IV. FROM THE WRITING OF THE "CUSTOMAL"
1354 TO 1470.
The writing of the " Dover Customal " marked an important epoch in the history of Dover. It was written, or commenced, during the Mayoralty of Peter Reade, ^354-5- Up to that time there had been only the Domesday Book of the Cinque Ports, a record that contained much of importance concerning the Five Ports and the Two Ancient Towns ; but about Dover in particular there were in exist ence only some fugitive memorials known as charters, dites and decrees. They had never been digested into a con secutive history, and many had been lost. Just at the middle of the Fourteenth Century the Earl of March, Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports, having been called upon, as the President of the Court of Shepway, to hear appeals from the Courts of the various Ports and Towns, asked the Mayors to deliver to him copies of their customs and usages to assist him in forming his judgments. Up to this time, " the oldest inhabitant " had frequently been called upon to say what he remembered and what his forefathers had told him, but the Earl of March wanted a written record, and there being nothing at hand but fragments, the Cinque Ports' scribes were immediately busy collecting, digesting and transcribing. The Dover scribes had the Castle and the Priory to fall back upon, and there were records in the Muniment Box kept in the Church of St. Martin-le-Grand which contributed something, so from such sources the " Dover Customal " was written. It is a curious, rambling record of about seven thousand words, giving a statement of the various forms and ceremonies used in Dover both as a Town and Port, and as a member of the Cinque Ports, a full print of which will be found in the Catalogue of the Dover Records. Apart from its interest, the age of the " Customal " demands respect, it having existed as a complete record of 560 years, which had passed into history before the times of the twenty-seven Mayors mentioned in the following list.
1354 Peter Reade (20)
(20) Peter Reade was Mayor in the years 1354, 1356, 1357, 1359 and 1384. Also in 13S4 he was Lieutenant of Dover, being then advanced in years. During his last Mayoralty he received King Richard Tl. and his Queen at the Castle.
1355 Nicholas atte Hall
1356 Peter Reade
1357 Peter Reade
1358 Nicholas atte Hall
1359 Peter Reade
1360 Thomas Spisour (21)
(21) Thomas Spisour, Mayor in 1360 and twice later, was an ancestor of John Spisour who had the Stembrook Tannery in 1420.
1361 Simon Monin (22)
(22) Simon Monin, Mayor in 1361, was in the Corporation a« Jurat at the same time as John Jlonin before mentioned.
1362 Nicholas atte Hall
1363 Alexander Hurtyn
1364 William Denne (23)
(23) William Denne, Mayor in 1364 end twice later, had been a Jurat ten years before his first Mayoralty.
1365 William Denne
1366 Nicholas atte Hall
1367 Nicholas atte Hall
1368 Thomas Spisour
1369 Thomas Spisour
1370 Simon Monin
1371 John atte Hall (24)
(24) John atte Hall, Mayor in 1371, held the office six times.
1372 John Monin
1373 John atte Hall
1374 William Denne
1375 John Monin (senr.)
1376 John Ceroid (25)
(25) John Ceroid had been Bailiff seven times before he waa Mayor.
1377 John Ceroid
1378 John Street (26)
(26) John Street was Mayor in 1378 and ten times later. Hig name appears seven times in the Charters of the Hundred Court.
1379 John Street
1380 John atte Hall
1381 John atte Hall
1382 John Ciles (27)
(27) John Giles was Mayor in 1383, and seven times after.
1383 John Giles
1384 Peter Reade
1385 John Street
1386 John Monin
1387 John Monin
1388 John Monin (28)
(28) John Monin, the second. Mayor in 13S8, was, it is presumed, the son of John Monin who was Mayor in 1375. The second Joba was Mayor six times.
1389 John atte Hall
1390 John Giles
1391 John atte Hall
1392 John Giles
1393 John Giles
1394 John atte Hall
1395 John Monin
1396 John Monin
1397 John Street
1398 John Street
1399 John Giles
1400 John Giles
1401 John Giles
1402 Peter Reade
1403 John Monin
1404 John Street
1405 John Street
1406 John Street
1407 Thomas Giles (29)
(29) Thomas Giles, chosen Mayor in 1407 and 1413, wag a son of Jobu Giles previously Mayor.
1408 John Street
1409 John Street
1410 John Street
1411 John Evebroke (30)
(30) John Evebroke, Mayor in 1411, was an active Jurat tor many years.
1412 John Garton (31)
(31) John Garton, who was Mayor in the years 1415 and 1416, was made a Jurat in the previous century.
1413 Thomas Giles
1414 Walter Stratton (32)
(32) Walter Stratton was eleven times Mayor between 1414 and 1439. His name appears in a Dover Charter, dated 2nd July, 1420, which throws light on a moot point in Dover Church history, confirming the opinion of most local historians that the old structure in Bench Street was the old Church of St. Nicholas. During Walter Stratton's first Mayoralty news came to Dover that Henry V. had vanquished the French Army in the Battle of Agincourt, and, sub sequently, when the King landed at Dover the Barons carried him in triumph fronn his ship to the beach. At the beginning of Stratton's second Mayoralty another campaign in France was in progress, and on that occasion an army of 35,000 had embarked at Dover, and after some hard fighting they marched in triumph to Paris. Yet another French campaign was fought in Stratton's fourth Mayoralty, on which occasion 24,000 archers and 4,000 men-at-arms embarked at Dover in 500 ships. Before that Mayoralty terminated news came across the Straits that the English were victorious — but that the King was dead.
1415 John Garton
1416 John Garton
1417 Walter Stratton
1418 Walter Stratton
1419 Thomas-att-Crouch (34)
(34) Thomas-att-Crouch, who was Mayor in 1419 and 1420, appears to have been closely associated with the Priory.
1420 Thomas att Crouch
1421 Walter Stratton
1422 Thomas Arnold (35)
(35) Thomas Arnold, Mayor in the years 1422, 1424, and 1430, was in his first Mayoralty when the stately funeral procession of Henry V. passed through Dover en route from Paris to Westminster. This Mayor, in 1426, held from the Prior of Dover the land bounded by part of Bench Street, upper Snargate Street, Chapel Street and Chapel Lane, which had been St. Nicholas's Churchyard. It wa« during Thomas Arnold's second Mayoralty that Margate and other parishes in Thanet, with Kingsdown and Ringwould, were added to the Liberties of Dover.
1423 Walter Stratton
1424 Thomas Arnold
1425 John Braban ($6)
(36) John Braban, who was Mayor five times, from 1425 to 1434, acted with John Bakere, of Caldham, in selling St. Nicholas tower and the ruins of the Church to the Corporation.
1426 Walter Stratton
1427 John Braban
1428 Walter Stratton
1429 William Brewys (37)
(37) Willia,m Brewys was Mayor seven times between 1429 and 1443. In his first Mayoralty the long-standing controversies between Dover and Faversham as to contributions in connection with the Cinque Ports, and the right of laversham to share with Dover the privilege of representation in Parliament was settled by a formal agreement.
1430 Thomas Arnold
1431 Walter Stratton
1432 Walter Stratton
1433 John Braban
1434 John Braban
1435 William Brewys
1436 William Brewys
1437 William Brewys
1438 William Brewys
1439 Walter Stratton
1440 William Brewys
1441 John Ward (38)
(38) John Ward was Mayor in the years 144 1 and 1442— two fateful years — during which the minority of Henry VI. came to an end, and when " Good Duke Humphrey," who had been Lord "Warden for thirty-two years, was poisoned in prison.
1442 John Ward
1443 William Brewys
1444 Ralph Toke (39)
(39) Ralph Toke, alias Touke, described as a knight, was Seneschal and Marshal of the Castle. He was Mayor in five successive years. This Mayor made a valuable bequest of land in Hougham to St. Mary's Church.
1445 Ralph Toke
1446 Ralph Toke
1447 Ralph Toke
1448 Ralph Toke
1449 Thomas Gore (40)
(40) Thomas Core, otherwise Goore, an officer of Dover Castle, was Mayor seven times between 1449 ^^*^ '465- He was of Gore Court, Kent.
1450 Thomas Core
1451 Richard Grigge (41)
(41) Richard Grigge was chosen Mayor in the early part of 1451, to fill the VT.'.-icy caused by the resignation of Thomas Gore. He also was Mayor ia the two successive years.
1452 Richard Grigge
1453 Thomas Doyley (42)
(42) Thomas Doyley, described as a knight and an official of Dover Castle, was Mayor three years.
1454 Thomas Doyley
1455 Thomas Doyley
1456 Thomas Gore
1457 Thomas Gore
1458 Nicholas Burton (43)
(43) Nicholas Burton was Mayor in 1458 and 1459; and he was Bailiff three years.
1459 Nicholas Burton
1460 Richard Palmer (44)
(44) Richard Palmer was Mayor five times between 1460 and 1479. He was a staunch Yorkist, and the first of the Mayors of Dover who wore the White Rose.
1461 Thomas Gore
1462 Thomas Gore
1463 Richard Palmer
1464 Thomas Pety (45)
(45) Thomas Pety was Mayor in 1464. His name appears in the Dover records as a Chamberlain.
1465 Thomas Gore
1466 Richard Palmer
1467 Richard Palmer
1468 Thomas Hexstall (46)
(46) Thomas Hexstall was Mayor eight times between the years 1468 and' 1481 ; and in 1470 he was Warden of Dover while the Corporation liberties were suspended. He was the son of Richard Hexstall, of Hexstall Court, East Peckham, Kent, and he became Steward of Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham and Lord of Penshurst. When the Dtike was appointed Lord Warden and Constable of Dover Castle in the year 1450, Thomas Hexstall came with him to Do^^r to act as the Lord Warden's Receiver. In the year 1460 this Lord Warden was slain when fighting at the head of the Lancastrians, and" the Earl of Warwick, the leader of the Yorkists, became Lord Warden. Hexstall continued to hold the oflBce of Receiver under him. Thomas Hexstall bought Hougham Court as his residence, obtained the Freedom of Dover, and became a Jurat. The two Lord Wardens for whom he acted as Receiver having been slain in the Wars of Cie Roses, he, in those years of surprises, acted with so much t.ict that when Edward IV. suspended the liberties of Dover on account of the part the Corporation had taken, Thomas Hexstall was put in of&ce as the King's Warden of the Town and Port of Dover until the following year, when Civic liberties were restored. That crisis having passed, Thomas Hexstall was Mayor six times more.
1469 Thomas Hexstall
1470 Thomas Hexstall