Family and Education

?1s. John II*.

Offices Held

Pesager of wool, Chichester 6 Mar. 1378-22 July 1380, Chichester and Lewes 26 Feb. 1382-29 July 1389, 26 Mar. 1392-7.

Biography

In 1372 Gosselyn, along with John Omblour alias Peyntor^† of Lewes was suing the parson of South-wick, Sussex, for a debt of £60. It seems likely that both he and Omblour were wool merchants. Gosselyn held office for more than 14 years altogether as weigher of wool at Chichester and Lewes, and it was while so occupied that he was returned to Parliament for the only recorded time, in 1388. A month after the Parliament was dissolved, in November that Year, he obtained a royal licence to receive £10 of foreign currency from a Florentine merchant.1

Gosselyn had acquired a messuage at Southover, just outside Lewes, in December 1374, only to relinquish his interest three months later. He paid 12d. to the poll tax of 1379, as a resident of Lewes, although save for the eight acres of land in the town which he purchased in 1382 nothing is recorded of his holdings there. He frequently witnessed deeds at Lewes, and or occasion acted as a feoffee of local property. He did so, for example, in 1387, when Agnes Dounyng entrusted him with the lands of her inheritance, before her marriage to John Godeman*, and in 1394, when William Hare enfeoffed him of a messuage to put into effect a settlement on himself and his wife in jointure.2

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: L. S. Woodger

Notes

• 1. CCR, 1369-74, p. 425; 1392-6, p. 526.
• 2. CAD, iii. A4100, 4103; E179/189/41 m. 23; Lewes Cart. (Suss. Rec. Soc. xxxviii), 106; Add. Chs. 30554, 30556, 30558-9; CP25(1)239/74/36; JUST 1/1521 m. 34.