de Valoynes. In 1377 he was constable of the castle of Calais.
[Footnote: Rymer IV, 2.] He was prominent in the wars of the time,
especially in naval action. In 1386 he went to Spain with John of Gaunt.
[Footnote: Rymer old ed. VII, 499.] In 1405 he died. [Footnote: Kent.
Arch. XVIII, p. 360.]

WILLIAM RIKHILL was a justice of the King's bench. He may have been in
the list for that reason, or perhaps because he was an inhabitant of
Kent. At any rate he came of a landed family in Kent. [Footnote:
Ireland's Kent, IV, 416.] He died in Henry IV's reign.

JOHN FREMINGHAM, son of Sir Ralph Fremingham of Lose, was derived from a
prominent Kentish family. [Footnote: idem, III, 111. Kent Arch. XXI,
214, XXIII, 57.] He himself is called "chivaler;" was sheriff of Kent in
1378 and 1393, and a Member of Parliament in 1377, 1381 and 1399. He was
executor of the will of William Courtenay, Archbishop of Canterbury. He
died 12 Henry IV, possessing the manor and advowson of the church of
Otham, and Read Court.

JAMES DE PEKHAM was of another old Kentish family which can be traced as
far back as Richard I. [Footnote: Ireland's Kent III, 529. Kent Arch.
Soc. XXI, 214, XXVIII, 210.] His great grandfather possessed the manor
of Pekham in Hadlow (temp. Edward I) and the estates had been increased
since that time. James Pekham was sheriff of Kent in 1377 and 1380 and a
member of Parliament in 1372, 1377, 1383, 1388.

WILLIAM TOPCLYF was apparently the only man in the list (except Chaucer)
who did not come from a landed Kentish family. He was, however, in 1382
and doubtless later, land steward to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He
held a manor in Kent, whether as steward of the Archbishop or of his own