Thomas de Goswyk, Hostage then Ally of Robert the Bruce

Date: 1299 to 1358
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Gostwick, Bruce, Pre-1500, Scotland, England

Gostwick Name Study

Thomas de Gosewyk, son of Burgess Walter de Goswyk, of Berwick-Upon-Tweed

born abt 1299, Fenwick, Northumberland, England (see Research Notes)

died aft Aug-1357, possibly in Roxburgh, Roxburgshire, Scotland

Language Spoken: French, Latin?, English?

(Notable Profile)

Synopsis

Teen boy given to the King as Hostage for two years. Man freed, offered restitution, turns to Scotland and fights his own kin.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Marriage and Children 2 Research Notes 2.1 To Do 3 Sources 4 Acknowledgements

Biography

Thomas Gostwick was born abt 1299. I hope he wasnt any younger, as he has a tough time being a hostage of the King.

Thomas is named as son of Burgess Walter de Goswyk and is placed as the 2nd son, perhaps named for a maternal grandfather, perhaps a Thomas de Chesswyck, of Chesswick.

There is evidence that Walter's brother, Roger, was involved in the hostage deal.

It seems like the Burgers put up hostages as a deal for defending the city for money. More clarification is needed. ^[1]

We know that in July of 1313, after negotiations, and demands, Thomas is handed over as a hostage, while his father Walter defends Berwick.

Berwick would fall and Thomas remained in prison, likely in York, until May 1319 when his father negotiated a pardon from the King.

The King was VERY unhappy that Robert the Bruce had taken Berwick under the control of Walter de Goswyk.

While negotiation for Thomas to be released, his father secured for him 'Clerk's robes' and a yearly pension, perhaps hoping he would not rejoin the politics at play. Soon, however, it becomes clear that Thomas, once released, goes back to his captors to join the Scots, as he is branded a 'traitor' and has his lands forfeited.

It is not known if Thomas died in Scotland, or if he first took the clerk position.

We find no reference to him after Aug-1357.

Curiously, a William de Goswyk, perhaps the son of this Thomas de Goswyk, appears in a very interesting citation from 1353. He is linked here, as if son of Thomas, but parentage may be impossible to prove. Let's consider, if he is born abt 1299, he would be 13-14yrs old when handed off to the Crown jailers in 1313, not returned till he was 16-17yrs old. Formative years spent watching the war from the inside a prison cell.

I assert that he would not have been chosen by his father as hostage 'in leiu' of himself had he been recently married with child. I doubt he would have married prior to the mess his father got him into.

If he returned in 1315, and did marry, I find no record of it, but records are scant. His children would be born between 1315 and 1330ish. The William we find en route to deliver good to restock Berwick in 1353 was likely born 1320-1332, a good match, doing the same trade. I can imagine turning down the clerk job from dad Walter, and continuing the Mercer tradition. With his father a wanted man, he would lie low.

I would love to find any additional evidence, even in conflict.

(BIO draft)

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15-Jun-1317, Westminster, Middlesex, England^[1]

(paraphrased)

Indenture between the King & Randolf de Holm, Roger de Gosewyk, Roger Bisshop, & William de Rokesburgh; Burgesses of Berwick; by patent of 4-Jun take the defence of the town in their hands & receive 6000 marks/yr delivering 12 hostages to King.

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5-Mar-1319, Durham, England^[2]

Grant by Geoffrey, prior of Durham to Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewik, on account of Walter's service to the priory, a yearly pension of 40s, of the exchequer of Durham, with a clerk's robe {snip}

Note: Is this the first 'clerk/auditor of the exchequer' of the Gostwick line? ~Chris

Note: evidence for son Thomas

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Marriage and Children

abt 1320, marriage, Northumberland, England (proposed)

Thomas de Goswyk to Unknown

1. William de Gosewyk, b. abt 1320, d. aft 1353

See Research Notes and William's page: If anyone can place him better with logic or evidence, please holler.

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4-Aug-1327, War, Scottish Border with England

First war of Scottish Independence begins

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2-Apr-1328, Grant of Forfeiture, Goswick, Northumberland, England^[3]

Louis Bishop of Durham to Wm Durham: and all the lands and tenements which John son of Walter de Gosewyk', and Thomas his brother, and William son of Thomas de Gosewyk', and John de la Mare held in Goswick in the said liberty; in the bishop's hands {snip}

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27-Jan-1335, Default of Debts, Roxburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland^[4]

Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewyk acknowledges that he owes Thomas de Baumburgh, clerk, 200 marks; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in counties Northumberland and Berwick.

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6-Feb-1335, Suit against the Crown, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England^[4]

Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewyk, puts in his place (list) to prosecute and seek against the King and his council in parliament, chancery and other courts of the King, divers lands and fisheries in the town of Berwick {snip}

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11-May-1335, Grant, Cowick, Yorkshire, England^[5]

Enrolment of grant by Thomas son of Walter de Gosewyk, late burgess of Berwick-upon-Tweed, to Sir Thomas de Baumburgh, clerk, of all that tenement in Segate in the said town, which formerly belonged to Thomas Juvenis. {snip}

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Oct-1336, Lands Forfeited, Berrington, Northumberland, England^[6]

William, prior Durham; Rich. Bishop Durham to Sir Robert de Manoirs (Manners), reversion of lands & tenements Thomas de Gosewyk holds, for life, in Berrington & Bockton; taken in times of war.

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10-Oct-1348, Inquisition, Westminster, Middlesex, England^[7]

Commission to (list) to find by inquisition in the said county, what lands Roger de Aulton, Will de Pendergest and Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewyk held at the time they became adherent to the Scots, whereby they (forfeited their lands) {snipped}

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10-Oct-1348, Inquisition Findings, Goswick, Northumberland, England^[8]

3 messuages, and 40 acres of land in Goswyk, escheats by the forfeiture of Thomas, son of Walter de Goswyk. as these are adherents to the scots

Note: This, I believe, represents the day the Goswyk family lost all property in their homeland, Goswick...on the sands below Lindesfarne.

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18-Nov-1348, Grant of Forfeiture, Goswick, Northumberland, England^[9]

Grant to William Heroun {snip} 80 acres of land in Gosewyk, escheats by the forfeiture of Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewyk, because he adhered to the Scots.

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6-Aug-1357, Commission of Oyer & Terminer, Westminster, Middlesex, England^[10]

Commission of Oyer & Terminer to (list incl. John Moubray): on info that (list incl. Thomas, son of Walter de Gosewyk) have traitorously adhered to the Scots, and have many time perpetrated treasons, plunderings, homicides, felonies, and evils in the rlm.

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3-Oct-1357, Historical Context, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England

The Treaty of Berwick is signed ending the War with Scotland

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Research Notes

Re: Age

• Thomas is handed over as a hostage in 1317 for two years, released in 1319
• Thomas is given a job & pension in 1319, indicating he is 'of age' (17-21yrs old)

I have placed him as born about 1299.

Re: Birth location

• Parentage proven to Walter
• Walter had prior to birth date range, acquired Fenwick Manor
• Walter died seized of Fenwick Manor

Through logical deduction, we place Thomas' birth at Fenwick, Northumberland, England

Re: Parentage

• Parentage to Walter is provided with very high surity, given that Thomas is almost always referred to as 'son of Walter' and is even called 'son of Walter, Burgess of Berwick'
• No date conflicts
• He is referenced in property deeds, and their forfeiture, the land having come where we would expect, from Fenwick to Goswick

Re: Marriage

• A son, William, is the only reason I suggest he was married, all other marriage info is deduced from any avail info from the son.

Re: Death

• technically we last know he is alive in 1335, found selling off some distant landholding in Yorkshire. Given that his status soon turned to 'Wanted Traitor' we should consider he was selling off what he could to hide or flee.
• Our Evidence continues as the Crown takes possession of Thomas' property, but it does not mean he was alive. The Crown did not know his wherabouts.

I placed his death with 'hope he escaped for a while', at After Aug-1357, where we find him in Roxburgh, Scotland.

Re: Children

• No proof, but the William identified has this going for him
  • Right age range, and found in the right situation (on a ship headed to Berwick with wine)
  • we have no land passed down, since it was all forfeited
  • If he isnt a son, he is a 1st cousin with high confidence, certainly aware of the mess the family was involved in, and keeping his head ducked.

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To Do

• Block out all my refs
• Backlink to parents and project
• Add his possible son, and call out the (circumstantial) evidence, his wife we know nothing about
• Enhance the hostage story and synch them between father/child AND Uncle Roger
• Add his properties in forensic genealogy format to a page to share property tracking research. >> instead, move this to do item to the list created with backlink
• Investigate his brothers research to see if their details need inclusion here for BIO (e.g. do his page)
• Create a new page for secured rights for ONS research and just link to it.

• scan for currency format, it gets munched by copy/paste<strike>
• <strike>explicitly map refs to born/death/parents with logic in research notes Done
• note images for original sources and add any to secured rights as needed
• create an ack section to note anything you cant find on Joe Cochoit's pages
• corrected error: Thomas held in ransom by King, then Thomas defects to join Robert the Bruce and is branded a traitor

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward II (1313-1317)", books.google.com, (as accessed [11-Oct-2021]), pg.671, membrane 4
2. ↑ "Durham Cathedral Archive: Register II" [database on-line]. Durham University Archives, Entry for Thomas de Gosewik, 5 Mar 1319, Ref: f.59v
3. ↑ "Durham Cathedral Archive: Register II" [database on-line]. Durham University Archives, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), Entry for Walter de Gosewyk, 2 Apr 1328, Ref: f.102v-103r
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (1333-1337)", Archive.org, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.463, membrane 35d
5. ↑ "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (1333-1337)", Archive.org, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.483, membrane 27d
6. ↑ "The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Rutland: ... preserved at Belvoir castle." Great Britain., Rutland, C. M., Rutland, J. J. R. M., In Lyte, H. C. M., Ward, R., Campbell, R., & Round, J. H. (1888). London: Printed for H.M. Statioery Off., by Eyre & Spottiswoode., Books.Google.com, pg.73, marked (10).
7. ↑ "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (1348-1350)", Archive.org, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.246, membrane 20d
8. ↑ "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (vol23)", Books.Google.com, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.245, membrane 22d
9. ↑ "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (1348-1350)", Books.Google.com, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.208, membrane 20
10. ↑ "Calendar of the Patent Rolls: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Edward III (1354-1358)", Hathitrust.org, (accessed [12-Oct-2021]), pg.614, membrane 9d

Acknowledgements

Thanks in advance for any review feedback.

Take a special look at this atypical 14th century source:

• "The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Rutland: ... preserved at Belvoir castle." Great Britain., Rutland, C. M., Rutland, J. J. R. M., In Lyte, H. C. M., Ward, R., Campbell, R., & Round, J. H. (1888). London: Printed for H.M. Statioery Off., by Eyre & Spottiswoode