- Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367 –
18 November ,1434 ), was theSpeaker of the English House of Commons on three occasions and son ofGeoffrey Chaucer andPhilippa Roet .Thomas seems to have done well from his father's standing as both a poet and also an administrator. This is despite suggestions that Geoffrey Chaucer had fallen out of favour with Henry IV who had recently seized power.
He was
Chief Butler of England for almost thirty years, attended fifteen parliaments and was Speaker of the House five times, a feat not surpassed until the 18th century. He married heiressMaud Burghersh around 1395 and was able to buyDonnington Castle for his only daughter Alice. In 1399, Henry IV gave himWallingford Castle and the honour ofWallingford for life. Thomas Chaucer died atEwelme on18 November 1434 .Alice married
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and her grandsonJohn de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln was the designated heir of Richard III. John and several of his brothers were later executed when Richard lost power. They left descendents, however, who included the Earls of Rutland and Portmore,William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle , who foiled theGunpowder Plot and SirFrancis Sacheverel Darwin (through his mother, Elizabeth Collier, natural daughter of the Earl of Portmore).References
* [http://www.fordsfarm.co.uk/Ewelme-II.html "Ewelme - The rise of the Chaucer and de la Pole families"]
External links
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/tchaucer.html Royal Berkshire History: Thomas Chaucer (1367–1434)]
Persondata
NAME= Chaucer, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Speaker of the British House of Commons
DATE OF BIRTH=1367
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=18 November 1434
PLACE OF DEATH=
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