Biography of Thomas Erpingham 1355-1428

Accounts and Extracts. [12th January 1400] Sir Thomas Blount [aged 48], and one Bennet Selly, his companion, were drawn from Oxford (above three miles) to the place of execution, where they were hanged; but the ropes were soon cut, and these gentlemen were made to talk, and sit on a bench before a great fire, and the executioner came with a razor in his hand, and knelt down before Sir Thomas Blount, whose hands were tied, begging him to pardon him his death, as he must do his office, Then Sir Thomas asked him, "Are you the person appointed to deliver me from this world?" The executioner answered, " Yes," saying, "Sir, I pray you pardon me;" and Sir Thomas kissed him, and forgave him his death, The executioner knelt down, and Sir Thomas Blount (Le Blonc) made himself ready; and then the executioner opened his belly, and cut out his bowels strait from below the stomach, and tied them with a string, that the wind of the heart should not escape, and threw the bowels into the fire. Then Sir Thomas le Blonc was sitting before the fire, his belly open, and saw his bowels burning before him. Sir Thomas D'Arpeghen [aged 45], king Henry's chamberlain, insulting Blount, said to him with derision, "Go seek a master that can cure you," Blount only answered by putting his hands together, saying, Te Deum laudamus, and blessed be the hour that I was born, and blessed be this day, for I shall die in the service of my sovereign lord, the noble king Richard."

Arpeghen wished to compel him to reveal the accomplices of his treason. "The words traitor and treason," said he, "belong to thee and the infamous Rutland, by whom the flower of English chivalry is this day destroyed. I summon you both before the face of Jesus Christ, for your great treason against our sovereign lord the noble king Richard." The executioner then asked him, if he would drink? "No," said he, "you have taken from me the place into which I should put it. God be praised, my bowels are in the fire." He afterwards entreated the executioner to deliver him from this world, saying, "It hurts me much to see the traitors who are present." The executioner then knelt down before him, and kissed him in a very humble manner, and soon after his head was cut off, and he was quartered.

Chronicle of Gregory. 16th August 1415.... and the 16th day of the same month he landed at Kytkawys, and the Saturday he laid siege unto the town of Harfleur, and that was the Saturday next after of the Assumption of our Lady; and the siege continued unto the Sunday next before the feste of Saint Michael [29th of September], on the which Sunday the town of Harfleur was delivered up to the king, that was 22nd day of September. But it is to wit that the Tuesday before, that is to say the 16th day of the same month, at 2 of the clock within night, the lords that were the captains and governors of the town, that is to wite the lord Gawcorte, the lord Tutville, and more other lords, send out heralds of arms unto the Duke of Clarence [aged 27], praying him at the reverence of God that he would of his high lordship that he would grant them live and leave for to treat with what persons that the king would assign unto them; and the king at the reverence of God and at their request he assigned the Duke of Exeter, the lord Fehewe, and Sir Thomas Erpingham, to hear what they would say and desire.

And they desired that the king would not war on them from that hour of midnight unto the Sunday next after the feast of Saint Michael, and but it were rescued by battle by that day by the French king or by the Dauphin, else at that day to deliver the town unto the King, and they to have her lives and her goods. Ande the king sent them word if that they would deliver the town on the morne after, by the hour of midnight above said, without any condition, he would accept it, and in none other wise he bade them for to treat.

And yet the French lords prayed our lords that they would vouchsafe to beseech the King at the reverence of God and of our Lady that he would grant them respite from the same Tuesday at night unto the Sunday next after till one hour afternoon; and in the meantime the lords that were captains of the town to come to the King with twenty-four knights and squires with them, of the most sufficient men with in the town, and they to be sworn on God's body openly before all the people. But if it so were that the French King or the Dauphin rescued them by that Sunday by the hour of noon, other else anon after noon, they for to deliver the town to the king and all her bodies and goods to don with them what so them every last, with any condition. With that the King suffered them to send unto France eight persons out of the town letting him wit in what plight that they stood in, and the king granted them; and upon the Wednesday by the moon the lords come out, and twenty-two knights and squires with them; and then come the procession solemnly and stately, with twenty-four copes of clothe of gold before God's body, with many worshipful lords, knights, and squires, and other multitude of people from the king's tent, solemnly and stately as ever was done such a thing before time. But the king was not here present. And the French lords made there their oaths upon the sacrament; and, the others done, the French lords were brought unto the king's tent, and there they dined in the king's hall, but in all this time they saw not the King. And when that they had eaten they departed and delivered to certain for to keep in hostage till the Sunday on noon, as it was accordingly made before time when that they took her oaths. And the Sunday at the same hour assigned the king had a tent put upon a hill before the town, and there he sat in his estate, royally, and alle his lords about him. And then come the French lords, with sixty-four with them of the most sufficient men that were withing the town, to the king's own proper person, and delivered up the keys of the town and her bodies and her goods to the King's grace, with out any condition. And this was the 22nd day of Septembre, the year of our lord 1415

... and the xvj day of the same monythe he londyd at Kytkawys, and the Satyrday he leyde sege unto the towne of Arflewe, and that was the Satyrday nexte aftyr of the Assompsyon of our Lady; and the sege contynuyd unto the Sonday nexte be fore the feste of Synt Mychelle, on the whiche Sonday the towne of Arflewe was delyveryd uppe to the kyng, that was xxij day of Septembre. But hit is to wyte that the Tewysday before, that is to saye the xvj day of the same monythe, at xij of the clocke whytheynne nyght, the lordys that were the capytaynys and governowrys of the towne, that is to wete the lord Gawcorte¹⁴, the lord Tutvyle, and moo othyr lordys, sende out herodys of armys unto the Duke of Clarens, prayng him at the reverens of God that he wolde of his hyghe lordeschippe that he wolde graunte them lyve and leve for to trete whythe what personys that the kyng wolde a-sygne unto hem; and the kyng at the reverens of God and at hyre requeste he assygnyde the Duke of Exceter [Note. Unclear as to who this is? Possibly Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter [aged 38] who was created Duke the following year?], the lord Fehewe, and Syr Thomas Erpyngham [aged 60], to hyre whatt they wolde say and desyre. And they desyryd that the kyng wolde nought warre on them fro that our of mydnyght unto the Sonday nexte aftyr the feste of Synt Mychell, and but it were rescwyd by batayle by that day by the Frenysche kyng or by the Dolfynne, ellys at that daye to delyver the towne unto the King, and they to have her lyvys and her goodys. Ande the kyng sende them worde yf that they wolde delivery the towne on the morne aftyr, be the our of mydnyght a bove said, without any condyscyon, he wolde accepte it, and in non othyr wyse he bade them for to trete. Ande yette the Fraynysche lordys prayde our lordys that they wolde fochesave to be-seche the King at the reverens of God and of our Lady that he wolde graunte them respyte fro the same Twysday at nyght unto the Sonday nexte aftyr tylle one owre aftyr none; and in the mayne tyme the lordys that were captaynys of the towne to come to the King whithe xxiiij knyghtys and squyers with hem, of the moste suffycyent men whithe in the towne, and they to be sworne on Goddys body opynly before alle the pepylle. But yf¹⁵ hit soo were that the Fraynysche King or the Dolfynne rescwyde them by that Sonday by the owre of none, othyr ellys a-non aftyr none, they for to delyvery the towne to the kyng and alle her bodys and goodys to don whythe them what so them evyr lyste, whythe¹⁶ any condiscyon. Whythe that the King sufferde them to sende unto Frauns viij personys out of the towne lettyng him wytte in what plytte that they stode yn, and the kyng grauntyd hem; and uppe the Wanysday by [th]e mone the lordys come owte, and xxij knyghtys and squyers whythe hem; and thenne come the prosessyon solempny and stately, whithe xxiiij copys of clothe of golde by-fore Goddys body, whythe many worschipfulle lordys, knyhtis, and squyers, and othyr multytude of pepylle from [th]e kyngys tente, solempny and stately as evyr was done suche a thyng be-for tyme. But the kyng was nott here present. And the Franysche lordys made thare her othys a-pon the sacrament; and, the othys done, the Fraynysche lordys were brought unto the kyngys tente, and there they dynyd in the kyngys halle, but in alle this tyme they sawe nought the King. And whanne that they hadde etyn they departyd and delyveryd to sartayne for to kepe yn ostage tylle the Sonday on none, as it was a cordyment i-made before tyme whenne that they toke her othys. And the Sonday at the same owre a-signyd the kyng hadde a tente phyght a-pone a hylle be-fore the towne, and there he sate in his estate, ryally, and alle his lordys aboute hym. And thenne come the Fraynysche lordys, with lxiiij whythe them of the moste suffycyentt men that were whythe yn the towne, to the kyngys owne propyr person, and delyveryd uppe the keyes of the towne and her boodys and her goodys to the Kings grace, whithe out any condyscyon. And this was the xxij day of Septembre, the year of our lord Ml cccc xv.

Note 14. Sawcortein our MS. by a misreading; Gawcourte in Vit.

Note 15. But if, i. e. unless.

Note 16. whythe. withoute, Vit.