Biography of Cardinal John Kempe 1380-1454

Paternal Family Tree: Kempe

Maternal Family Tree: Sibylla Tregoz Baroness Grandison

1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion

1453 Birth of Edward of Westminster

Around 1380 Cardinal John Kempe was born to Thomas Kempe (age 26) and Beatrix Lewknor (age 25).

Around 1394 Cardinal John Kempe (age 14) educated at Merton College, Oxford University.

In 1419 Cardinal John Kempe (age 39) was elected Bishop of Rochester.

Chronicle of Gregory 1422. 20 Aug 1422. Ande that same yere, the xx day of Auguste, deyde the Byschoppe of London, Clyfforde, and thenne was made byschoppe Mayster John Kempe (age 42), whos bonys, the viij day of Novembyr next folowyng, worthely at Westmynyster were interyde.

Chronicle of Gregory 1438. 1438. And the same year there was a grete conselle at Calys [Map], there beynge in our party the Cardynalle Arche-byschoppe of Yorke (age 58) and many moo spirytualle and temporalle lordys. And on that othyr party the Duchyes of Burgone (age 40) and many moo lordys, bothe spyrytualle and temporalle.

Chronicle of Gregory 1439. 30 Apr 1439. And the laste day of Aprylle deyde the Erle of Warwyke (age 57) at Roone [Map]. Ande the same year the Cardynalle Archebyschoppe of Yorke (age 59), the Byschoppe of Northewyche (age 51), the Byschoppe of Syn Davys and many othyr docters, and the Duke of Northefolke (age 23), the Erle of Stafford (age 36), the lord Bowcer, and the Lord Hungerforde (age 39), with a grete mayny, wente unto Calys; and they hadde the Duke of Orlyaunce (age 44) with them for to trete of pes by twyne Ingelonde and Fraunce. And there mette with them the grete lordys of Fraunce, that is to wyte, of spyrytualle and temporalle, the Archebyschoppe of Raynys (age 59), whythe many moo byschoppys, the Erle of Wendon (age 63), a the Bastarde of Orlyaunce (age 36), and many othyr lordys of Fraunce; and thedyr come the Byschoppe of Spayne and of Colayne, and many moo othyr dyvers contreys that com fro the Counselle of Basylle.

On 18 Dec 1439 Cardinal John Kempe (age 59) was created Cardinal.

1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion

Chronicle of Gregory 1450. 06 Jul 1450. And uppon the morowe by tymys came my lord the Cardynalle of Yorke (age 70), and my Lord of Cauntyrbury, and the Byschoppe of Winchester (age 52), and they tretyde by twyne the Lord Schalys (age 53) and that captayne, that the sore conflycte and skarmasche was sessyde, ande gaffe the captayne and his mayne a generalle chartoure for him and for alle his company in his name, callyng him selfe John Mortymere, and thoroughe that mene they were i-voydyde the moste partye. And the vj day aftyr that, the Satyr-daye at evyn 3 the iij heddys were takyn downe of London Brygge, that is to say, the Lord Say (deceased) is hedde, Crowmers (deceased), and the Bayleyes, and the othyr ij [2] heddys sette uppe a-yenne that stode a-pon London Brygge be-fore, and the body whythe hedde were i-burydde at the Gray Fryers at London.

In Jul 1452 Cardinal John Kempe (age 72) was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury.

Birth of Edward of Westminster

An English Chronicle. 13 Oct 1453. The xxxij. yere of kyng Harry, and the yere of oure Lorde Ml.iiijc.liiij. [Prince Edward was born Saturday 13th October, feast of translation of Edw. Conf. 1453.] on the Saturday the xiiij. day of Octobre, in the feste of seynt Edwarde the Confessoure, was bore at Westmynstre Edward the furst sone of kyng Harry (age 31); whoos godfadres were master Johan Kempe (age 73), archebysshoppe of Caunterbury and bysshoppe cardinal of Rome, and Edmunde (age 47) duke of Somerset, his godmother was the [folio 190b] duchesse of Buckynghame (age 45): and master William Wayneflete (age 55), bysshop of Wynchestre, hym baptized.

Paston Letters Volume 2 235. 19 Jan 1454. 2.235. Newsletter Of John Stodeley1.

As touchyng tythynges, please it you to wite that at the Princes2 comyng to Wyndesore, the Duc of Buk’ (age 51) toke hym in his armes and presented hym to the Kyng in godely wise, besechyng the Kyng to blisse hym; and the Kyng yave no maner answere. Natheless the Duk abode stille with the Prince by the Kyng; and whan he coude no maner answere have, the Queene come in, and toke the Prince in hir armes and presented hym in like forme as the Duke had done, desiryng that he shuld blisse it; but alle their labour was in veyne, for they departed thens without any answere or countenaunce savyng only that ones he loked on the Prince and caste doune his eyene ayen, without any more.

Item, the Cardinalle (age 74)3 hathe charged and commaunded alle his servauntz to be redy with bowe and arwes, swerd and bokeler, crossebowes, and alle other habillementes of werre, suche as thei kun medle with to awaite upon the saufgarde of his persone.

Item, th’erle of Wiltshire (age 33)4 and the Lord Bonvile (age 61) have done to be cryed at Taunton in Somerset shire, that every man that is likly and wole go with theym and serve theym, shalle have vjd. every day as long as he abidethe with theym.

Item, the Duk of Excestre (age 23)5 in his owne persone hathe ben at Tuxforthe beside Dancastre, in the north contree, and there the Lord Egremond (age 31)6 mette hym, and thei ij. ben sworne togider, and the Duke is come home agein.

Item, th’erle of Wiltshire, the Lord Beaumont, Ponynges, Clyfford, Egremond, and Bonvyle, maken all the puissance they kan and may to come hider with theym.

Item, Thorpe7 of th’escheker articuleth fast ayenst the Duke of York, but what his articles ben it is yit unknowen.

Item, Tresham (age 34)8, Josep9, Danyelle10, and Trevilian11 have made a bille to the Lordes, desiryng to have a garisone kept at Wyndesore for the saufgarde of the Kyng and of the Prince, and that they may have money for wages of theym and other that shulle kepe the garyson.

Item, the Duc of Buk’ hathe do to be made Ml. Ml. [2000] bendes with knottes, to what entent men may construe as their wittes wole yeve theym.

Item, the Duke of Somersetes herbergeour hath taken up all the loggyng that may be goten nere the Toure, in Thamystrete, Martlane, Seint Katerines, Tourehille, and there aboute.

Item, the Queene hathe made a bille of five articles, desiryng those articles to be graunted; wherof the first is that she desireth to have the hole reule of this land; the second is that she may make the Chaunceller, the Tresorere, the Prive Seelle, and alle other officers of this land, with shireves and alle other officers that the Kyng shuld make; the third is, that she may yeve alle the bisshopriches of this land, and alle other benefices longyng to the Kynges yift; the iiijth is that she may have suffisant lyvelode assigned hir for the Kyng and the Prince and hir self. But as for the vth article, I kan nat yit knowe what it is.

Note 1. [Egerton MS. 914, B.M.] There is no evidence that this letter had anything to do with the Paston correspondence, but as a very interesting political letter of the period we have thought it right to give it a place in the collection. The date is quite certain, being after the birth of Prince Edward in October 1453, and before the death of Cardinal Kemp in March 1454.

Note 2. Edward, only son of Henry VI. (age 32), born 13th October 1453.

Note 3. John Kemp, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury.

Note 4. James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond.

Note 5. Henry Holland.

Note 6. Thomas Percy, third son of Henry, Earl of Northumberland (age 60).

Note 7. Thomas Thorpe, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, who was also Speaker of the House of Commons, but was at this time imprisoned in the Fleet in consequence of an action brought against him by the Duke of York.—(See Rolls of Parl. v. 239.)

Note 8. Thomas Tresham, who as ‘Sir Thomas Tresham, Knight,’ was attainted under Edward IV. for fighting on the Lancastrian side at Towton, but his attainder was afterwards reversed in Parliament 7 and 8 Edw. IV., on the ground that he was a household servant of Henry VI. and had been brought up in his service from a child.—Rolls of Parl. v. 616–617.

Note 9. William Joseph, who, with Thorpe, was frequently accused by the Yorkists of misleading the King.—Rolls of Parl. v. 280, 282, 332, 342.

Note 10. Thomas Daniel, Esq.—See p. 255, Note 2.

In 22 Mar 1454 Cardinal John Kempe (age 74) died.

[his father] Thomas Kempe and [his mother] Beatrix Lewknor were married.

Ancestors of Cardinal John Kempe 1380-1454

Father: Thomas Kempe

Cardinal John Kempe

GrandFather: Roger Lewknor

Mother: Beatrix Lewknor

Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh Bardolf 1st Baron Bardolf

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Bardolf 2nd Baron Bardolf

GrandMother: Barbara Bardolf

Great x 3 Grandfather: Pierre Grandison

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Grandison 1st Baron Grandison

Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes Grandison Baroness Bardolf

Great x 2 Grandmother: Sibylla Tregoz Baroness Grandison