Family and Education

Offices Held

Alnager, Northants. 18 May 1377-8; dep. alnager, Northants., Leics., Warws., Salop by 26 Nov. 1380.

Bailiff, Northampton Mich. 1387-8.1

Biography

Colingtree appears to have had a considerable interest in the cloth trade, for besides acting first as alnager of Northamptonshire and then as deputy in four counties to William Hervey*, who held office throughout England, he was also involved in selling the finished product. An alnager’s account for the period July 1394 to November 1395, for example, reveals that he paid a total subsidy of 4s.9d. on 12 lengths of cloth; this fell to 10d. in the following year, but stood at 3s.4d. in 1399. On one occasion, at least, he sought other, less conventional means of making a living: for in November 1383 a royal commission of oyer and terminer was set up to examine the charge that he and several associates had violently threatened and robbed the abbot of Croyland in his home at Wellingborough. Nothing seems to have come of these allegations, however, and Colingtree went on to serve a term as bailiff of Northampton, during which he helped to hold the two parliamentary elections of February and September 1388. When the Commons met again in January 1390 he himself took a seat as borough representative — the last official duty, performed by him during a fairly eventful career.2

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Notes

Variants: Colyntrough, Colyntre, Colyntrow(e).

• 1. Northampton Recs. ed. Markham and Cox, ii. 556.
• 2. CCR, 1377-81, pp. 81, 562; CPR, 1377-81, p. 17; 1381-5, p. 357; E101/343/16.