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The Liberation of Expression   Saturday, November 29, 2003   Everyone left on Tuesday, so I headed back home. It's been quiet here for the most part but I've still enjoyed everything so far. Micaela and I have been bonding, its very bizarre, but maybe we've both just grown up. On Wednesday we went to Target to get some necessary supplies and to the mall to get some hand cream for mom. Thanksgiving was ordinary, quite good, lots of food, but didn't overeat at all. Today I totally cleaned out my car, vacuumed, carpet cleaned the rugs by hand, used armor all on the plastic, polished the wood trim, conditioned the leather, washed and waxed the outside of the car, it looks quite good now. Ah, what else, had lunch with Micaela and visited Grandma Moreland who is having physical therapy at some nursing home nearby. On a more serious note, I am very, very upset with the results of the Assembly Election in Northern Ireland. The Democratic Unionist Party, or the DUP won the most seats, with Sein Finn coming in second. The DUP is led by "Dr." "Rev." Ian Paisley, who I despise only a little bit less then Jack Chick. ( www.chick.com) Paisley has been a part of Northern Irish politics for many years, unfortunately. His party, the DUP is against the Good Friday agreements and refuses to work with Sein Finn, so pretty much the DUP would prefer to go back to the good old days of riots, firebombings, and car bombs. This isn't that hard to understand when you look at "Dr." Paisley. He not only is a politician, but a preacher, and heads his own church, called the Free Presbyterian Church. The FPC, is based on one thing and one thing only: Anti-Catholicism. On his website www.ianpaisley.org, one can see how far from reality this man is. He never talks about Jesus, about God, about loving other people, just about those goddamn papists. Typical charges against Catholicism abound, the rather trite and boring ones that I've heard for years about the Pope being the Antichrist, the Whore of Babylon, the False Prophet, etc... (I've always wondered about how he can be all those things at once!) He actually believes that the Vatican is going to take over Britain by using the European Union. Paisley incurred my eternal displeasure back in 1988 by messing with two people I hold very close, The Pope, and Margaret Thatcher. During the European Parliament meeting in 1988, the Pope was addressing the assembly when Paisley interrupted the Pope's speech. He literally knocked over Margaret Thatcher, who fell, handbag and all onto the ground and started yelling at the Pope "Antichrist! I refuse you and all your false doctrines!" The Pope took it quite well and just started laughing, but the European MP's, especially Duke Otto von Hapsburg, were less then thrilled. They started to attack him with canes and umbrellas and then dragged him out of the assembly. Paisley complains that he still suffers from the injuries he occurred during that day. Serves the bastard right. Indeed, Paisley had quite a checkered history before that. In the sixties he threw a snowball at the Prime Minister of Ireland, led mobs to burn down Catholic owned homes and businesses and supported the Bloody Sunday massacre. Paisley claims he is a loyal servant of the Queen and of Britain, but I doubt that considering he calls the Queen "a fool" and lambasts Tony Blair on every turn. The man is really annoying. He somehow manages to be a preacher, the head of the DUP, a member of the NI assembly, a member of UK parliament, and a European Union MP. He's also very good friends with Bob Jones in South Carolina and received his rather dubious doctorate from there. The people of Northern Ireland also managed to elect the Republican party Sein Finn in second place. Sein Finn happens to be the IRA's political party. So, great, two terrorists, who absolutely hate one another, get to rule one of the most volatile places in the world. This assembly election is a parliamentary nightmare, and will destroy all of the work the moderates accomplished. Get ready for more bombings, hostage takings, murders, and other fun fun stuff! In many ways, the people of NI are to blame, by electing Paisley and Gerry Adams (Who I am neutral on, but the man was a member of the IRA) they have doomed themselves and the peace process. I will be placated somewhat though if the Venezuelans oust that communist Hugo Chavez in their referendum. If they get enough signitatures, they will be able to force him out of office. Now over in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe won't even let his people hold a referendum. You have to at least give Chavez that. No, Mugabe would much prefer to run his economy even further into the ground, increasing inflation from 500 to 700 percent, starving his people, while blaming it all on those god awful capitalist pig British. (Who haven't controlled the country since before 1970.) Now back to a more light topic: Cars. Parents leases just came up and both got new cars. Dad traded in his Volvo S40 Turbo for an Accord V6, fully loaded with leather and other goodies. I was a bit skeptical of his choice at first, I mean EVERYONE drives an Accord these days, but after driving it I can see why. It's fast as hell, handles incredibly, and has first class materials on the inside. It is a bit faster then my Grandma's C-Class Mercedes, but doesn't handle as well ast that car does. It's a big car too, lots of room. Mom replaced her Subaru with a Honda Element. I never really liked the Subaru, it had a really nice interior, but the exterior styling was boring and it had the most anemic engine I have ever driven. The Honda Element is not the type of car I'd drive, but its a perfect car for her. With two dogs, she destroyed the Subaru within a week, and it wasn't large enough for them anyway. The Element has vinyl flooring, stain resistant seats, scuff resistant plastic, and plastic cladding all over the exterior of the car. So that means that there isn't much paint to scratch, there is no leather to be torn, and no carpets to spill Mochas on. Don't get me wrong though, the car is no Daewoo. It's well equipped with all power and normal luxury features, has a very peppy 160hp engine under the hood and has a KILLER sound system. It's got a huge subwoofer, tweeters, etc. Its undeniably the best system I have ever heard. The car also has a better turning radius then my car, and has incredibly comfortable seats. And just because the interior is damage resistant, doesn't mean its ugly at all. I do like the car better then the Subaru, but it is a rather unconventional car. My sister was all upset because the little snobs at Cape Fear have turned their noses up at it. One kid (I wont mention names, it will be easy to figure out) whose parents own the BMW dealership in town called the Element "a pathetic excuse for an automobile." Well, Im sorry, but when you get to drive a 745il BMW at age 17, everything below you is going to look like a pathetic excuse for an automobile. Evidentially the X5 must have been too pathetic for you then, mustn't have it? I think they should force the kid to experience a car from the Buick side of the dealership. How about a nice Regal or Century? That would make him reassess his definitions. In order to not be hypocritical, I have to admit that I still have major car prejudices, I would never drive Chevy/Pontiac/Kia/Buick/Daewoo/Saturn but I consider that a choice, not a snobbery. I'm not the type of person to turn my nose up at a Civic, Mazda 3, or Corolla. I am le tired. Night. 2:46 AM Monday, November 24, 2003   Despite having the research paper over my head I still managed to have a pretty good weekend. On Thursday they had Thanksgiving Feast at Wagoner and it was really quite good, good enough that Justin actually came to eat with us. Saturday they did this Japanese Steak Brunch at the Hawk's nest in lieu of Wagoner, and that rocked. On Saturday, Erin, Jenna, Kevin and I went to the mall and hung around there for a while. Today was sort of bizzare, woke up after having this dream: I'm working for this older lady, like keeping her house together. And her daughter is really trashy and has fallen in love with this beggar who hangs around the house and the old lady isnt happy about it. So, Im on my way into the house and I notice that there is blood on the floor, and broken dishes with toast crumbs on them. So I start to yell, hello, are you ok? I walk down the hallway to the laundry room because I hear heavy breathing in there and I grab the sponge mop against the wall. I walk into the laundry room and Brandon jumps out of the dryer and yells "Gotcha Mothafucker!" I start hitting him with the mop and telling him he cant freak me out like that. Anyway, went over to have Le Omledufromage over at Katies, and then I called up Morris, and went with him and Justin and Ben over to Philly Deli. Finished my paper, finally around 10 tonight. Yay! Here it is, for your reading pleasure (yeah, right) Gilbert de Chishull: Cleric and Clerk During the Reign of Edward III The History of England revolves around prominent individuals such as kings, queens, nobles, abbots and archbishops. Although figures like these determined the course of English History, the downside is that many other ordinary, yet nonetheless fascinating characters such as peasants, parsons, and merchants are overlooked by most scholars of the period. An example of one of these forgotten individuals was Gilbert de Chishull, a man who held multifarious positions during the reign of Edward the Third. As is to be expected, the only existing records that discuss the life of Gilbert are the Calendar of Close Rolls for the reign of Edward III. Although there are other possibly related individuals with the surname of Chishull in the Dictionary of National Biography, Gilbert himself makes no appearance in the dictionary. His first appearance occurs in September 1337, where he is described simply as a clerk. Further records regarding Gilbert, which exist until May 1348, detail that he held other offices besides that of clerk. He is described at times as a clerk of chancery, king’s clerk, purveyor and most importantly, as the parson of Hadestock church. Gilbert lived during one of the most active and interesting periods in English history, although it is certain he was unaware of this fact. Indeed, to fully understand Gilbert’s life, it is necessary to establish the economic, political and social background of his age. Gilbert de Chishull’s life coincided with the reign of Edward the III, who ruled over England during a time of constant warfare, economic malaise and social upheaval. The principal events of Edward’s reign were undeniably the Hundred Years War between England and France and the Anglo-Scottish War. At his ascension, Edward was faced with daunting challenges in both France and Scotland. Due to his inept predecessor, Edward II, Scotland had become independent after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and the French had made significant advances in Gascony in 1323. Furthermore, the Hundred Years War and the Anglo-Scottish war became increasingly intertwined after 1326, in which France and Scotland formed an alliance in the treaty of Corbeil. Edward’s military campaigns against both countries can at best be described as erratic and inconclusive. After initial defeats in Scotland, he was able to force a stalemate in 1346 following the battle of Neville’s Cross, but never was able to bring the country under his control. The situation in France was even more indecisive. Although Edward’s reign was characterized by the campaigns of the Black Prince, and the victories of Sluys and Crecy, by 1375 most of the English gains had reverted back to the French. The reign of Edward III was not only characterized by intermittent warfare, but economic and social disturbance. Doubtless worsened by warfare on the continent, inflation became a growing problem, reaching its peak in the 1340’s. Furthermore, England was struck by a series of bad harvests and cattle blight that caused great misery for the people and drove the economy into the ground. Finally, in 1348, the Black Death reached England, killing thirty percent of the population within a year. Undeniably, Gilbert de Chishull lived during one of the most tumultuous, albeit interesting periods in English history. Gilbert received his surname from the town of Chishull (also spelled as Chishill at times) which still exists today. It is located roughly thirty kilometers south of Cambridge, in county Essex and less then ten kilometers west from Gilbert’s parsonage in the town of Hadstock or Hadestock. It is difficult to ascertain in what year Gilbert was born, but it is not too unthinkable to guess that he was born of wealthy peasants or perhaps minor gentry. Additionally, it can be surmised that Gilbert received some form of education, otherwise he could not have performed his duties as clerk or parson. He was likely educated by the parish priest of Chishull, or he may have even received a more formal education at Cambridge, which even in the 14th century was known as a place of learning. In an age where the majority of the populace remained illiterate, Gilbert had the rare opportunity to learn to read, write, and calculate figures. Gilbert had to have learned Latin, the language of the church and administration, and possibly French which was often employed at court. The Calendar of Close roles does not, unsurprisingly, make a clear distinction between Gilbert de Chishull’s roles as parson and clerk. In 1342 and 1343 for example he is listed as both parson of Hadstock church and as a clerk. Therefore it is not as important to discuss the vague chronology of Gilbert’s life as it is to discuss in detail his various positions. It is not unusual though that Gilbert held both positions concurrently, due to the illiteracy of the times, it was quite common for churchmen to be employed as administrative officials. Gilbert’s church in Hadstock was considered ancient, even during the 14th century. Known as St. Botolphs, it was first built in 654 by Abbot Botolph of East Anglia. The earliest church was burned by the Danes in 871, but was rebuilt in 1016 by King Cnut in memory of his victory over Edmund Ironside. It was a church of some importance, especially considering that Stignand, Archbishop of Canterbury during the Norman Conquest was a priest at St. Botolphs for some time. Furthermore, the town of Hadstock itself was quite prosperous during the reign of Edward III. Located on a main road, it held an annual and well known fair on St. Botolphs feast day on the 17th of June and was also the center of a weekly market every Wednesday. St. Botolphs would have been probably one of the few stone structures in Hadstock and Gilbert may have had to endure his church being used at times as a granary, storehouse, court, or meeting place. As priest of St. Botolphs, Gilbert held one of the most important positions in Hadstock. As parish priest, Gilbert’s first duty was to care for the souls of his parishioners. He probably spent much of his time saying mass, hearing confession and administering the sacraments. In addition to these sacred duties, Gilbert would have more then likely been responsible for local records, which would have provided him a good background in his future role or perhaps concurrent role as a clerk. Gilbert de Chishull was also responsible for writing parishioners’ letters or reading documents for them. It can be assumed that he, like most other parish priests in England, was held in high esteem not only for his ecclesiastical office, but for his ability to read and write. Due to his description as “king’s clerk” over several years in the Calendar Roles, Gilbert may have had some relation to Edward III. While it is impossible to know if Gilbert interacted with the King on a personal basis, it can be ascertained that Edward knew of Gilbert, otherwise he would not have received such a designation. Additionally, Gilbert, although a servant of the King, held an elite position in the land, for it is estimated that Edward III only had about four hundred servants directly underneath him. The designation of clerk was quite a broad one nonetheless, and the Charter Roles specifically mention that Gilbert was a “clerk of chancery” in 1344. Indeed, several of the entries regarding Gilbert de Chishull deal with certain chancery cases. In Medieval England, along with common law courts and ecclesiastical courts, existed the chancery courts. The principal difference between the common law courts and the chancery courts concerned the concept of equity. In chancery cases the Lord Chancellor or a clerk such as Gilbert, determined the verdict through equity or fairness instead of common law. Chancery cases dealt with conflicts and rights of claims, not violations of the law. Furthermore, such cases were dealt with individually, and the Chancellor’s ruling was not based on precedent. From July 26th 1337 until September 20th a year later Gilbert dealt with four such chancery cases regarding the property of aliens in England. On these occasions he was instructed to seize the properties of James de Florenica, Ingelram de Baunvill, Ingelram de Canewell and John Maliet of Wendevere. Edward III had mandated that all of the King of France’s subjects who were living as illegal aliens in England were to have their properties and chattels seized. All four individuals petitioned the clerk of chancery for restitution and received such restitution from the King. On all four occasions the King heard testimony proving that the individuals could not be considered French subjects due to the fact that they had lived in England for more then twenty years. Edward III then instructed Gilbert to make restitution for the possessions that he had seized from the four individuals. Evidentially, Gilbert was a faithful, perhaps too faithful servant to Edward III, for in May 1344 one Thomas de Kyslngbury and others of London accused Gilbert and other unnamed clerks of chancery for trespassing. Unfortunately there are no records detailing as to why Thomas de Kyslngbury specifically targeted Gilbert de Chishull in his plea, perhaps he seized their properties, in keeping with his earlier actions and therefore attempted to bring him to court. Regardless, the Charter roles state that Thomas’s case was to be dismissed and no charges were to be brought against Gilbert de Chishull. In addition to holding the offices of cleric and clerk, Gilbert also held the position of purveyor of the king’s victuals. Purveyance was an ancient custom that required all of the King’s subjects to provide him and his retinue with food, drink, and lodging when he was conducting business away from the capital. In some ways, purveyance was a necessity and allowed sovereigns like Edward III to overview his kingdom and administer justice. However, the problem was that often monarch’s abused this privilege, demanding supplies and shelter not only for themselves, but for their relatives and favorites. Furthermore, some monarchs, especially King John interpreted purveyance to include forced labor. Indeed, the Magna Carta described the abuse of purveyance and in 1311, it was abolished in entirety. Nevertheless, under the reign of Edward III purveyance was continually employed and the charter rolls attest to this. In 1344, Gilbert de Chishull was appointed by the King to purvey victuals in Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Southampton, and then ordered to make restitution for the purveyance. Gilbert evidentially held an unpopular office, defiantly more so then his office as clerk of chancery, considering that in 1362 the office of purveyor was abolished and purveyance was limited to the king and queen only. The last mention of Gilbert de Chishull occurs in May 1348 and after that he fades into obscurity. In that year he was granted thirty-two pieces of silver in restitution for traveling expenses occurred in the king’s service. What happened to Gilbert after that is entirely uncertain. He may have continued in the service of Edward III for some time, and perhaps simply did nothing that the chroniclers of the Charter roles found of interest. It is equally possible though that Gilbert died as a result of the Black Death, which reached its peak in England in 1348. Considering that thirty percent of the population died as a result of the pestilence, it is not too far off to think that he might have been one of its victims. Although Gilbert did not enter the august ranks of the Dictionary of National Biography and never advanced from clerk of chancery to Lord Chancellor or from parson of Hadstock to Bishop of Essex, he nonetheless lived a colorful and interesting life. He certainly, by the standards of that day, lived a more prosperous and comfortable life then the majority of the English people. His ability to read and write, his position as a member of the King’s government, and his parsonage at Hadstock all made him an elite figure in society. And unlike many people, he probably never had to worry too much about food, shelter, or income. As for his personality, we can ascertain that he was a loyal servant to Edward III, and could probably be hard-handed in carrying out his Lord’s demands. Overall, Gilbert de Chishull managed to not only survive, but to thrive in a dangerous, albeit lively period, that was characterized by war, famine, and pestilence. Works Cited Brown, Alfred L., The Governance of Late Medieval England, 1272-1461. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1989 Bothwell, J.S., The Age of Edward III. New York: Basic Books, 1997 Chimes, Stanley Bertram., An Introduction to the Administrative History of Mediaeval England. Oxford: Blackwell Press, 1952 Garnett, George, Law and Government in Medieval England and Normandy, Essays in Honour of Sir James Holt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994 Given-Wilson, Chris, The Royal Household and the King's Affinity: Service, Politics, and Finance in England, 1360-1413. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986 Great Britain Patent Record Office, Calendar of the Close Rolls for the Reign of King Edward III 1327-1377 Hammond, P.W., Food and Feast in Medieval England. Gloucestershire: Sutton, 1995 Mitchell, Sydney Knox, Taxation in Medieval England. Hamdon: Archon Books, 1971 Rodes, Robert E., Ecclesiastical Administration in Medieval England: the Anglo Saxons to the Reformation. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997 The Friends of St. Botolphs, “History of St. Botolphs Church, Hadstock” , November 2003 Tout, Thomas Frederick, Chapters in the Administrative History of Mediaeval England; the Wardrobe, the Chamber, and the Small Seals. Vol. 3. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1967 Omrod, W.M., The Reign of Edward III: Crown and Political Society in England. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990 Stubbs, William, The Constitutional History of England. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979 Knowles, David, The Religious Orders in England. Cambridge: University Press, 1948 Waugh, Scott L., England in the Reign of Edward III. Cambridge: University Press, 1991 1:35 AM