John Carpenter, the younger (about 1372–1442), was a
Town Clerk of London
The Town Clerk of London is an important position that has existed since the 13th century in the City of London, England. Originally the role was to take the minutes of London council meetings, but over the years the holder's role has gathered re ...
. He was elected as Town Clerk to the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
during the reigns of
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
and
Henry VI. He was the author of the first book of
English common law
English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures.
Principal elements of English law
Although the common law has, historically, be ...
, called ''Liber Albus'' (the White Book). He was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425. He is also recognized as the founder of the
City of London School
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public school Boys' independent day school
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Alan Bird
, chair_label = Chair of Governors
, chair = Ian Seaton
, founder = John Carpenter
, special ...
for boys.
He resided in the Parish of St. Peter,
Cornhill, London
Cornhill (formerly also Cornhil) is a ward and street in the City of London, the historic nucleus and financial centre of modern London. The street runs between Bank Junction and Leadenhall Street.
The hill from which it takes its name is one ...
, and was buried in the Abbey of St. Peter,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, where his wife Katherine was later interred.
He is frequently distinguished in historical documents as "John Carpenter, the younger", "John Carpenter, Junior" (incorrectly), and as "John Carpenter,
Jenkin Jenkin, of Franconian origin, is translated in English as "Little John" or more literally "John the little".
Forename history
Jen/Jean (pronounced "Jon") being a diminutive of Jehan/Jehannes* (John/Johan*) followed by kin/ken meaning little crea ...
". "Jenkin" or "Jenken" is a diminutive of the name John.
John Carpenter was one of three men by that name who were prominent during the 15th century. Both others are mentioned in his will of 1442. One was his brother, John Carpenter the elder, who received much property from his younger brother.
John Carpenter may have been related in some way to the other
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
who was the Warden of St. Anthony's Hospital, Rector of St. Mary Magdalen's, and finally
Bishop of Worcester. Bishop John Carpenter was willed, by the subject of this article, "that book on architecture which Master William Cleve gave me". Cleve was King's Chaplain and clerk of the works, and carried out building at the Palace of Westminster and the Tower.
Early life and ancestry
Thomas Brewer in his 1856 book on John Carpenter found no significant record of his life until his election as the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on 20 April 1417, at about age 45. The exemption mentioned on page 14 suggests that John Carpenter had been in the City of London's service "from the time of his youth". It is assumed that he was apprenticed to John Marchaunt, his predecessor as Town Clerk. Based on ''Liber Albus'' (see below) and other works, he was familiar with the law.
Genealogical efforts have revealed a baptismal date of 18 December 1378 at
Hereford Cathedral, but he was probably born earlier, with about 1372 being generally accepted. His father is listed as Richard Carpenter and his mother as Christina.
His father, Richard or Renaud Carpenter, is believed to have been born about 1335–1337 in or of Grand Pont,
Cambrai,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. He may have been alive as late as 1412 in London. He married Christina, last name unknown, who was of London. Their known children were:
* John Carpenter, the elder, born circa 1362, the father of
Bishop John Carpenter. His baptismal date of 20 September 1371 in
Battlesden
Battlesden is a hamlet and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It is just north of the A5, between Dunstable and Milton Keynes. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 38. Because of its ...
has not been confirmed and is probably wrong. His death date is unknown.
* Robert Carpenter, born circa 1368, of London. His brother's will indicates that he had a son named Richard and two daughters named Joan and Katherine.
* John Carpenter, the younger – the subject of this article.
His grandfather John or Jean Le Carpenter or Carpentier was born about 1303 of Le Grand Pont and died after 1345 in
Dilwyn, Herefordshire. He married Jeanne Tabarie, who was born circa 1310 near Cambrai. His parents are disputed.
Marriage
The date of John Carpenter's marriage has not been found, nor has the maiden name of his wife, Katherine.
Katherine was born in or of
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
(now a province of the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
) about 1372. Her will was written 31 March 1457 and proved in June 1458. She was later buried with her husband in the Abbey of St. Peter, Westminster. They had no children.
Political life
John Carpenter was elected the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on 20 April 1417, two years after the
Battle of Agincourt.
''Proclamacio sup' judicio billor'' appears to be the first public document signed by John Carpenter with his surname only.
He obtained a letter of patent from
Henry VI dated 3 December 18 (either 1418, or the
18th year of Henry's reign, i.e. 1439), exempting him "for the whole of his life from all military and civil duties whatsoever, which included election as a member of Parliament and receiving the Honour of Knighthood". What service he rendered the Crown is unknown, but it can be assumed he provided a great service.
John Carpenter was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425.
Coat of arms
John Carpenter's
arms appear to be of French or Norman heritage, "Paly of six, argent and gules, on a chevron azure, 3 cross crosslets or." This coat is often referred to as the Hereford Arms, named for the later ancestral home of the Carpenter family in
Hereford. The crest, supporters and motto apparently changed several times over the centuries. A more recent motto is ''Per acuta belli''.
[J. Hatton Carpenter (April 1925). "The Carpenter Family of England and the United States". ''Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine'' vol. 16, Number 2, pp. 60–70.]
The Hereford Arms were granted in 1719 to George, Lord Carpenter (1657–1732). He was a Lt. General and commander-in-chief of all the Crown's forces in Scotland when he was elevated to the
peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...
, by patent dated 29 May 1719, as
Baron Carpenter, of
Killaghy, county Kilkenny. There is no direct male to male Carpenter descent connecting Lord Carpenter and Sir William Boyd Carpenter. The family connection is by marriage through the females in the family.
William Boyd Carpenter (1841–1918),
Bishop of Ripon
The Bishop of Ripon is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. The bishop is one of the area bishops of the Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York. The area bishop of Ripon has oversight o ...
in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
, afterwards a Canon of Westminster and Chaplain to the reigning sovereign of England, wrote in a letter dated 7 August 1907 that his family bore the Hereford Arms. Sir
Noel Paton, upon painting the family arms, informed him that the supporters were originally a round-handled sword, which in drawing over time became shortened, until nothing but the cross and globe were left beneath it. Those Hereford Arms were used by "John Carpenter, town clerk of London, who died 1442 A.D."
His grandson
John Boyd-Carpenter, Baron Boyd-Carpenter
John Archibald Boyd-Carpenter, Baron Boyd-Carpenter, PC, DL (2 June 1908 – 11 July 1998) was a British Conservative politician.
Early life
He was the only son of Conservative politician Sir Archibald Boyd-Carpenter MP and his wife Annie Du ...
(1908–1998) continued the arms into the new century by passing them down to his son, Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, who was himself knighted after a military career as a Lieutenant-General and in public service.
The Hereford Coat of Arms described above should not be confused with the Arms of Bishop Richard Carpenter (c. 1450s? – 1503) presented in the "Visitations of the County of Oxford" taken in 1566, 1574, and 1634, published in 1871, which describe the arms displayed in the buildings at the University in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
– "In the Lyberarye of Baliall College" – as recorded by the officials performing the visitations in those years. The Visitations describe the arms of
Richard Carpenter (theologian)
Richard Carpenter (1575–1627) was an English clergyman and theological writer.
Biography
He was probably born in Cornwall in 1575. He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, on 28 May 1592, and took his degrees of B.A. on 19 February 1596, ...
as: "Paly of nine Gu. and Az. on a chevron Arg. surmounted by a mitre Or, three cross crosslets or – nine pales alternating red and blue, with a silver chevron bearing three gold cross-crosslets."
''Liber Albus''
![John Carpenter statue - City of London School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/John_Carpenter_statue_-_City_of_London_School.jpg)
John Carpenter was the author of first book of
English Common Law
English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures.
Principal elements of English law
Although the common law has, historically, be ...
, called ''Liber Albus'' ("White Book"), completed in 1419. It provided a basis of legal, social and history of the law relating to the City of London. The statue of John Carpenter, now residing within the City of London School for Boys, shows him holding this book.
The following lines were hand written (probably in the 16th century) on the fly-leaf of "Liber Albus" translated from Latin:
Latter life
At one point, John Carpenter reportedly owned over 300 tenements. He had a fish pond, doubling as a reservoir, on top of his own house. Most of these properties he later willed to his brother. He resided in the
Parish of St. Peter,
Cornhill, London
Cornhill (formerly also Cornhil) is a ward and street in the City of London, the historic nucleus and financial centre of modern London. The street runs between Bank Junction and Leadenhall Street.
The hill from which it takes its name is one ...
.
John Carpenter's will was made in his 70th year, dated 8 March 1441 and proved 12 May 1442. This indicates he was born about 1372 and that his death may have been some time in April 1442. He was buried in the Abbey of St. Peter, London.
Bequest for the betterment of poor children: John Stow recorded the actual bequest as, "He gave tenements to the Citye for the finding and bringing up of foure poore men's children with meate, drinke, apparell, learning at the schooles in the universities, &c., until they be preferred, and then others in their place for ever."
John Carpenter left property to the City of London (later known as the Corporation of London) to provide "Carpenter's Children" (as they became known) to assist at divine service in the choir of the
Guildhall
A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...
chapel on festival days. That continued for almost 400 years until an Act of Parliament (1834) permitted the combining of several accounts to establish the City of London School. Since 1986, the school has resided on the east end of John Carpenter Street and Queen Victoria Street.
[Douglas-Smith, A. E. (1965) ''The City of London School''. Oxford, England, 2nd Edition.]
See also
*
Common Law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipres ...
*
Ralph Crepyn, town clerk of London
*
Medieval English common law: foundations for 21st century legal systems
*
John Monckton (town clerk)
Sir John Braddick Monckton FSA (8 July 1832 – 3 February 1902) was a British lawyer and civil servant, then Town Clerk of London for 30 years until his death. He was elected Town Clerk of London after the death of Frederick Woodthorpe on ...
*
John Sadler (1615-1674)
John Sadler (of Warmwell, Dorset) (18 August 1615 – April 1674) was an English lawyer, academic, Member of Parliament, Town Clerk of London, Hebraist, Neoplatonist and millenarian thinker, private secretary to Oliver Cromwell, and member of the ...
, town clerk of London
*
Town Clerk of London
The Town Clerk of London is an important position that has existed since the 13th century in the City of London, England. Originally the role was to take the minutes of London council meetings, but over the years the holder's role has gathered re ...
References
External links
City of London websiteCity of London School web siteJohn Carpenter Club (Old Citizen's Association)* Full text of Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856. See
Archive.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, John (town clerk)
1370s births
1442 deaths
English MPs 1425
Town Clerks of London
Year of birth uncertain