While there are many references to the Town Clerk’s small scale business dealings, the most surprising and interesting are those dealing with truly large sums and powerful people. The following quotations satisfy my long held suspicions that the Town Clerk was directly involved privately with crown finances and affairs, and that the Carpenter family was a major players in the House of Lancaster’s rivalry and subsequent armed struggle with the House of York. Put in simple terms The Carpenter family backed king Henry Vl financially. The following provides some insight. It is from the Calendar of Close Rolls for March 20th 1442. “Richard earl of Salisbury, George Lord Latymer knight, William lord Fitz Hugh knight and James Strangeways the younger to William bishop of Salisbury, William earl of Suffolk, Thomas Bekyngton, John Carpenter, Henry Sever clerks and John Hampton esquire. Recognisance for 2,000 marks to be levied etc. in Yorkshire. Condition that they shall pay the said bishop and the others 500 L. at Easter next and 500 L. at Michaelmas following, or within a month after those feasts. (note: Cancelled upon the acknowledgement of John Carpenter, in the name of the said bishop and the others.)” Thomas Bekynton was bishop of Bath and Wells, Lord Privy Seal and secretary to king Henry Vl. Henry Sever was the first provost to Eton (king Henry’s pet project), Chancellor of Oxford University, Chaplain and almoner to king Henry Vl. Richard earl of Salisbury was Richard Neville the ‘Kingmaker’ who eventually dethroned Henry Vl and placed a House of York substitute on the throne. James Strangeways was another early Yorkist who became high sherriff of Yorkshire in 1446. The passage as a whole shows early enemies of the crown having to pay debts they somehow incurred, to a group of supporters of the crown that the king owed money to. In other words John Carpenter and friends lend to the crown and are promised repayment with the money owed to the crown, and in this case probably extorted from those you do not like. 2,000 marks was a huge sum. (Bruce E. Carpenter)