Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs: 1272-3

1272-3

A.D. 1272. Sheriffs.: John Horn,; Walter le Poter, again,

(fn. 1) This year, on the sixth day of October, Eadmund, son of Richard, the late King of Almaine and Earl of Cornwall, married the sister of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, Margaret by name, in the Chapel of Reyslepe; a town twelve miles distant from London, on the West.

Afterwards, on the Feast of the Translation of Saint Edward, at Westminster, Sir Eadmund, son of Richard, the late King of Almaine and Earl of Cornwall, was made a knight; as also, Henry de Laci, Earl of Lincoln, and many other nobles of the kingdom of England and the parts beyond sea, in number about fifty, it is said.

In this year, because dissensions had arisen on the Feast of Simon and Jude in reference to the election of the Mayor, as in the two preceding leaves is more fully set forth, his lordship the King, on the Feast of Saint Martin [11 November] appointed Henry de Frowyk Warden, in place of the Mayor.

About the same time, there came news to London that the Prior of the Church of the Holy Trinity at Canterbury, who had been elected Archbishop, and had been staying at Home for some time, knowing and fully understanding that he would be rejected, because his lordship the Pope, upon examination of him, did not consider him sufficiently literate, renounced his election; whereupon, his lordship the Pope bestowed that dignity upon a certain Friar (fn. 2) Preacher, who was Provincial Prior of all his Order throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, Robert de (fn. 3) Killewareby, by name.

Afterwards, on the Feast of Saint Edmund the Archbishop [16 November], Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, came to Westminster, and in presence of his lordship the King, who was then at the point of death, made promise upon oath that he would preserve the peace of the kingdom of England, and would, to the utmost of his power, cause the same to be observed; and that he would keep that kingdom in Sir Edward's behalf. Afterwards, at a late hour on the same day the King died, after a reign of fifty-six full years and twenty days; and was buried on the Feast of Saint Edmund the King [20 November], as set forth on the preceding leaf.

On the day after the Feast of Saint Edmund the Archbishop, Walter Herevy was made Mayor, as is stated on the other side of the preceding leaf; but he was not immediately presented, because since the King's death there were no Barons at the Exchequer, up to that day.

Afterwards, on the Vigil of Saint Andrew [30 November], the Sheriffs before-mentioned were presented anew at the Exchequer, the Barons sitting there, in the name of Sir Edward.

Copy of the first Writ that was issued from the Chancery of Sir Edward, after the death of his Father.

"Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Acquitaine, to the Sheriff of (fn. 4) Nortffolk, greeting. Whereas by reason of the death of his lordship King Henry, our father, now of famous memory, the governance of the realm has upon us by hereditary succession, and by the will of the nobles of our realm, and their fealty unto us made, devolved; by reason whereof, the said nobles and our faithful subjects, caused our peace in our name to be proclaimed, to all and singular of whom in this realm, as dispensing justice and maintaining peace, we are rendered debtors from henceforth; we do command you, that throughout all your bailiwick, in all cities and boroughs, fairs, markets, and other places, you do cause our peace publicly to be proclaimed, and strictly to be maintained, forbidding unto all and singular persons, that any one shall presume to commit any breach of our peace, under peril of disherison, as also of loss of life and limb. For that we are, and shall be, ready to do full justice unto all and singular, by aid of the Lord, in all rights and other matters concerning them, against all persons whomsoever, great as well as small. Witness, W[alter], Archbishop of York, at Westminster, this 23rd day of November, in the first year of our reign."

After this, Sir Edmund, son of his lordship the King, came back to London, from the Holy Land, on the tenth day of December, which then fell on a Saturday.

(fn. 5) This year, on the eleventh day of January, Sir William de Valence, who was with Sir Edward, came to London from the Holy Land. On the last day of the same month of January, the (fn. 6) Bishop of London came to London from (fn. 7) Rome, whither he had been sent by the Legate.

Be it remembered, that about the month of May previous, it befell at Acon, in the Holy Land, that a certain Saracen, a malicious traitor, who knew the French language, came to the Court of Sir Edward, and assumed the character of one of the domestics there, as though he had been one of his household; and accordingly, one day approached him, saying that he wished to speak with him in private on a matter for his own benefit and welfare. Whereupon, Sir Edward, who was too trusting and gave an unreasonable degree of credit to this traitor, received him in his chamber, no other person remaining there. Accordingly, this wretch, having shut the door of the chamber, approached Sir Edward, as though about to speak to him, and instantly, drawing a poisoned dagger, attempted to slay him, giving him four most dangerous, and almost deadly, wounds. Edward however, manfully exerting himself, with a strong hand threw the malefactor to the ground, and with the traitor's own dagger cut him to pieces, blessed be God! and so slew him. (fn. 8) Afterwards, it became known that the Soldan had sent him to slay Sir Edward; just as the Old Man of the Mountains had been wont to do, who, in the time of Richard, King of England, caused the Marquis de Munferat to be assassinated, at Tyre in the Holy Land, by two of his retainers, as related in the history of King Richard before-mentioned.

Be it remembered, that after the death of the before-named King, no one, impleaded by his writ, was bound to make answer to his adversary, unless his lordship Edward, King of England, his son, had by his writ given command to carry his father's writ into effect.

This year, on the morrow of Saint Valentine [14 February], it was made known by the Archdeacon of London to all the chaplains of that City, that by command of his lordship the Pope all ecclesiastics in office, throughout the whole of England, should for two consecutive years give one tenth part of all their moveable possessions unto Sir Edward and Sir Edmund, sons of the (fn. 9) King before-mentioned, on their return from the Holy Land, for the purpose of defraying their expenses; the Templars, Hospitallers, and Cistercian Monks, only excepted.

Afterwards, on the first Sunday in Lent, which then fell on the 26th day of February, the Archbishop elect of Canterbury, Robert de Kylewareby by name, was consecrated in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity at Canterbury; there being present the following of his suffragan Bishops, namely, Laurence de Saint Martin, Bishop of Rochester, Nicholas of Winchester, Godfrey of Worcester, Richard of Lincoln, Hugh of Ely, Roger of Norwich, William of Bath, Roger of (fn. 10) Chester, Walter of Exeter. The Bishop elect also of Salisbury was present, Robert by name; and there were absent, Henry, Bishop of London, and John, Bishop of Hereford, by reason of their infirmities. As for Stephen, Bishop of Chichester, he was still at Rome, whither he had been sent by Ottoboni, the Pope's Legate, as already written.

Be it remembered, that in the month of November next preceding there came envoys to London from his lordship the Pope, bringing letters of the Pope; but because his lordship the King was then dead, and his son, who succeeded to the kingdom, was not present, the nobles of England would not give the said envoys an answer; whereupon the said envoys, while staying in the meantime at the New Temple, sent letters to his lordship the Pope. Still however, they took for their expenses, sixteen shillings from every house of religion in England established, no one being exempt, whether Templars, Hospitallers, or Monks of the Cistercian Order.

On the day before the Annunciation of Our Lady [25 March], there were read in the Guildhall of London letters of his lordship King Edward, the tenor of which is as follows:—

"Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Acquitaine, to the Mayor, and Sheriffs, and Commonalty of London, greeting. We do know and do strongly hope, that so often as you have heard good tidings of us, your feelings have been gratified thereby, receiving an accession of joy and gladness; even as at the present moment, when we do make known to you, that at the time of writing these presents, at (fn. 11) Caples in the land of Labor, near unto our dearest cousin the illustrious King of Sicily, we are as well and as unimpaired as, after the bitterness of grief that we have experienced by reason of the departure of his lordship the King, of happy memory, our late father, we might be; a loss which, in submission to the divine will, we do patiently endure. But forasmuch as we should wish, and do desire, that all in our realm should enjoy peace and tranquillity, we do command you, in virtue of the fealty and love, in which unto us you are bound, that, diligently giving attention thereunto, you make it your care, in our absence, so to conduct yourselves, that upon our arrival in England, whither we are now hastening, the Supreme aid preceding us, we may be able to find you deserving therein. But forasmuch as we have not yet had made our own royal Seal, we have had these presents, at our instance, enclosed under the Seal of his lordship the King of Sicily before-mentioned. Witness myself, at Caples, this 19th day of January, in the first year of our reign."

Be it remembered, that after Stephen, Bishop of Chichester, who had been sent to Rome by Ottoboni, Legate of his lordship the Pope, as has been already stated in this Book, had obtained of the Supreme Pontiff, the Lord Gregory the Tenth, his gracious permission to return to his country and resume his dignity, on such his return towards England, he conducted himself foolishly and indiscreetly; for he received into companionship Emeric de Montfort, for the purpose of escorting him and bringing him with himself to England; a person whom his lordship King Edward held in abhorrence, seeing that his brothers had slain Sir Henry of Almaine, as already written. Whereupon, his lordship the King immediately gave orders to the Constable of Dover Castle, to cause the sea to be watched with ships and galleys on every side, that he might not enter the kingdom of England. He also commanded his Justiciars, to take into their hands the barony of the said Bishop.

In this year, the same as in the three preceding years, no judicial cognizance was taken of the London bakers; but they, giving bribes to the Mayor and Sheriffs, made their loaves at their own pleasure, so much so, that every loaf was one third or one fourth lighter in weight than it ought to be, to the great loss and detriment of the citizens and of all persons coming into the City.

Be it remembered, that throughout the whole time of this Mayor's Mayoralty he did not allow any pleading in the Hustings of Pleas of Land, except very rarely; the reason being, that he himself was impleaded as to a certain tenement which Isabella Bukerel demanded of him by plea between them moved.

In this year, his lordship the King, returning from the Holy Land with a noble array and retinue, came to Paris on the Thursday before Saint Peter's Chains [1 August], which then fell upon the sixth of the Calends of August [27 July], his Queen having set out for Gascoigne. And on the morrow he did homage to the King of France for the lands which he holds, and which he claims to hold, of him.

Shortly after, he set out with his suite for Gascoigne, certain Earls and other nobles of the kingdom of England accompanying him, who had come as far as Paris, and even further, to meet him.

The letters under-written were read in the Guildhall on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary [8 September], in the year of Our Lord 1273, and proclaimed throughout all the City in accordance with the tenor thereof:—

"Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Acquitaine, to his Mayor and Sheriffs of London, greeting. Forasmuch as the Countess of Flanders and her people have, within her territories and dominions, inflicted divers injuries and grievances upon us and our subjects, by reason whereof we are unwilling that they shall any longer come into our realm, or dwell in the same, or sell merchandize or follow business therein; we do command you, and do strictly enjoin, that in our City of London you do cause it to be publicly proclaimed, that no one of them shall, under forfeiture of his body and his goods, presume to enter our territory or make sojourn there; and if perchance any individual persons shall have received especial grant from his lordship King Henry, our father, or other our ancestors, to the effect that they may come into our territory, sojourn therein, and there pursue their trade, you are to cause it to be proclaimed, that such persons shall collect their merchandize and their debts before the Feast of Our Lord's Nativity next ensuing, and then, at the latest, depart from our realm, under like forfeiture, never to return. Given by the hand of Walter de Merton, our Chancellor, at Saint Martin's le Grand, in London, this 8th day of September, in the first year of our reign."

In this year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been lately consecrated, was enthroned and placed in the Archiepiscopal chair, on the Day of Saint Lambert [17 September], which then fell on a Sunday; upon which day, arrayed in his pall, he solemnly celebrated divine service, and on the same day held a very great and most noble Court, consisting of many of the Prelates and Barons of England.

At this time died Henry de Sandewych, Bishop of London, at a certain manor of his called "Orsete," distant 18 miles from London; whose body was committed to the tomb on the (fn. 12) ninth of the Calends of October [23 September], being the morrow of Saint Matthew the Apostle [21 September], in the Church of Saint Paul at London, in the place which he himself had selected on the day of his enthronization, in case he should die in the realm of England.