CUTLER, Thomas, of Winchester, Hants.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Dec. 1421

Family and Education

m. by Nov. 1414, Margery, wid. of Edmund Picard* of Winchester.1

Offices Held

Alderman of Gold Street, Winchester Mich. 1421-2; constable 1422-3; commons’ bailiff 1425-6; mayor 1430-1, 1438-9.2

Biography

Through his marriage to Edmund Picard’s widow, Cutler, a mercer by trade, acquired a considerable amount of property in Winchester, including a house in Gold Street, which he granted to Richard Bolt*, and tenements and gardens in Brudene Street, Fleshmonger Street, High Street, ‘Bridlynstrete’, in the ‘King’s Cheker le drapery’, and outside the west gate. He himself lived in a house in Fleshmonger Street, next to the Georges yn, for which he paid to Henry Somer* 12s. as annual rent. In 1431 Cutler’s estate was said to be worth £2 a year.3

On 29 Nov. 1418 Cutler was expelled from the franchise of Winchester for creating ‘diversas falsitates, discordes et discensiones’ between ‘magnates regni’ and the civic authorities, and also for breaking the oath of admission by impleading fellow citizens in courts outside the city. Two weeks later, however, he successfully petitioned to be re-admitted, and the fine of £5 then imposed was subsequently reduced to 6s.8d. Moreover, the incident did not affect his progress through the local offices; and it was less than three years later that he became an alderman and was elected to Parliament. While attending the last Parliament of Henry V’s reign he obtained formal exemption for all the citizens from acting as tax collectors in Hampshire, for which service he received 2s. in addition to his parliamentary wages. Although in August 1423, actually when constable of the city, he incited a riot against the mayor, John Veel†, for which offence he was fined £2, Cutler was later elected as commons’ bailiff. In 1429 he paid £3 10s. to escape the burdens of office as bailiff of the 24, but he was willing to stand as mayor (an honorary position involving few duties). Indeed, he filled the office twice. Meanwhile, at the elections for the city to the Parliaments of 1435 and 1437, he went surety for James Solas† and Robert Colpayst† respectively.4 How long he survived his second term of office as mayor is not known.

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: L. S. Woodger

Notes

  • 1. Stowe 846, f. 134v.
  • 2. Black Bk. Winchester ed. Bird, 118, 193; Stowe 846, f. 149; E364/60; Winchester City RO, chamberlains’ accts. 9 Hen. V-1 Hen. VI.
  • 3. Stowe 846, f. 134v, 140v, 145; Winchester RO, D3, tarrage acct. 1417; Procs. Hants Field Club, xviii. 329; Feudal Aids, ii. 374.
  • 4. HMC 6th Rep. 602; Black Bk. 67, 117-18; Winchester RO, chamberlains’ acct. 7-8 Hen. V; C219/14/5, 15/1.