Letter from John of Gaunt's Register Book

TNA: DL 42/13

f 181 (Hertford Castle, 20 May)

...

Iohan par la grace de Dieu Roy &c a nostre bien ame Robert de Morton nostre Receyvour deinz le counte deuerwik ou a son lieutenant ‸⸢illeoques⸣ saluz pour aenes certaines causes nous meuuance voulons & vous mandons que vous ne paiez nul fee ne denir a Iohan Tyas vn de noz ministralx tanque vous aurez autre mandement de nous & cestes &c donne &c donne &c Hertford le xx jour de May lan etc. xlvij.

...

f 133v (Savoy Palace, 13 June) (Indentures of servants)

Ceste endenture faite parentre nostre seignur Iohan &c. dune part & Hans Gough piper dautre part tesmoigne que le dit Hans est retenuz & demurez enuers nostre dit seignur pur peas et pur guerre a terme de sa vie en manere qensuit Cest assauoir le dit Hans serra tenuz a seruir nostre dit seignur tant en temps de peas come de guerre es quelles parties qil plerra a nostre dit seignur et faire son office bien et couenablement arrae & serra le dit Hans a bouche en court/ tant en temps de peas come de guerre & prendra tiel liveree pur ses chiuaux come autres de sa condicion prondront & vn denier le iour pur gagez pur gages de son garcon Et prendra chescun au cent souldz pur son fee des issus del honour de leycestre par les mayns de le receivour illoques qui pur la temps serra as termes de saint michel & de Pasques par ovelles porcions En tesmoignance des quelles choses &c donne etc a Sauuoy pres de Londres le xiij iour de Juyn

⁌ Item un endenture est fait parentre nostre seignur Iohan etc. dune part & Smelltes Piper ⸢dautre part⸣ tesmoigne que le dit Smeltes est retenuz de touz maners de condicions come en lendenture proschein devant de mesme la date & fourme &c.

⁌ Item vn endenture est fait parentre nostre seignur Iohan &c dune part & Henre Hultescrane Piper dautre part tesmoigne come desus &c de mesme la date et fourme en touz pointz

⁌ Item vne autre tiele parentre nostre dit seignur Iohan Roy &c dune part et James Sauche clarioner dautre part tesmoigne come desus &c de mesme la date & fourme en touz pointz.

...

  • Marginalia
  • Footnotes
    • donne &c donne &c: dittography
    • pur gagez pur gages: dittography
    • prendra ... souldz: for prendra cent souldz (?)
  • Record Translation

    f 181 (20 May)

    ...

    John, by the grace of God, king, etc, to our much loved Robert de Morton, our receiver in the county of York or to his deputy there greetings. For certain reasons moving us before others, we wish and command that you do not pay any fee nor penny to John Tyas, one of our minstrels, until you have other instruction from us and these, etc, given, etc, at Hertford, 20 May in the 47th year, etc.

    ...

    f 133v (13 June) (Indentures of servants)

    This indenture made between our lord, John, etc, of the one part and Hans Gough, piper, of the other part, witnesses that the said Hans is retained and kept in the service of our said lord for peace and for war for the term of his life in following manner, that is to say, the said Hans will be held to serve our said lord in times both of peace and of war in such regions as shall please our said lord and to execute his office well and fittingly arrayed and the said Hans will have allowance for food in times both of peace and of war and will have such livery for his horses as others of his condition shall take, and one penny a day for his servant's wages. And he shall take 100s for his fee from the revenues of the honour Leicester by the hands of the receiver there, for the time being, at the terms of St Michael and Easter by equal portions. In witness of which things, etc, given, etc, at The Savoy, near London, 13 June.

    ⁌ Likewise an indenture is made between our lord, John, etc, of the one part and Smeltes, piper, of the other part, witnesses that the said Smeltes is retained in all manner of conditions as in the indenture next above of the same date and form, etc.

    ⁌ Likewise an indenture is made between our lord John, etc, of the one part and Henry Hultescrane, piper, of the other part, witnesses as above, etc, of the same date and form in all respects.

    ⁌ Likewise another such between our said lord John, king, etc, of the one part and James Sauche, clarioner, of the other part, witnesses as above, etc, of the same date and form in all respects.

    ...

  • Glossed Terms
    • aenes adv first, before others [AND ainz]
    • arrae pfp arrayed [AND arraier]
    • bouche in phr estre a bouche en court, estre a bouche de court to have an allowance for food [AND bouche]
    • deuerwik prep phr of York
    • meuuance prp moving [AND mover]
  • Endnote
  • Document Description

    Record title: Letter from John of Gaunt's Register Book
    Repository: TNA
    Shelfmark: DL 42/13
    Repository location: Kew

    John of Gaunt's two register books contain various orders, including orders for payments, letters, and many other types of official records concerning the running of the vast duchy of Lancaster. Some of the orders are addressed to borough and other local officials within the duchy, and deal with local arrangements. The register books also contain a vast amount of material about the running of Gaunt's various households in England, as far-flung as Bamburgh, Leicester, Kenilworth, Kingston Lacy, Hertford, and the Savoy, as well as others in Europe. Records of his payments for minstrels and other entertainers have been transcribed, wherever activities or payments for them may have occurred, because the administrative centres of the duchy appear to have been Tutbury and Kenilworth. The register books have been published as John of Gaunt's Register, Part I (1371-1375), Sydney Armitage-Smith (ed), Camden Society, 3rd ser, 20–1, 2 vols (London, 1911); John of Gaunt's Register, Part II (1379–83), Eleanor C. Lodge and Robert Somerville (eds), Camden Society, 3rd ser, 56–7, 2 vols (London, 1937).

    1372–6; Anglo-Norman and Latin; parchment with paper fly-leaves; ii + 235 + ii; 330mm x 230mm; ink foliation; bound in brown cloth boards with leather corners and spine, title on spine: 'Duchy of Lancaster. Miscell. Books.'

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