- Henry Redford
Sir Henry Redford was a
Knight of the Shire , Sheriff of Lincolnshire and the Speaker of the House of Commons for the parliament of1402 .The parliament was held at
Coventry before moving toWestminster due to problems with lodgings and food. Parliament opened on the 1st of October, with the Lord Chancellor asking for:Ways and means for maintaining the war against Scotland, for utterly subjecting the enemies of Wales, for wholly conquering Ireland and for defending Guienne, Calais and the Marches thereof.
Alarmed at the scale of the request, Parliament took several days to consider it, but found they couldn't come to any conclusion. On the 10th of October they asked permission to confer with members of the House of Lords, which the King granted under duress. As a result 4 Bishops, 4 Earls and 4 Barons were ordered to attend, and the end decision was a three-shilling tax on wine and a 15 pence tax on merchandise to sponsor the King's efforts. It is reported that Henry was so pleased with the result that he invited both houses to dine with him privately. The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons, from the Time of King Edward III to Queen Victoria, James Alexander Manning, G. Willis, 1851]
References
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