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Gough/Goff History & Genealogy Norman Gough School
of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wolverhampton, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1EL,
UK. |
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Martial
Goughs in the 14th and 15th Centuries
Stebbing Shaw traces the roots of the most famous branch of the Gough family to Innerth or John Goch of Powis who in the reign of Henry I, was dispossessed of his lands by Owen Cyfelion and Owen Fychan. Evidently it was restored to him by the princes of North and South Wales, Owen and Rhys, who levied an army to relieve him of their oppression. In the reign of Henry IV, he is believed to have been the father of Philip Gough, Thomas Gough and Sir Mathew Gough. Because of their military inclinations, these Goughs have been described appropriately as "martial Goughs" (Dent & Hill 1896). The family held territories from the north of Salop down to Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset and they later established branches in Lincolnshire and in Ireland. Philip Gough was knighted in the French wars under Henry IV, V and VI. In 1427, together with Christopher Hanson and Martin Godfry, he took the castle of St. Laurence de Mortiers. Sir Matthew Gough (1386-1450)
Most prominent amongst the family during the late middle ages was Sir Matthew Gough ,who was knighted in the French wars. In some references he is said to be the son of Owain Goch, the Bailiff of the Manor of Hanmer in the Dee Valley, and he sometimes used the name Mathau Goch. " In 1431 Robert Lord Willoughny and Mathew Gough, with 1500 men besieged St. Severin in Anjou. Later Mathew Gough was taken prisoner. In 1434 he was taken again in a skirmish by the foundering of his horse as he was marching towards St. Dennist.." On 27 July 1447, Henry VI resolved to cede the territory of Maine to Charles VII. "Next day two captains, Matthew Gough and Fulk Eyton, were appointed the king's commissioners to receive the towns and fortresses of Maine from the marquess of Dorset.... he duly authorised Gough and Eyton to use force if necessary to carry out the instructions" (Griffiths 1981). In 1450 on April 15, the Battle of Fornigny took place near Baillew and Bayeux. Many were killed aor captured. "Sir Robert Vere and Sir Mathew Gough, the valiant Welchman, and many others escaped, after a great slaughter of the English at the battle of Formigny in Normandy." A relieving party of 4500 men under the command of Sir Thomas Kyriel and Sir Matthew Gough were heading towards Caen. The English were routed by a French trap and Gough and although a few survivors mananaged to escape, nearly 4000 English were killed. Sometime in the same year, "Captain Mathew Gough, governor of Liseux, surrendered it with the garrison of 300 men to the earl of Clermont, on condition of being permitted to depart to Cherborg." "The castle and city of Bayeux had to be subjected to a shattering assault by cannon for forteen or sixteen days, under the direction of Dunois, before its surrender was agreed on May 16 by Matthew Gough (or Mathago' as he was known with respect in France), whom the English contemporary described as 'surpassing all the other esquires in war at that time in bravery, hardihood, loyalty and liberality' - in other wirds, all the chivalric virtues of the best of the war's commanders." (Griffiths 1981) On his return he was made Captain of the Tower of London: "Lord Scales, and that renowned equier Mathew Gough (says Speed), had the Tower of London left in their custody when Henry VI and his queen left it upon the defeat of Sir Humphrey Stafford, knight, at Sevenoak in Kent by Cade. Cade - better known by his pseudonym of Mortimer - was an enigmatic figure who became leader of a group of rebels from Kent. Cade entered the City of London on 3 July 1450 and a battle ensued when he tried to cross again on 5 July with some 40,000 rioters. They were unable to cross due to the leadership of Lord Scales, Mathew Gough and several London aldermen. Eventually he set the drawbridge alight. "When the dust cleared and the flames died down, Gough, Alderman John Sutton, a goldsmith, and Roger Heysant, a draper, lay dead along with several hundred others..." (Griffiths 1981) "This Mathew Gough, an esquire in Wales, says the same historian [Speed], was a man of excellent vertue, manhood and zeal for his country, and of great renown in the wars of France, where he has served for the space of 20 years and upwards, and ended his life at London Bridge 1450, being appointed by Lord Scales, the governor of the Tower, to assist the mayor and Londoners in defending the city against Cade. They took post on the bridge, which the rebels attacked in the night, and got possession of the drawbridge, slaying amongst others Mathew Gough; 'a man of great wit and much experience in feats of chivalry, the which in continual wars had spent his time on the service of the king and his father.' " "Sir John Fenn calls him the brave Mathew Gough, afterwards slain in Cade's rebellion." "His death according to William of Worcester, was the cause of widespread grief in Wales" (Stephens 1986). As we will see later , the military tradition in the Gough family continued throughout the generations. References Dent, R.K. & Hill, J. (1896) Historic Staffordshire, Scholar Press, 1975. Griffiths, R.A. (1981) The Reign of King Henry VI, Ernest Benn Ltd., London. |
