Henry Redford: Difference between revisions

Sir Henry Redford (d. c.1404) was a Knight of the Shire, Sheriff of Lincolnshire and the Speaker of the House of Commons.

In 1386 he accompanied John of Gaunt on his expedition to Spain, and in 1392 served as High Sheriff of Lincolnshire. He represented Lincolnshire in parliament as Knight of the Shire for 1400, and in 1401 was summoned to the privy council.

In 1402 he again represented Lincolnshire in the parliament that met on 1 Oct 1402 and two days later he was elected speaker. The parliament was held at Coventry before moving to Westminster (due to problems with lodgings and food), with the Lord Chancellor asking for:

Ways and means for maintaining the war against Scotland, for utterly subjecting the enemies of Wales, for wholly conquering Ireland and for defending Guienne, Calais and the Marches thereof.

Alarmed at the scale of the request, Parliament took several days to consider it, but found they couldn't come to any conclusion. On the 10th of October they asked permission to confer with members of the House of Lords, which the King granted under duress. As a result 4 Bishops, 4 Earls and 4 Barons were ordered to attend, and the end decision was a three-shilling tax on wine and a 15 pence tax on merchandise to sponsor the King's efforts. It is reported that Henry was so pleased with the result that he invited both houses to dine with him privately. ^[1]

In 1403 Redford was again attending meetings of the privy council, and in 1404 once more represented the same constituency in parliament