A Christmas cracker

George Brewes was the cousin of Thomas, whose tomb at Horsham has featured in some of my earlier postings. George seemed to live a rather profligate life as most of the records of him concern his debts. National Archives document C 131/226/26 is about a debt he owed in 1406 to Walter Cokesey. What’s the Christmas connection?

The huge debt of £3000 was recorded in court before Richard Whittington, Mayor of the Staple of Westminster – the well known pantomime character! We don’t know whether George Brewes met Dick’s famous cat.

Walter Cokesey was George’s sister’s grandson. When George died in 1418, he was buried in the Priory church of St Mary Overie, Southwark, later to become St Saviour’s, and now Southwark Cathedral. His heir was Walter Cokesey’s son, Hugh.

Merry Christmas!