ROUS, Robert

Rous never held borough office and was one of the least prominent men to represent Northampton during this period. Like many other of the town’s MPs he was involved in the cloth trade: when a defendant in actions of debt in 1443 and 1445 he is described variously as a draper and a shearman. On the latter occasion the plaintiff was a London mercer, but, even so, the infrequency of Rous’s appearances in the court of common pleas does not imply extensive business interests. CP40/731, rot. 355; 739, rot. 49d. When elected to Parliament he was able to call on John Bray* and Walter Albon*, two former MPs, as his mainpernors. C219/15/1.