Chaucers Official Life | Page 7

Waffrer occurs on
the records (although the name occurs three times in the household
lists), but Richard Markham, wafferer, occurs frequently. [Footnote:
Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 179.] Richard Leche, called king's surgeon,
[Footnote: Edw. III. Issues P. 230, mem. unnumbered.] was probably
identical with Richard Irlonde, king's surgeon. [Footnote: Devon's
Issues 1370, pp. 103, 333.] John Leche also was king's surgeon, but I
have found mention of him under no other name. [Footnote: Cal. Pat.
Roll 1378, p. 178; 1383, p. 283.] Robert Vynour was vine-keeper or
gardener to Edward III. [Footnote: Devon's Issues 1370, p. 115.]
Certain of the other names, though apparently family names, seem to
be of occupational or place origin, e. g. Thomas Spigurnel, Simon de
Bukenham, John de Beverle, Henricus Almannia, Cornelius de Ybernia,
William de York, etc. Finally some names by their very character could
scarcely be the names of noble families, e. g. Walter Whithors, Walter
Chippenham, John Cat, etc.
From what I have been able to find out about the families of some of
these men, from the character of the names, and from the fact that the

families of the great bulk of the esquires cannot be traced, it is clear
that the esquires of the king's household were chiefly recruited either
from the younger sons of knightly families, or from quite
undistinguished stock. In three cases--those of John Legge, Thomas
Hauteyn and Thomas Frowyk--it seems probable that they came--as
Chaucer did--from merchants' families in London.

APPOINTMENT
We can scarcely expect any outright statement of the reasons in general
or in particular for the appointment of esquires. Nevertheless I find two
circumstances which may indicate the conditions of appointment; first,
some previous connection of their fathers with the king's court, and
second, some previous connection on their own part with the household
of one of the king's children. Of those whose fathers or relatives had
been in the court, may be mentioned John Beauchamp, [Footnote: Cf. p.
6, supra.] Patrick Byker, [Footnote: p. 6.] Nicholas Careu, [Footnote: p.
6.] Robert Corby, [Footnote: p. 7.] Collard Dabriohecourt, [Footnote: p.
7.] Robert de Ferrers, [Footnote: p. 8.] and William Burele [Footnote:
Gal. Pat. Roll, 1378, p. 283.] (who was son of the Sir John de Burley
with whom Chaucer was associated on one mission). Of course John
Legge's father--as mayor of London--must have been known at court,
and one of Thomas Hauteyn's progenitors had been receiver of king's
customs at London. [Footnote: of. p. 9, supra.]
Even more interesting is the case of those esquires who before entering
the king's service had been in the household of one of his children, i. e.
Edward the Black Prince, Lionel, duke of Clarence (or his wife), John
of Gaunt, Isabella, wife of Ingelram de Coucy, and Edmund, Count of
Cambridge. Roger Archer, Griffith de la Chambre, Henry de Almaigne
and Richard Torperle seem to have been in the service of Isabella, the
king's daughter, for, in the grants of annuities which they received,
special mention is made of their service to her. [Footnote: Issues P. 241,
mem. ll. p. 239, mem. 15. p. 301, mem,] Possibly they were always in
her service. Stephen Romylowe is expressly called esquire of Edward
prince of Wales (the Black Prince), and he held an annuity from that
prince. [Footnote: Pat. Roll 272, mem. 22, 285 mem. 25. 10 Cal. Pat.
Roll 1378, p. 197, 1385, p. 26.] Richard Wirle signed an indenture to
serve John of Gaunt as an esquire in 46 Edward III, after the date at

which he is mentioned in the household books. [Footnote: Duchy of
Lancaster Registers No. 13. f. 125 dorso.] Since he seems never to have
received an annuity from the king, or a grant--except in one instance for
his wages in the wars--it seems likely that he was never actually in the
king's service, but rather in that, of John of Gaunt. Robert Ursewyk was
connected in some way with John of Gaunt and also with Edmund,
Count of Cambridge, son of Edward III. [Footnote: idem f. 94. Pat.
Roll, 274, mem. 29.] Roger Mareschall, John Joce and Robert Bardolf
held annuities of twenty pounds each per annum from Lionel Duke of
Clarence [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Boll 1383, p. 326.] and so were probably
at one time in his service. Finally the most interesting case of all is that
of Geoffrey Stucle, whose career and employments curiously parallel
Chaucer's and who in 29 Edward III was valet to Elizabeth, Countess of
Ulster. [Footnote: Issues, P. 212, mem, 22, 27.]

CLASSIFICATION
The two lists in the household books classify the members of the
household in different ways--one list according to function and the
other, apparently, according to length of service. The first is the system
according to which the schedule of names