Thomas Erpingham - Military Service

Military Service

Erpingham's career as a soldier led him to serve in France during the Hundred Years War, in Spain, in Scotland against the Scots, in Prussia and The Holy Land, and spanned nearly 50 years. Beginning with his service in Aquitaine under the Black Prince in 1368 and concluding with his role at the Battle of Agincourt, his military career was linked with the Lancastrian Dynasty.

Thomas joined John of Gaunt's service in 1380 as an esquire, and was knighted by him. He followed Gaunt to Spain in pursuit of the throne of Castile. After becoming a retainer of Gaunt's, Erpingham served in the Scottish campaign of 1385, against the Duke of Brittany at the relief of Brest in 1385, he fought again in Spain in 1386. In 1390, he joined John of Gaunt's sonHenry Bolingbroke, then simply Earl of Derby, on his crusade to Lithuania to fight with the Teutonic Knights.

In 1392 he again accompanied Henry to Prussia and on from there on a journey through Europe and on to Jerusalem, during which it is thought he obtained the fabric for the Chasuble, now in the possession of the Victoria and Albert Museum, during his return through Italy.

Erpingham further demonstrated his loyalty by accompanying Bolingbroke into exile in 1398, entrusting his lands and property to Sir Robert Berney, but when John of Gaunt died in 1399, King Richard II seized the Erpingham estates.

In July 1399, he landed at Ravenspur with Henry Bolingbroke, launching the campaign which led to the latter's seizure of the throne. During the campaign, Erpingham was responsible for the arrest of the Bishop Despenser and the ambush of King Richard II in Wales, taking him to the Tower of London, and was one of the Commissioners who accepted Richard's signed resignation as King.

He was made Chamberlain of the Royal Household in 1399, and on 30 September that year was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports (dated by the parliamentary returns for the Cinque Ports he made in reply to the writ dated 30 September), thus becoming effectively the guardian of the English Channel, which was threatened by invasion from the French King. He was to hold the latter two posts until 1409. He served as Chamberlain until 1404, served briefly as Steward of the Household the same year and became acting Marshal of England in October. In 1401 was made a Knight of the Garter, and later a member of the Privy Council. Despite the martial nature of his offices, Erpingham took little part in the warfare of the early years of Henry IV's reign, except perhaps to campaign in Scotland in 1400.

Although Prince Henry replaced Erpingham as Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover in 1409, relationships between the two men remained good and, when Henry succeeded to the throne in 1413, he appointed Erpingham as Steward of the Household. He was to hold this post until at least 1415.