Durham E-Theses Lordship and patronage: John Darcy and the Dublin administration 1324-47 Mortimer, Richard Hugh Roger How to cite: Mortimer, Richard Hugh Roger (1990) Lordship and patronage: John Darcy and the Dublin administration 1324-47, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6001/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 AUTHOR: RICHARD HUGH ROGER MORTIMER TITLE: LORDSHIP AND PATRONAGE: JOHN DARCY AND THE DUBLIN ADMINISTRATION 1324-47 QUALIFICATION: M PHIL., UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM, 1990 ABSTRACT John Darcy rose from being a landless member of a cadet branch of a minor Lincolnshire family to serve as steward and chamberlain in the king's household. Justiciar of Ireland for twelve years in total, he developed close links with both Edward JJ and Edward HI, surviving changes of regime in England in 1326 and in 1330, and served as one of the king's captains in Scotland and France. He acquired property in the north Midlands, and in Ireland, where he married into the comital house of de Burgh. This thesis examines his career as justiciar, steward, and chamberlain, exploring how it illustrates the search for, and provision of, 'good lordship'. It assesses whether his friends and associates benefited from his influential position. The personnel of the Dublin government - judicial courts, chancery, exchequer, customs, escheatry, and royal constables - are investigated to discover the impact of Darcy upon appointments. This is set in the context of the influence of other chief governors and that of other evident patterns of patronage within the administration. To do this effectively, the thesis is divided into two parts. The first part surveys Darcy's career, while in the second half, the Dublin administration is examined by department, commencing with the offices over which Darcy exercised most influence, before following a more conventional hierarchical approach. The thesis concludes by assessing the implications of the influence of Darcy and others upon the relationship of the lordship of Ireland and the kingdom of England. LORDSHIP AND PATRONAGE: JOHN DARCY AND _ THE DUBLIN ADMINISTRATION 1324-47 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Richard Hugh Roger Mortimer M. Phil. University of Durham Department of History 1990 A/5 1 5 NOV 1991 CONTENTS Introduction pi PARTI 1. John Darcy c.1284-1327 : Beginnings and First Justiciarship ....... p7 2. John Darcy and the Regency Government 1327-30. p28 3. John Darcy and the New King 1330-37 p44 4. John Darcy 1337-47 : Steward and Chamberlain p63 5. John Darcy : Friends, Family and Associates. p95 PART U 6. Escheatry, Customs, and Royal Castellans pi 13 7. Chancellor and Treasurer pi51 8. The Judiciary ....... pl68 9. The Exchequer ...... pl89 10. The Dublin Government and the Dublin Establishment . p227 Conclusion ....... p242 Appendix A: Maps and Genealogical Tables . p253 Appendix B: Biographies of Officials within the Dublin Administration between 1324 and 1347 p258 Bibliography . p414 - ii - LIST OF TABLES 1. Escheators 1324-47 . pi 14 2. Customers 1324-47 ...... pl20 3. Constables of Royal Castles on the Connacht border 1324-47 pl29 4. Constables of the Royal Castles of Limerick and Drogheda 1324-47 pl33 5. Constables of Royal Castles in Leinster 1324-47 pl37 6. Constables of the Royal Castles of Dublin and Leixlip 1324-47 pl41 7. Constables of Magnate Castles in Royal Hands 1324-47 pl43 8. Chancellors 1324-47 pl52 9. Treasurers 1324-47 ...... pl60 K 10. Justices of the Justiciar's Bench 1324-47 pl69 11. Chirographers and Keepers of the Writs and Rolls of the Justiciar's Bench 1324-47. .... pl70 12. Justices of the Dublin Bench 1324-47 pl76 13. Chirographers and Keepers of the Writs and Rolls of the Dublin Bench 1324-47 . .... pl79 14. Chancellors of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 pl90 15. Barons of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 pi97 16. Chamberlains of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 p209 17. Engrossers of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 p215 18. Remembrancers of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 . p218 19. Summoners of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 p219 20. Transcribers of Estreats 1324-47 .... p219 21. Treasurer's Clerks 1324-47 p221 22. Clerks of the Common Pleas of the Exchequer 1324-47 p221 - iii - 23. Marshal of the Exchequer 1324-47 .... p221 24. Ushers of the Dublin Exchequer 1324-47 p222 Entries in bold - Elias de Ashbourne - indicate effective appointments; entries enclosed in square brackets - [Thomas Dent 24.7.1341] - indicate ineffective appointments. Tables 8-16 are largely based on information drawn from H.G. Richardson and G.O. Sayles, The Administration of Ireland 1172-1377, (Dublin: Irish MSS Commission 1963). MAPS: 1. John Darcy's possessions in Ireland. p253 2. John Darcy's lands in England. p254 3. John Darcy's territorial holdings in the North Midlands. p255 GENEALOGICAL TABLES: 1. The Darcies of Nocton. p256 2. The family of John Darcy. p257 - iv - Declaration: None of the material contained in this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree in this or any other university. Copyright: The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. - v - ABBREVIATIONS Account Roll, Holy Account Roll of the Priory of the Holy Trinity Trinity, Dublin, 1337-46, ed. J. Mills Admin. Ire. H.G. Richardson and G.O. Sayles, The Administration of Ireland 1172-1377 Baker Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke, ed E.M. Thompson Baldwin, Council J.F. Baldwin, The King's Council in England during the Middle Ages Ball, Judges F.E. Ball, The Judges in Ireland, 1221-1921,i Berry, Statutes Statutes, Ordinances, and Acts of Parliament of Ireland, King John to Henry V b,BEx Baron of the Dublin Exchequer Brooks, Knights' E. St J. Brooks, Knights' Fees in Fees Counties Carlow, Wexford, and Kilkenny Bull. Inst. Hist. Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Res. Research C Chirographer Cal. Ormond Deeds Calendar of Ormond Deeds CCR Calendar of Close Rolls CChR Calendar of Charter Rolls CDI Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland CDS Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland ChambEx Chamberlain of the Dublin Exchequer ChanEx Chancellor of the Dublin Exchequer - vi - cm Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous CIPM Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem CJCB Chief Justice of the Dublin Bench CJJB Chief Justice of the Justiciar's Bench Clyn The Annals of Ireland by Friar John Clyn [and Thady Dowling] G.E. 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Maddicott, 'Law and Lordship: Lordship' Royal Justices as Retainers in Thirteenth and Fourteenth Century England' - viii - Murimuth Chronica Adae Murimuth et Roberti de Avesbury, ed. E.M. Thompson New History of A New History of Ireland: IX Maps, Ireland: IX Genealogies, Lists, ed. T.W. Moody, F.X. Martin, and F.J. Byrne (Oxford, 1984) Norwell M. Lyon, B. Lyon, H.S. Lucas, The Wardrobe Book of William de Norwell, 12 July 1338 to 27 May 1340 Parker, 'Patronage J.M. Parker, 'Patronage and Service: and Service' The careers of William Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, William Clinton, Earl of Huntingdon, Robert Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, and William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton' Phillips, Pembroke J.R.S.