Thomas Hawkins

Personal and Family Information

Thomas was born about 1407, the son of John Hawkins but his mother is unknown. The place is not known.

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Notes

Note 1

!Stylename: Hawkins, Thomas, Dean of Stafford [~1407 - ?]

!Source: The National Archives' catalogue

C - Records created, acquired, and inherited by Chancery, and also of the Wardrobe, Royal Household, Exchequer and various commissions

Division within C - Records of Equity Side: the Six Clerks

C 1 - Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Pleadings and Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary

C 1/44 - Chancery pleadings addressed to the Bishop of Bath as Lord Chancellor. Detailed descriptions at item level

Catalogue description Short title: Hawkyns v Eltam. Plaintiffs: Thomas Hawkyns, dean of Stafford. Defendants:...

Reference: C 1/44/221

Description:

Short title: Hawkyns v Eltam.

Plaintiffs: Thomas Hawkyns, dean of Stafford.

Defendants: John Eltam, vicar of Coppenhale, in the deanery of Penkridge .

Subject: Tithes at Stafford. Staffordshire

Date: 1433-1443, or more likely 1467-1472

Held by: The National Archives, Kew

Legal status: Public Record

Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

Notes: The

Dean of Stafford was a significant and powerful religious and administrative figure in medieval England, specifically holding jurisdiction over the Collegiate Church of St Mary in Stafford.

Here is a breakdown of the role:

Head of a Collegiate Church: The Dean was the leader of a body of clergy called canons, who lived a communal life and performed daily religious services at St Mary's Church. The church had 13 prebendary canons recorded at Domesday, and it remained a collegiate institution until its dissolution in 1548.

A "Royal Peculiar": The church was a "royal peculiar," meaning it was exempt from the authority of the local Bishop and answered directly to the King. This made the Dean a very important official to the Crown as well as the Church.

Administrative and Legal Authority: The Dean had administrative authority over the deanery of Penkridge and was responsible for collecting church taxes from that area. The legal record you referenced was a lawsuit over who had the right to collect these tithes, highlighting the Dean's role as a financial and legal administrator.

A High-Ranking Position: In effect, the collegiate church was like a cathedral without a bishop, and the Dean was its primary leader. Individuals in such high-ranking church positions were often highly educated and could be involved in significant political and government affairs, as many medieval deans went on to become bishops or held positions such as Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Privy Seal.

In essence, the Dean of Stafford was a local ecclesiastical potentate, managing the spiritual, administrative, and financial life of the large, important church and its associated lands on behalf of the King.