MISEN, Richard, of Grimsby, Lincs.

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

Jan. 1390

Family and Education

Offices Held

Bailiff, Grimsby Mich. 1389-90; mayor 1395-6.1

Biography

As bailiff of Grimsby, Misen was responsible for holding the local elections to the first Parliament of 1390, being returned himself by the electors; and as mayor he witnessed a conveyance of land in the town. He evidently owned at least one ship, which he claimed in the early 1390s had been attacked off Flamborough Head by a foreign sea captain named William Flering, although the latter was able to produce an alibi. Misen died in possession of the larger of the borough’s two silver maces, which the authorities acquired from his executors for 23s.4d.2

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: C.R.

Notes

It is now impossible to tell what connexion, if any, existed between this Member and Richard Misen of Saltfleetby, which lies a few miles down the coast from Grimsby. The latter owned a ship named Le Petre which transported soldiers to France in 1370; and it was probably he rather than his namesake who took the general oath in March 1388 to support the Lords Appellant. He was still alive in 1398 when he received a papal indult to make use of a portable altar (Issue Roll Brantingham ed. Devon, 264; Lincoln Rec. Soc. lvi. 86, 98; RP, iii. 401; CPL, v. 220).

  • 1. E368/163; HMC 14th Rep. VIII, 288.
  • 2. C219/9/7; CAD, i. C104; E. Gillett, Grimsby, 5, 45. Gillett states that Misen was dead by 1394-5, but he clearly lived at least one year longer to become mayor.