Add MS 11509

Contents:

A record of payments made by the Receiver-General of King Henry VI of England (r. 1422-1461) in his territories in northern France from Michaelmas 1448 to Michaelmas 1449. The Receiver-General at this time was probably Pierre Baille (see Anne Curry 'Lancastrian Normandy' (2002), p. 30, n. 8).

This account book was begun under the English administration in Rouen, Normandy, in 1448-1449 (ff. 1r-16v), then continued and audited by the officials of King Charles VII of France (r. 1422-1461), from financial records left by the English following their surrender of Rouen on 29 October, 1449 (ff. 17r-142v). The copy is incomplete, beginning at f. 215 of the earlier foliation: the entire income side of the accounts and the first part of the section on expenditure are lacking.

(The amounts quoted are in livres tournois (Tournois pounds); 1 pound sterling was equivalent to 9 livres tournois).

The entries include:

ff. 4r-6r: To Thomas Akathersby (or Kathersby), squire, payment by the Duke of Somerset for a company of archers at Pont-Audemer for two quarters from 21 October 1448 to 20 April 1449, with a final payment made in August 1449;

f. 12r: Other payments made by the Receiver-General to men-at-arms, archers and others, for a journey made in the company of the John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, to Pont-Audemer in June 1449;

f. 14r-v: To the Bishop of Avranches, Martin Pinart, (d. 1452), payment for attending the 'Grand Conseil' (council) for two quarters;

ff. 15r-16r: To the Bishop of Bayeux, Zanone de Castiglione, (d. 1459) and other officials, payment of 12 livres tournois;

ff. 16v-17r: A payment to Sir Henry Norbury for a company of soldiers to be based at Domfront;

f. 17v: A payment of 12 livres tournois to Pierre Poitevin, in compensation for his capture and loss of his goods at the fall of Pont-Audemer in August 1449;

ff. 20r-v: A payment of 1550 livres tournois to the Duke of Somerset as part-compensation for the loss of lands in Maine;

ff. 21v-22r: To be paid to John, Lord Beaumont as compensation for the loss of lands in Maine, 3000 livres tournois from the 'appatis' or purveyance levied by the King on his subjects in time of war;

f. 22v: Compensation to the Norman knight, Sir Jean de Saane for loss of his lands in the Pays de Caux and for his services as councillor, dated 17 July 1449;

ff. 22r-23v: Compensation to Sir Raoul de Gal for losses and for a dowry for his daughter, dated 16 December, 1448;

f. 30r: To Thomas Basin, Bishop of Lisieux, Royal Councillor and president of the 'chambre des comptes' in Rouen, 100 livres tournois;

f. 30v: A petition from John d'Abercourt, formerly a tax collector or 'élu' of Gisors, asking for assistance to support his family since the position of 'élu' had been abolished by the Duke of Somerset;

ff. 36r-v: A labourer, Colin du Pont of Saint-Aubin-de-Scie was paid 20 livres tournois as compensation for capture and ransom paid to the French;

ff. 36v-37r: A special payment to a blind veteran, Laurens a Trebr, to supplement a previous award not fully received;

f. 38r-v: A payment to the Duke of Somerset of 30,000 livres tournois for the wages of garrison soldiers from Maine;

ff. 39r-40r: Pensions of 2,000 livres tournois paid to Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord Fauconberg;

ff. 40v-41r: A payment of 600 livres tournois to Matthew Gough, his pension for the quarter following Easter 1449;

f. 43v: Payment to Philip de la Rose, treasurer of Rouen cathedral who was employed on the Norman echiquier (exchequer) in October to November 1448;

f. 45r: Jehan Hébert, secretary to King Charles VII of France, received a golden cup for which payment was made to Jobin Ribault, goldsmith of Rouen;

f. 46r: Guillaume Cousinot, knight and King's Counsel, and Pierre, Baron of Fontenil, ambassadors of Charles VII who arrived in Rouen at Easter 1449 to negotiate peace, each received a goblet, again made by Ribault;

ff. 47r-v: Other compensation payments to Normans who supported the English;

f. 49r: All expenses for the French ambassadors were paid by the Duke of Somerset on behalf of the King of England, including payment to Rogerin le Clerc, who lodged Guillaume Cousinot and others in the Hostel du Heaulme, Rouen;

f. 52v: Payment of 400 livres tournois to the officials of Harfleur for their expenditure on fortifications;

f. 55r-73v: Payments for the fortifications and repairs at Rouen and Harfleur, including a sum of 1,000 livres tournois to Mr Thomas Hoo (d. c. 1455), English Chancellor of Normandy, for his journey to England in November, 1448 and a total of 5,938 livres tournois to those involved in negotiations and messengers; an assembly held in Rouen in May-June 1449 'to advise on the payment of troops and other important matters' (f. 62v);

f. 85r-87r: Payments for 'secret tasks' to the French king's herald, a messenger from Maine, Jean de Tilly and others, totalling 586 pounds, 14 shillings and 3 pence (tournois);

ff. 95-98: Details of loans to English captains to cover wages and provisions for their troops until the necessary funds were received.

Marginal annotations refer to corresponding entries, some on folios that are now missing, and some to previous accounts.

Decoration:

Cadels and pen-flourished initials in rubrics at the beginning of each section.