Thomas Cantock

[2] A good deal more is known about him today: in particular, a petition he addressed to the King in 1305, asking to be forgiven his debts, throws some light on his official duties, and illustrates the disturbed political conditions which had afflicted Ireland over the previous decade.

[7] He visited England regularly on official business connected with Ireland, and on a number of occasions addressed the English Parliament on questions of Irish law.

In 1300 he was one of three Government ministers charged with selecting 300 hobelars (light cavalry) for the war with Scotland, sending them to the King at Carlisle by Midsummer, and purveying sufficient food and wine for them.

[1] In 1307 he was granted a third part of the manor of Ballyfermot by William Fitzwilliam and his wife Avice, who were members of the family which in time would come to own most of Dublin city south of the River Liffey.

[9] From an undated record in the Calendar of Chancery Letters we do know something of a lawsuit which he and John de Ponz, justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) heard.

This was a claim by John de Cogan of assize of mort d'ancestor, i.e. that he was the rightful owner through inheritance of lands (these seem to have been woods in Maynooth) of which he had been unlawfully deprived.

As the office of Justiciar of Ireland was vacant at the time, Cantock set as many of his own men as he could to the task of guarding the country, and when his funds turned out to be insufficient he borrowed £5 from one Richard de Cardiff.

As a separate plea, he asked the King to remember that he had also borrowed £45 (a very substantial sum at the time) for arranging the marriages of two royal wards, Jordan Dardiz (or Dardyz) and Albert de Kenley.