f 203v (Savoy Palace, June)
...
Iohan &c a nostre Receyvour de Leycestre qore est ou qui pour le temps serra saluz purce que nous auons donez a Hans Gough piper, Henri Hultescrane piper Smeltes pipe & Iames Sauche Clarioner nos Minstrals a chescun C s. par an a prendre del honour de leycstre par les mains de le Receyvour illoques qi pur le temps serra as termes de sanct Michel & de Pasques par ouelles porcions sicome en noz lettres patentes & endentez ent faitz piert plus au plein Nous voulons et vous mandons que a les ditz Hans Henry Smeltes & Iames paiez & deliuerez a chescun deux Cent souldz par an le course de lour vies durantz paruant aquitance de chescun deux de ce quensi li paierez par les quelles &c voulons &c Donne etc. a la Sauuoye le (blank) iour de Iuy<.>.
...
f 210v (Wentbridge, 21 September)
Iohan &c A nostre bien ame Robert de Morton nostre Receyuour deinz lonour de Pykeryinge ou a son lieutenant illoeques saluz Come nous auant nostre passage ore derreinement a la meer vous enuoiasmes que vous ne deussiez paier a nostre bien ame Iohan Tyas nulles fees voullons et vous mandons que vous facies paier au dit Iohan ou a son certain attourne les fees auantditz doresenauantes ensemblement ovesque les arrerages si nulles ly soient a derrier Et cestes noz lettres &c Donne etc. a Wentbrigges le xxj iour de Septembre
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pur minstrals pur Iohan Tyas For minstrels
For John Tyas
f 203v (June)
...
John, etc, to our receiver of Leicester who now is or who will be for the time being, greetings. Because we have given to Hans Gough, piper, Henry Hultescrane, piper, Smeltes, piper, and James Sauche, clarioner, our minstrels, to each one 100s per year to take of the honour of Leicester by the hands of the receiver there who will be for time being at the terms of St Michael and of Easter in equal portions in the manner in which in our letters patent and endentured have made evident more completely. We wish and command that to the said Hans, Henry, Smeltes, and James, you pay and deliver to each 200s per year lasting throughout the course of their lives, wherefore acquittance from each two for what was thus paid them by those, etc, we wish, etc, given, etc, at The Savoy, on the (blank) day of June.
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f 210v (21 September)
John, etc, to our much loved Robert de Morton our receiver in the honour of Pickering or to his deputy there, greetings. Since we, before our now most recent passage to the sea, sent a message that you did not have to pay our much loved John Tyas any fees, we wish and command that you cause to be paid to the said John or his sure attorney the aforesaid fees henceforth together with the arrears if any be due to him. And this our letter, etc, given at Wentbridge, 21 September. ...
John of Gaunt's family by his second wife, Constance, was resident at Tutbury Castle.
The year, 1375, is inferred from the first entry on f 203v, which is dated 7 July 1375. The entry preceding the extract printed here is dated 8 July; the following entry on the leaf is undated, and the two after that are both dated 10 July. In none of the entries on f 210v is the year given, but it is inferred from the sequence of accounts in which it is found.
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.'