1447 - Litell John ship of Calais: Difference between revisions

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
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  |data3=The Litell John of Calais and Nicholas of London seized to small ships trying to dodge the customs.
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{{#display_map:50.951294,1.858673|width=34%}}<div class="pnMapLegend">Calais.</div>
{{#display_map:50.951294,1.858673|width=34%}}<div class="pnMapLegend">Calais.</div>
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== IRHB comments ==
== IRHB comments ==
For ships named after Little John or Robin Hood, see the page on [[Ship names]]. This passage is the first of only two ME occurrences of the noun 'spinner' , derived from another relatively rare ME word, 'spinace', a "small ship capable of carrying 25 men, a pinnace".<ref>[https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?size=First+100&type=headword&q1=spinace&rgxp=constrained ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinace (''n.'');] [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED42226&egs=all&egdisplay=open ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinner (''n.'').]</ref> Oddly enough it seems at least one of the vessels concerned in 1447 played a Central role in the events detailed in the second source to include the noun 'spinner'. On 5 May 1450, William Lomnor wrote a sad letter &ndash; he claimed he had "soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys that on-ethes ye shulle reede it &ndash; to the elder John Paston, broaching the news of the capture, mock trial and subsequent beheading of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, by sailors off the Kentish coast. The duke, intending to go to Calais with two ships, had sent ahead "a litel spynn<i>er</i>" to find out if it would be safe for him. En route this vessel encountered "a shippe callyd ''Nicolas of the Towre'', with oth''er''e shippis waytyng on hym". According to Lomnor, the crew of the 'spinner' betrayed the Duke to the captain of the Nicolas who subsequently captured the duke and after keeping him prisoner aboard the ship for a few days subjected him to a mock trial and subsequent beheading with a rusty sword that had to be wielded all of 15 times to sever the ducal head from its body.<ref></ref>
For ships named after Little John or Robin Hood, see the page on [[Ship names|ship names]]. This passage is the first of only two known ME occurrences of the noun 'spinner', which is derived from another relatively rare ME word, 'spinace', a "small ship capable of carrying 25 men, a pinnace".<ref>[https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?size=First+100&type=headword&q1=spinace&rgxp=constrained ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinace (''n.'');] [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED42226&egs=all&egdisplay=open ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinner (''n.'').]</ref> Oddly enough it seems at least one, and possibly two, of the vessels concerned in 1447 played a central role in the events detailed in the second source to include the noun 'spinner'. On 5 May 1450, William Lomnor wrote a sad letter &ndash; he claimed he had "soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys that on-ethes ye shulle reede it &ndash; to the elder John Paston, broaching the news of the capture, mock trial and subsequent beheading of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, by sailors off the Kentish coast. The duke, intending to go to Calais with two ships, had sent ahead "a litel spynn<i>er</i>" to find out if it would be safe for him to go there. En route this vessel encountered "a shippe callyd ''Nicolas of the Towre'', with oth''er''e shippis waytyng on hym". According to Lomnor, the crew of the 'spinner' betrayed the Duke to the captain and crew of the Nicolas who subsequently captured the duke and after keeping him prisoner aboard the Nicolas for a few days subjected him to a mock trial and subsequent beheading with a rusty sword that had to be wielded all of 15 times to sever the ducal head from its body.<ref>{{:Davis, Norman 2004a}}, pt. II, p. 35. Italic type as there.</ref> Would it not be at least a mild surprise if the two Nicholases, one of London, the other of the Tower, were not one and the same ship? As two 'spinners' were captured by two ships, one of which hailed from Calais, it far from impossible that one of these was the one involved in 1850 as well. As the Nicolas was accompanied by otehr ships, it is even possible that the Little John was there also, but this is of course pure speculation.


== Lists ==
== Lists ==
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== Background ==
== Background ==
* {{:Davis, Norman 2004a}}, pt. II, pp. 35-36.
* [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?size=First+100&type=headword&q1=spinace&rgxp=constrained ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinace (''n.'')]
* [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?size=First+100&type=headword&q1=spinace&rgxp=constrained ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinace (''n.'')]
* [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED42226&egs=all&egdisplay=open ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinner (''n.'')]
* [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED42226&egs=all&egdisplay=open ''MED'', ''s.n.'' spinner (''n.'')]

Revision as of 09:40, 4 November 2018

Record
Date 1447
Topic The Litell John of Calais and Nicholas of London seized two small ships attempting to dodge customs.
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Calais.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-11-04. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-11-04.

Record

[7 Oct. 1447:]
Grant to the king's serjeant, Thomas Byrmychamp, esquire for the body, of all that pertains to the king of the forfeiture of two ships called 'spynners' alias 'farkenstekers,' laden of late with wool and other goods and merchandise in the port of Pole or other places and 'crykes' pertaining thereto, which, issuing thence secretly without payment of cocket or custom, were taken by two ships called Litell John of Calais and Nicholas of London. By K. etc.[1]

Source notes

Marginal note: "Oct. 7. Westminster". Italic type as in printed source.

IRHB comments

For ships named after Little John or Robin Hood, see the page on ship names. This passage is the first of only two known ME occurrences of the noun 'spinner', which is derived from another relatively rare ME word, 'spinace', a "small ship capable of carrying 25 men, a pinnace".[2] Oddly enough it seems at least one, and possibly two, of the vessels concerned in 1447 played a central role in the events detailed in the second source to include the noun 'spinner'. On 5 May 1450, William Lomnor wrote a sad letter – he claimed he had "soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys that on-ethes ye shulle reede it – to the elder John Paston, broaching the news of the capture, mock trial and subsequent beheading of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, by sailors off the Kentish coast. The duke, intending to go to Calais with two ships, had sent ahead "a litel spynner" to find out if it would be safe for him to go there. En route this vessel encountered "a shippe callyd Nicolas of the Towre, with othere shippis waytyng on hym". According to Lomnor, the crew of the 'spinner' betrayed the Duke to the captain and crew of the Nicolas who subsequently captured the duke and after keeping him prisoner aboard the Nicolas for a few days subjected him to a mock trial and subsequent beheading with a rusty sword that had to be wielded all of 15 times to sever the ducal head from its body.[3] Would it not be at least a mild surprise if the two Nicholases, one of London, the other of the Tower, were not one and the same ship? As two 'spinners' were captured by two ships, one of which hailed from Calais, it far from impossible that one of these was the one involved in 1850 as well. As the Nicolas was accompanied by otehr ships, it is even possible that the Little John was there also, but this is of course pure speculation.

Lists

Sources

Background

Also see

Notes


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