George Ashby (poet)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Ashby (c. 1390–1475) was an English civil servant and poet.
He was born about 1390, and was from Warwickshire.[1] He was Clerk of the Signet, first to Henry VI from the beginning of his reign, and afterwards to Margaret of Anjou, in whose service he evidently travelled abroad. Margaret named him steward of Warwick in 1446.[2] In 1459 he was in Parliament, as member for the borough of Warwick.[3]
Between the summer and 28 September 1462, Ashby started a term in the Fleet Prison to which he was probably confined by the Yorkist conquerors of Henry VI, who was deposed in 1461.[4] Prior to that, the poet would seem to have directed some part of the education of the young Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, Henry VI's son.[4]
He appears to have owned an estate named 'Breakspeares' in Harefield, Middlesex. Ashby died on 20 February 1475, and was buried at Harefield. His son John was also a signet clerk under Henry VI and died in 1496.[4] A grandson George was clerk of the signet to Henry VII and Henry VIII, and died on 5 March 1515.
