PAGE, John, of Maldon, Essex.

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

1391
1402
1407

Family and Education

m. bef. Sept. 1383, Agnes.1

Offices Held

Constable, Maldon Jan. 1385-6, 1394-5, 1402-3; wardman 1386-7, 1388-9, 1406-7; tax warden 1387-9; bailiff 1399-1400, 1404-6, 1408-9, 1416-17; weigher of bread 1401-2; chamberlain 1414-15; clerk of the market 1414-15, 1416-17.2

Tax collector, Essex Mar. 1395, Dec. 1414, Nov. 1415.

Biography

Page obtained a royal pardon in May 1382, which may indicate that he had been involved in the revolt in Essex in the previous year. Active in the administration of Maldon from 1385 for over 40 years, during this period he was also elected as an overseer of repairs to Hey bridge (1389), chosen as an auxiliator et coadjutor of the bailiff (1394), acted as farmer of rents (1407) and was made custodian of the keys of the common chest called ‘le countor’ (1417). Naturally, he was among the townsmen named in the charter of privileges granted to Maldon by the bishop of London in 1403.3

Page was arrested with John Hockham* in July 1389, with regard to a plea of trespass brought against them in the courts at Westminster by the abbot of Beeleigh, but Sir Bartholomew Bourgchier, Lord Bourgchier’s heir, secured their release. He may have been the person who, before 1393, was demised the farm of the manor of Peldon, Essex, for the lifetime of Alice, widow of John, Lord Neville. In May 1395 Page was discharged from the commission to collect subsidies in the county ‘for particular causes’, but what these were is not specified. After a dispute with John Flower* of Maldon he was bound over in Chancery to keep the peace in June 1409. He was on good terms, however, with Robert Painter and Richard Sampson, for whom he appeared as mainpernor on the occasion of their elections to Parliament for the borough in 1406 and 1417, respectively.4

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: K.N. Houghton

Notes

  • 1. Essex Feet of Fines, iii. 199.
  • 2. Essex RO, Maldon ct. bk. i. ff. 1-15; ct. rolls 9, 10.
  • 3. C67/29 m. 25; ct. bk. i. ff. 5, 6; ct. rolls 3 m. iv, 4 m. 1, 10; CPR, 1401-5, p. 307.
  • 4. CCR, 1389-92, p. 46; 1392-6, pp. 419-20; 1405-9, p. 515; CPR, 1391-6, p. 210; C219/10/3, 12/2.