The political tensions of the late 1300s provide us with glimpse of the London Carpenters and enough evidence to begin to define them as a family group at this interesting but troubled juncture of English history. The story begins with the opposition to King Richard II by three powerful aristocrats, Richard Fitzalan earl of Arundel, Thomas Beauchamp earl of Warwick and Thomas of Woodstock duke of Gloucester. Open conflict begins in the late 1380s. Members of the King’s faction are impeached by Parliament by the urging of the above three. The King retaliates against the supporters of the three. In the midst of this we find Richard Carpenter and his sons John and Robert harassed and arrested. The implication of this is that the Carpenters must have held land from the three, and their economic activities must have been intertwined. Ten years later in the late 1390s King Richard II had his revenge on the three aristocrats. Arundel was executed, Gloucester murdered and Beauchamp banished. John of Gaunt, the man behind the scene in all of this, remains neutral until his son Henry Bolinbroke finally deposes King Richard II and he himself becomes King Henry IV. This sets the stage for the long War of Roses, the conflict between the Lancaster and Yorkist claims to the throne, with the Carpenters naturally on the Lancaster side. When the three above aristocrats had their estates confiscated, the litigation for one of them happily lists the tenants. John and Robert Carpenter appear as holding a good proportion of the land. The document is extremely Long and I will give portions of it. It is from the Calendar of Inquisitions, document 298. “Thomas duke of Gloucester had on the day of his forfeiture the manor of Tarent Launston……..There are 2 carucates of land of 200 acres each…….pasture on ‘le Doune’ for 400 sheep worth 6s. 8d. yearly in excess of their winter keep, the shepherd’s wages and livery and grease for the sheep……John Rauwe, John Hayne, John Carpenter, Walter Russell, Robert Carpenter, John Chubbe, Vincent Pynselond, Walter Serle, Thomas and John Russell, Rodger Trubbe, John Rodger and John Roule, whole virgaters, each holding a messuage and 24 acres of land, paying 4s. yearly and doing works worth 2s. yearly.” The manor appears to have been in Dorcet. We can assume that the Carpenters didn’t live on the manor. This land was probably one of many of their holdings. In the document mention is made of the kind of people who actually managed the land for their absent landlords. The document describes various uses the land was put to. Sheep were a detailed and special mention, but not the only mentioned use. Unfortunately which tenant had the sheep is not specified, although I suspect the Carpenters. Bruce E. Carpenter