Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/550

 people eaten and devoured, tr. the reader might lament their ertreme miseries'',"

which passage I cannot but observe, to shew among other examples, the great fidelity of this historian, for in the old roll before-mentioned, is this passage, "Furthyrmor, as towchyng to the derth of vytayles withyn thys forseyd cytee, one buschell of whete was worth v. scutys, one lofe, j. frank, one dog, j. frank, one kat, ij.s. sterl. j. rat, vjd. sterl. and as towchyng all other vitailes, it was spendit er that we com in to the cytee." It is plain that Sir John Ratcliff and Sir John Fastolf had done eminent services in this siege, for immediately after the latter was made Governour, or Captain of Conde Noreau and the former of the castle of Fronsak in Aquitain, and had 1000 marks per annum, allowed him for the guard thereof. He was elected Knight of the Garter, by his royal master, in 1420, and died before St. George's feast in that year, (for then, his sword, helmet, &c. were offered,) and was interred in the choir of this church,  leaving

Sir John Ratcliff, Knt. his son and heir, who inherited his father's courage as well as estate, being well known to the King, and having constantly attended the wars with his father, was upon his death made Governour of Fronsak castle, and of the castle of Burdeaux in Gascoign, in which posts he behaved himself so well, that King Henry VI. in the first year of his reign, retained him to serve him as seneschal or steward of the dutchy of Acquitain, and assigned him 4 marks a day for his own salary, and 20 marks a piece per annum for his 200 archers. In 1425, he was nominated one of the knights companions of the Order of the Garter at St. George's feast at Windsor, in the 4th year of the King's reign, by John Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, the Lieutenant, and the Companions, Sir John Fastolf (whom the Lieutenant had first nominated) and he, having equal votes, Sir John Ratcliff was now chosen, as named by the Regent, Sir John Fastolf being elected at St. George's feast the next year; soon after this, he was again retained to serve the King in the French wars, with 100 men at arms, (of which number he himself was to be one,) four other knights, the rest squires, besides his 200 archers. In 1432, upon humble remonstrance, that there was due to him in arrear, for those and other services, no less than 7029l. he had divers lands, rents, &c. in Wales assigned him for payment of it; in the 13th of Henry VI. he was sent to Arras, to treat with the Dolphin of France, and the year following was Lieutenant of Calais, when the Duke of Burgundy laid siege to that garrison for three weeks; but he lived not long after, for having exercised himself in arms 28 years, he died in the 16th year of this King's reign, and was buried by his ancestors in the choir of this church, leaving Thomas Ratcliff and Robert Lathum his executors, who, in the 19th of the King's reign, had a grant of all the revenues of Bridgewater, and other ports, to discharge a debt of 7015l. due from the King, for Sir John's services, as Seneschal of Acquitain, and Constable of the castle of Fronsak; some say he died in the 19th