f 50v (Leicester Castle, 6 March)
Iohan &c A nostre trescher et bien ame Sire William Oke Clerc de nostre grande Garderobe..saluz. Nous vous mandons que de des issues de vostre Receite en nostre Chambre facez paier as persones souznommees les sommes souzescrites; Cestassauoir ... Et a vj noz ministralx et a Iohan Gybeson le vijme de nostre doun meisme le iour sept marcs Et a vn pursuant darmes le Conte de Douglas et vn autre ministral le soen le seconde iour de Ianuiere a leycestre quarrante soldz Et a vn Esquier nostre tresame ffrer le Conte de Cantebrug presentant a nous le iour de lan Renoef susdit quarante soldz Et a vn Esquier nostre tresamee soere la Contesse de Cantebrug presentant a nous meisme le iour deux marcs Et a vn vallet la dame de mohone presentant a nous meisme le iour quarrante soldz Et as diuerses heraudes esteantes en nostre presence le iour del Ephiphanie de nostre doun Cent soldz Et as diuerses ministralx nostre tresame fere de Centebrugg esteant oue nous meisme le iour Cynk marcs Et a Herman Goldesmyth pur vn dyamande achate & par lui mys en vn fermail le dit iour de lan Renoef quatre livres Et facez paier pur atantz deniers mys sur le liure le iour des Esposailes nostre tresame filz le Conte de derby quarrante soldz Et pur atantz deniers pur leur offrendre a la messe tresze soldz et quatre deniers Et a dys ministralx nostre seigneur le Roy esteantz illeoqes meisme le iour de nostre doun dys marcs Et a quatre ministralx nostre tresame ffrer de Cantabrug esteantz illeoque meisme le iour deux marcs Et facez paier as diuerses officers nostre Cosine la Contesse de hertford esteantz a meisme le feste de nostre doun Cynquante marcs Et en meisme la manere as officers & vallets de de sa Chambre meisme le iour de nostre doun dys marcs ... Donne &c a nostre Chastel de leycestre le vj iour de Marcz lan &c quart
...
f 55v (Leicester Castle, 1 August)
...
Iohan &c A nostre trescher et bien ame Clerc sire William de Chesulden nostre Receiuour de Leycestre et ailliours saluz Porce que nous auons ottroiez a nostre bien ame Iohan Clyff de Couentre cent soldz par an pur son fee apprendre annuelment des issues de nostre seignurie de leycestre par les mains de nostre Receiuour illeoqes qui pur le temps serra as termes de seint michel & de Pasque par oueles porcions vous mandons que au dit Iohan facez paier les auantdites Cent soldz annueles de terme en terme & dan en an en munies come vous facez as autres noz ministralx de son estat et condicion Receiuant deuers vous lettres daquitances desouz le seal du dit Iohan tesmoignantes les paiementz queux vous lui ensi ferrez par queles & par cestes nous voulons que vous euez due allouance en votre aconte donne &c a leycestre le primer iour dauguste lan &c quart
...
f 57v (Fulham Palace, 4 December)
...
Iohan &c a nostre trescher et bien ame clerc sire Iohan de Norffolk Tresorer de nostre houstel saluz.. Nous vous mandons que ... Et auxynt facez liuerer a nostre bien ame ministralle Iohan Cliff de Couentre un eschucsion dargent ouesque vn coler pur vn ministral & un peir de Nakers ouesque deux colers et vn ceynture et deux stykkes dargent faitz pur meisme les Nakers. Et volons que par cestes vous en eueiez due allouance en vostre aconte des toutes choses desusescrites. Donne &c a ffulham le quart iour de Decembre lan &c quart
...
Pur Iohan
Clyff
For John
Clyff
f 50v (6 March)
John, etc, to our very dear and much loved Sir William Oke, clerk of our Great Wardrobe, greetings. We command you that from the revenues of your receipts in our chamber you cause to be paid to the person named below the sums written below. That is to say ... and to six of our minstrels and to John Gybeson, the seventh, of our gift the same day, 7 marks. And to one pursuivant at arms (of) the earl of Douglas and another minstrel of his, 2 January at Leicester, 4s. And to a squire (of) our very dear brother the earl of Cambridge presenting to us New Year's Day aforesaid, 40s. To a squire (of) our very loved sister, the countess of Cambridge present with us the same day, 2 marks. And to a valet of the lady of Mohone present with us the same day, 40s. And to various heralds being in our presence the day of Epiphany, of our gift, 100s. And to various minstrels (of) our very loved brother of Cambridge, present with us the same day, 5 marks. And to Herman Goldsmith for a diamond bought and set by him in a brooch the said New Year's Day, £4. And (that) you cause to be paid as much money (as is) set in the book (of) the day of the wedding of our very loved son (of) the earl of Derby, 40s. And for as much money for their offering at the mass, 3s 4d. And to ten minstrels of our lord the king being there the same day, of our gift, 10 marks. And to four minstrels of our very loved brother of Cambridge being there on the same day, 2 marks. And (that) you cause to be paid to the various officers of our cousin the countess of Hertford being at the same feast, of our gift, 50 marks. And in the same manner to the officers and valets of her chamber the same day of our gift, 10 marks.... Given, etc, at our castle of Leiceister, 6 March, the forth year, etc.
...
f 55v (1 August)
...
John, etc, to our very dear and much loved clerk, Sir William de Chesulden our receiver of Leicester and elsewhere, greetings. Because we have granted to our much loved John Cliff of Coventry 100s per year for his fee taking annually of the revenues of our seignory of Leicester by the hands of our receiver there for the time being, at the terms of St Michael and of Easter by equal portions, we command you that you cause to be paid to the said John the aforesaid 100s annually from term to term and year to year in monies as you cause to be paid to our other minstrels of his estate and condition, receiving from you letters of acquittances under the seal of the said John witnessing the payments which you to him will make to him in this way by which (acquittances) and by this (letter) we wish that you have due allowance in your account. Given, etc, at Leicester, 1 August, the fourth year, etc.
...
f 57v (4 December)
...
John, etc, to our very dear and much loved clerk, Sir John de Norfolk, treasurer of our household, etc, greetings. We command you that ... and also that you cause to be delivered to our much loved minstrel, John Cliff of Coventry, a silver escutcheon with a collar for a minstrel and a pair of nakers with two collars and a belt and two silver sticks made for the same nakers. And we wish that by this (letter) you have of it due allowance of it in your account of all the things written above. Given, etc, at Fulham, on fourth day of December, the fourth year, etc.
...
John of Gaunt's family by his second wife, Constance, was resident at Tutbury Castle.
Record title: Order from John of Gaunt's Register
Book
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: DL 42/14
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. Two such excerpts deal with Newcastle under Lyme and Tutbury, and hence the register books are fully described above, under those boroughs. 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).
1379–83; French; parchment; ii + 153 + ii (fly leaves part of binding); 350mm x 230mm; modern (inaccurate) and antiquarian (accurate) foliation; contemporary repair on f 113; bound in 19th-c. brown cloth with leather spine and corners, title on spine: 'Duchy of Lancaster Miscell Books.'