Thomas Rempston (KG)

Last updated January 13, 2023

Sir Thomas Rempston (or Ramston) KG (died 1406) was Constable of the Tower and an MP.

He was born the son of John Rempston at Rempstone, Nottinghamshire, where the family had long been settled.

In 1381, he was Knight of the Shire for Nottinghamshire, which he also represented in the parliaments of 1382, 1393, and 1395, and served as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1393. In 1398, he adopted the cause of Henry, Earl of Derby, who had been exiled by Richard II, and in the following year, made his way to France to join the earl. He was one of the fifteen lances who embarked with Henry at Boulogne and landed at Ravenspur in July 1399. In Shakespeare's Richard II (act ii. scene i. 298) his name is given as Sir John Ramston, probably to suit the metre. On 7 October, he was appointed Constable of the Tower, and in this capacity had custody of Richard II; he was present at Richard's abdication, and was one of the witnesses to the form of resignation signed by the king.

In February 1400, he was on a commission to inquire into treasons in London and the neighbourhood, and shortly after, was appointed admiral of the fleet from the Thames eastwards; in August, he was made a knight of the Garter, and about the same time, steward of the king's household.

In 1401, he was made admiral of the fleet from the Thames westwards, and was placed on a commission to deal with infractions of the truce with France, and to settle the question of the still unpaid ransom of the late King John. He was summoned to the great council held in that year. In December 1402, he was negotiating with the Duke of Orleans, and, after prolonged negotiations, concluded a treaty with the French at Lůllingen on 17 June 1403.

In 1404-05, he was made a member of the privy council, and was recommended by parliament to Henry IV as one of those whose services merited special recognition; in the same year, he was employed on a mission to the Duke of Burgundy. Early in 1406, he was captured by French pirates while crossing the Thames from Queenborough to Essex, but was soon released ; in the same year, he was vice-chamberlain to the king. He was drowned in the Thames, close to the Tower, on 31 October 1406.

Rempston was the founder of his family's fortunes; he acquired extensive property in Nottinghamshire, including the manor of Bingham, which he made his seat. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir Simon Leeke, and widow of Sir Godfrey Foljambe; by her he had several children, including a notable son, Thomas Rempston. Margaret survived him.^[1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset</span> Earl of Somerset

John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, was an English nobleman and politician. He was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt (1340–1399) by his mistress Katherine Swynford, whom he later married in 1396.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward, 2nd Duke of York</span> 14th-century English noble

Edward, 2nd Duke of York, was an English nobleman, military commander and magnate. He was the eldest son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and a grandson of King Edward III of England. He held significant appointments during the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, and is also known for his translation of the hunting treatise The Master of Game. He was killed in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt, whilst commanding the right wing of the English army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge</span> 14th/15th-century English noble

Richard of Conisbrough, 3rd Earl of Cambridge was the second son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York. He was beheaded for his part in the Southampton Plot, a conspiracy against King Henry V. He was the father of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and the grandfather of King Edward IV and King Richard III.

Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of WestmorlandEarl Marshal, was an English nobleman of the House of Neville.

John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, KG, of Dartington Hall in Devon, was a half-brother of King Richard II (1377–1399), to whom he remained strongly loyal. He is primarily remembered for being suspected of assisting in the downfall of King Richard's uncle Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (1355–1397) and then for conspiring against King Richard's first cousin and eventual deposer, Henry Bolingbroke, later King Henry IV (1399–1413).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel</span> Earl of Arundel

Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel, 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader and distinguished admiral. Arundel was one of the wealthiest nobles, and most loyal noble retainer of the chivalric code that governed the reign of Edward III of England.

Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel, 9th Earl of Surrey, KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.

The title of Baron Grey of Codnor is a title in the peerage of England.

John Beaumont, 4th Baron Beaumont KG (1361–1396) was an English military commander and Admiral who served in the Hundred Years' War against the partisans of Antipope Clement VII.

The siege of St. James took place between 27 February and 6 March 1426, opposing England and France, during the latter half of the Hundred Years' War.

The Battle of Radcot Bridge was fought on 19 December 1387 in medieval England between troops loyal to Richard II, led by court favourite Robert de Vere, and an army captained by Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby. It took place at Radcot Bridge, a bridge over the River Thames, now in Oxfordshire, but then the boundary between Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Sir Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley, titular King of Mann, KG, of Lathom and Knowsley, Lancashire, was a Privy Councillor, Comptroller of the Royal Household, Lieutenant-Governor of Ireland (1431–36), Chief Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster, Knight of the Shire for Lancashire, Constable & Justice of Chester, Chamberlain of North Wales, Lord Chamberlain (1455), and from 15 January 1456 was summoned by Writ to Parliament as Lord Stanley.

Events from the 1460s in England.

Sir William Bagot was a politician and administrator under Richard II.

Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell was an English politician and diplomat. A Privy Councillor from 1422, he served as Treasurer of England (1433–1443) and twice as Chamberlain of the Household during the reign of Henry VI.

Sir Philip Courtenay, of Powderham, Devon was the fifth son of Hugh Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon (1303–1377). He was the founder of the cadet dynasty known as "Courtenay of Powderham", seated at the manor of Powderham, until then a former Bohun manor of little importance, whilst the line descended from his elder brother, the Earls of Devon of the mediaeval era, continued to be seated at Tiverton Castle and Okehampton.

Richard Grey, 1st or 4th Baron Grey of Codnor KG was an English soldier and diplomat.

Robert Waterton was a trusted servant of the House of Lancaster under three monarchs, Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI. As Constable of Pontefract Castle, he had custody of Richard II after that king was deposed.

Sir Hugh Waterton, was a trusted servant of the House of Lancaster.

Sir John de Pelham was an English parliamentarian who served as Treasurer of England.

References

↑ Common Plea Rolls: 1421
Margaret Remston, as defendant, aalt.law.uh.edu. Accessed 7 January 2023.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : "Rempston, Thomas (d.1406)". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Political offices
Preceded by The Duke of Aumale	Constable of the Tower 1399–1406	Succeeded by The Duke of York

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Common Plea Rolls: 1421
Margaret Remston, as defendant, aalt.law.uh.edu. Accessed 7 January 2023.

[1]