1444 "Feb. 16. Westminster. Commission, for half a year, to Thomas Stoughton to take fish for the expenses of the household and carriage therefor. By bill of the treasurer of the household." [1]
1445 "Aug. 17. Westminster. Grant, for life, to the king's serjeant Thomas Stoughton, king's purveyor of sea-fish, of the office of the bailliage of the town of Hastynges, one of the Cinque ports, co. Sussex, to hold himself or by deputy, taking the due fees, wages and profits. By p.s. etc." [2]
1446 "Feb. 10. Westminster. Revocation of letters patent dated 17 August last, granting to Thomas Stoughton, the king's purveyor of sea-fish, the office of the bailliage of Hastynges, co. Sussex, one of the Cinque Ports; at the suit of Jon Tamworth, bailiff of that town, shewing that the king on 9 December last by a writ reciting the said letters commanded him to shew cause why he had not obeyed the king's mandate not to intermeddle with the said office, and making known to the king that the said town is one of the Cinque Ports, whereof the barons and men have enjoyed time of of mid divers liberties by reason of the shipping which they ought and are wont to prepare yearly for the king, when he purposes to cross to foreign parts, to wit, 57 ships manned by 21 men each at the costs of the said barons and men of the Cinque Ports for fifteen days, and the cusotm of the said town is that on Sunday after 'le Hokeday,' that is the Sunday three weeks after Easter, each year the commonalty assembles at 'Hundredplace' in the said town and elecgts a bailiff for the following year, who after election has the poser to keep the peace, to hold courts and please, real and personal, and please of assizes and execute all other his duties within the town, port and liberty of Hastynges, and thtat the said John was thus duly elected, in support whereof he cites Magna Carta; whereupon the king's serjeant at law and John Vampage, king's attorney, were summoned, who could not decide whether John Tamworth should retain the office, but by the advice of the justices and others of the council of Chancery the matter was decided in his favour; and the king commanded the sheriff of Middlesex to summon Thomas Stoughton before the king in Chancery on the octave of the Purificaiton to shew cause why his letters should not be revoded, and the sheriff returned that he summoned him by John Nede, William Manser, Robert Rodes and Richard Neuton, but Thomas appeared not, wherefore it was considered that his letters should be revoked." [3]
1448 "Robts Unwyn and Tho. Stock" [Stoughton] were returned as representative to Parliament from Rye, Sussex. [4]
When the king's writ was received, the freeman of the town sent up two burgesses, who were in all probability Barons of the Port, inhabitants and dwellers of the same. During their forty days of service they were paid by the town they represented, at a rate of two shillings a day.
1449/50 Richard Berd, fishmonger, entrusted his goods to Thomas Stoughton and others on February 28. [5]
Richard Berd of London 'fysshmonger' to Thomas Stoughton 'fysshmonger,' John Beauford 'fyshmanger,' John Northamton 'marchant' and John Gloucestre 'gentilman,' all of London, their executors and assigns. Gift of all his goods and chattels by sea or land, and all debts to him due within the realm or elsewhere. Dated 20 February 28 Henry VI.
Memorandum of acknowledgment, 3 March this year.
1451 Ypres Tower in Rye "was sold, by John Ipres and Elizabeth his wife, to Thomas Stoughton, as appears from the following memorandum in the records of Rye: '1451, 20th April, 30 Henry 6. Deed of grant from John Ipres and Elizabeth his wife, to Thomas Stoughton, of a certain tower, and divers other lands and tenements, in Rye, to hold to the said Thomas Stoughton, his heirs and assigns, for ever.' Some time between the years 1451 and 1473 the tower was again sold by Thomas Stoughton to James Hyde, from whom it came to his daughter Joan, and was in the latter year conveyed to Lord Stanley. ... Thomas Stoughton was a fishmonger in London. The rippiers of Rye and Winchelsea, who furnished London with fresh fish, had the privilege of selling their fish to whom they would, and the fishmongers of London were prohibited to buy it to sell again by retail; but although the fishmongers were thus prohibited, still the fish trade between Rye and London being very considerable, the members of the Fishmongers' Company might become acquainted with the former town, and hence Thomas Stoughton, one of this body, became the purchaser of Ypres Castle. With the tower, from a very early period, certain gardens seem to have been connected, and hence it is that to this day the adjoining ground is still called the Gun Garden, the former part of its name having been given when cannon were first placed there." [6]
1460 "Aug 9. Canterbury. Commission to Thomas Stoughton to purvey fish for the expenses of the household and carriage therefor. By bill of the treasurer of the household." [7]
1461 "Apr. 28. Durham. Appointment, until 1 November, of Thomas Stoughton, fishmonger, of London, to provide stockfish, salmon, herrings, and other salt fish for the household. By bill of the treasurer of the household." [8]
1472 "June 20. Westminster. Pardons of outlawry to the following: John Snoryng late of London, 'fysshmonger,' for not appearing before Robert Danby and his fellows, late justices of the Bench, to answer Thomas Stoughton, citizen and 'fysshmonger' of London, toughing a debt of 50l. London." [9]
1475 "Mar 02. Westminster. Appointment, during pleasure, of Thomas Stokton as controller of the petty custom in the port of London and ports and places adjacent, receiving the accustomed fees, provided that he execute the office in person, with the custody of one part of the coket seal. By bill of the treasurer." [10]
1476 "Nov. 29. Westminster. The like [appointment, during pleasure] to the following in the ports named and ports and places adjacent: Thomas Stoughton in the port of Sandwich [as controller of the great and petty custom, the subsidy of wools, hides and wool-fells and the subsidy of the 3s. in the tun and the 12d. in the pound]. By bill of the treasurer." [11]
1478 Thomas Stoughton dated his will on October 31. [12]
1480/81 The will of Thomas Stoughton was proved on February 8. [13]
[1] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 4, 1441-1446 (London: HMSO, 1908), 252, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[2] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 4, 1441-1446 (London: HMSO, 1908), 358, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[3] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 4, 1441-1446 (London: HMSO, 1908), 427, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[4] William Holloway, The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye, in the County of Sussex (London: John Russell Smith, 1847), 195-196, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[5] C.T. Flower, ed., Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 5, 1447-1454 (London: HMSO, 1941, reprinted 1971), 266, [FHLBook].
[6] William Holloway, The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye, in the County of Sussex (London: John Russell Smith, 1847), 299-301, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[7] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. 6, 1452-1461 (London: HMSO), 600.
[8] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward IV, Vol. 1, 1461-1467 (London: HMSO, 1897), 6, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[9] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward IV. Henry VI, 1467-1477, Vol. 51 (London: HMSO, 1900), 321, [GoogleBooks], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[10] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward IV. Henry VI, 1467-1477, Vol. 51 (London: HMSO, 1900), 484, [GoogleBooks], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[11] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward IV. Henry VI, 1467-1477, Vol. 51 (London: HMSO, 1900), 592, [GoogleBooks], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[12] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, PROB 11, Piece 7, Logge (1479-1486), [AncestryImage].
[13] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, PROB 11, Piece 7, Logge (1479-1486), [AncestryImage].