Family and Education

Offices Held

Bailiff, Derby Mich. 1377-8, 1391-2, 1412-13.1

Tax collector, Derbys. Nov. 1404.

Biography

Members of the Hay family had been living in Derby in the early years of the 14th century. Richard Hay, a tanner and saddler, who represented the borough in the Parliament of 1385, was perhaps John’s brother, and was assessed at Derby, along with a servant of John’s, for the poll tax of 1379. John himself traded in cloth; in the summer of 1393 one of the servants of William Groos* was indicted before the King’s bench for stealing cloth, linen and wool from him.2

In March 1381 Hay had served as a juror at an inquiry at Derby concerning a proposed grant to the chapel at Chaddesden. After the disruption of the municipal electoral proceedings on 29 Sept. 1391 by the followers of the four outgoing aldermen, who included William Groos and William Pakeman*, the new bailiffs (Hay and his fellow), were reported to be unable to account to Queen Anne for the town’s fee farm as their lives were threatened.3 This was Hay’s second bailiffship. Following his third and last (1412-13), he gave evidence at Derby in March and June 1414 to the royal commissioners investigating lollardy and criminal activities generally in the area.4

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: L. S. Woodger

Notes

• 1. E372/223 m. 25d, 237 m. 30; SC8/42/2075; CAD, i. B1250; Nottingham Univ. Lib. Middleton ms D172/1.
• 2. R. Simpson, Derby, 54; JUST 2/27 m. 3; E179/91/28A; KB9/989 m. 5; E101/121/22.
• 3. C143/398/8; SC8/42/2075.
• 4. KB9/204/1 m. 63, 2 m. 33.