Thomas Erpingham

Also known as: Sir Thomas Erpingham / sir Thomas Erpingham · Family: House of Lancaster · Role: knight · First appears: Richard II 74

Life events

• c. 1399 · The commissioners formally deposed Richard II from England’s kingship.(Richard II 80)
  • With: John, Bishop of St Asaph John, Abbot of Glastonbury Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester Thomas Berkeley, Baron Berkeley William Thirning Thomas Grey Richard II
  • “And we depose him by our sentence definitiue”
• c. 1399 · The estates resigned their homage and fealty to Richard II.(Richard II 80)
  • With: John, Bishop of St Asaph John, Abbot of Glastonbury Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester Thomas Berkeley, Baron Berkeley William Thirning Thomas Grey Richard II
  • “to resigne and yeeld vp vnto king Richard, all their homage and fealtie”
• c. 1415 · Thomas Erpingham signals the archers, who launch the English attack against the French vanguard.(Henry V 10)
  • “These made somewhat forward, before whome there went an old knight sir Thomas Erpingham (a man of great experience in the warre) with a warder in his hand; and when he cast vp his warder, all the armie shouted, but that was a signe to the archers in the medow, which therwith shot wholie altogither at the vauward of the Frenchmen”

Richard II 74

• allies with Henry IV “There were also with him, Reginald lord Cobham, sir Thomas Erpingham, and sir Thomas Ramston knights, Iohn Norburie, Robert Waterton, & Francis Coint esquires”

Richard II 80

• enemies with Richard II “We Iohn bishop of S. Asaph, Iohn abbat of Glastenburie, Thomas earle of Glocester, Thomas lord Berkeleie, William Thirning iustice, Thomas Erpingham & Thomas Graie knights, chosen and deputed speciall commissaries by the three states of this present parlement, representing the whole bodie of the realme, for all such matters by the said estates to vs committed: we vnderstanding and considering the manifold crimes, hurts, and harmes doone by Richard king of England, and misgouernance of the same by a long time, to the great decaie of the said land, and vtter ruine of the same shortlie to haue beene, had not the speciall grace of our God therevnto put the sooner remedie: and also furthermore aduerting, that the said king Richard by acknowledging his owne insufficiencie, hath of his owne meere voluntee and free will, renounced and giuen ouer the rule & gouernance of this land, with all rights and honours vnto the same belonging, and vtterlie for his merits hath iudged himselfe not vnwoorthilie to be deposed of all kinglie maiestie and estate roiall. We the premisses well considering by good and diligent deliberation, by the power, name, and authoritie to vs (as aboue is said) committed, pronounce, decerne, and declare the same king Richard, before this to haue beene, and to be vnprofitable, vnable, vnsufficient, and vnwoorthie of the rule and gouernance of the foresaid realms and lordships, and of all rights and other the appurtenances to the same belonging. And for the same causes we depriue him of all kinglie dignitie and worship, and of any kinglie worship in himselfe. And we depose him by our sentence definitiue”

Henry IV 1

• sworn: Henry IV “Sir Thomas Erpingham knight exercised the office of lord great Chamberleine, and gaue water to the king when he washed, both before and after dinner”
• rivals with Aubrey de Vere, Earl of Oxford “Sir Thomas Erpingham knight exercised the office of lord great Chamberleine, and gaue water to the king when he washed, both before and after dinner, hauing for his fées, the bason, ewer, and towels, with other things whatsoeuer belonging to his office: notwithstanding Auberie de Veer earle of Orenford put in his petitions to haue that office as due vnto him from his ancestors.”

Henry V 7

• sworn: Henry V (The king appointed Thomas Erpingham as a commissioner.) “The duke of Clarence, to whome this messenger first declared his errand, aduertised the king of their request, who granting thereto, appointed the duke of Excester, with the lord Fitz Hugh, and sir Thomas Erpingham, to vnderstand their minds,”

Henry V 10

• allies with Henry V “These made somewhat forward, before whome there went an old knight sir Thomas Erpingham (a man of great experience in the warre) with a warder in his hand; and when he cast vp his warder, all the armie shouted, but that was a signe to the archers in the medow, which therwith shot wholie altogither at the vauward of the Frenchmen, who when they perceiued the archers in the medow, and saw they could not come at them for a ditch that was betwixt them, with all hast set vpon the fore ward of king Henrie”
• sworn: Henry V (Erpingham leads part of Henry V's army in battle.) “These made somewhat forward, before whome there went an old knight sir Thomas Erpingham (a man of great experience in the warre) with a warder in his hand; and when he cast vp his warder, all the armie shouted, but that was a signe to the archers in the medow, which therwith shot wholie altogither at the vauward of the Frenchmen, who when they perceiued the archers in the medow, and saw they could not come at them for a ditch that was betwixt them, with all hast set vpon the fore ward of king Henrie”

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Extracted from the original text of Holinshed's Chronicles — the reigns Shakespeare dramatized. Made with Rho MD.