Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 18 Edward II

Coram Rege. Mich., 18 E. II.

Staff. John son of Adam de Whethales appeared in Court and acknowledged he owed to Richard de Pessale 20 marks to be paid at the next Feast of the Purification, and if he failed, he consented that the Sheriff might levy the sum from his goods and chattels. m. 1.

Staff. Richard de Chelle appeared in Court and acknowledged he owed to Richard de Pessale 100s. to be paid at the next Christmas Day, and if he failed, etc. (as before). m. 1.

Staff. Anselm le Mareschal appeared by attorney against Robert le Lord de Littelhay of Colton and Christiana his wife in a plea of trespass, and they did not appear. The Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce them at the Octaves of Hillary. m. 14.

Staff. Roger Tregoz appeared by attorney against Richard the Abbot of Crokesdene, and Brother John of Tetenhale a converse of the said house, for insulting, beating, and wounding him at Alveton, so that his life was despaired of. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce them at the Octaves of Hillary. m. 14.

Staff. Ralph le Botiller of Northbury and John de Levynton were attached to answer the plea of Nicholas de Rolleston that they together with Hugh de Codyngton, Roger Freman of Levyngton, and two others, had taken, vi et armis, four horses, three mares, ten oxen, four cows, five steers, and four calves belonging to him worth 40 marks from Hambury, on the Thursday after the Feast of St. Gregory, 15 E. II., and for which he claimed £100 as damages. The defendants appeared by attorney, and denied the trespass and injury, and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the Octaves of Hillary. m. 14, dorso.

Staff. Magister William de Esenyngton appeared by attorney against Robert de Esenyngton, Roger le Persones of Esenyngton, Ralph son of Ralph de Covene, William brother of the said Ralph son of Ralph, Roger son of Ralph de Wyvereston, Roger son of Agnes de Stretton, and Thomas and Nicholas brothers of Roger, and three others, in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain, and produce them at the Octaves of the Purification. m. 76, dorso.

Staff. Magister William de Esenyngton appeared by attorney against Robert de Esenyngton, and Roger le Persones of Esenyngton for taking by force a wagon and four horses worth 100s. at Esenyngton (Essington), and beating, wounding, and ill-treating his servants, viz., Henry le Hunte of Frodesham and Hugh son of William de Penne so that he lost their services for a length of time. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff returned Richard de Norcote and another as bail for Robert, and that Roger could not be found, and held nothing, etc. He was therefore ordered to distrain the said Robert and to arrest Roger, and produce them both on the morrow of the Purification. m. 81.

Staff. Robert le Messager of Hoton appeared in person against Henry de Bysshebury, the Sheriff of the County, in a plea, that whereas on the 11th October, 9 E. II., the King by his Letters Patent had granted to him the custody of the King's prison at Stafford for his life, receiving such wages as had been hitherto paid for the same, the said Sheriff despising the King's mandate, had refused to deliver to the said Robert the custody of the said prison, and the Coroner had been ordered to attach the Sheriff, and returned that the said Robert had found no sureties for the prosecution, upon which the said Robert produced in Court as sureties Alan de Walingford of co. Berks and William de Chigwell of co. Stafford. The Coroner was therefore ordered as before to attach the said Sheriff and produce him coram Rege at the Quindene of St. Martin. m. 90.

Staff. Joan, formerly wife of Richard de Cavereswalle, John de Chetewynde, Vivian de Chetewynde, Adam Coyne of Hulm, William de Charnes, John de Tytnesore, William son of Richard son of Adam de Cavereswall. John de Glaseleye, Hugh de Dokeseye, Simon son of Symon de Fossebrok, and twenty others named, are in misericordiâ for many defaults (of appearance). The said Joan, and the others above-named, were attached to answer the plea of William Coyne of Weston, that they had come, vi et armis, with swords, etc., to Weston Coyne on Wednesday the Feast of St. Bartholomew, 17 E. II., and taken by force his goods and chattels, viz., turf, and linen, and woollen cloth to the value of £10, and had beaten and ill-treated his servants, so that he had lost their services for five mouths, and for which he claimed £60 as damages. The defendants appeared, and denied the trespass and injury, and appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned for the Quindene of Hillary. m. 148.

Staff. The Sheriff had been ordered to attach John de Ipstanes, William de Ipstanes, and Philip de Ipstanes, to answer the plea of Thomas son of Adam de Brympton for a robbery and breach of the peace, and they had been committed to the custody of the Marshall; and being brought up, the said Thomas appealed them of a robbery, etc., and stated that the said John on the Monday after the Feast of Holy Trinity, 17 E. II., had feloniously taken in the vill of Eyton, in co. Stafford, two oxen worth 40s. and a cow worth 13s. 4d. belonging to him.

And he appealed the said William de Ipstanes for taking feloniously on the same day two oxen worth 40s., and two cows worth 26s. 4d.

And he appealed the said Philip de Ipstanes for taking feloniously on the same day fourteen lambs worth 14s., and four brass pots worth 26s. 8d.

And the said John de Ipstanes denied the robbery and felony and offered to defend it by his body, etc., and the said Thomas being solemnly called, did not appear to prosecute his appeal. He is therefore to be arrested, and the said John, William, and Philip are quit of the appeal, but being prosecuted at the suit of the King, they stated they were not guilty and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the Octaves of Hillary. A postscript shews that the suit was continued till Hillary, 5 E. III., against Philip de Ipstanes, on which day it was adjourned till the following Easter. All the prisoners found bail and were released from custody. m. 2, Rex.

Staff. The King's attorney appeared against John de Swynnerton, late Sheriff of co. Stafford, in a plea that he should answer to the King for the value of two horses worth 20 marks, formerly belonging to the King's enemies, which had been delivered to the said John when he was Sheriff, for the King's use, by the Abbot of Roucestre, and the Sheriff had been ordered to summon him, and he did not appear. The Sheriff was therefore commanded to distrain and produce him at the Octaves of St. Hillary. m. 37, dorso, Rex.

Coram Rege. Hillary, 18 E. II.

Staff. Robert de Hulton appeared by attorney against William de Gresleye, Chaplain, and Ralph and Robert his brothers, and three others, for taking him by force from Tutteoury to Bretteby, where they imprisoned him and ill-treated him, and likewise for taking two horses, six oxen, four cows, and two steers worth £14, belonging to him from the said vill of Tuttebury, etc. None of the defendants appeared, and the Sheriff returned they held nothing within his bailiwick. He was therefore ordered to put them into "exigend," and if they did not appear to outlaw them. m. 111, dorso.

Staff. In the suit of Robert le Messager of Hoton against Henry de Bysshebury, the Sheriff, for refusing to hand over to him the custody of the King's prison at Stafford, to which he had been appointed by Letters Patent of the King, dated 11th October, 9 E. II., the said Henry appeared in person and stated that the said Robert had never found sufficient security for the office and appealed to a jury. Robert stated he had offered sufficient security for the custody of the prison, and he also appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned for a month from Easter. m. 155.

Staff. Richard de la Shawe of Thornbury appeared against Richard Shyrard, senior, and Thomas his son in a plea that they had insulted, beaten, and ill-treated him at Lek, and taken his goods and chattels to the value of 100s. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain, and produce them at three weeks from Easter. m. 155.

Staff. The King sent a writ to the justices in these words. Here follows the King's writ addressed to Geoffrey le Scrope and his fellow Justices assigned to take pleas coram Rege, stating that he sent to them the indictment made before Hugh de Meynyll and John de Myners, who had been assigned to enquire into the death of William son of William le Lou of Herlaston, lately a King's forester in the forest of Canok, who had been killed at Hopwas in the exercise of his office and which indictment had been returned by them into the King's Chancery, and commanding the said justices to act upon the said indictment according to the law and custom of the Kingdom, dated from Nottingham, 11th December. 18 E. II. The King also sent his commission addressed to Roger Beler, Hugh de Meynill, and John de Myners, or any two of them, to enquire upon oath into the said death. Dated from Iselworth, 13th August, 18 E. II.

The inquisition was taken at Burton-upon-Trent on the Monday before the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary, 18 E. II., before Roger Beler and the others named, in the presence of Sir William de Ferrars, Robert de Stepulton, Robert Tuchet, Edmund de Wasteneys, Thomas de Pype, and Philip de Barinton, Knights, and others, by Philip de Somerville, Robert Touk, Knights, William de Boweles, Hugh de Aston, William Griffyn, Henry de Hounehill, William de Tymmore, William de Walton, Thomas de Rolleston, Robert de Gressebrok, Nicholas de Allerwas, and Hugh de Attelbergh, who stated on their oath that on the Tuesday before the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, during the night, one Roger de Wetewode was passing near the Haye of Hope was, by a certain path leading to the vill of Hope was, and the said William le Lou stopped him in the vill of Hopewas, and wished to attach him because he had passed by night through the forest, and a dispute being thus raised between them one Roger son of Roger de Swynnerton came up suddenly and killed the said William son of William le Lou; and the said Roger de Wetewode aided and abetted the death of the said William, and they also said that the said Roger and Roger immediately fled, so that they knew nothing respecting the harbouring or reception of them by others, nor whether the said William was killed by the procurement of anybody, or whether his death had been previously arranged by anybody. The Sheriff was therefore commanded to arrest the said Roger and Roger, and produce them coram Rege at the Quindene of Easter. A postscript states that at the Quindene of Easter, 18 E. II., one Richard de Peshale appeared in Court before the King himself "coram Rege ipso," and produced the King's Letters Patent pardoning the said Roger son of Roger de Swynnerton for all felonies committed before the Feast of Christmas. Dated from Winchester, 2 May, 18 E. II. The said Roger son of Roger was therefore quit of the King's suit. m. Rex, 1.

Leic. The Sheriff had been ordered to arrest Peter son of Peter de Greseleye and Robert his brother, Joan the wife of Walter de Monte Gomeri, and William de Northfolk, and produce them at Trinity term, to answer the appeal of Philippa formerly wife of William de Monte Gomeri for the death

William her husband, at which day Philippa appeared and the defendants did not appear and the Sheriff returned they could not be found and held nothing within his bailiwick, and he was ordered to put them into the exigend and if they did not appear, to outlaw them, and he now returned that the said Peter and William had not appeared at the County Courts, and had been outlawed, but that the said Robert and Joan had appeared at the fifth Court and had surrendered themselves prisoners, and he had sent them coram Rege, and they were committed to the custody of the Marshall, who produced them before the Court, and the said Philippa likewise appeared and appealed the said Robert brother of Peter son of Peter de Greseleye, of procuring and abetting the death of her husband, and she stated that they were in the vill of Norton, near Twycrosse, in co. Leicester, on the Thursday before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 17 E. II., in the manor house (in aulâ manerii) of Walter de Monte Gomeri, from which place the said Robert had feloniously procured and sent the said Peter son of Peter de Greseleye to kill her husband, and by which mission, procurement and assent, the said Peter son of Peter de Greseleye, on the Tuesday before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in the same year, and at the third hour, had feloniously struck her husband on the head in the vill of Oversheile in co. Leicestre, on a heath called les Whetelondes, near the Abbey of Mirivale, with a sword of Cologne worth 6s., and of which he had died within the arms of the said Philippa, etc.

And the said Philippa appealed the said Joan, wife of Walter de Monte Gomeri, of aiding, abetting, and procuring the death of her husband, and stated she was present in the vill of Norton and had sent the said Peter to commit the deed as aforesaid, etc.

And the said Robert and Joan appeared and defended the felony, and stated that the said Philippa ought not to be admitted to appeal them for the death of her husband, because she had remitted to them her suit for the said death, and all actions and trespasses from the beginning of the world up to the Monday after the last Feast of the Purification, by her deed which they produced, and as the said Philippa did not deny her deed she was committed to the custody of the Marshall.

And process against the said Robert and Joan being continued at the suit of the King for abetting the said death, the said Robert stated he was a clerk, and could not answer without his Ordinary, etc. And the said Joan stated she was not guilty and appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned for three weeks from Easter, and in the meantime she was committed to the custody of Robert de Dumbelton, the Marshall, but was afterwards admitted to bail, on the surety of Edward Charles, Geoffrey Wich, Robert Baynard, Knights, of co. Norfolk, and Robert Took, Knight, John de Miners, Roger de Bradburn, and John de Hamburi, of co. Derby. A postscript states that the process was continued till Easter term, 19 E. II., when a jury returned a verdict that the said Robert and Joan were not guilty of abetting the death of the said William de Monte Gomeri, and they were therefore acquitted of the same.

The King sent to his beloved and faithful Geoffrey Lescrop, and his Fellow Justices, assigned to hear pleas coram Rege, the record and process and judgment upon Roger Damory, Henry de Wylyngton, Henry de Montfort, Andrew de Hertecla, Bartholomew de Assheburgham, Francis de Aldham, Henry Tyes, Bartholomew de Badelesmere, and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, his enemies and rebels, to be recited and enrolled. Dated from Langeley, 28th January, 18 E. II. Here follows the record. The process against Roger Damory is headed:—Placita exercitâs domini Regis apud Tutteburi coram Fulcone filio Warini Constabulario, Johanne de Weston Marescallo, et Galfrido Lescrop, die Sabati proximo post festum Sancti Gregorii Pape, 15 E. II.

Henry Tyers was sentenced at the Tower of London by Roger de Swynnerton, Hamon de Chikewell, and John Waldeshef, under a Special Commission sent to them by the King, dated from Pomfret, 26th March, 15 E. II. They were all sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, but in the case of Roger Damory, who had married the King's niece, execution was respited. N.B.—These Records have been printed at length in Vol. II. of Parliamentary Writs, published by the Record Commissioners.

Coram Rege. Easter, 18 E. II.

Staff. William del Wode, Clerk, appeared against William son of Richard Shirard of Chetelton, in a plea of trespass. The defendant did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce him at the Quindene of Michaelmas. m. 75.

Staff. The Prior of Trentham appeared against John Lovot, Nicholas del Bothes, Robert de Whitemor, William de Harleye, William son of Simon de Clayton, and Simon brother of William, William in le Wro, Simon Shakespere, and nine others, in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce them at the Quindene of Michaelmas. m. 118.

Staff. The suit of Thomas de Brumpton, Parson of the Church of Eyton against John de Ipstone and Philip his brother remanet sine die, the said John and Philip having letters of protection whilst in Gascony in the King's service, to last for a year from 15th April, 18 E. II. m. 132, dorso.

Staff. Roger de Swynnerton, Knight, acknowledged he owed the King £100, to be paid at the will of the King.

Staff. The jury of the Hundred of Offlowe had presented at Tuttebury, coram Rege, that John de Leybourne, Knight, and many others were at the Bridge of Burton assisting the Earl of Lancaster against the King, and the said John not appearing had been put into the exigend in co. Stafford, and the Sheriff had been ordered to produce him at Michaelmas, on which day the case was made a remanet, the said John having set out for the Duchy of Aquitaine in the King's service, in the suite of John de Felton, and for which he had letters of protection for a year dated 10th June, 17 E. II. m. 28, Rex, dorso.

Staff. The Sheriff had been ordered to summon a jury of the vicinage of Matherfeld (Mayfield), to make recognition if Thomas de Hastang was guilty, with others unknown, of taking by force, the goods and chattels of the Prior of Tuttebury at Matherfeld in the month of March, 15 E. II., viz., seven horses worth 40s., forty-seven oxen, cows, and steers, worth £26, three hundred and seventy-six sheep worth £43 12s., a hundred lambs worth 100s. and brass vessels and other utensils of the house worth 40s. And as the said Thomas did not appear, the Sheriff was ordered to arrest him, and his sureties viz., James d'Audeley, Ralph de Shirle, and Nicholas Trymmel, Knights, John othe Lee, Adam de Overton, and John Trymmel of the said County are in misericordiâ. m. 27, Rex, dorso.

Staff. The Sheriff had been ordered to arrest Roger son of Roger de Swynnerton and Roger de Wetewode and produce them at this term to answer to the King for the death of William son of William le Lou of Herlaston, the King's forester in the vill of Hopewas, feloniously killed by night on the Tuesday before the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, in 18 E. II., according to an indictment made before Roger Beler, Hugh de Meynill, and John de Myners, who had been assigned to enquire into the death of the said William. And the Sheriff returned they could not be found and held nothing within his bailiwick. He was therefore ordered to put them into the exigend and if they did not appear to outlaw them, and to produce them at the the Octaves of St. Martin. A postscript states that at Easter term, 18 E. II. Richard de Peshale appeared in Court and produced the King's Letters Patent, pardoning the said Roger and Roger for all felonies committed before Christmas Day last. The exigend against them is therefore to be superseded. m. 7, Rex, dorso.

Staff. The suit of the King versus Ralph le Botiller and Hugh de Cotynton for entering the park of Hambury, in 15 E. II., and taking oxen, cows, and cart-horses of Thomas de Rolleston, Nicholas de Rolleston, and other natives of the King, remanet sine die, the said Ralph and Hugh having letters of protection whilst in the King's service in Gascony, to last for a year from 15th April, 18 E. II.

Staff. The suit of the King against Hugh de Kemeseie, called Hugh Bonde, of Chemesey, for entering by force the park of Hambury and taking oxen, cows, etc., of the King's natives in 15 E. II., and against the said Hugh for taking at Engelton by force, William, son of Thomas de Engelton about Michaelmas, 17 E. II., and detaining him at the manor of Ralph le Botiler of Northbury, was respited till the Octaves of Michaelmas, the Sheriff having sent no writ, and the said Hugh was admitted to bail as before. m. 5, Rex, dorso.

Staff. The suit of the King against John de Whethales, Richard de Whetales, Richard de Chelle, Hugh de Chelle, and Henry de Chelle for the abduction of Joan de Greseleye from Drakelowe, is respited till the morrow of St. John the Baptist, through defect of a jury, and the defendants were admitted to bail as before. m. 1, Rex, dorso.