Youngest of the eight children of Edward fourth Lord Le Despenser (a
name sometimes mistakenly abbreviated to Spencer, for it is _le
depenseur_, "the spender,") and Elizabeth Baroness Burghersh. Born
September 21st or 22nd, 1373 (_Inq. Post Mortem_ 49 E. III ii. 46,
_Edwardi Le Despenser_), and named after his father's younger brother.
He was left fatherless when only two years old, November 11th, 1375.
(_Ibidem_.) During his minority he was committed to the custody of his
mother. (_Rot. Pat_. 11 R. II, Part 2.) In or about May, 1378, he
became Lord Le Despenser by the death of his elder brother, Edward, and
was also substituted for him as bridegroom of the Princess Constance of
York, whom he married between May 30th, 1378, and November 7th, 1379.
(_Ibidem_, 1 R. II, Part 6; _Register of John of Gaunt_, II, folio 19,
_b_.) Shortly afterwards, February 16th, 1380, all the Despenser lands
were granted to his father-in-law during his minority--an unusual step,
for which there must have been some private reason in the mind of the
Regent, Thomas Duke of Gloucester. We next hear of Le Despenser when a
lad of fifteen as at sea in the King's service, in the suite of the Earl
of Arundel, and his mother was formally exonerated from all
responsibility concerning his custody until he should return. (_Rot.
Pat_. 11 R. II, Part 2.) On the 20th of May, 1391, when eighteen, he
received the royal licence to journey to Prussia--then a semi-civilised
and partly heathen country--with fifty persons, and the arms and goods
necessary. (_Ibidem_ 14 R. II, Part 2.) He doubtless accompanied the
King to Ireland in September, 1394, since letters of attorney were
issued for him on the 10th of that month. (_Ibidem_, 18 R. II, Part
1.) Two indentures show us that Le Despenser spent the autumn of 1395
at Cardiff. (_Ibidem_, 1 H. IV, Parts 5, 8.) Certain manors which had
belonged to the Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Warwick were granted to
Le Despenser and Constance, September 28th, 1397. He is styled in this
grant Earl of Gloucester, (_Ibidem_, 21 R. II, Part 1), though it was
not until the day following that his creation took place. The custody
of the Castle of Gloucester was also granted to him for life; and the
manors were conceded with a (then unusual) limitation to heirs male.
The next day, September 29th, he was created Earl of Gloucester in
Westminster Hall, "girded with sword, and a coronet set on his head by
the King in manner and form accustomed." (_Harl. Ms_. 298, folio 85.)
Letters of attorney were issued April 16th, 1399, for the persons who
formed the King's suite in Ireland--Thomas Earl of Gloucester being
named third. The King was his guest on the journey, reaching Cardiff
about the 9th of May, and Morgan on the 11th. They embarked at Milford
Haven about the 27th, and were at Waterford on the 31st. But on the
fourth of July Henry of Bolingbroke and Archbishop Arundel landed at
Ravenspur, and the King hurried back as soon as he heard of it, landing
in Wales, and securing himself, as he hoped, first at Conway and then at
Flint. According to Froissart, Aumerle and Le Despenser had remained
behind in Bristol, and when they heard that the King was taken, they
retired to Heulle, a manor in Wales belonging to the latter. But
Creton, an eye-witness, expressly tells us that "the brave Earl of
Gloucester" was with King Richard in Wales, and his indenture mentioned
on the Patent Roll shows that he was in London in October. (Froissart's
_Chronicles, book_ iv, _chapter_ 114; _Harl. Ms_. 1319; _Rot. Pat_, 1
H. IV, Part 6.) It was on the 19th of August that King Richard and his
faithful few were seized in the gorge of Gwrych. (_Harl. Ms_. 1319.)
The route taken to London was by Chester, Nantwich, Newcastle, Stafford,
Lichfield (where the King all but effected his escape), Coventry,
Daventry, Northampton, Dunstable, Saint Albans, and Westminster,
reaching the last place on the first of September. It is difficult to
say whether Le Despenser was present, or what part he took, at the
coronation of Henry the Fourth. According to Cretan's continuator, the
canopy was held by four dukes--York, Aumerle, Surrey (who accepted his
post very unwillingly), and Gloucester. There was no Duke of Gloucester
at this time. It might be supposed that Le Despenser, Earl of
Gloucester, was meant, were it not that the writer more than once
intimates that there were four _dukes_ concerned. The probability is
that he mistook the name, and that the fourth duke was the only other
whom it well could be, and who we know was present--Exeter. Le
Despenser was still in London on the 27th of October. On the fourth of
January, 1400, the six loyal friends met at Kingston, as detailed in the
text. The account there given is strictly accurate up to the point of
Surrey's death and the escape of the survivors from Cirencester, with
the simple exceptions that it is not stated who suggested firing the
hotel, nor who executed it. From this point the main incidents are
true:--the parting of Le Despenser and Salisbury near Berkeley Castle,
the flight of the former to Cardiff, his escape (we are not told how)
from officers sent to apprehend him, his adventure with the traitorous
bargeman, imprisonment in Bristol Castle, seizure by the mob, and
beheading in the market-place. All chroniclers who name the incident
record that his death took place by no official sentence, but at the
hands of the mob; and this is confirmed by his Inquisition, which states
the day of death, not that of forfeiture--contrary to the custom with
respect to any person judicially condemned. In fact, Le Despenser never
was attainted. He died January 13th, 1400 (_Inq. Post Mortem_ 1 H.
IV, i. 2, _Tho. Le Despenser_), aged 27. The particulars of his burial
are given in the text.