John Northampton

John Northampton was a citizen of London his whole life, from a decent-sized family (two brothers and two sisters). He became a cloth merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, founded in 1361 and one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies (among the 114 that operated in London). At its founding he was named one of the "upholders," so he was probably well-known and respected at the time.

He had some trouble with the law, however. Records from 1365, 1369, and 1371 show he was warned to keep the peace and refrain from affrays in the streets. An affray was a fight that becomes so large that it frightens others. The 1371 incident was so serious that King Edward III summoned the mayor (John Bernes, himself a mercer and member of the same guild) and aldermen an d leaders of the guilds to swear to keep the peace. John Northampton and eleven others were imprisoned in the Tower of London for a time.

Despite all this, he was considered a good enough candidate for sheriff that he gained the position in 1376, along with Robert Launde (there were always two sheriffs at a time, elected each year).

He was a supporter of John of Gaunt. Gaunt was a supporter of John Wycliffe, who was known for his "radical" views about the equality of men and the need for reform of the Church to embrace a simpler lifestyle. This connection makes some wonder if Northampton's religious views aligned with Wycliffe and against the current Church hierarchy.

England at this time was experiencing widespread unrest. The common people were dealing with crippling taxation, misgovernment, and evidence of corruption in the ruling class. Then came the Good Parliament in 1376, after which Northampton was part of a cohort that ousted Richard Lyons. Tomorrow I'll explain the Good Parliament, who Richard Lyons was, and why he had to go.

Criminal Cases, Part 3

When the Mayor of London says you have to dress for dinner, you dress for dinner. On the Feast of Pentecost in 1382, the Mayor of London and the Aldermen were to meet at the Church of St. Peter in Cornhill. From there they would make a procession through the City to the Church of St. Paul in Walbrook.

The Mayor and Aldermen had agreed beforehand that everyone in the procession should be dressed with a cloak lined with green taffeta (silk).

The Alderman of the Ward of Walbrook, John Sely, appeared in a cloak that was not lined with anything, much less green taffeta.

Whereupon, by advice of the Mayor and other Aldermen, it was then adjudged, and assented to, that the said Mayor and other Aldermen should dine with the same John at his house, and that, at the proper costs of the said John, on the Thursday following; and further, the said John was to line his cloak in manner aforesaid: and so it was done. And this judgment shall extend to all other Aldermen, hereafter to come, without sparing any one, if any person among them shall act contrary to the Ordinance aforesaid. [link]

So his "punishment" was to put on a dinner for everyone in the procession, which could have been expensive, and to make sure he had a green silk lining, too!

The posts of the past few days on Criminal Cases all came during the term of the Lord Mayor of London, John Northampton. This was early in the reign of King Richard II, when there was much dissension among the guilds and the common people about how the country was running. (Less than a year earlier, the Peasant's Revolt had caused a great deal of turmoil in the country, as well as a few deaths. A post with links to several posts about the Revolt can be found here.)

Northampton had also been a sheriff, but as mayor he was a reformist, trying to make changes to the workings of government. Tomorrow we'll look at his career, its rise and fall.