Chief Bailiff of Hereford

Hereford Cathedral

The chief bailiff of Hereford was the most senior secular magistrate in the city of Hereford, England, elected by the citizens of the city annually. ^[1] The role was equivalent to that of a mayor, and was superseded by that title by letters patent issued by Richard II, King of England, on 15 November, 1383. ^[1] One of the King's knights, Sir John Burley, had petitioned him for this change. ^[2] There were typically also two under-bailiffs. ^[2]

List of chief bailiffs of Hereford

Richard Johnson's The Ancient Customs of the City of Hereford (1882) is the only source of a complete list of bailiffs of Hereford. ^{[3] [4]} The complete list does not appear on any contemporary documents, and it is unclear where Johnson got his information from. Not all the names survive on court rolls. ^[5]

Date Name 1268 Richard Bisse 1269 Adam Swain 1270 Adam Swain 1271 Walter le Wanter 1272 John Seym [lower-alpha 1] 1273 Hugo Seward 1274 Reginald Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1275 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1276 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1277 John de Pyon 1278 Thomas de Pyon 1279 John Werrour 1280 John Catchpol [lower-alpha 3] 1281 John le Gaunter 1282 Hugo Doreward 1283 John le Suton 1284 John le Gaunter 1285 William Franklyn 1286 William Goudry 1287 John le Gaunter 1288 John le Gaunter 1289 William Framelyn 1290 John le Gaunter 1291 John le Gaunter 1292 Robert de Dyke 1293 Robert de Dyke 1294 Hugo Froue/Troue 1295 John Suton 1296 John Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1297 Hugo Grovey 1298 William Vomaller 1299 John de Stretton 1300 William de Smey 1301 William de Smey 1302 Nicholas Iwayn 1303 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1304 Hugh Froue/Troue 1307 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1308 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1309 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1310 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1311 Henry de Orleton [lower-alpha 4] 1312 Richard de Cruse 1313 Thomas Tope 1314 William de Orleton [lower-alpha 4] 1315 Richard Thurgin 1316 Richard Thurgin 1317 Thomas Tope 1318 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1319 Philip de Werrour 1320 Richard Moniword [lower-alpha 2] 1321 Philip de Werrour 1322 William de Orleton [lower-alpha 4] 1323 William de Staunton 1324 William de Orleton [lower-alpha 4] 1325 John de Lansale 1326 William Horeman

Date Name 1327 Thomas Cope 1328 Robert de Hompton 1329 Robert de Hompton 1330 Robert de Hompton 1331 Robert de Hompton 1332 Robert de Hompton 1333 Robert de Hompton 1334 John de la Barre 1335 Thomas Thorpe 1336 Walter le Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1337 Roger Colling 1338 Walter le Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1339 Walter de la Barre 1340 Walter de la Barre 1341 Robert de Hompton 1342 Robert de Hompton 1343 Nicholas de Bromyard 1344 Richard Aubrey 1345 Richard Aubrey 1346 Nicholas de Bromyard 1347 Nicholas de Bromyard 1348 Nicholas de Bromyard 1349 Richard de Bromyard 1350 Richard de Bromyard 1351 Richard Hamond 1352 Henry Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1353 John le Bailiff 1354 John le Bailiff 1355 John Field 1356 Bartholomew le Clerk 1357 Henry Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1358 John le Clerk 1359 Walter de Ailmeston 1360 John Field 1361 Bartholomew le Clerk 1362 Walter Ailmeston 1363 Thomas Don 1364 Walter de Ailmeston 1365 Richard Elliot 1366 John Bailiff 1367 John Blod 1368 William Colling 1369 Henry Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1370 Richard Elliot 1371 John Blod 1372 Richard Elliot 1373 William Colling 1373 John Goldsmith 1375 Henry Catchpole [lower-alpha 3] 1376 William Delamere 1377 Richard Falke 1378 Hugh Osborne 1379 Richard Falke 1380 Richard Palmer 1381 Richard Falke 1382 Richard Falke 1383 Thomas Benger 1384– Mayors of Hereford

Notes

1. John Seym was probably the father of William Seym, MP for Hereford in 1305, 1306, and 1311, who received a pardon on 20 June 1293 "for the death of Giles de Burgillun". ^[6]
2. The Moniword family were the best known wool merchants in the county. ^[7] John was MP in 1311, 1318 and 1322, Richard in 1326, and a different John in 1384. ^[6]
3. Henry Catchpole (Bailiff in 1350 and 1354) was MP for Hereford in 1348, 1351, 1355 and 1357. He had been a wool trader, and died before August 1360. A different Henry Catchpole (Bailiff in 1369 and 1375) was MP for Hereford in 1361, 1366, 1369, 1371, 1378, 1383 and 1386, and Mayor of Hereford between 1384 and 1386. A third Henry Catchpole was MP in 1390. ^{[6] [8]}
4. Related to Richard de Orleton, MP for Hereford in 1306, and Adam Orleton, Bishop of Hereford, Worcester, and Winchester. ^[6] William was MP for Hereford in 1322, 1324. ^[6]

References

1. "City History". Hereford City Council. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
2. Woodger, L. S. "The House of Commons 1386-1421: Hereford". The History of Parliament. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
3. Johnson, Richard (1882). The Ancient Customs of the City of Hereford. T. Richards. pp. 230–231. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
4. "Chief Bailiffs". Hereford City Council. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
5. Historical Manuscripts Commission (1892). "The Corporation of Hereford: Court Rolls, to 1509". The Manuscripts of Rye and Hereford Corporations, Etc. Thirteenth Report, Appendix: Part IV. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. pp. 292–302. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022– via British History Online.
6. Williams, W. R. (1896). The Parliamentary History of the County of Hereford 1213-1896. pp. 72–79. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
7. Lloyd, T. H. (1977). The English Wool Trade in the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press. p. 299. ISBN   978-0-521-01721-3. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
8. Woodger, L. S. "CATCHPOLE, Henry I, of St. Peter's parish, Hereford". History of Parliament. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.