John Pelham

Sir John de Pelham (died 1429) was an English parliamentarian who served as Treasurer of England. Biography Early life John de Pelham was the son of Sir John Pelham, a Sussex knight who fought in the wars of Edward III in France, and of his wife Joan Herbert of Winchelsea. He was in the service of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and afterwards of his son, Henry, Earl of Derby, subsequently Henry IV. On 7 December 1393 he was appointed by John of Gaunt constable of Pevensey Castle for life. He was possibly one of the scanty band that landed with Henry at Ravenspur in 1399, and was certainly with him at Pontefract soon after his landing. Meanwhile his wife Joan Pelham sustained something like a siege from Richard's partisans in Pevensey Castle. An interesting letter, written in Middle English and dated 25 July 1399, from Joan to John is printed in Collins's Peerage. Hallam, who reprints it in modern spelling, describes it as "one of the earliest instances of female penmanship". Parliament Pelham was knighted at Henry's coronation on 13 October 1399, and is therefore reckoned among the original Knights of the Bath. On 24 October he received the honour of bearing the royal sword before the King. He conducted the deposed Richard II from Leeds Castle in Kent to the Tower. Henry IV granted to Pelham and his heirs male on 12 February 1400 the Constableship of Pevensey and the Honour of Laigle, of which Pevensey was the chief place. This involved a paramount position over the whole Rape of Pevensey. Pelham served as Knight of the Shire for Sussex in the first, second, fourth, fifth, and sixth parliaments of Henry IV, as Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1401. In 1402 he served on a commission to repair the banks of Pevensey marsh, and to draw up a survey and statutes. As Constable of Pevensey he was busied in defending the coast from threatened French invasions. In the Unlearned Parliament of October 1404 he was appointed, with Thomas, Lord Furnival, Treasurer of War to collect the special subsidies granted by the commons, and to apply the results strictly to the purpose for which it was granted. The date of their appointment was 11 November, and their earliest recorded payment was on 18 November. But the task was a thankless one. In the long session of the parliament of 1406 Pelham, who joined with Furnival in begging to be relieved of their duties, was discharged on 19 June by the King, at the request of the estates.