Let us see whether facts support this presumption.
Now, Hankford was a Judge of the Common Pleas at the end of the previous
reign; but he was omitted when his brethren of that court received their
new patents from Henry V., which were not issued till May 2, a day or
two before Easter Term. And yet we find the name of Hankford in the
Year-book reports of both that and Trinity Term; and we find it, not as
acting in the Common Pleas, but as ruling in the King's Bench.
Further, although Gascoigne was summoned to the first parliament on
March 22, yet on its meeting on May 15, he was not present;--added to
which, his usual position, as first named legal trier of petitions, was
filled by Sir William Hankford, placed too in precedence of Sir William
Thirning, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
These facts, so contradictory to Dugdale's date, rendered it necessary
to refer to the roll. This, by the kindness of Mr. Duffus Hardy (who
certainly can never be called the "streict-laced" gaoler of the records,
alluded to in your fourth number, Vol. i., p. 60.), has been inspected;
and the result is that the date of Hankford's appointment, instead of
being _January_ 29, 1414, as stated by Dugdale, turns out to be _March_
29, 1413; just eight days after King Henry's accession, and ten days
previous to his coronation.
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