THORNHAGH, Thomas, of Lincoln.

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

Family and Education

Offices Held

Collector of the subsidy on cloth, Lincs., Rutland 1 May 1370-3.

Bailiff, Lincoln Sept. 1375-6; mayor 1390-1.1

Coroner of the liberty of Lincoln by Mich. 1392-aft. 21 Sept. 1395.2

Biography

Thornhagh is first mentioned in May 1370 when he obtained the farm of the cloth subsidy in Lincolnshire and Rutland for a period of three years. His term as bailiff of Lincoln was marked by two noteworthy events—namely a quarrel with one Richard Weston, who was bound over in May 1376 to do no harm to the civic authorities; and the escape of Agnes Lovell, a prisoner entrusted to his custody in Lincoln castle. Agnes then stood accused as both principal and accessory to the murder of Sir William Cantelupe, and although Thornhagh was found innocent of felony he incurred a fine of £5 for negligence. This incident did no permanent harm to his career, however: in January 1382, for example, he began to act as an attorney at the local assizes for the mayor and corporation of Lincoln—a task which he discharged at fairly regular intervals until about 1390. Moreover, in March 1383, he performed jury service at the sessions of the peace in the city, and was also at this time a party to an indenture over the payment of rents worth 16s. p.a. in Ownby to one of his neighbours.3

As a leading member of the community, Thornhagh became involved in the quarrel between the citizens and the ecclesiastical authorities over their respective jurisdictions. The dispute came to a head in March 1390, when he and other former officeholders were bound over in several securities of 100 marks to keep the peace and stay away from the cathedral. His term as mayor began in the following September, and he was returned to Parliament three years later while serving as coroner of Lincoln. He last appears in September 1398 as a witness to a deed for the mayor.4

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: C.R.

Notes

Variants; Thornhaghe, Thornhaugh.

  • 1. Assoc. Archit. Socs. Reps. and Pprs. xxxix. 229, 231.
  • 2. JUST 2/93 mm. 1, 2.
  • 3. JUST 1/1488 rot. 5, 36v, 47v, 50, 50v, 94v; Lincoln Rec. Soc. xxx. 151-2; lvi. 175; CCR, 1374-7, p. 226; Lincs. AO, FL deed 3117.
  • 4. CCR, 1389-92, pp. 164-5; CPR, 1416-22, p. 45.