Thomas Chaucer
| Thomas Chaucer | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the House of Commons of England | |
|
In office 25 August 1407 – 19 December 1411 |
|
| Monarch | Henry IV of England |
| Preceded by | Sir John Tiptoff |
| Succeeded by | Unknown, next known is William Stourton |
| Speaker of the House of Commons of England | |
|
In office 19 November 1414 – 1415 |
|
| Monarch | Henry V of England |
| Preceded by | Sir Walter Hungerford |
| Succeeded by | Sir Richard Redman |
| Speaker of the House of Commons of England | |
|
In office 1421–1421 |
|
| Monarch | Henry V of England |
| Preceded by | Roger Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Richard Baynard |
|
Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire |
|
|
In office 1401–1402 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Barantyn |
| Succeeded by | Sir Peter Bessels |
|
In office 1406 – May 1413 |
|
| Preceded by | Sir William Lisle |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Lisle |
|
In office Nov 1414 – Mar 1416 |
|
| Preceded by | Sir John Brayton |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Stonor |
|
In office 1421–1421 |
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| Preceded by | John Danvers |
| Succeeded by | John Danvers |
| Chief Butler of England | |
|
In office 1404–1434 |
|
| Preceded by | Unknown, last known is John Payn |
| Succeeded by | Sir John Tiptoft |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1367 Oxfordshire, England |
| Died | 18 November 1434 Ewelme, Oxfordshire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Political party | None |
| Spouse(s) | Matilda Chaucer (nee Burghersh) |
| Relations |
Geoffrey Chaucer, father Philippa Roet, mother |
| Children | Alice de la Pole |
| Residence | Oxfordshire |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367 – 18 November 1434) was the Speaker of the English House of Commons and son of Geoffrey Chaucer and Philippa Roet.
Thomas Chaucer was connected with John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster through his aunt Katherine Swynford, sister of his mother, Geoffrey Chaucer's wife Philippa Roet. Swynford was first Gaunt's mistress, and then his third wife. Their four children, John, Henry, Thomas and Joan Beaufort, were first cousins to Thomas Chaucer, and all prospered: John's family became Earls and subsequently Dukes of Somerset, Henry a Cardinal, Thomas became Duke of Exeter, Joan became Countess of Westmorland and was grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III.
King Henry IV - son of John of Gaunt by his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster - was half-brother to Thomas Chaucer's Beaufort first cousins. Thomas was able to buy Donnington Castle for his only daughter Alice.
Early in life, Thomas Chaucer married Matilda (Maud), second daughter and coheiress of Sir John Burghersh, nephew of Henry Burghersh. The marriage brought him large estates, including the manor of Ewelme, Oxfordshire. He was Chief Butler of England for almost thirty years, first appointed by Richard II, and on 20 March 1399 received a pension of twenty marks a year in exchange for offices granted him by the Duke, paying at the same time five marks for the confirmation of two annuities of charges on the Duchy of Lancaster and also granted by the Duke. These annuities were confirmed to him by Henry IV, who appointed him constable of Wallingford Castle, and steward of the honours of Wallingford and St. Valery and of the Chiltern Hundreds. About the same time he succeeded Geoffrey Chaucer as forester of North Petherton Park, Somerset. On 5 November 1402 he received a grant of the chief butlership for life.
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Wikipedia