Life in the 15th Century

Henry V and English

• Until 1417 Correspondence in French and Latin

• After 1417 in English– Letters to London officals– Letters to his brother and to Privy Council

News & Propaganda

• Proclamation through sheriffs• Criers– Cities, markets

• Posting – Churches, guildhalls

Daily Life in the 15th Century

Dr. Jennifer Paston

Lawyers And counters on the bench that stand by the bar, They will beguile you in your hand unless you beware.He will take 40 pence to take down his hood,And speak for you a word or two and do you little good,

I warrant.Attorneys in country, they get silver for naught; They make men begin what they never had thought;And when they come to the ring, they hop if they can.All they can get that way, they think all is won for themWith skill.No man should trust them, so false they are in the bile.

Poem on the Evil Times of Edward II

Attorneys

Before the end of the 12th century parties must attend court in personCourts become fixed in one place Limited rights to be represented

1235 First statutory reference to right to have an attorney1318, 1383 Right of those abroad to be represented by attorneys

Split

• Serjeants at Law presented the case and responded to any argument that arose– Focused on appearing in court– Later called Utter-barrister

• Attorneys appeared on behalf of a claimant and spoke for him. – Handled the managerial, preparatory side

Church Courts

• Proctors• Provision for fees• Rebuke for failure to file for a client• Need only serve the client to the extent he

thought the cause was just

1275 Statute of Westminster I

• Address official misconduct• Excess litigation• Bribes

14th Century London

• 1292 ~140 lawyers– Attempt to apply limits

• 1400 ~2000 lawyers

1402 Commons Petition

• “falsifications, deceits, and nullifications . . . for some time . . . still being made day to day . . . more than were ever made in the past, by a large number of attorneys.”

• “several have learned little or nothing of the law;” some were “of very tender age;” “negligence and ignorance” prevented accurate record keeping.

Rose, Jonathan. "Medieval Attitudes Toward the Legal Profession: The Past as Prologue." Stetson L. Rev. 28 (1998): 345

Statute 4 Henry IV (1402)

Justices to examine all attorneys. Enroll only those who were ‘good and virtuous and of good fame…’ Clients of those not enrolled advised to seek new attorneys• 1455 Similar statute applied to Norfolk and

Suffolk and the city of Norwich

1455 Petition of Commons

Attorneys [come] to every Fair, Market, and other Places, where is any Assembly of People, exhorting, procuring, moving, and inciting the People to attempt untrue [and] foreign Suits, for small Trespasses, little Offences, and small Sums of Debt, whose Actions be triable and determinable in Court Barons; whereby proceed many Suits, more of evil Will and Malice, than of the Truth of the Thing . . .

1494 Paupers

• Right to a court appointed attorney

The Chaucer Family

• Tavern keepers• John Chaucer, wine merchant, customs agent• Geoffrey– Page to countess of Ulster– Diplomatic missions– Marriage to Philippa Roelt, later sister-in-law to

John of Gaunt

Chaucer and Descendants

Geoffrey(1340-1400)

Thomas Chaucer (1367-1434)• Married Maud of

Ewelme• Manager for Cardinal

Henry Beaufort• Speaker of the House

Alice Chaucer (1404-1475)

• Married John Phelip (1414−15)– Inherits land

• Married Thomas Montagu (1421−28), earl of Salisbury– Inherits wealth

• Married William de la Pole ( ~1432-50), earl and later duke of Suffolk

• Enmity with the Pastons

John de la Pole (1442−92)

• His father impeached, exiled, murdered but not attainted

• Married (1450) to Margaret Beaufort (1443−1509)– Marriage set aside by Henry VI

• Married (1458) to Elizabeth (1440-~1503) , daughter of Richard, duke of York

Pastons and the Fastolf Estate

• Executor for Fastolf– Claim of oral will

• Objective to establish a college of monks at Caister Castle

• Opposition from dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk (widow, Alice) and the Bishop of

Plan of Caister Castle

Caister Castle, Home of Sir John Fastolf

Magdalen College, Beneficiary of the estate of Sir John