John Bussy facts for kids

Sir John Bussy (also spelled Bushy) was an important person in England during the late 1300s. He was a member of parliament, which means he was chosen to represent people in the country's government. He served as a Member of Parliament for areas like Lincolnshire or Rutland eleven times between 1383 and 1398. He was also the Speaker of the House of Commons three times from 1393 to 1398. As Speaker, he strongly supported King Richard II. Sir John Bussy became well-known for helping the king's supporters gain more power in the government.

Who Was Sir John Bussy?

Sir John Bussy was the son of Sir William Bussy and Isabel Paynell. He owned land in Hougham, Lincolnshire. In 1378, he started working for John of Gaunt, who was a powerful duke. He worked for the duke until 1397, but by 1391, he had also begun working for King Richard II. Sir John Bussy was also the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1383, 1385, and 1390. A sheriff was a top law enforcement officer in a county.

A Powerful Advisor

Sir John Bussy became a very close friend and advisor to King Richard II. Along with Sir Henry Green and Sir William Bagot, he was known as a "continual councillor." These three advisors became quite famous, though not always for good reasons. Bussy was especially known for flattering the king a lot.

He was chosen to be the Speaker of Parliament three or possibly four times. This included in 1394, likely in 1395, and then twice in 1397. It was during the second Parliament of 1397 that he became most well-known. He pushed Parliament to give all its power to a special committee. This committee had eighteen members, including 12 Lords and 6 members from the Commons. Each person on the committee was carefully chosen because they were strong supporters of King Richard. This way, Sir John Bussy made sure that only the king's friends held most of the power.

The End of His Power

In 1399, Henry Bolingbroke (who later became King Henry IV) returned to England. He had been sent away, but he came back to take what he believed was his rightful inheritance. Sir John Bussy was captured on July 28 at Bristol Castle. He was with William le Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and Sir Henry Green. The very next day, he was put on trial and then executed. He was accused of serious crimes against the kingdom.

Sir John Bussy in Plays

Sir John Bussy's life and his execution after King Richard's downfall were shown in plays.

• In William Shakespeare's play Richard II, he is one of three advisors. The others are Bushy, Bagot, and Greene. In the play, Henry Bolingbroke accuses them of giving bad advice to the king.
• Bussy also appears as a character named "William Bushy" in the play Thomas of Woodstock. In this play, he is again shown as one of the king's favorite people.