Execution of the Despencers

Froissart Book 1: 1307-1340. [27th October 1326] 14. When the queen (age 31), the barons, and the others were comfortably lodged, they laid siege to the castle as closely as they could. Then the queen had Sir Hugh Despenser the elder (age 65) and the Earl of Arundel (age 41) brought before her eldest son and all the barons who were there, and said that she and her son would give them justice and a fair trial, according to their deeds and actions. Then Sir Hugh replied: 'Ah, lady, may God grant us a just judge and a fair judgment; and if we cannot have it in this world, may He give it to us in the next!' Then rose Sir Thomas Wake (age 29), a good knight, wise and courteous, who was marshal of the army. He recited all their deeds from a written record, and then turned to an old knight who was there, so that he might deliver a judgment, based on the faith owed by men in such matters, and on the nature of such crimes. The knight consulted with the other barons and knights and then delivered his full judgment: that they had well deserved death, based on the many horrible deeds recounted there against them, which were held to be true and clear. And they had, by the diversity of their crimes, deserved to be executed in three ways: first to be drawn, then beheaded, and finally hanged from the gallows. And just as they were judged, so were they immediately executed before the castle of Bristol, in sight of the king and of the said Sir Hugh the younger (age 40), and of all those inside, who were filled with deep grief and outrage. And it may be understood that they were in great anguish of heart. This execution was carried out in the year of grace 1326, on the feast of Saint Denis, in October.

14. Quant la royne et tout li baron et li aultre furent herbergiet à leur aise, il assegièrent le chastiel, au plus priès qu'il peurent. Et puis fist la royne ramener monsigneur Huon le Despensier le vielle et le conte d'Arondiel devant son ainsnet fil, et devant tous les barons qui là estoient, et leur dist que elle et ses filz leur feroient droit et loy et bon jugement, selonch leurs fais et leurs œuvres. Adonc respondi messires Hues et dist: «Ha! dame, Diex nous voelle donner bon juge et bon jugement; et se nous ne le poons avoir en ce siècle, si le nous doinst en l'autre!» Adonc se leva messires Thumas Wage, bons chevaliers, sages et courtois, qui estoit mareschaus de l'ost, et leur racompta tous leurs fais par escript, et tourna en droit sus un viel chevalier qui là estoit, afin qu'il raportast sus se feauté que à faire avoit de telz personnes, par jugement, et de telz fais. Li chevaliers se consilla as autres barons et chevaliers, et raporta par plainne sieute que il avoient bien mort desservie, par pluiseurs horribles fais qu'il avoient là endroit oys racompter, et les tenoient pour vrais et tous clers. Et avoient desservi, par le diversité de leurs fais, à estre justiciés en trois manières, c'est à savoir, premiers traynés, et puis decolés, apriès pendus à un gibet. Tout en tel manière qu'il furent jugiet, furent il tantost justiciet par devant le chastiel de Bristo, veant le roy, et veant le dit monsigneur Huon le fil, et tous ceulz de laiens qui grant despit en eurent. Et puet çascuns savoir que il estoient à grant meschief de cuer. Ceste justice fu faite l'an de grasce mil trois cens vingt et six, le jour saint Denis, en octembre.

Annales Paulini. In the same year, on the eve of the feast of Saints Simon and Jude 27th October 1326, that is, the second-to-last day of October, Lord Hugh Despenser the Elder, Earl of Winchester, was brought before Sir William Trussell¹, knight, at Bristol, who had been appointed as justiciar for this purpose. Seated with him were Lord Henry, Earl of Lancaster; Thomas of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk and Marshal of England; Edmund, Earl of Kent; Roger de Mortimer; Thomas Wake; and other nobles gathered there to hear judgment. He was then arraigned and accused in French with the following words:

"Hugh, sir, this court forbids you at the outset any right of reply, and for this reason: because you made a law that a man could be condemned without answer, let that law now extinguish you and your adherents. You are convicted as a traitor, for you committed treason before, and by the king's assent and that of the whole baronage, you were banished and exiled from the land, and not reconciled. But by force, against the law of the land, you returned, usurping royal power and giving treacherous counsel to the king, to disinherit and destroy his laws, and especially concerning my lord Thomas of Lancaster, whom you had put to death without any just cause. You are a robber, and through your cruelty you have plundered the land, so that all people cry out and pray for common vengeance against you. You have treacherously advised the king to attack the prelates of Holy Church, denying Holy Church its due liberties. Therefore, the court adjudges that, for your treason, you shall be drawn; for your robberies, you shall be hanged; and for your offenses against Holy Church, you shall be beheaded. Your head shall be sent to Winchester, where you were made earl against law and reason. And because there you sought such dignity and honor, the court wills that your head be set there in dishonor. And because on another occasion you brought dishonor to the order of knighthood by having good men hanged in their coats-of-arms, the court orders that you be hanged in a coat of your own arms, and that those arms be forever destroyed."

Eodem anno, vite kalendas Novembres, videlicet in vigilia apostolorum Simonis et Judæ, dominus Hugo Despenser senior comes Wyntoniensis, coram domino Willelmo Trussell milite apud Bristolliam, justiciario ad hoc assignato, dominis Henrico comiti Lancastriæ, Thoma de Brothertone comite Northfolchiæ et marescallo Angliæ, Edmundo comite Kantiæ, Rogero de Mortuomari, Thoma Wake et aliis magnatibus ibidem sedentibus, ad audiendum judicium ductus fuit, et sic ad rationem positus fuit et accusatus sub lingua Gallica in hiis verbis:

"Hughe sire, ceste court vous defend al comencement tote manere respons, e pur ceo qe vous feistes une ley qe homme dust estre dampne sauns respons, seit ceste ley en vous esteint et vos aherdanz, et com celui gest treitour ateint, car autre fez feustez vous com tretour, et par assent du roy et tote la baron. age baniz et exilez hors de la tere, et nient reconcile, mes par poer, en contre la ley de la tere, en crochant a vous real poer et consecilant le rey a desheriter et defere ses leys, et nomement mon seignur Thomas de Lancastre, qe vous feites mettre a la mort saunz nule manere cause; vous estes robbeour et avetz par vostre cruealte robbe la tere, par quei totes gens crient et prient comune vengance de vous; vous avetz conseile le roy traiterousement a defere les prelas de seinte eglise, nient suffrant a seinte eglise lur franchises dues, par quei agard la court, qe pur le tresun seietz trayne, pur la roberie seietz pendu, et pur ceo que vous avetz mespris encountre seinte eglise seietz decole, et qe vostre teste seit mene a Wyncestre ou vous feustes counte encountre ley et resun. E pur ceo qe vous queistes illoekes dignete tele ct honur, veot la court qe vostre teste seit mys en deshonur de vous: e pur ceo qe autre fetz feites deshonurer ordre de chivaleric entant com vous feites pendre les bones gens en cotes quartiles, agard la court qe vous seietz pendu en une cote quartile de vos armes, ct seient les armes destruz pur touz jours."

Note 1. William Trussel was not one of the regular staff of judges, but was appointed on this and similar occasions, by special commission or otherwise, to do exceptional work. See Foss, Biog. Jurid. p. 677.

Froissart Book 1: 1307-1340. [24th November 1326] 18. After the feast had ended, the said Sir Hugh (age 40), who was thoroughly hated, was brought before the queen and all the assembled barons and knights. There, all his deeds were recited to him from a written record, and he said nothing in his defence. As a result, he was judged then and there, unanimously by all the barons and knights, to die and to be executed in the manner you shall now hear. First, he was drawn through the streets of Hereford on a hurdle, accompanied by trumpets and horns, from one street to another. Then he was brought to a large square in the town, where all the people were assembled. There, he was placed high upon a scaffold, so that everyone, both great and small, could see him. A large fire had been built in that same square. When he was thus displayed, his genitals were first cut off, because he was accused of being a heretic and a sodomite — as was also said of the king himself. It was claimed that it was through his urging that the king had driven the queen away. When his genitals were cut off, they were thrown into the fire and burned. Next, his belly was slit open, and his heart and entrails were taken out and thrown into the fire to burn — because he was judged to be false of heart and a traitor, and because, by his treacherous counsel and persuasion, the king had brought shame and misfortune upon the realm and had caused the execution of the greatest barons of England, who should have upheld and defended the kingdom. Furthermore, he had so manipulated the king that he would neither see nor acknowledge his queen nor his eldest son, who ought to have been their lord; rather, he had driven them from the kingdom, endangering their lives. After Sir Hugh had been thus dealt with, as described, his head was cut off and sent to the city of London. His body was then cut into four quarters, which were sent to the four greatest cities in England after London.

18. Quant li feste fu passée, li dis messires Hues qui point n'estoit amés, là endroit fu amenés par devant le royne et tous les barons et chevaliers, qui là estoient assamblet. Là li furent recordet tout si fet par escript, que onques ne dist riens à l'encontre: si ques là endroit il fu jugiés, par plainne sieute, de tous les barons et chevaliers, à mort, et à justicier, en tel manière com vous orés. Premierement, il fu traynés sour un bahut, à trompes et à trompètes, par toute la ville de Harfort, de rue en rue. Et puis fu amenés en une grant place, en le ville, là où tous li peuples estoit assamblés. Là endroit fu il loiiés haut sus une eschielle, si ques çascuns, petis et grans, le pooient veoir. Et avoit on fait en le ditte place un grant feu. Quant il fut ensi loiiés, on li copa tout premiers le vit et les coulles, par tant qu'il estoit herites et sodomites, ensi que on disoit meismement del roy. Et pour ce avoit decaciet li rois la royne ensus de lui et par son enhort. Quant li vis et les coulles li furent coppées, on les getta ou feu, et furent arses. Apriès, on li fendi le ventre, et li osta on tout le coer et le coraille, et le getta on ou feu pour ardoir, par tant qu'il estoit faulz de coer et traittes, et que, par son traitte conseil et enhort, li rois avoit honni son royaume et mis à meschief, et avoit fait decoler les plus grans barons d'Engleterre, par les quels li royaumes devoit estre soustenus et deffendus. Et avoech ce il avoit si enhortet le roy qu'il ne pooit ou ne voloit veoir la royne sa femme, ne son ainsnet fil, qui devoit estre leurs sires; ains les avoit decaciés, par doubtance de leurs corps, hors dou royaume. Apriès, quant li dis messires Hues fu ensi atournés, comme dit est, on li coppa le teste, et fu envoiie en le chité de Londres; et puis fu il decopés en quatre quartiers. Et furent tantost envoiiet as quatre milleurs cités d'Engleterre apriès Londres.

Chronicle of Henry Knighton. Immediately, there was a discussion at Hereford concerning the death of Hugh Despenser, and how his entire lineage could be extinguished so that none of his descendants would ever attain honor, rank, or position in the kingdom of England, in perpetuity. Hugh himself, along with Master Robert Baldock and the Prior of Hereford, were brought to Hereford. As they approached the town, such a vast multitude of people came out from all directions that everyone was amazed at the sight. And all who could blow a horn, raise a shout, or throw insults or scorn did so against Hugh in every manner possible—so much so that never in past times had such a dreadful noise been heard directed at any noble man. First, they dressed him in a garment bearing his coat of arms turned inside out, and placed on his head a crown made of nettles. Robert Baldock was likewise dressed in a similar garment. On their clothing were written six verses from the Psalm Quid gloriaris in malitia? (Psalm 52:1 – "Why do you glory in malice?") in the most mocking manner they could devise. Robert Baldock was sentenced to perpetual imprisonment in Newgate, where he died the following year in great misery. The aforementioned Prior was sent to prison in Hereford for having acted wrongly against the king's peace. Lord Hugh Despenser was then brought before Sir William Trussell, the appointed justiciar, and arraigned at the bar in the following form ... "

Statimque tractatum est apud Herfordiam de morte Hugonis Spenser, et quomodo exstingui posset tota ejus posteritas, ne ad aliquem honorem, gradum vel statum quis eorum deveniret in regno Angliæ pro perpetuo. Et idem Hugo et magiater Bobertus Baldoc et Frior de Herfordia ducti sunt apud Herfordiam. Et cum prope villam appropinquarent occurrit tanta raultitudo populorum undique quod omnes mirabantur de visu, et omnes qui poterant comu sufBare vel vocem hutesii emittere seu aliquam despectionem inferre, pro suo modulo cum convitiis et contumeliis intulerunt Hugoni, adeo quod retroactis temporibus tam horridus sonus de quocumque sublimi homine non est auditus. Et primo vestierunt eum uno vestimento cum armis suis reversatis missa corona de urticis in capite ejus. Simili modo vestierunt Bobertum Ealdoc simili vestimento. Et super vestimentis eorum scripti sunt vj. versus de psalmo, Quid gloriaris in. malitia? derisoriori modo quo possent; dictus Robertus adjudicatus est perpetuo carceri apud Newgate; ibique anno sequenti moriebatur sub magna miseria. Antedictus Prior missus est in carcerem apud Herfordiam eo quod male se gesserat contra pacem regis. Dominus Hugo Spenser ductus coram domino Willelmo Trussell justiciario areniatus est coram eo ad barrum in forma quæ sequitur.