heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

84 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
son, Henry, Earl of Derby, aftenvards Henry IV., and many others, gave
their testimony before sailing upon an expedition to recover the kingdom
of Castile and Leon, which the Duke claimed in right of his wife. Sir John
Kentwode attended for a similar purpose at Tiverton, in the manor of the
Earl of Devonshire, and in the parish church of Edesleigh ;
Sir Stephen de
Derby in the refectory of the abbey of Abbotsbury, in the county of Dorset;
Sir Nicholas de Haryngton, Knight, in the church of St. John, within the
walls of West Chester ;
Sir John Derwentwater, at the chapter-house
the abbot of the abbey of Our Lady of York, and
of the cathedral church of
St. Peter, of York, September ijth, 1386. Here the witnesses were chiefly
ecclesiastics : the abbots of Selby, Rievaulx, Jervaux, St. Agatha, Byland,
Roche, Coverham ; the priors of Gisburgh, Lanercost ;
the sub-prior of
Wartre ;
the prior of Newburgh the canon and cellarer, and canon and
;
sacristan, of the priory of Bridlington ; Sir Ralph Hastings, Sir Bryan
Stapleton, Sir Robert Roos, Sir Gerard Grymston, Sir Robert Neville of
Hornby, Sir John Bosville, Sir John Constable, Sir John Mauleverer, Sir
William Melton, Sir John Savile, Sir John Hotham, Sir Thomas Reresby,
Sir Thomas Rokeby, Sir Thomas Boynton, Sir Ralph Eure, Sir Robert
Conyers, and many other good Yorkshire names.
On the two following days, also, the enquiry was continued, when
Thomas de Saltmersshe, John de Feryby (under-treasurer of the cathedral
church), and the parson of the church of St. Mary-sur-Bychille, in York,
deposed. Sir James de Pykerynge attended at Nottingham Commissioners
;
at Leicester ;
and Sir John Derwentwater attended in October in the church
of St. Margaret, at Westminster ; and there were probably many other
" " centres for enquiry besides. How many deposed in favour of Sir Richard
Grosvenor I cannot say
;
but with very few exceptions those whose names
are recorded testified in favour of Scrope.
There is not much variety in their depositions, but they are curious,
as throwing some light upon the habits and manners of those days. Their
testimony is derived from observation in the field of shields, banners,
pennons, and coat-armour, with, I think, a single exception, viz., Geoffry
Chaucer, who though he had been " in arms," was more of a civilian than
a soldier, having been King's valet (his wife was sister of Catherine
Swynford), comptroller of the customs, clerk of the works at Westminster
and Windsor, &c. He said that he was once in Friday Street, London, and
walking through the street he observed a new sign hanging out with these
arms thereon, and enquired "what inn that was which had hung out these
"arms of Scrope?" and one answered him, saying, "They are not hung
"out, sir, for the arms of Scrope, nor painted there for those arms, but
"they are painted and put there by a knight of the county of Chester,
" called Sir Robert Grosvenor ;
" and that was the first time he ever heard