Overview

This chapter examines the Prior of St John's role in crown international relations, as opposed to his role as the main Hospitaller representative in England. In contrast to the presumption of past histories of the Hospitallers, it is argued that the Prior's role was not the same throughout the later medieval period and that four distinct phases are discernible: Firstly, from 1380 until 1395, under Priors Hales and Radington, occasional diplomatic duties were undertaken. Secondly, between 1395 and 1440, there was a lull in diplomatic involvement, with only one mission in 1406. Thirdly, from Prior Robert Botyll (1440–68) until the death of Prior Kendal in 1501, the Priors of England took a regular and active part in ambassadorial duties. Finally, Prior Docwra (1501–27) was much more intensively involved than previous Priors to the extent that he qualifies as one of the principal diplomatic envoys on whom both Henry VII and Henry VIII called. This chapter will concentrate on the three active phases to trace the development of the Prior's role and only briefly mention the intervening period to comment on Grendon's 1406 mission. During the final years of the Order in England (1527–40), the Prior's international role was virtually non-existent, restricted mainly to activities within the realm, such as attending on foreign envoys in London.

Very little has been written on the Prior's role as a diplomat between 1300 and 1540, and what has been written only lists the missions he took part in. The only reference to an English Prior as a crown diplomat in the standard work on the English Hospitallers is to Prior Docwra, who rode with Henry VIII at his meeting with Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520.