Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 11 Edward III

De Banco. Trinity, 11 E. III. Apud Ebor.

Staff. Isabella Skoyth sued Richard Dalicote and Margery his wife, for half a messuage and half a virgate of land in Morf, as her right and reasonable purparty. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to take the said moiety into the King's hand and to summon them for the Morrow of All Souls. m. 10.

Staff. The essoin of Jordan de Piwelsdon sued Roger son of Richard le Clerk, of Eccleshale, in a plea that he should render an account for the time he was his bailiff at Abbaston and receiver of his money. Roger did not appear, and the Sheriff returned he held nothing within his bailiwick. He was therefore ordered to arrest and produce him at the Octaves of Michaelmas. m. 10.

Staff. Isabella, formerly wife of William de Chetwynd, sued Robert de Birchull, for a third of a messuage and four acres of meadow and half a virgate of land in Berleston, and she sued William Gryffyn for a third of four acres of land in Colton, and she sued John Bagot for a third of four acres of meadow in Severley as her dower. None of the defendants appeared, and had previously made default, and the dower claimed had been taken into the King's hand. Isabella therefore recovers it by their default. m. 39.

Staff. The jury summoned to make recognition into the right of William de Hampton, Prebendary of the prebend of Willenhale, in the church of St. Peter of Wolvernehampton, to four acres of land and an acre of meadow in Wolvernehampton, which the said William had recovered against Simon Levesone, of Willenhale, senior, and Geoffrey Levesone, of Willenhale, by their default, as the right of his prebend, and which fell to him as an escheat, inasmuch as Andrew, son of Thomas le Brenner, of Willenhale, who held the tenements of Thomas de Leghe, formerly Prebendary of the said prebend, by certain service, had committed a felony for which he had been hanged, was respited till the Octaves of Michaelmas, unless Roger Hillary should first come to Lichfield. m. 39, dorso.

Staff. Emma, formerly wife of Robert, son of Ralph de Pype, sued Thomas de Tomynhorn for the third of a messuage, and a virgate and six acres of land, six acres of meadow, and six acres of pasture, and six acres of wood in Tomynhorn (Tamhorn) as her dower. Thomas prayed a view and the suit was adjourned to the Quindene of Easter. m. 49.

Staff. Isabella, formerly wife of William de Chetewynde, sued Geoffrey Biron for a third of two messuages, sixty acres of land, eight acres of meadow, and twenty-four acres of pasture in Bidulf as her dower. Geoffrey appeared by attorney and called to warranty John Bagot, Chivaler, who is to be summoned for the Octaves of Michaelmas. m. 41.

Staff. Malcolm le Wasteneys, Chivaler, sued Geoffrey le Botiller and Joan his wife, and John, son of the said Joan, for cutting down his trees, vi et armis, at Tixale, to the value of 100s. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to distrain and produce them at the Octaves of Michaelmas. m. 118, dorso.

Staff. Thomas, son of William de Morteyn, sued Isabella, formerly wife of Robert de Stepelton, for the manor of Great Barre, which Robert de Barre had given to Roger de Moretyn and Isabella, his wife, and heirs of their bodies and which after the death of the said Roger and Isabella, and of William son of the said Roger and Isabella, ought to descend to the said Thomas, as son of William, kinsman and heir of the said Roger and Isabella, by the form of gift; and he stated that the said Roger and Isabella were seised of the manor temp. E. I, and from them the right descended to him as above stated.

Isabella appeared by attorney, and defended her right, and pleaded she was not in possession of the entire manor, because one William de Bermyngham, Chivaler, held the advowson of the church of Alrewych (Alldridge) and one Philip de Stepelton held two water mills, and Richard le Chaumberleyn held six acres of land within the manor, and they held them at the date of the writ, viz., on the 20th March, 10 E. III. As Thomas could not deny this the suit was dismissed. m. 162.

Staff. Matilda de Hodenet, appeared by attorney against Magister William de Apeltre, Odo de Hodenet, (fn. 1) and Margaret his wife, in a plea that whereas the King had forbidden the said Odo and Margaret to prosecute a suit against her in Court Christian before the said William, for not providing them with competent sustenance, in food and clothing, according to the status of the said Odo and Margaret, they had nevertheless prosecuted the same plea against her against the tenor of the King's prohibition. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff had been ordered to attach them, and returned they held nothing by which they could be attached. He was therefore ordered to arrest and produce them at the Quindene of Michaelmas. m. 170.

Staff. Richard, son of John de Mulewyche, appeared by attorney against Ralph, son of John de Grendon in a plea that he should warrant to him the third of a messuage, a virgate of land, and four acres of meadow in Mulewyche (Millwich), which Alianora, formerly wife of Richard del Hay, of Mulewyche, claimed against him as dower. Ralph did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to take into the Kings hand land of Ralph to the value of the dower claimed and to summon him for a month from Michaelmas. m. 182.

Staff. Hugh le Rydere, of Allerwych, sued John de Swynford, Chaplain, for entering, vi et armis, his close at Allerwych, and taking five young sparrow hawks worth 10s. and other goods and chattels to the value of 40s. John did not appear and the Sheriff was ordered to arrest and produce him at the Octaves of Michaelmas. m. 187.

De Banco. Mich., 11 E. III.

Staff. Malcolm de Wasteneys, Chivaler, sued Geoffrey la Bottiller, Joan his wife, and John son of the said Joan, for forcibly cutting down his trees at Tixhale, to the value of 100s. The defendants did not appear and the Sheriff returned two sums of 20d. as proceeds of a distress levied on their goods. He was therefore ordered to distrain again and produce them on the Octaves of Hillary. m. 22, dorso.

Staff. Joan, formerly wife of Alan de Audeleye, sued Petronilla formerly wife of William Sherard, for a third of a rent of 15s. in Grendon (Grindonon-the-Moors) which she claimed as dower. Petronilla did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to take the dower claimed into the King's hand, and to summon her for the Morrow of All Souls. m. 30.

Staff. John de Honesworth, Parson of the church of Clent, sued Philip Aust, of Swynefen, for taking his goods and chattels at Burton to the value of £10, and beating, wounding, and illtreating his servant Richard Squier so that he lost his services for a long time. Philip 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 the said Philip at the Octaves of Hillary. m. 75, dorso.

Warw., Ebor, Northumb. Magister John de Somerville, Parson of the church of Benton, William de la Chaumbre, Chaplain, and William Fraunceys and Agnes his wife appeared by attorney against Philip de Somerville, brother and heir of Roger de Somerville, in a plea that he should warrant to the said John, one third of the manor of Burton Annays (Burton Agnes) excepting a messuage, five bovates of land, an acre of meadow, and 20s. of rent in the said manor, in co. Ebor, and to warrant to the said John the third of ten messuages, fifteen bovates and twenty acres of land, a rood of meadow, and 9s. 1d. of rent in Thirnum, in the same county, and to warrant to the said William de la Chaumbre, the third of two bovates of land in Burton Annays, and to warrant to the said William and Agnes the third of a messuage and three bovates of land, and an acre of meadow, in the same vill, which Agnes formerly wife of Roger de Somerville claimed as dower. The defendants did not appear, and the Sheriff was ordered to take into the King's hand land belonging to them to the value of the dower claimed, and as the value was not known, the Sheriff of co. York, was ordered to appraise it on the oath of a jury, and to return the Inquisition into court on the Quindene of St. Michael. A postscript states that at that date the Sheriff made no return, and he was ordered to make the return at the Quindene of Hillary. m. 270, dorso.

Staff. Robert, son of Philip de Stepelton, sued Baldwyn de Stepelton and Nicholas de Alrewych for a messuage, three carucates of land, twenty acres of meadow, sixty acres of wood, sixty acres of pasture, 200 acres of heath, and 20s. of rent in Great Barre and Waleshale, as his right and inheritance, and in which the said Baldwyn and Nicholas had no entry except by a disseisin which Robert de Stepleton had unjustly made of Philip his father; and he stated that his father Philip was seised of the tenements in demesne as of fee temp. E. II. The defendants denied that the said Philip had been unjustly disseised and appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned for the Quindene of Hillary. A postscript states that the process was continued till Easter 13 E. III, when a writ of nisi prius was issued, and it was heard before Roger Hillary, with whom was associated Ralph Basset, of Drayton, Knight, and a jury stated that the said Philip had been disseised unjustly by Robert de Stepelton. Robert, son of Philip, thereupon recovered seisin of the tenements. m. 311.

Staff. Isabella Skeyth recovers half a messuage and half a virgate of land in Morf, as her reasonable purparty, in a suit against Richard de Dalicote and Margaret, his wife, the defendants making default. m. 418.

Staff. Henry Coppe, of Haunton, sued William de Stretton, of Clyfton, for six acres of land in Haunton, as his right and inheritance, and in which the said William had no entry except through Geoffrey de Stretton, to whom Ralph Coppe, his grandfather, had demised the tenements when he was non compos mentis sue, and he stated that the said Ralph was seised of the tenements temp. E. I., and from him the right descended to one William, as son and heir, and from William to Henry the plaintiff as son and heir. William called to warranty John de Stretton kinsman and heir of Geoffrey, who was under age, and the suit was to remain till the full age of the heir. m. 524.

Staff. Thomas Dene and Avice his wife, and Thomas le Smyth, of Snytenfeld, and Joan, his wife, sued William de Aston and Margaret his wife, and John de Aust and Philip, his brother for a messuage and a carucate of land in Longedon, which William de Newton had given to Thomas de Elmhurst Joan his wife, and their issue, and which after the death of the said Thomas and Joan should descend to the said Avice and Joan, as daughters and heirs of the said Thomas de Elmhurst and Joan his wife, and they stated that Thomas de Elmhurst and Joan were seised of the tenements in demesne as of fee, temp. E. I. The defendants appeared, but the plaintiffs being solemnly called did not appear and the suit was dismissed. m. 512, dorso.

Staff. Robert de Grendon sued John de Rocheford for the manor of Shenstone, which Philip Burnel had given to Ralph, son of Ralph de Grendon and Joan his wife, and their issue, and which should descend to him as their son and heir, and he stated that the said Ralph and Joan were seised of the manor in demense as of fee by the gift of the said Philip temp. E. I. John appeared and admitted the seisin of the said Ralph as stated by Robert. Robert de Grendon is therefore to recover seisin. m. 446, dorso.

Warw. Robert de Grendon sued John de Rocheford for the manor of Grendon, which Philip Burnel had given to Ralph, son of Ralph de Grendon, and Joan his wife, &c., as before. John admitted the seisin of Ralph, and Robert recovers seisin. m. 446, dorso.

Staff. Joan, daughter of John le Fremon, of Hyntes, sued Alice, daughter of Richard le Clerk, of Hyntes, and Thomas, son of Alice, for a messuage, forty-four acres of land, and six acres of meadow in Hyntes, by writ of formedon. The defendants called to warranty Richard de Blithefeld, who appeared in court and warranted the tenements to them, and the suit was adjourned to the Octaves of the Purification. m. 380, dorso.

Assizes taken at Pencrych before William de Shareshulle and other Justices on the Wednesday after the Feast of St. Lucy the Virgin. 11 E. III.

Staff. An assize, &c., if Adam de Chetewynde and Adam his son, and Robert de Slyndon, had unjustly disseised Eva, daughter of William de Chetewynde, of a messuage and forty acres of land and seven acres of meadow in Colton, Blithefield, and Admundeston (Admaston). None of the defendants appeared, and the assize was to be taken in their absence, but was adjourned to Lychefeld through defect of recognitors. m. 5.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Roger Selymon and Robert his son, Roger Cogan, Henry de Tytnesore, Roger Wryde, Roger Snel, and Hugh his son, Magister John le Rotour, Philip de Salt, and John his son, John le Goldsmyth, and eleven others named, had unjustly disseised Ralph de Stafford, Chivaler, of thirty acres of meadow, and ten acres of pasture in Bradeleye. None of the defendants appeared, and the assize was taken in their absence. The jury stated that Roger Selymon and the other defendants had disseised the said Ralph, vi et armis, and they assessed his damages at £190. The said Ralph is therefore to recover seisin, and the Sheriff was ordered to arrest the defendants. A postscript states the defendants appeared at Easter before the Justices and made fine with the King for the said disseisin at 20d. each. m. 5.

Staff. An assize, etc., if John de Aldenham and John his son, had unjustly diverted the course of a certain water in Covene, to the injury of the freehold of Roger, the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, in Brewode. The Bishop by Adam le Arblaster, his attorney, stated that whereas a certain water called Covenebrok and another called Sarebrok, used to flow directly to his mill at Brewode, and by which mill and with which flow of water he used to grind day and night thirty quarters of each kind of corn; the defendants had lately diverted the course of the water of Sarebrok by a trench, so that the water now flowed direct to the mill of the said John de Aldenham in Covene, where it was so impeded and retained by the mill dam of the said mill, that the water no longer flowed to the mill of the Bishop, except at certain times, and at the will of the said John, and by which the Bishop's mill would no longer grind more than six quarters of each kind of corn working day and night. The defendants did not appear, but one William Jones answered for them as Bailiff, and denied that they had diverted the water of Sarebrok, or done any injury to the Bishop, and appealed to a jury. The jury found that the defendants had diverted the water and assessed the damages at 100s. It was therefore considered that the nuisance should be entirely removed and the course of the Sarebrok water restored to its ancient channel at the cost of the said John, and by the view of the recognitors of the assize. A postscript states that afterwards on the Vigil of St. Michael 16 E. III., the King sent to the said William de Shareshull, directing him to transmit the record and process of the said assize with everything relating to it, to be heard Coram Rege at the Quindene of St. Michael next following. m. 5.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Richard de Coven and Juliana, his wife, and John, son of the said Richard and Juliana, and William, son of Clement de Willenhale, had unjustly disseised Robert de la Lone, of Hampton, of a messuage in Wolvernehampton. Richard and Juliana answered as tenants, and conceded the assize. The Jury stated that the said William, son of Clement, was formerly seised of the tenement and gave it to the said Robert de la Lone, the plaintiff, and delivered seisin of it to him, on condition that he should grant it to the said William and to Petronilla the sister of the said Robert, to be held by them and the heirs of their bodies, and after the said Robert had obtained seisin of it, he refused to enfeoff the said William and Petronilla in it, and the said William had entered into it for that reason, and they prayed the instruction of the Justices; and the jury being asked if the said Robert held any other status in the messuage than as above described, answered in the negative. And as it appeared by the assize that the said Robert had no seisin of the messuage except conditionally, the suit was dismissed, and he is in misericordiâ for a false claim. m. 6.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Robert son of Ralph de Grendon, James de Stafford, Chivaler, Hugh de Meygnil, Chivaler, Osbert de Hynkeleye, John de Rocheford, Henry Danvers and Philip his son, and John le White, of Waverton, had unjustly disseised Roger de Chetwynd, Chivaler, and Joan, his wife, of the third part of the manor of Shenstone. The defendants did not appear, but one John le Grom answered for them as their Bailiff and prayed that the close writ might be read, and it appeared that in the clause "post primam transfretationem" the word "transfretationem" was written tnffr in place of t[^a]nffr. The suit was therefore dismissed. (fn. 2) m. 6.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Robert son of Ralph de Grendon and the same defendants, had unjustly disseised Alice, formerly wife of Philip de Chetwynde Chivaler, if a third part of the manor of Shenstone. The defendants appeared as before by John le Grom, who took the same exception to the writ, and the suit was dismissed. m. 6.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Thomas de Wasteneys and Adam de Ruggele had unjustly disseised Roger, the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, of ten acres of land in Ruggele. The defendants did not appear, but one Geoffrey Cok answered for them as their Bailiff, and the said Thomas answered as tenant, and stated that the land in question was soil covered with the river Trent, and that the course "filum" of that river, was the boundary between Ruggele and Colton, and that five acres of the land were in Colton and not in Ruggele, and he prayed judgment on the writ on that ground, and if it was given against him he stated that William de Wasteneys, his father, and whose heir he is, was seised of the said five acres and had died seised of them, and he had entered into them as his son and heir, and as regarded the other five acres, they were situated in Ruggele, and the vill of Ruggele was of ancient demesne of the King where no writ would run but the lesser writ of right, and he prayed judgment on that ground.

The Bishop stated that the manor of Ruggeleye was formerly in the seisin of King Richard, and at that time the land in question was part of the demesne lands of the manor and in the hands of the King and sueable at common law, and not of inferior tenure sueable only by writ of right, and the said King had given the manor to his predecessor, Hugh Nonaunt, to be held by him and his successors, and that the land was a free fee, and sueable at common law. The Jury stated that the ten acres of land in question were in Ruggeley, and not in Colton and were sueable at common law, and they found in favor of the Bishop and assessed his damages at 5 marks. m. 6, dorso.

Assizes taken at Stafford before William de Shareshulle and Roger Hillary, Justices of the King, assigned to take all assizes, jurates, and certificates, before whatever Justices they were arraigned, together with John de Peyton, senior, on the Saturday after the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle, 12 E. III, the presence of the said John not being expected by virtue of the King's writ which follows.

(Here follows the King's writ appointing William de Shareshull, Roger Hillary and John de Peyto, senior, or any two of them, Justices to take all assizes, etc., in the counties of Salop, Stafford, Hereford, Wygorn, and Gloucester, before whatever Justices they had been arraigned, dated from Tame, 8 Nov., 11 E. III.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Thomas de Venables, of Aston near Stone, and Emma his wife, Roger de Pulton, Chaplain, Thomas Huddeson, Robert atte Cros, William de Melbourne, and Adam son of William de Hondesacre, had unjustly disseised Gilbert de la Bruere of twenty acres of land, ten acres of meadow, five acres of wood, and five acres of pasture in Hondesacre. Thomas de Venables and Emma appeared and the other defendants made default, and the assize was taken in their absence. Thomas and Emma denied any injury to the plaintiff, and appealed to a Jury, which found that all the defendants, except the said Emma, had unjustly disseised the plaintiff of the tenements in question and they assessed his damages at £10. Gilbert afterwards remitted his claim to damages. m. 4.