Thomas Chaucer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Chaucer
Memorial brass of Thomas Chaucer in Ewelme Church, Oxfordshire
Speaker of the House of Commons
In office 25 August 1407 – 19 December 1411
Monarch	Henry IV of England
Preceded by	Sir John Tiptoft
Succeeded by	Unknown, next known is William Stourton
In office 19 November 1414 – 1415
Monarch	Henry V of England
Preceded by	Sir Walter Hungerford
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Redman
In office 1421–1421
Monarch	Henry V of England
Preceded by	Roger Hunt
Succeeded by	Richard Baynard
Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire
In office 1401–1402
Preceded by	Thomas Barantyn
Succeeded by	Sir Peter Bessels
In office 1406 – May 1413
Preceded by	Sir William Lisle
Succeeded by	Sir William Lisle
In office Nov 1414 – Mar 1416
Preceded by	Sir John Brayton
Succeeded by	Thomas Stonor
In office 1421–1421
Preceded by	John Danvers
Succeeded by	John Danvers
Chief Butler of England
In office 1404–1434
Preceded by	Unknown, last known is John Payn
Succeeded by	Sir John Tiptoft
Personal details
Born	c. 1367 Oxfordshire, England
Died	18 November 1434 Ewelme, Oxfordshire, England
Political party	None
Spouse	Matilda Chaucer (née Burghersh)
Children	Alice de la Pole
Parents	Geoffrey Chaucer Philippa Roet
Residence	Oxfordshire

Thomas Chaucer (born around 1367, died 1434) was an important English politician. He was the son of the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Thomas was connected to many powerful families in England through his relatives. Even though he was not born into a noble family, he became very successful.

He was elected to the Parliament of England fifteen times. This was a huge achievement! He also served as the Speaker of the House of Commons five times in the early 1400s.

Thomas Chaucer's Family Connections

Thomas Chaucer had important family ties. His aunt, Katherine Swynford, was his mother Philippa Roet's sister. Katherine later married John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, who was a very powerful duke.

This made John of Gaunt's children with Katherine, known as the Beaufort family, Thomas Chaucer's first cousins. These cousins became very successful. For example, one became a duke, another a cardinal, and one was the grandmother of future kings.

King Henry IV was John of Gaunt's son from an earlier marriage. This meant King Henry IV was a half-brother to Thomas Chaucer's Beaufort cousins. These connections helped Thomas in his career. Thomas was able to buy Donnington Castle for his only daughter, Alice de la Pole.

His Important Marriage

Early in his life, Thomas Chaucer married Matilda (also called Maud) Burghersh. She was the daughter of Sir John Burghersh. This marriage was very important for Thomas.

Matilda's family was wealthy and owned a lot of land. Her uncle, Henry Burghersh, was a powerful bishop and even the Lord Chancellor of England. Marrying Matilda brought Thomas many large estates, including the manor of Ewelme in Oxfordshire.

Thomas Chaucer's Career

Thomas Chaucer had a long and successful career in government. He worked as the Chief Butler of England for almost 30 years. This important job involved managing the king's wine and other goods. He was first given this role by King Richard II.

Later, King Henry IV confirmed his position. King Henry also made him the constable of Wallingford Castle. A constable was in charge of the castle. Thomas also became the steward of the areas around Wallingford and St. Valery.

Around the same time, Thomas took over his father's job as forester of North Petherton Park in Somerset. In 1402, he was officially granted the job of Chief Butler for his entire life. The queen also gave him the manor of Woodstock and other lands to manage.

Public Service Roles

Thomas Chaucer served as a High Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire in 1400 and 1403. He was also High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1413. A sheriff was a top law enforcement officer in a county.

He was elected to Parliament as a knight of the shire for Oxfordshire fifteen times. This means he represented his county in the English Parliament. He was Speaker of the House of Commons five times. This was a record that lasted until the 1700s!

Speaker of the House

Thomas Chaucer was first chosen as Speaker in 1407. This Parliament met in Gloucester. He reminded the king that the government's spending accounts had not been shared. The king's chancellor said they were not ready.

He was chosen as Speaker again in 1410 and 1411. When he asked for the usual freedom of speech, the king told him he could speak like past Speakers, but no new ideas would be allowed. Thomas asked for a day to think and then apologized. He was chosen as Speaker one more time in 1414.

Diplomacy and War

In 1414, Thomas Chaucer was given a special job. He was asked to discuss the marriage of King Henry V. He also had to get the Duke of Burgundy to promise loyalty to England.

A year later, he went with King Henry V to France. He brought 12 armed men and 37 archers to fight. Thomas was not at the famous Battle of Agincourt. He was sent back to England because he was ill after the siege of Harfleur. However, his soldiers continued to fight at Agincourt. It is not known if he was truly sick or if it was an excuse to return home. In 1417, he helped negotiate peace with France.

Later Life and Wealth

When King Henry VI became king, Thomas Chaucer briefly lost his Chief Butlership. But he got it back soon after. In 1424, he became a member of the king's council. The next year, he helped settle a disagreement between two powerful noblemen about their rank.

By 1430, Thomas Chaucer was very wealthy. He was named as one of the people to carry out the will of the Duchess of York. Thomas Chaucer passed away at Ewelme Palace in Ewelme, Oxfordshire, on November 18, 1434. He is buried in St Mary's church in the village.

Thomas Chaucer's Descendants

Thomas Chaucer had only one daughter, named Alice. She married William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk. Alice's grandson, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, was chosen to be the heir of King Richard III.

John was killed in battle. Several of his brothers were later executed after King Richard lost power. However, they still had descendants. These include families like the Earls of Rutland and Portmore. One famous descendant was William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, who helped stop the Gunpowder Plot.