid at a later date or that the grave is in fact that of Thomas's brother Sir Robert Erpingham. This information is still open to debate.
The family claimed to have been settled at Erpingham from the time of the Conqueror , but the earliest to be "lord of the manor" of Erpingham was Robert, who lived in the middle of the 13th Century. A later Robert de Erpingham, probably Thomas's grandfather represented Norfolk in parliament in 1333-1335 and 1341.
There is also listed on the Surrey roll Thomas de Erpingham (azure an inescutcheon within an orle of (8) martlets argent).
1372
In 1372 French troops recaptured Poitou and Brittany, a naval battle at La Rochelle gave the French control of the English Channel. In 1373 John of Gaunt led a new invasion of France. On June 8th 1376 Edward of Woodstock elder brother of John of Gaunt died from a disease contracted in Spain. In 1377 King Edward III died, leaving Richard II, his grandson of only 10 years old, to be King.
1379
Nothing much is known of Thomas until approximately 1379, when at the age of 22, he is listed as being in the retinue of William de Montecute, Earl of Salisbury and Captain of Calais. It is probable to assume that Thomas, being only thirteen at his father's death, could have served as squire within the Montecute household, being trained to be part of the Earl's retinue.
During 1380-81 he was a member of the retinue of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. He was at this time only 23, but the start of a long and loyal relationship to the King's son was about to begin. Thomas's indenture dated 13th September at York stipulates that, as one of the Duke's knights' batchelor he should receive in peace 50 marks and during war £20, for himself and a servant together with the usual 'wages of a batchelor of his sort'.
Henry IV married Mary de Bohun during this year.
1381
On the 8th March 1381 Thomas was appointed one of the commissioners to suppress rebellions in Norfolk.
During May 1381 rebel supporters of Wat Tyler began to revolt against the parliamentary legislation limiting wages but failing to also regulate prices and introduction of a head tax (poll tax) regardless of income. By June, Wat Tyler and his supporters had entered London and killed the uncle of Richard II, the Duke of Lancaster. Although only 14 Richard II managed to quell the revolt by promising to lead England out of the depression brought about by the heavy taxes required to finance the war with France and the ravages of the great plague. The Mayor of London executed Wat Tyler on June 15th and by June 25th Henry Le Despenser the Bishop of Norwich had crushed the revolt.
Richard's unwise generosity to his favorites - Michael de la Pole, Robert de Vere and others, led Thomas Duke of Gloucester and four other magnates to form the Lords Appellant. The five Lords Appellant tried and convicted five of Richard's closest advisors for treason.
On the 21st December of the same year Thomas's name appears again in a similar in commission to quell rebellions in Middlesex.
1382
Richard II married the much-beloved Anne of Bohemia (d1394).
1384
In January 1384 at the age of 27 he was made Commissioner of array in Norfolk in view of the anticipated invasion from France. By 1385 Thomas was in Scotland on 'active service' with John of Gaunt.
1386
1st March commissioner of Array for Norfolk again.
On the 7th July 1386 under 'letters of protection' Sir Thomas sailed with John of Gaunt from Plymouth to Spain. He was also in action at the relief of Brest, the capture of Santiago de Compostella.
There was also an invasion of Castileo, John of Gaunt had led this expedition to expedite a claim to Castileo in the name of his wife but by 1388 this assault had failed.
In 1387 the poet Geoffrey Chaucer began work on the "Canterbury Tales".
1389
Richard II aged 22 assumes power. A truce between the Scots and the French halts fighting.
On the 20th July 1390, Thomas still only 33, accompanied John of Gaunt's son Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby (later Henry IV), on his first expedition to Lithuania, sailing from Boston. In Lithuania he fought alongside the Teutonic knights at Danzig, Konisburg and at the siege of Vilna. By 1391 Thomas was of knightly status, possibly due to his exploits in Lithuania.
1392
In 1392 he accompanied Henry on his second Lithuanian expedition to fight alongside the Teutonic Knights against the heathens and also went on an unsuccessful pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On September 23rd 1392 Henry sent most of his followers home from Danzig but Sir Thomas remained with him during his adventurous passage across Europe, seeing further action at Prague and Vienna. The journey continued into Palestine with action in Jerusalem and on to Cyprus, Rhodes, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Turin and finally returning to Paris. He received various payments from the Duchy of Lancaster for his services and was also granted lands near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
1394
Richard II's first wife Anne of Bohemia dies childless. Henry IV's first wife Mary de Bohun dies after bearing seven children to Henry.
1395
August 10th pardon arrange for Richard Bierde (Alias Beierde of Felstede) at the spplication of Sir Thomas of all trespasses and felonies.
October 23rd the above pardon renewed.
1396
In 1396 Richard II remarried to the 7 year-old Princess Isabella of Vallois daughter of Charles VI to end further struggle with France. By 1398 absolute rule had been achieved.
1397
February 11th regrant to the crown of the Hundred of Sutherpyngham expectant of the death of Sir Thomas without heir.
Richard II arrested three of the five Lords Appellent and coerced Parliament to sentence them to death and banish the two others one of whom was Henry Bolingbroke.
1398
In 1398 when Richard II exiled Henry Bolingbroke for 10 years, Sir Thomas travelled with him to Paris. There, on June 17th 1399 he witnessed a secret treaty between Henry and Louis, Duc D'Orleans.
1399
After the death on the 3rd February 1399 of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, on March 9th a grant was made upon petition by Katherine Roet Duchess of Lancaster to the estate of the dead Duke except the Hundred of Sutherpyngham.
In July 1399 provoked by the death of his father, Henry Bolingbroke returned to England, landing at Ravenspur with only 40 followers, one of who was Sir Thomas. Henry soon raised an army of some 60,000 to recover his inheritance, Lancastrian estates, which were confiscated by his cousin Richard II. It may have been at this stage Henry realized not only was his inheritance within reach but also the crown.
During this time Richard was in Ireland quelling warring chieftains and upon his return found Henry supported by both, nobility and gentry at the head of a formidable army. Richard was ambushed by the Earl of Northumberland's men led by Sir Thomas on his way from Conwy, to a personal interview with Henry at Flint castle in Wales.
Richard was brought as a captive to London and held in the Tower, where on September 29th 1399 he formally resigned his crown to commissioners including Sir Thomas. On the1st October Richard was conveyed to the sentence of disposition made by the assembly at Westminster the previous day. On the second occasion Sir Thomas represented "all like bachilers and commons of this londe be southe", he like the other commissioners could be trusted to ignore the difficulties which the captive King raised.
When Henry rode from the Tower to Westminster for his coronation Sir Thomas carried the King's sword before him.
Shortly afterwards supporters of Richard, the "duketti" rose in rebellion, Sir Thomas was one of the commanders of the vangaurd that Henry hastily raised to suppress the rebellion.
Sir Thomas was placed in charge of execution of two of the rebels Sir Thomas Blount and Sir Benedict Cely which was carried out with the full barbarity permitted to him by law. A French chronicler alleges that Sir Thomas Blount was taunted and interrogated whilst his own bowels were burnt before his eyes by Sir Thomas. Blount's retort may be quoted to counterbalance the generally favorable comment from the English pro-Lancastrian sources:
"Art thou the traitor Erpingham? Thou art more false than I am or ever was; and thou liest, false knight as thou art.........thou utteredest thy false spleen like a false and disloyal traitor; for thee and the false traitor Earl of Rutland, the noble knighthood of England destroyed. Cursed be the hour when thou and he were born"
On the 12th November Sir Thomas was made Constable of Framlingham Castle for life, replacing Sir Simon Felbrigg standard bearer to Richard II. This position also included all profits of the parks pertaining to the castle. The manors of Framlingham, Kelsale and Earl Saham and Hanworth and South field in Norfolk were granted to him during the minority of the heir of Thomas Mowbray, late Duke of Norfolk on the 5th December that year.
On New Year's day eleven men including Sir Thomas knelt before the King and petitioned that Richard II be put to death.
In January 1400 Sir Thomas attended a convocation to promise the King help and advocate some decided action in putting down the religious sect being persecuted by Henry, known as the Lollards, a dissident Christian sect believing the Bible to be the only authentic rule of faith. Although Sir Thomas was himself inclined towards Lollardy, his selection for this task was singular, as he was a friend of Sir John Oldcastle, Baron Cobham, the English leader of the Lollards.
In early 1400 Henry IV suppressed revolts by nobles supporting Richard II. Richard was imprisoned in Pontefract Castle, where he either died or was murdered in February 1400. In the same year the son of the Yorkist, Henry Le Despenser was also beheaded after a failed attempt on King's life.
When Henry Bolingbroke was accepted as King by parliament, Sir Thomas was immediately made Constable of Dover Castle and Chamberlain of the Kings household. At Nantwich on the 21st August he was made Warden of the Cinque Ports and soon after was granted custody of the lands of Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshall of England.
In Wales on the 20th September Owain Glndywr a local landowner, led a small group of Welsh and ransacked the market town of Ruthin, seat of Lord Grey a leading English Marcher Lord. This was the beginning of a national uprising brought about initially subjegation a century before by Edward I and intensified by other factors. Chief among them were the economic disruption resulting from the ravages of the Black Death, the increased burden of taxation placed on the Welsh by their English overlords.
1401
Cobham while serving in the 1401 campaign of Henry IV to put down the Welsh rebel Owen Glendwr became a close friend to Henry, Prince of Wales, later Henry V King of England.
During the same month Sir Thomas was associated with John Beaufort First Earl of Sussex, in command against the degraded lords who had revolted against Henry IV. At the end of this month he was appointed to try the rebels and it is quite probable that Erpingham would have used his favourite torture "to interrogate while the prisoner watched his own entrails burn".
On the 8th April 1401 Sir Thomas was made a Knight of the Garter, being given the 17th stall south side of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. On the 13th November 1401 Sir Thomas accompanied Henry IV's second son Thomas, Duke of Clarence to Dublin.
In October Sir Thomas was appointed a gaurdian in England of the King's second son Thomas and in the following month nominated as master for the Prince of Wales, though not chosen.
Crushing the myriad of rebellions was costly requiring Parliament to fund such activities, this was used as an opportunity by the House of Commons to expand its powers securing freedom of debate and freedom from arrest for dissenting opinions.
Lollardy founded during the reign of Edward III gained momentum and frightened both secular and clerical land owners, inspiring the first anti-heresy satute, "De Heritico Comburendo" to become law
.
1402
After the death of Sir Nicholas Dagworth on the 2nd January Sir Thomas was awarded by royal grant an annuity of 100M.
Henry IV married his second wife Joan of Navarre during this year, this was unpopular as she was rumored to practice necromancy.
In 1402 the Scots in rebellion against the English throne, aided by the French, were defeated at Humbleton Hill.
1403
The families of Percy and Mortimer ( the latter possessing a stronger claim to the throne than Henry ) revolted from 1403 to 1408, Richard Scrope Archbishop of York proclaimed his opposition to the Lancastrian claim of 1405
When 1403 the Percy family rebelled against Henry IV because they were dissatisfied with the rewards bestowed upon them. They were defeated and Harry "Hotspur" Percy was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury that same year.
In September 1403 Sir Thomas returned with the Duke of Clarence from Ireland. In the same year he received the Mortimer estates, the castle, town and lordship of Clare in Suffolk, and all the estates of the late Earl of March in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk (until 1409).
He was also publicly reconciled with Henry Le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich, who had loyally stood by Richard II. Sir Thomas is said to have procured the Bishops release from prison.
1404
In this year Sir Thomas's first wife Joan Clopton died
January 1404 Sir Thomas appears as a member of the Kings Privy Council and remained chamberlain until on July 9th (February) he was styled "Steward of the Kings Household". By order of Parliament which met at Coventry in October
That year he was entrusted with the duties of "Earl Marshall of England".
At Sir Thomas's instigation the King gave Norwich a new charter. This made the city and suburbs into the "The County and City of Norwich", extinguished "The office of the Bailiffs" and enabled the citizens to elect a Mayor and Sheriffs.
1405
Archbishop Richard Scrope and Duke Thomas Mowbray were executed outside York on June 8th after conspiring to rebell against Henry. The Archbishops execution alarmed the English people adding to the unpopularity towards Henry.
1406
In 1406 he was pledged for Sir Edward Hastings versus Grey in a Court of Chivalry case.
1407
On the 11th July 1407 he was one of the commissioners to treat with France for peace. Negotiations started on the 25th July, an armistice was agreed on the 28th July to last until the 8th September, later that year to negotiate redress for injuries in the armed conflict.
At the same time he was one of the Prince of Wales' proxies for his marriage to a French Princess should such a marriage be negotiated.
1408
This year Sir Thomas was a conservator of the truce with Brittany.
In 1409 Sir John Howard died and Sir Thomas who was then about 55 years old was soon to marry his second wife, Sir John's widow Joan, sister and heir of John Walton of Wyvenhoe.
On the 28th February Prince Henry (later Henry V) was appointed as constable of Dover Castle in Sir Thomas's stead.
1413
In 1413 Prince Henry at only 23 was appointed by parliament King after his father's death, in the Jerusalem Chamber in Westminster Abbey.
1415
About the end of July 1415 the King's designs on the French crown were interrupted, by the discovery of a treasonable conspiracy against his person and government. This was by his cousin, Richard Earl of Cambridge, (brother of the Duke of York), Lord Scrope of Masham the Lord Treasure and Sir Thomas Grey of Hutton.
On the 21st of that month a commission, which consisted of the Earl Marshal, the Earl's of Salisbury, Oxford and Suffolk; the Lords Zouche, Fitz-Hugh and Camoys; Sir Thomas Erpingham; William Lasyngby, Chief Baron of the Exchequer; and Robert Hull. 0ne of the Justices of the Common Pleas was appointed to try them. The three traitors were put to death after being found guilty of the charges levied against them.
On the 10th August Sir Thomas Erpingham travelled to Harfleur with his retinue of Monsieur’s Hamond Straunge and Wantieur Goldyngham. Also John Sterlyng, Denston Stratton, John Brayston, John Leneny (Leveny), John Gregge, Leonard Straunge, John Aungers (mort at Caloys), John Assheman, William Hart, Piers Thorley, Brysingham, Nicholas Gunvyle, fifteen lances, forty-six archers (sixty horsed archers) and twenty men-at-arms arriving at Harfleur on the 13th August.
After thirty-six days of siege the town was given the opportunity to treat for surrender, Sir Thomas Erpingham, The Earl of Dorset and Lord Fitz Hugh were appointed for this duty. The French offered cessation of arms if by the 6th October if Harfleur had not been relieved by that date, this received a positive refusal calling that they must yield.
On the 10th September Charles VI raises the "Oriflamme" the French war standard at St. Denis.
On Wednesday 18th September there was an agreement to surrender, on the following Sunday this was entered into by written covenants between the English Commissioners on one part and the Captain of Harfleur on the other. Twenty-four hostages were selected from the most important persons in the town and on 22nd September Harfleur was delivered into Henry’s hands.
Despite attempts by the French to prevent Henry V from crossing the River Somme, a ford was found at two points, these were at Bethencourt and nearby Voyennes. A crossing was achieved on the 18th October and the entire English army crossed in saftey.
By October 25th 1415 the forces of Henry V had arrived at Agincourt to face the flower of French nobility supported by cavalry and mercenary bowman. Outnumbered between four and six to one, Sir Thomas was ordered to array the English archers and place them in front of the King where, he exhorted them all to fight vigorously in Henry’s name.
At the kings command the order of "Now strike" or "Nestroque" was given by Sir Thomas Erpingham to launch the first volley of arrows, as he threw his baton into the air and dismounted from his horse. He placed himself in the King’s battalion, who was also on foot opposite, his men with his banner borne before him.
It was now between ten and eleven in the morning and the King tiring of waiting for the French gave the command "Banners advance", the soldiers immediately prostrated themselves to the ground. Each beseeching themselves to the almighty and placing a small piece of earth in their mouth in remembrance that we are formed of dust.
The outcome of the battle is history, the French being defeated with some 9,000 dead and only between 150 and 300 English wounded.
Also at the battle was Sir Thomas's nephew and heir Sir William Phelip K.G. (quarterly gules and argent, in the first an eagle displayed or.) then 32 years-old he later was made K.G. and subsiquently Lord Bardol.
1416
In 1416 Sir Thomas was sent with John Wakering, Bishop of Norwich to Calais and Beauvais to treat with the King of France, he was now nearly 60 years old.
1417
In 1417 Henry V executed Sir John Oldcastle, leader of the Lollards and friend to Sir Thomas
1418
In 1418 Sir Thomas was at the siege of Rouen with his nephew(s) Sir William Phelip and Walter Clopton (sable, a bend argent cotised or.) the arms suggest a possible relationship with Joan Clopton, Sir Thomas’s first wife.
1419
Joan of Naverre Henry IV's widow was convicted of witchcraft.
During this year the completion of "Erpingham Gate" at Norwich Cathedral. Carved upon it are the coats of arms and household badges not only of Sir Thomas but also those of his two wives.
Erpingham Gate 1420c at Norwich Cathedral
1423
On the 13th December 1423 his second wife Joan Walton died and in the same year he made out his will.
On 27th June 1428 Sir Thomas Erpingham died at 71 years-old, his will was proved in the prerogative court, his nephew Sir William Phelip, Sir Andrew Butler, Knights, William Bambergh, Richard Gregge, Esquires and others were executors. Bishop Alnwyk was supervisor. Sir William Felbridge, Sir John Clifton and Sir Thomas Kerdiston, Knights were witness.
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