death that was not common knowledge: and as to the judgments on the Earls of Arundel and Warwick, the exile of the present King, and the other judgments pronounced in the Parl. of 21 Ric. II, they were not by his advice nor counsel, but altogether against his wish and intent. [1] He was, however, adjudged, 3 Nov., to "lese and forgo … the name of Erie and the worship thereof," and also to forfeit all grants made to him since he became an appellant.[1] He m., between 16 Apr. 1378 and 14 Jan. 1383/4,[2] Constance, da. of Edmund of Langley, Earl of Cambridge, afterwards Duke of York., by his 1st wife, Isabel, illegitimate da. of Pedro, the Cruel, King of Castile and Leon. He joined in the plot to seize Henry IV, and on its failure fled, escaping from Cirencester to Cardiff, whence he took ship for the continent, but was landed at Bristol, where he was seized, and beheaded, 13 Jan. 1399/1400, aged 26.[3] His head was sent to the King,[4] and his body was bur. in Tewkesbury Abbey.[5] In the Parl. which met in Jan. 1400/1 he and his fellow conspirators were declared to be traitors, and as such to have forfeited all the lands which they had possessed in fee simple on 5 Jan. 1 Hen. IV, and all their goods and chattels:[6] whereby any hereditary Baronies, that may be supposed to have been created by the writs of 1295, 1314, and 1357, were forfeited.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Close Roll, 1 Hen. IV, p. 1, m. 24: Parl. Rolls, vol. iii, pp. 449-452: Annales Ricardi II, pp. 313-320: Chron. of London, pp. 57-59. Adam of Usk (p. 28) accuses him of poisoning the Duke's son.
- ↑ Patent Rolls, 1 Ric. II, p. 5, m. 17; 7 Ric. II, p. 2, m. 34. At the earlier date his marriage was granted to the Earl, in order that he might marry the Earl's daughter.
- ↑ "… juxta vota communium decollatus est." (Annales Henrici IV, p. 329). When captured, before the Mayor's house, he was wearing a short hanselin with silver-gilt spangles, and a furred gown of motley damask velvet, and was carrying £30 in gold and silver: the money was returned to his widow. (Patent Rolls, 1 Hen. IV, p. 5, mm. 21, 9, p. 6, m. 36). "Thomas le Despenser chivaler." Writ of diem cl. ext. 26 Feb. 1 Hen. IV. Inq., Sussex, 15 Apr. 1400. "Et dicunt quod Thomas le Despensere obiit die Martis proximo post festum Epiphanie domini ultimo preterito Et quod Ricardus filius predicti Thome est ejus heres propinquior et in festo sancti Andree Apostoli ultimo preterito fuit etatis trium annorum." (Ch. Inq. p. m.. Hen. IV, file 1, no. 2: Exch. Inq. p. m.. Enrolments, no. 363).
- ↑ By a peremptory writ of mandamus, dated 24 Jan., the mayor and sheriff of Bristol were ordered to send the head of Thomas, late Lord le Despenser, and those persons late his servants now under arrest, to the sheriffs of London. (Close Roll, 1 Hen. IV, p. 1, m. 19). According to the chroniclers, the head was brought to London by the Earl of Rutland on 19 or 20 Jan. (Traison et Mort de Richart II, p. 100: Jean Lebeau, Chron. de Richard II, edit. Buchon, p. 59).
- ↑ "… qui nequiter fuit occisus apud Bristoliam a populari vulgo feria iijᵃ post festum [l. in festo] sancti Hillarii anno domini 1399 et apud Theok' sepultus in medio chori sub lampade que jugiter ardet ante corpus dominicum." (Chron. of Tewkesbury, f. 228).
- ↑ "… nounobstant qils feurent mortz sur le dit leve de guerre saunz processe de ley." This "declaracion and jugement of treason" was "reversed repelled and annulled" in Parl., 1 Edw. IV, it being recited that "certeyn persones of evell riotous and cedicious disposicion, joyed in rumour and rebellious novelryes … tirannyously
