Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 2 Edward II

Coram Rege. Mich., 2 E. II.

Staff. John Riot sued Nicholas de Horsebrok, Chaplain, for abducting his wife at Brewode. The Sheriff returned, the writ reached him too late, and he was ordered to arrest and produce the said Nicholas at the Quindene of Hillary. m. 18.

Staff. The Sheriff was ordered to arrest John le Cuntur of Colton and produce him at the Quindene of Hillary to make satisfaction to the King for not prosecuting his appeal against Ralph Griffyn and John his brother, for the death of William le Cuntur his brother. m. 72.

Staff. John de Herevile (Heronville) and Simon his son were attached to answer the plaint of John le Someter that they had beaten, wounded, and ill-treated him at Wednesbury on the Sunday, the Feast of Palms, 1 E. II., and for which he claimed 100s. damages. The defendants appeared and denied the trespass and injury, and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the morrow of the Purification.

The same John sued Walter de Derleston and John le Kyng of Wodnesbury for the same, and they did not appear. The Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce them at the above date. m. 34, dorso.

Coram Rege. Easter, 2 E. II. (fn. 1)

Staff. Ralph de Bisshebury, John de Lethinton, sic (Levington), Richard de Bilrebrok, Robert in the Put, John son of Hugh de Bisshebury, and eight others named were attached to answer the plea of Roger Purcel that they had broken vi et armis into his close at Bisshebury (Bushbury), on the Monday before the Ascension, 1 E. II., and destroyed his corn to the value of 100s. by their beasts. The defendants appeared and denied the trespass and injury, and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the Octaves of Trinity. m. 1.

Staff. Thomas the Parson of the Church of Blithefeld and Simon his brother, Robert le Chapeleyn of Blithefeld, and four others named, were attached to answer the plea of Richard the Prior of St. Thomas near Stafford that they had broken into his close at Blithefeld on the morrow of the Assumption, 2 E. II., and had taken and carried away his corn to the value of 100s. Thomas pleaded he was Parson of the Church of Blithefeld and had entered the land to take his tithe as was lawful, and he appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for three weeks from Trinity. m. 64.

Staff. The Sheriff was ordered to arrest Gilbert de Bradhull and keep him in safe custody till he had made satisfaction to the King for not prosecuting his appeal against Ralph le Botiler, junior, Roger le Loverd of Levynton, Robert de Wykehull, and William le Wodeward, for the death of William de Cliderhowe, formerly parson of the Church of Northbury, his uncle, and produce him Coram Rege at the Quindene of Michaelmas. m. 73.

Gaol Delivery at Stafford before Henry Spigurnel and John de Clynton of Colleshill, Justices, assigned, etc., on the Saturday, the Feast of St. Matthew, 2 E. II. 21st Sept., 1308.

Extracts.

Geoffrey de Bagenhold (Bagnall) taken for the death of Robert de Bagenholt his servant killed at Edenesmere.

Walter de Covene taken for the death of Philip atte Hoo killed at Bradeleye, and

Hugh de Wythegis (Wergs) taken for the death of Oliver de Wytewyk killed at Tettenhale, were tried and acquitted.

Gaol Delivery at Stafford before Henry Spigurnel and William de Colvere, Justices, etc., on the Tuesday after the Feast of St. Margaret, 3 E. II.

Extract.

Thomas Meverel of Frodeswell who had been indicted before Robert le Hunte, Coroner, for the death of John son of Richard le Hore of Frodeswell, killed at Frodeswell, was tried for the felony, and found guilty and hanged.

Coram Rege. Hillary, 2 E. II.

Buks. A precept was sent to the Sheriff, that whereas King Henry, the King's grandfather, in the partition of the Knight's fees formerly belonging to Hugh de Albini, Earl of Arundel, amongst the heirs of the said Hugh, had assigned to John fitz Alan the kinsman and one of the heirs of the said Hugh, the service of two parts of a Knight's fee which Robert Bataile then held in Embreton, and it was shown ex parte Edmund, Earl of Arundel, the kinsman and heir of the said John, that Ralph Basset of Drayton, one of the coparceners of the inheritance of the said Hugh, unjustly detained the said two parts, the King wishing to do justice, had commanded the Sheriff to summon the said Ralph to be Coram Rege at three weeks from Easter last, on which day the Sheriff returned that he had summoned the said Ralph Basset, and a day was given to the parties at the Quindene of Michaelmas, on which day the parties appeared by their attornies, and a day was given to them at the Quindene of Hillary, on which day the said Earl Edmund appeared by attorney, and Ralph de Folville appeared on the part of Ralph Basset and produced Letters of Protection of the King, which had been granted to the said Ralph Basset of Drayton, whilst in Scotland in the retinue of John de Crumbwelle, and to last till the day of St. John the Baptist following. The case was therefore to stand over, sine die. m. 17.

Staff. John Godblod was attached to answer the plea of Henry fitz Herbert that he had forcibly broken by night into his houses at Alstonefeld, viz.: in the Monday before the Feast of All Saints, 1 E. II., and taken timber to the value of 60s. The said John appeared and denied the trespass, and appealed to a jury which is to be summened for a month from Easter. A postscript states that afterwards at three weeks from Michaelmas, 3 E. II. Lettice the wife of John Godblod and Richard his son appeared as defendants in the same plea, placitacerunt in formâ predictâ." m. 20.

Staff. Henry fitz Herbert appeared against John Godblod of Lungenore and Lettice his wife, Richard and Hugh, sons of the said John, William Moycok, Elias Moycok, Roger son of John, and John son of Thomas le fitz Herbert of Somersale, and thirteen others named, in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared, and the Sheriff was ordered to attach them for the Quindene of Easter. m. 21.

Staff. John de Colewich, William, Vicar of Colewich, John Morcok of Colewich, Adam de Bisshopeston, William Lotemay, and eleven others named, were attached to answer the plea of Peter de Greseleye, that they had forcibly broken down his fences at Morton on the Wednesday after the Feast of St. Peter and Paul, 1 E. II., and trodden down his growing corn with their beasts, by which he had been damaged to the amount of £100. The defendants appeared, and with the exception of Adam de Bisshopeston and five others, denied the trespass, and Adam and the others stated that the Bishop of Chester was capital lord of the vills of Morton and Haywode and had view of frankpledge in them, and that when the said manors were in the King's hand, the Sheriff had come to Haywode to hold a Court Leet there, at which Court it had been presented that the said Peter had raised a certain fence to the injury of the manor of Haywode and at that time they were frankpledges of the manor, et dicunt quod tune temporis fuerunt fran ci plegii, and that they by command of the Sheriff had levelled the fence as a nuisance, and that it was not true that any corn belonging to the said Peter had been trodden down by their cattle, and they appealed to a jury.

And the said Peter stated that the fence had been erected for more than two years before the Court Leet was held, and that the said John and the other defendants had levelled it and destroyed his growing corn as above stated, and he appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for three weeks from Easter. m. 31.

Salop. Staff. The Sheriff had been commanded to attach John de Dene, lately Sheriff of Salop, and produce him before the King at this term to answer to the King, and to Geoffrey, son and heir of Geoffrey Gryffin for a false adjudication in a suit between the said Geoffrey and the Prior of Trentham in the County Court of Stafford, and he had attached him by Elias de Bromleye and Ralph de Bromleye to appear at the Quindene of Hillary, 34 E. I., and he had not appeared; and the Sheriff had been commanded to distrain the said Elias de Bromleye and Ralph de Bromleye, and to apprehend Hugh Bussi, the Bailiff of the Hundred of Pirehull, in whose bailiwick the false adjudication had been made, and likewise Adam de Prayers, at that time Sub-Bailiff, and produce them at the same term to answer to the King for the said adjudication, and to the said Geoffrey for the damages he had sustained in consequence. And the Sheriff returned that he had attached John de Dene, and that Ralph de Bromleye was bailed by William, son of Roger de Knotton, and John, son of Dobbe of Whitemore, and that Hugh Bussi and Adam de Prayers could not be found, and held nothing within his bailiwick, and that Elias de Bromleye was dead. The Sheriff was therefore ordered to distrain the said John and Ralph, and to apprehend the said Hugh and Adam and produce them Coram Rege at a month from Easter. m. 76, dorso.

Staff. William Notte and Adam Touk were attached to answer the plea of Ralph de Notingham that on the first Sunday in Lent (no year named) they had taken him at Burton and imprisoned him for 15 days, and had taken his goods and chattels, viz.:—linen and woollen cloth and gold and silver to the value of 100s., and for which he claimed 15 marks as damages. Adam denied the trespass and appealed to a jury, and the said William Notte stated that he had been assigned by William de Stafford and William Trumwyne and the Sheriff of the county and the custodians of the King's peace to carry out the provision of the King's commission respecting things sold in the vill of Burton, and to attach those who sold against the said Commission, and that the said Ralph had sold a pair of socks for 10d. to a certain groom (garcio) which had been appraised by the neighbours at 4d. only, and he had attached the said Ralph by virtue of his warrant, and had sent him to the said custodians of the peace who had released him upon bail, and he had not taken any of his goods and chattels as stated, and he appealed also to a jury, which is to be summoned for three weeks from Easter. m. 38, dorso.

Staff. William, son of Benedict de Boterdon appeared against William Poutrel, senior, William Poutrel, junior, William de Lincoln, Hugh Shirard, Hugh Shyne of Bothum, Philip, son of William del Forde and Robert Hawe, in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared, and the Sheriff had been ordered to attach them, and he returned that William Poutrel, senior, was dead, and that he had attached William Poutrel, junior, William de Lincoln, Hugh Shirard, and Philip, son of William; and that the others could not be found. He was therefore ordered to distrain those who had found bail, and to arrest the others, and to produce them at three weeks from Easter. m. 35, dorso.