The second significant group of London area Carpenters was those centered about a Edward Carpenter. Edward’s Carpenter surname was frequently rendered as Charpenter, a convention in 14th century documents for those of the ‘denizen’ status or non-citizens, to be distinguished from those who were aliens. The ‘denizens’ were the foreign permanent residents engaged in essential foreign trade. Those of the surname Charpenter in English records were Carpentiers of Charpentiers among themselves. After a few generations they were simply Carpenters, the many Charpenters having seemingly disappeared in the late 1300s. Thus from about 1250 to 1350 a great number of non-English Carpenters make their appearance in English records and then blend into the native populace. This event takes place against the backround of the Hundred Year’s War when the English crown eagerly sought foreign help in a great miltary struggle on the continent. A premier group of these non-English carpenters were those associated with Edward Carpenter or Charpenter mentioned above. Previously I had shown that Edward was ‘probably ’ a Fleming. I have found additional evidence to support this in a connection with Queen Philippa. This document in from The calendar of Patent Rolls for Edward lll in 1360, years after the death of Edward Charpenter. “Inspeximus and confirmation of letters patent (in French) of Queen Philippa (1) dated at Marlborough, 12 June, 32 Edward lll, granting to John de Gosebourn, auditor of her accounts, for long service , 32 ½ acres of land which have come into her hand by escheat in the in the hundred of Middleton, co. Kent, to hold to him, his heirs and assigns, for her life, by the services due. (2) The like, dated at Reading, 10 June, 33 Edward lll, granting to him three shops late of Edward Carpenter of Templestreet, a tenement late of Geoffrey Dubbere at the Blyndyate, a tenement there late of John Brokensbergh, a tenement late of Robert Hattere by the Church of All Saints, seven shops late of Edward Hattere, a teneament late of Robert Guldere in Horstrete and four shops before the friars Preachers, which came into her hand by escheat in the town of Bristol, to hold as above. Grant also that if he survive the queen he shall retain the premises for his life.” >From the names like Dubbere, Hattere and Guldere we can infer we are dealing with a group of Flemings in a financial connection to the Fleming Queen Philippa. I think we can safely assume Edward was a Fleming himself given the material also previously quoted. Edward, as I had shown was a major player in the London area of the early 1300s, as was his son Robert. These Carpenter merchants had a bit of history already in England, and as I will show in my next letter, they imported Flemish wine and no doubt exported English wool. They grew extremely rich and exerted a the powerful influence on the English crown as was shown in previous letters devoted to Carpenters and Lancastrian politics. Sincerely Bruce E. Carpenter Professor Tezukayama University Visiting Scholar University of Washington