Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 11 Edward II

Coram Rege. Mich., 11 E. II.

Derb. John Giffard, of Chelinton, appeared against William son of Richard de Chaddesdene, in a plea of trespass. William did not appear, and the Sheriff had been ordered to distrain, and returned the writ reached him too late. He was therefore ordered as before to distrain and produce him at the Quindene of Hillary. m. 71.

Staff. The Abbot of Roucestre was attached at the suit of the King as well as at the suit of Robert de Beston in a plea that whereas the King had commanded that he should find necessaries to the said Robert who had faithfully served the King's father, formerly King of England, in his wars in Scotland and Gascony, and in garrison in the town of Berewic-upon-Tweed, for the life of the said Robert, or shew cause why he should not supply them, the said Abbot despising the commands of the King, had neither provided necessaries for the said Robert, nor had signified to the King any reason for not supplying them. And the Abbot appeared and stated that his House from a time out of memory had been founded by one Richard Bacun, and endowed with certain lands in pure alms, and Ralph, Earl of Chester, had ratified and confirmed his grants, (fn. 1) and likewise King Henry, then King of England, and King Henry, the grandfather of the present King, had confirmed all the said grants to the Abbot and his successors in pure and perpetual alms, and he produced the Charters and confirmations of the said Richard Bacun, the Earl of Chester, and of the King's progenitors. He stated also that his house was burdened with divers debts, and in consequence of a great mortality amongst their animals, defect of corn, and other misfortunes, his house was so pauperized that it could not find necessaries for the canons serving God within the house, and they had been forced to send them out to solicit sustenance from their friends, almost as mendicants—"quasi mendicantes." And the Abbot being asked who now held the advowson of the Abbey, replied the King. A day was given to the parties to hear judgment at the Quindene of Hillary.

A postscript states that the suit was adjourned again to three weeks from Easter, on which day the said Robert never appeared co prosecute it. m. 89, dorso.

Coram Rege. Hillary, 11 E. II.

Staff. Ada Giffard (fn. 2) appeared by attorney against Richard le Barker of Eccleshale, Roger le Mareschal and Swetkynn, his brother, Henry de Sogenhull, Phillip de Fraunkeville, Robert Gilbert and thirteen others named in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain those who had found bail and to arrest Robert Gilbert who could not be found and produce them at three weeks from Easter. m. 50, dorso.

Staff. Robert Gilberd and John and Richard his sons and Alice his wife and Richard de Luttelmor were attached to answer the plea of Richard son of Richard de Hatherdon that they had insulted, beaten, and ill-treated him on the Saturday before the Feast of St. Bartholomew, 10 E. II.

The defendants appeared and denied the trespass and injury and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for three weeks before Easter. m. 50, dorso.

Staff. The Prior of Trentham was attached at the suit of the King in a plea that whereas Richard de Whitchurch Balistar, had faithfully served the King and the King's father of good memory in their wars in Gascony and Scotland and in garrison at Berwick-on-Tweed, and the King had commanded that he should be supplied with necessaries from the convent for his life; the Prior had refused to carry out the King's precept to the manifest contempt of the King, etc.

And the said Prior appeared by his attorney and denied the contempt, etc., and stated that Ralph, formerly Earl of Chester, had founded the House of Trentham with 100s., of land annually for the support of the whole convent, and that one Adam le Ferour, formerly the King's servant, at the request of the King was supported for his life, in meat, drink and clothing in the said house, and the King had never intended that any other should have been supported in the same house, and he added that when Richard de Whitchurch the Balistar had brought the King's letters, "de sustentatione habenda" in his house the Prior had taken the letters to the King himself and had made excuses to the King, and the King had remitted his command to the Prior by writ of privy seal in these words.

Edward par la Grace de Deu Roy Dengleterre Seigneur Dirlaunde et Ducs D'aquitanie, à nos chers en dieu Priour et covent de Trentham saluz. Nous avons bien entenduz la requeste que vous nos avez fait endroit de estre descharges de la sustenance Richard de Whitchurche 9s., nos vous priasmes nadgaires par nos autres lettres, et vos feisons saver que à votre priere nos vous en soeffronis bonement à ceste fois. Done sous notre prive seal à Wyndesore le XVI., jour de Janevour l'an de notre regne unzisme. The suit against the Prior was therefore dismissed. m. 36, dorso.

Coram Rege. Easter, 11 E. II.

Hugh le Blount, knight, appeared in court and acknowledged a deed by which he was bound for himself and heirs to pay to John de Stonore and his heirs a rent of £100 to be received from his manors of Kyngestone in co. Oxon, Pencriz, in co. Stafford, and Gyngejeyberd Laundry in co. Essex. Dated from Kyngeston, 11 E. II., and witnessed by John de la Pole, Richard Doyly, Robert de Stoke and others.

John de Stonore also appeared and acknowledged his deed of the same date by which he conceded that if the said Hugh during his lifetime should not implead him or his heirs for the manor of Duddecote the reversion of which belonged to John after the death of the said Hugh and Nicholace his wife, no claim would be made by him and his heirs for the said rent of £100, but if after the death of the said Hugh, any plea should be moved against the said Dame Nicholace by his heirs or by any of the heirs of Hugh, son of the said Sir Hugh, then the heirs of the said Hugh should be bound to pay the said rent to him and to his heirs for ever. m. 5.

Derb. Roger de Okoure and Roger de Rossington were attached at the suit of Laurence de Okoure of Assheburn for insulting him at Assheburne and taking him by force to Okoure (Okeover) in co. Stafford on the Monday before the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary, 11 E. II., and imprisoning him at Okeover for 8 days and ill-treating him until he had made a fine with him for £40; and for taking his goods and chattels, viz., gold, silver, linen and woollen cloth to the value of £100, and for which he claimed £500 as damages.

Roger de Okoure appeared in person, and Roger de Rossington by attorney and the latter denied the trespass, and appealed to a jury, and Roger de Okoure stated that the said Laurence was his villein and from time out of memory he and his ancestors had been seised of him and of his ancestors, as their villeins. And the said Laurence stated he was a freeman and living at Assheburne, in co. Derby, within the fee of the Earl of Lancaster and outside the fee of the said Roger when the defendants took him by force and imprisoned him at Okoure in co. Stafford, and as the said Laurence asserted that the trespass took place at Assheburne, in co. Derby, and the said Roger declared it took place at Okoure, it appeared to the Court expedient that a mixed jury from co. Stafford and co. Derby, should be summoned for the Octaves of St. John the Baptist. A postscript states that at Easter term 12 E II., a jury came and found that the said Laurence de Okoure was a freeman and that he and his ancestors from time out of memory had been freemen and they stated that the said Roger de Okoure sent to the said Laurence to come and speak to him at Okoure, and when he came he claimed him as his villein, and Laurence said he was a freeman and if he would come with him to Assheburne he could prove it by his muniments, and the said Roger de Okoure came to him at Assheburne and having seen the muniments said to Laurence that they were insufficient and that he must return with him to Okoure, "vel de corpore suo luet," so that the said Laurence out of fear of the said Roger and Roger, and against his will, set out for Okoure where he was kept in prison for eight days and the said Laurence had made a fine with Roger de Okoure of £10 of which he had paid 13 marks, and he had further entered into a bond with the said Roger for the payment of £40 sterling with two sureties for security, and that the defendants detained this bond to the damage of the said Laurence of £70. It was therefore considered that the said Laurence should recover damages of £70 against the two defendants and the Sheriff was ordered to arrest them. And the said Laurence obtained a writ of "elegit" against them according to the statute. A further postscript states that the defendants afterwards made fine with the King as appears on the roll of fines of Michaelmas term, 13 E. II. m. 28.

Warw. The Sheriff had been ordered to arrest John son of William Murdak and keep him in safe custody till he had made fine with the King for not prosecuting his appeal against Juliana formerly wife of Thomas Murdak, Alice la Chaumberere and Adam le Someter for the death of Thomas Murdak the kinsman of the said John son of William Murdak, and the Sheriff returned he could not be found and held nothing within his bailiwick; he was therefore ordered as before to produce the said John at the Octaves of Michaelmas. m. 127.