Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 4 Edward II

Coram Rege. Mich. 4 E. II.

Staff. John, brother of Richard Parson of the Church of Swynnerton, the Clerk, Richard Ladde, Chaplain, Henry son of William de Tene, William del Beche of Swynnurton, Richard son of Adam de Whetale, Hugh fitzBass of Swynnurton, and ten others named, were attached to answer the plea of Vivian de Staundon, that they had broken into his park at Fenton on the Vigil of St. Thomas the Martyr, 3 E. II., and had chased and taken twenty bucks and does, and for which he claimed £20 as damages. The defendants denied the trespass and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the Octaves of Hillary. m. 83, dorso.

Staff. Vivian de Staundon sued Richard the Parson of the Church of Swynnurton in a plea of trespass, and he did not appear, and the Sheriff had been ordered to distrain, and returned he was a Clerk and held nothing within his Bailiwick. A mandate was therefore sent to the Bishop to produce the said Richard at the Octaves of Hillary. m. 83, dorso.

Staff. John brother of Richard the Parson of Swynnerton, and the other defendants named above were attached to answer the plea of William Trussel, senior, that they had broken vi et armis into his park at Cublesdon on the Vigil of St. Thomas the Martyr, 3 E. II., and had chased and taken twenty bucks and does, and for which he claimed £100 as damages. The defendants appeared and denied the trespass and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the Octaves of Hillary. A postscript states that afterwards on the morrow of St. John the Baptist, in 6 E. II., Richard the Parson of the Church of Swynnurton appeared and was included in the same plea. m. 3, dorso.

Coram Rege. Hillary, 4 E. II.

Staff. The Prior of Ware sued Richard Immer in a plea that he had taken vi et armis the goods and chattels of the said Prior at Merston, to the value of £10, and the Sheriff returned that the said Richard was a Clerk and beneficiatus in the See of Suhtwych, and held no lay fee, &c., and it was testified in the Curia Regis before the King himself (in Curiâ Regis coram eodem Rege), that there is no such Bishopric in the Kingdom of England. Therefore the Sheriff, Hugh de Croft, is in miscricordiâ, and was fined by the Justices 40s., and the Sheriff was commanded, as before, to attach the said Richard to be coram Rege at three weeks from Easter. m. 15.

Staff. A precept had been sent to the Sheriff, that whereas Edmund the Baron of Stafford had acknowledged in the Curia Regis, in 25 E. I., that he owed Ralph de Hengham £150, of which £15 was to be paid at Michaelmas of the same year, and £15 at the following Feast of the Annunciation, and so on from year to year until the said £150 had been paid, and it had been testified that the said sum had not been paid, he was to summon the said Edmund to be coram Rege at this date, viz., at the Octaves of Hillary, to shew cause why the said sum should not be raised from his lands and chattels to the use of the said Ralph, according to the recognizance, &c. And the Sheriff now returned that Edmund was dead. He was therefore ordered to summon the son and heir of the said Edmund, to shew cause, &c. (as before). m. 34, dorso.

Staff. A precept had been sent to the Sheriff that whereas Edmund the Baron of Stafford had acknowledged in the Curia Regis, in 20 E. I., before Ralph de Hengham and his fellow Justices, de Banco, that he owed to Ralph de Hengham £50 to be repaid at Michaelmas of the same year as shewn by the Record of the said Justices, and the money had not yet been paid, he was to summon the said Edmund, &c. (as before). m. 34, dorso.

Warr. Robert de Val appeared against Henry, son of Richard in le Lone, Richard in le Lone, Agnes in le Lone, Felicia Williameserjaunt, Brother William the Brother of Pollesworth, William Haleward, and Henry son of Simon de Wilmondecote in a plea of trespass. None of the defendants appeared and the Sheriff was ordered to arrest them, and he returned that Henry son of Richard in le Lone, Richard in le Lone, Agnes in le Lone, the said Felicia and Brother William could not be found, and the others were dead. The Sheriff was therefore ordered as before to arrest the said Henry, Richard, Agnes, Felicia, and Brother William, and produce them coram Rege at the Quindene of Easter. m. 14, dorso.

Coram Rege. Easter, 4 E. II.

Staff. Constance, formerly wife of William de Audeleye, sued Robert son of Simon de Acovere (Okeover), and William son of William Ormessone of Brunaston in a plea of trespass. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain Robert who had found sureties, and to arrest the said William, and produce them at the Octaves of Trinity. m. 14.

Staff. Richard de Leyes, William de Stalbrok, Peter de Wytenton, and John de Hyntes were attached to answer the plea of Edmund son of Robert de Whyston, that on the Tuesday, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, 4 E. II., they had beaten, wounded, and ill-treated him at Pencrich, and for which he claimed £200 as damages. The defendants appeared and denied the injury, and appealed to a jury which is to be summoned for the morrow of St. John the Baptist.

The said Edmund sued William son of Thomas de Kenylworth, and Robert son of Robert Broun for the same trespass, and they did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to produce them at the above date. m. 57.

Staff. William Reynald of Norton, John his brother and Thomas le Rous of Langedon were attached to answer the plea of Thomas son of Reginald le Bedel of Lychefeld, that they had taken away by force Alice his wife in 32 E. I., from Lychefeld, and robbed him of cloths, linens, and wools, gold and silver and jewels, and for which he claimed £100 as damages.

The defendants appeared, denied the injury, and appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned for the Quindene of St. John the Baptist, and they were committed to the Marshalsea. A postscript shews that the suit was adjourned till the Quindene of Michaelmas, when the prosecutor made no appearance and the suit was dismissed.

The defendants were afterwards put on their trial at the suit of the King and acquitted at the following Easter Term. m. 74.