Lordship and patronage: John Darcy and the Dublin administration 1324-47

Abstract

John Darcy rose from being a landless member of a cadet branch of a minor Lincolnshire family to serve as steward and chamberlain in the king's household. Justiciar of Ireland for twelve years m total, he developed close links with both Edward II and Edward III, surviving changes of regime in England in 1326 and in 1330, and served as one of the king's captains in Scotland and France. He acquired property in the north Midlands, and in Ireland, where he married into the comital house of de Burgh. This thesis examines his career as justiciar, steward, and chamberlain, exploring how it illustrates the search for, and provision of, 'good lordship'. It assesses whether his friends and associates benefited from his influential position. The personnel of the Dublin government - judicial courts, chancery, exchequer, customs, escheatry, and royal constables - are investigated to discover the impact of Darcy upon appointments. This is set in the context of the influence of other chief governors and that of other evident patterns of patronage within the administration. To do this effectively, the diesis is divided into two parts. The first part surveys Darcy’s career, while in the second half, the Dublin administration is examined by department, commencing with the offices over which Darcy exercised most influence, before following a more conventional hierarchical approach. The thesis concludes by assessing the implications of the influence of Darcy and others upon the relationship of the lordship of Ireland and the kingdom of England.