Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer (* around 1367; † March 14, 1434 ) was the eldest son of the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife Philippa Roet , daughter of Sir Payne Roet and sister of Catherine Swynford , mistress and then wife of John of Gaunt, 1. Duke of Lancaster .
Life
He married early on Mathilda, second daughter of John Burghersh, Lord Kerdeston, nephew of Henry Burghersh , Bishop of Lincoln, Treasurer and Chancellor of the kingdom. This relationship and that with John of Gaunt had a very beneficial effect on his career. He held a high position at the court of Richard II . In 1402 Thomas Chaucer was appointed Police Commissioner of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. From 1400 to 1431 he was also a member of parliament and for some time also speaker of the House of Commons .
Chaucer followed King Henry V to the Battle of Azincourt in 1415 , and in 1417 he was commissioned to negotiate peace conditions with France. 1427, under the then underage Heinrich VI. , he was replaced, but reinstated a short time later. Thomas Chaucer then received Wallingford Castle from the king and in 1431 became the executor of the Duchess of York's will . The very wealthy man donated the highest single amount, £ 200, when the king again raised money for the war against France. He died a highly respected man on March 14, 1434 and was buried at Ewelme .
Descendants
He had a daughter named Alice whom he married to Sir John Philip at the age of eleven and bought Donnington Castle as the couple's residence. The marriage was never consummated, however, as Sir John died that same year. Her second marriage was Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salisbury , with whom she also had no children. Her third marriage was to William de la Pole , Earl and then Duke of Suffolk , a war hero who was captured and beheaded in 1450. This marriage resulted in two sons and a daughter. The eldest son married the future king mother Margaret Beaufort in his first marriage .
literature
- William Hunt : Chaucer, Thomas . In: Leslie Stephen (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 10: Chamber - Clarkson. MacMillan & Co, Smith, Elder & Co., New York City / London, 1887, pp 167 - 168 (English).
Web links
- Thomas Chaucer. In David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chaucer, Thomas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English politician, Speaker of the House of Commons |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1367 |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 14, 1434 |