Around 1331 Thomas Trivet was born.
Westminster Chronicle. Meanwhile, during parliament, the aforesaid knights, who had formerly in Flanders surrendered to their enemies the towns acquired for the king of England after accepting money, were brought before the king and the nobles of the land. They were questioned on the aforesaid matters, why they had acted so, and by what authority, without the knowledge and licence of the lord king or of his lieutenant there, they had attempted to break out into so great a crime. But because they did not give a suitable answer to the charges brought against them, they were adjudged to custody in the Tower of London. Thomas Trivet [aged 53], however, at once put himself upon the king’s grace and enjoyed free rein. The others, through the mediation of their friends, made a fine with the king, because money solves everything. In these days they were reconciled and restored to their former liberty.
Interim durante parliamento coram rege et proceribus terræ adducti sunt milites præfati, qui dudum in Flandria villas regi Angliæ adquisitas accepta pecunia suis adversariis reddiderunt, et super præmissa requisiti quare sic fecerunt aut qua potestate, absque cognitione et licentia domini regis seu loci tenentis ibidem, ad tantum facinus prorumpere attemptabant. Sed quia ad objecta congruum non dederunt responsum adjudicati sunt ad custodiam in turrim Londoniæ. Thomas vero Tryvet ilico posuit se in gratiam regis et liberis gaudebat habenis. Alii vero mediantibus eorum amicis, regi fine facto, quia pecunia solvit omnia, istis diebus reconciliati sunt et libertati pristinæ restituti.
Westminster Chronicle. Immediately afterwards, when a council was held at Westminster, the archbishop of Canterbury [aged 43] and other prelates of the churches, together with some of the temporal lords, complained gravely about those counsellors moving about the king, because they had induced the king to consent to the killing of the duke of Lancaster so cruelly in private. This was both because it was a matter of evil example, and because it would follow from this that whenever the king bore a hateful heart or mind towards some great or middling person, perhaps, in like manner, God forbid, he would order that person to be killed. Thus, by this, the approved laws and customs would suffer no slight injury, and quarrels, lawsuits, disputes, contentions, dissensions, and other such things would perhaps arise everywhere in the realm, God forbid. Therefore such crimes must be avoided in future, lest, because of unlawful acts of this kind, it should plainly happen that the realm be made worse. These words, or words like them, the archbishop of Canterbury delivered to the king on behalf of the lords then present there. When the king had heard them, he rose at once in anger against the archbishop and threatened him. On that day the king dined with the mayor of London. When the meal was finished, the king went onto the river Thames, and between his palace and Lambeth he met the archbishop. For the aforesaid archbishop had come to the king under the safe-conduct of the earl of Buckingham [aged 30]. Then, when the matter which the archbishop had pursued before dinner had been recited again, the king, drawing his sword, would have pierced the archbishop through at once, had not the earl of Buckingham, Lord John Devereux [aged 48], and Sir Thomas Trivet [aged 54] strongly resisted him. Since the king was angry with them, they immediately leapt out of the king’s boat, through fear, into the archbishop’s boat, and so at that time they departed from him in discord.
Incontinenti postea apud Westmonasterium consilio celebrato, archiepiscopus Cantuariensis, aliique ecelesiarum prælati ac de dominis temporalibus aliqui de istis consiliariis Circa regem conversantibus graviter sunt conquesti, co quod induxerunt regem assentire interfectioni ducis Lancastriæ tam crudeliter in privato tum quia fuit res mali exempli tum quia sequeretur ex hoc quod quandocunque rex versus magnam sive mediocrem personam cor sive animum gestierat odiosum consimili modo forsitan illam, quod absit, mandaret occidi. Ut sic per hoc leges et consuetudines approbatæ læsionem non modicam paterentur, rixæ lites jurgia contentiones dissensiones et cetera talia in regno, quod absit, ubique forsitan nascerentur, ‘Igitur abstinendum est a talibus sceleribus in futurum ne propter hujusmodi illicita deterioratio regni fieri manifesti contingat. Ista verba sive consimilia archiepiscopus Cantuariensis retulit regi ex parte dominorum tunc ibidem existentium. Quibus auditis rex iratus versus archiepiscopum illico surrexit et minas ei intulit. Ilo namque die comedit rex cum majore Londoniæ finito prandio rex flumen Thamense ,intravit et inter palatium suum et Lambheth archiepiseopum habuit obvium. Venerat enim præfatus archiepiscopus ad regem sub salvo conductu comitis de Buckyngham. Demum recitata materia quam ante prandium archiepiscopus fuerat proseeutus, rex extracto ense archiepiscopum illico perfodisset nisi comes Buckyngham, dominus Johannes Deuereye et dominus Thomas Tryvet eidem fortiter restitissent. Quibus rex iratus igitur de seapha regis propter metum in cymbam archiepiscopi statim prosiliebant et sic ab eo protunc in discordia recesserunt.
Westminster Chronicle. Meanwhile it became known to these lords how Sir Thomas Trivet [aged 56] had advised the king to go out into the open field and unfurl his banner against these lords who had thus risen, and this counsel greatly displeased them. Nevertheless, at the urging of reverend men, on the seventeenth day of November they came to the king with two hundred horses, in the great hall at Westminster, where he was seated on the royal throne. Entering the hall, these three, namely the duke of Gloucester [aged 32], the earl of Arundel, and the earl of Warwick [aged 49], on seeing the king at once fell prostrate to the ground, and did this three times before they reached him. At length, by the king’s command, they rose and stood, and said to him that he should not wonder that they had come to him late, nor now be astonished at their arrival in such array, because, as they had learned from others, their mortal enemies were continually residing beside him. Therefore it was no wonder if they had been slow in coming to him, since, saving always their allegiance, they wished to preserve their lives as long as they could, setting aside all other considerations.
Interim innotuit istis dominis quomodo dominus Thomas Tryvet consuluit regem exire in latum campum et suum vexillum expandere contra istos dominos sic levatos quodque consilium valde eis displicuit. Nihilominus tamen ad instantiam reverendorum virorum xvii die Novembris et cum cce. equis venerunt ad regem in magna aula apud Westmonasterium in sede regia collocatum et intrantes aulam hi tres, sceilicet dux Gloucestriæ, comes Arundelliæ et comes Warwykiæ, videntesque regem protinus corruerunt proni in terram sicque tribus vicibus fecerunt antequam pervenerunt ad eum. Demum jussu regis erexerunt se stantes dixeruntque ei quod non miraretur quamvis tarde venerunt ad eum, nec jam propter corum adventum sub tali apparatu obstupesceret quia, prout didicerant ab aliis, eorum capitales inimici juxta latus suum continue residebant. Unde mirum non esset licet fuissent morosi in veniendo ad eum quia vitam eorum quamdiu possent salvis semper eorum ligeanciis vellent cæteris postpositis conservare.
Westminster Chronicle. On the first day of January [1388], after council had been held at Westminster, they caused several men to be arrested, namely Sir Thomas Trivet [aged 57], Sir Simon Burley [aged 48], Lord John Beauchamp [aged 69], Sir Nicholas Dagworth, Sir William Elmham [aged 52], Sir James Berners, Sir John Salisbury, and Sir Nicholas Brembre, knights. Also Sir Richard Medford, Sir Richard Clifford, and Sir John Lincoln, clerks. All these, for the sake of custody, were sent by the aforesaid lords to various strongholds until the next Parliament. Also, these lords compelled several others to abjure the court, especially those named below: the bishop of Durham, the bishop of Chichester, Sir Baldwin Bereford, Sir Richard Abberbury, Sir John Worth, the son of Lord Clifford, Sir John Lovell, Sir Zouche, Sir Beaumont, Sir Burnell, Sir Aubrey de Vere [aged 50], Lord Thomas Camoys [aged 37], and Sir Thomas Blount [aged 36]. All these were sworn not to enter the king’s court at all. At that time they were called knights and famous men, distinguished by many virtues. Three ladies also abjured the lord king’s court at that time, namely Lady Poynings [aged 26]1, Lady Mohun [aged 69]2, and Lady Moleyns [aged 52]3. John Blake, however, remained in the custody of the lords.
Primo namque die Januarii celebrato apud Westmonasterium consilio plures arestari fecerunt, videlicet dominum Thomam Tryvet, dominum Simonem Burle, dominum Johannem Beauchamp, dominum Nicholaum Daggeworthe, dominum Willelmum Elmham, dominum Jacobum Berneres, dominum Johannem Salisbury et dominum Nicholaum Brembre milites. Item dominum Ricardum Medford, dominum Ricardum Clifford et dominum Johannem Lincoln clericos, qui omnes causa custodiæ ad diversa fortalitia erant per dominos prædietos transmissi usque ad proximum parliamentum. Item isti domini cogerunt curiam abjurare inter alios specialiter infrascriptos. Episcopum Dunelmensem, episcopum Cicestrensem, dominum Paldewinn de Bereford, dominum Ricarduam de Abberisbury, dominum Johannem Worthe, fillum domini de Clyfford, dominum Johannem Lovell, dominum de la Souche, dominum de Beaumond, dominum de Burnell, dominum Aubrey de Veer, dominum Thomam Caymos, dominum Thomam Blount; omnes isti fuerunt jurati ne omnino in curiam regis intrarent, qui illo in tempore erant milites nominati et viri famosi multisque virtutibus insigniti. Abjurarunt etiam curiam domini regis tunc temporis tres dominæ scilicet domina de Ponyngg, domina de Mohon, et domina de Molyns. Johannes vero Blake remansit in custodia dominorum.
Note 1. Richard Poynings, 3rd Baron, died in 1387. His son Robert Poynings 4th Baron Poynings [aged 5] succeeded at the age of five. He didn't marry until 1397 so this Lady Poynings is probably Richard's widow Isabella Grey, 1362-1394, daughter of Robert Grey [aged 67], Baron Fitzpayne.
Note 2. Joan Burghesh, 1319-1404, daughter of Bartholemew 'the Elder', 1st Baron Burghesh, widow of John Mohun, 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster, who died in 1375.
Note 3. Margery Bacon, 1336-1399, daughter Edmund Bacon, widow of William de Moleyns.
Westminster Chronicle. On the penultimate day of May [1388], the following knights were released from the Tower of London on bail: Sir William Elmham [aged 57], Sir Thomas Trivet, and Sir Nicholas Daggeworth. This was on condition that they should appear at the next Parliament to answer whatever the aforesaid lords wished to charge against them. On the same day, the Commons and the lords in Parliament asked that the aforesaid clerk be handed over to them from the sanctuary of Westminster, or else that he should be punished there for his offences, since it would be absurd for offences to remain unpunished. For it was clear, they said, that he had gravely offended against everyone in the realm by revealing the secrets of the realm to foreign countries. Nor, in the opinion of very many, ought the said sanctuary to protect or harbour such men, but rather to cast him out as quickly as possible and hand him over to the secular judge to be punished. The king, however, gave judgement to the contrary. He asserted that privileged places were surrounded by ecclesiastical censures, and that if anyone violated them he could easily become entangled in those censures; and, for as long as he remained so entangled, all his subsequent acts before receiving absolution would undoubtedly be known to stand in peril of his soul. Therefore, he said, it is not for us to drag anyone out of a sacred place or to punish him there. Accordingly, the punishment should be left to the judgement of the one who has custody of the said place. The king further promised them that he would speak with the abbot about this matter and, by God’s grace, bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion. But notwithstanding this, on the first day of June, with loud cries, certain lords and others from the Commons wickedly took up the same matter again, and were altogether determined that the said clerk should be punished as a traitor. Among them was Lord Ralph Basset, who never spoke well of ecclesiastical liberty. In protest, he said that it would be better that not one stone should stand upon another in the aforesaid place than that it should harbour such traitors, who transmitted the secrets of the realm in this way to foreign countries. Indeed, he said, if such men were now allowed to be saved there, such an inconvenience might perhaps follow in future that, if the king happened to be killed there, God forbid, his killer would enjoy full liberty there with impunity, which would be wholly contrary to reason. Many similar arguments were put forward in various ways against the lord abbot on all sides. Finally, they ordered him to keep the said clerk in custody until the next Parliament, under the penalty that applied.
Penultimo vero die Maii sub manu captione liberati sunt de turri Londoniæ milites, seilicet domini Willelmus Elmham, Thomas Trivet, et Nicolaus Daggeworthe, sub hac forma quod compareant in proximo parliamento responsuri ad ca quæ volunt illis opponere domini supradieti. Quo etiam die communes et domini de parliamento petierunt præfatum clericum sibi de sanctuario Westmonasterii liberari, aut in eodem debere pro suis delietis puniri, quia esset absurdum quod delieta remaneant impunita. Constat namque istum contra omnes existentes in regno graviter deliquisse in revelando regni secreta in exteras regiones; nec tales quam pluribus videtur debere defendere aut fovere sanctuarium prælibatum, sed potius ipsum quantocius ejicere ac sæculari judici tradere puniendum. Rex autem in contrarium sententiavit asserens loca privilegiata censuris fore vallata, et si quis his contravenerit potest defacili illis involvi et quamdiu eisdem sic fuerit involutus omnia facta sua postmodum ante absolutionem habitam in perieulum suæ animæ indubie vigere dinoscuntur, et ideo de loco sacro quemquam extrahere vel ibidem punire nobis non est. Igitur relinquendum est illius arbitrio puniendum qui habet custodiam dicti loci. Ulterius promisit illis rex alloqui abbatem de ista materia et omnia per dei gratiam feliciter terminare. Sed istis non obstantibus primo die Junii clamosis vocibus iterato dictam materiam quidam domini et alii de communitate nefarie resumebant, et ompino dictum clerieum tanquam proditorem vellent habere punitum, inter quos erat dominus Radulphus Basset, qui nunquam loquebatur bonum de ecclesiastica libertate protestando dixit melius fore quod non staret lapis super lapidem in præfato loco quam sic tales proditores foveret, qui taliter secreta regni transmittebant ad exteras regiones, et revera si permittatur modo tales salvare, tale inconveniens in posterum forsitan sequeretur quod si rex ibidem occideretur à casu, quod absit, ejus occisor impune inibi plena libertate guaderet, quod omnino foret absonum rationi. Plura his similia contra dominum abbatem hine inde diversimode proponebant. Postremo jusserunt ipsum dictum clericum custodire usque ad proximum parliamentum sub pæœna qua incumbit.
On 6th October 1388 Thomas Trivet [aged 57] died.
Westminster Chronicle. On the 6th day of October [1388], Sir Thomas Trivet [aged 57], knight, forced his horse to run over land recently ploughed; and, by chance stumbling among the furrows, the horse fell and crushed the said Thomas, and so broke him that he scarcely survived for nine hours afterwards. On that same day, in full Parliament, it had been proclaimed that, if anyone wished to charge him with treason or with any other notable crime for which he might deservedly be punished by death, he should come on the following day and set it forth, and that Trivet should undergo judicial sentence according to what was alleged and proved. But God forestalled this by giving sentence himself. For the other knights, who for some time had been detained in custody because at first sight they were in some measure suspect to the aforesaid lords, were restored to their former liberty on that day, except that they were by no means to remain in the court of the lord king. Lord Richard Mitford, Lord Richard Clifford, Lord Nicholas Slake, and Lord John Lincoln, clerks, received a like grace.
Sexto die Octobris dominus Thomas Tryvet miles coegit equum suum currere in terra nuperius exarata et casualiter inter sulcos cespitans ipsum Thomam cadendo oppressit, et ita confregit, quod vix per novem horas postea supervixit. Quo etiam die in pleno parliamento fuerat proclamatum ut si quis contra eum vellet opponere de proditione seu de alio crimine notabili propter quod mortis supplicio merito puniretur, crastina die veniret et proponeret ac secundum allegata et probata sententiam judicialem subiret. Sed deus hanc sententiando prævenit. Cæteri namque milites qui aliquamdiu in custodia crant detenti quia prima facie erant quodammodo dominis prædictis suspecti, pristinæ libertati eo die fuerant restituti præter quam in curia domini regis nequaquam manerent. Consimilem vero gratiam dominus Ricardus Metford, dominus Ricardus Clifford, dominus Nicholaus Slake et dominus Johannes Lincoln clerici reportarunt.
Westminster Chronicle. Yet the aforesaid things by no means sufficed them. They then laid him down at their feet and violently made his feet and legs, up to the knees, lie for a long time in the fire. For Sir W. Elmham sat so heavily upon the loins of the aforesaid friar that all power of drawing his feet back from the fire was taken from him. For this reason, from the burning and scorching of the fire, many charred cracks appeared in his feet and legs, visible to all who looked on, until the day of his burial. At last they forced him to lie on his back, and into his mouth, covered with linen, they poured warm water to the measure of three gallons and more, often warning him amid these things to confess who it was who had procured him to bring forward such great and such serious charges against so great a lord. But he, afflicted and worn down by injuries and torments in many ways, did not care to answer their questions. For those knights thought that the aforesaid friar had been suborned by some great man, and therefore they forced him to undergo such punishments or tortures, so that at least, at some point, through fear of pain, he might reveal him more quickly to them. But they laboured in vain. Therefore, as the shadow of night approached, the keeper of the aforesaid castle, according to what had first been commanded him, took the aforesaid friar, placed light shackles upon him, and, fearing that perhaps he might use some contrivance, shut him up in a secure but honourable place within the aforesaid castle. And as far as he could, he supplied him that night most abundantly with food, drink, and bedding. For the king, after the aforesaid friar had been removed from his sight, immediately sent for Lord Zouche, so that, all other matters put aside, he should come to him at once. When Zouche heard the message, without drawing out any delay, although he was burdened by some illness, he at once prepared himself for the journey and within a few days came to the king. The duke of Lancaster, hearing that he had been gravely accused before the lord king, quickly went to him and splendidly excused him from this infamy, so that the king afterwards held him excused. Lord Zouche also came to him and rejected the words of the aforesaid friar, saying that he had never in any way known of such a proclamation, and he offered to prove this by duel against anyone who wished to contradict him. What more? He pressed the matter then with such urgency before the king and the other lords present that he was wholly absolved from this accusation.
Præmissa tamen eis minime sufficiebant sed quid deposuerunt eum tunc ad pedes suos et tibias usque ad genua diu in igne violenter jacere fecerunt. Nam dominus W. Elmham tam ponderose super lumbos prædicti fratris sedebat quod vis retrahendi pedes suos ab igne penitus ab eo erat ablata. Qua de causa ex ignis adustione et incendio plures rimæ torridæ inejus pedibus et tibiis usque in diem suæ sepulturæ cunctis intuentibus apparebant. Ad ultimum vero cogebant eum super ejus dorsum jacere et in os suum opertum lintheo fundebant aquam calidam ad mensuram trium lagenarum et amplius monentes eum sæpius inter ista ut fateretur quisnam esset ille qui illum adversus tam magnum dominum tanta et talia proponere procuravit. Sed ille injuriis et tormentis afflictus multipliciter et attritus ad illorum interrogata respondere non curavit. Putabant enim isti milites prædictum fratrem ab aliquo magno fore subornatum et ideo ipsum talia supplicia sive cruciatus subire cogebant, ut saltem aliquando metu pœnæ ipsum eis citius revelaret. Sed supervacue laborabant. Igitur appropinquante noctis umbraculo custos castri prædicti, secundum quod sibi erat primitus imperatum, accepit fratrem prædictum et leves compedes super eum posuit et timens ne forsan experimentis uteretur in tuto loco tamen castri prædicti honesto ipsum reclusit ; et ei quantum licuit in esculentis poculentis et lectisterniis nocte illa abundantissime ministravit. Rex namque postquam prædictus frater a suis conspectibus esset subtractus incontinenti misit pro domino le Souche ut ceteris postpositis ilico veniret ad eum. Qui audito nuncio nulla mora protracta licet aliquali infirmitate esset gravatus statim accinxit se ad iter et infra paucos dies pervenit ad regem. Dux itaque Lancastriæ audiens ipsum fore penes dominum regem graviter accusatum celeriter accessit ad eum et ipsum super hujusmodi infamia splendide excusavit ; sic quod rex ipsum postmodum pro excusato habebat. Supervenit etiam ad eum dominus le Souche et dicta prædicti fratris reprobravit, dicens se nullatenus de tali prædicatione unquam scivisse et hoc obtulit se duello probare contra quemlibet sibi contradicere volentem. Quid plura? Tanta enim instantia penes regem et alios dominus tunc præsentes instetit, quod ab hujusmodi impetitione totaliter extitit absolutus.