Close Rolls, Henry VI: February 1457 | British History Online

Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 6, 1454-1461. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1947.

'Close Rolls, Henry VI: February 1457', in Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 6, 1454-1461, (London, 1947) pp. 158-161. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-close-rolls/hen6/vol6/pp158-161 [accessed 19 April 2024]

February 1457



Feb. 5. Westminster.	To all sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, ministers and other lieges of the king to whom etc. Order to suffer the men and tenants of the town of Southwold co. Suffolk to be quit of payment of toll, portage, passage, picage, pavage and murage, as they ought to be, and as they and all other men and tenants thereof have heretofore been used to be time out of mind; as the men and tenants of that town, which Gilbert de Clare earl of Gloucester and Hertford held as parcel of his earldom of Gloucester, as appears by an inquisition taken before Robert de Brewes and Nicholas de Haulee by virtue of a commission of King Henry III and exemplified among other things by letters patent of King Henry IV, ought to be and have been used to be quit of the same throughout the realm time out of mind.
	Membrane 10. (fn. 1)
March 10. Coventry.	To the sheriffs of London. Order at their peril upon sight etc. to cause proclamation to be made in the city and suburbs of London, that no man of whatsoever estate, degree or condition shall receive, comfort, aid or favour William Herberd knight, but shall reckon him a rebel put out of the king's grace. The king's will is that he be so reckoned, and that any liege who shall take him and bring him to the king shall receive 500 marks for a reward; as considering what mischief and grievance he has brought upon the king's liege subjects in divers parts, robbing some of them, beating and maiming some, and causing the death of many, and purposing that he be chastised as he deserves according to law and the custom of the realm, the king caused him to come to his presence to answer touching the premises, and by advice of the great council committed him to the Tower of London, but within the days that he was committed to bail upon his own security and security of others, which is of record in chancery, having not God before his eyes, fearing not to offend the king's majesty, regardless of his faith and security, abandoning his honour as a knight he falsely and contumaciously did by night escape out of the city of Coventre, and withdrew it is said to Wales to pursue his evil course or worse, whereat the king is exceeding wroth, not willing to leave such contempt without punishment for an example to others. By p.s., and the date etc.
	Like writs to the sheriff of each of the following counties etc.:
	Gloucester.
	Hereford.
	Salop.
	Worcester.
	Bristol.
	And to the sheriffs of Coventre.
Jan. 1. Westminster.	To the sheriff of Hertford for the time being. Order to pay to Robert Passemer the king's serjeant, one of his serjeants at arms, 50 marks a year for life and the arrears since Michaelmas, 34 Henry VI, from which date the king has granted him for life 50 marks a year of the issues, profits, farms and revenues of that county.
May 16. Westminster.	To the escheator in Essex. Order to remove the king's hand and meddle no further with divers lands, rents and services in Fobbyng and Fang, with a marsh thereto belonging and other appurtenances, delivering to Master Henry Meoles clerk and John Parker citizen and scrivener of London any issues thereof taken; as it is found by inquisition, taken before the escheator, that William Wetenhale at his death held the same jointly with Alice his wife and with the said Henry and John for the lives of the said William and Alice and the life of the longest liver, namely 40 acres of arable land, 20 acres of pasture, 12 acres of meadow, 4 acres of marsh and 10s. of rent there with reversion to William Wetenhale son of the said William and to his heirs, and that the premises are held of others than the king.
	To Thomas Canynges mayor of the city of London, being escheator therein. Order to give William Wetenhale the son and Margaret his wife livery of a house or messuage called the 'Brodeselde' otherwise the 'Key' in 'Westchepe' in the parish of St. Pancras London, with twelve selds and three solars within the same, and the issues and profits thereof taken; as it is found etc. that Thomas Clerk, Thomas Swetenham grocers, John Parker scrivener citizens of London and John Goodyeve chaplain were thereof seised, and by charter indented made a demise thereof, by name of all their selds, solars, cellars, reversions, lands and tenements in 'Westchepe' market in the parish of St. Pancras, to William Wetenhale citizen and alderman of London for life without impeachment of waste, that he died thereof seised as of freehold, with remainder to William Wetenhale his son and Margaret daughter of William Hexstall esquire the son's wife and to the heirs of their bodies, remainder to the heirs of the body of William the son, remainder to Margaret daughter of William the father and wife of John Colvyle grocer, her heirs and assigns, by grant of the said Thomas Swetenham and John Parker, Thomas Clerk and John Goodyeve being then long dead, and that the premises are held of the king in free burgage as is all the city of London; and the king has taken the fealty of William the son due for the same and for other lands in Essex.
	Membrane 9.
Feb. 12. Westminster.	To the customers, controllers and searchers, and to other the king's officers in the port of Suthampton. Order to suffer John Nanfan the king's esquire, from 1 November last for one whole year, to take by his own hands or the hands of his deputies as collector and receiver and to keep in his hands all customs, subsidies and duties to the staple of Calais not pertaining upon merchandise brought to England by inhabitants of the islands of Gersey and Guernesey and taken out of the realm to those islands, and to search and arrest goods and merchandise not customed or cocketed, meddlying not in levying customs and subsidies thereupon during the said term; as the king has granted to him those customs etc. without rendering an account, and has further made him collector and receiver thereof, to be occupied by himself or by deputy, with power and authority as security for true customing thereof to search and arrest all goods of those inhabitants shipped within the islands and within the realm in ships, vessels and boats, all by them brought into the realm and put ashore by way of traffic, and all so taken over thither, not being customed or cocketed and agreed with him or his deputies, and to confiscate them to the king's use according to the statutes published within the realm and those islands, so that he should answer to the king for such forfeitures and render account of them at the exchequer, and that any other person who has taken such customs etc. should give them up to him or his deputies, willing that during the said term no collector in any of the ports and places of the realm should meddle in levying the same except John Nanfan, but every collector should be thereof discharged.
Feb. 8. Westminster.	To the customers or collectors for the time being of customs and subsidies in the port of Suthampton. Order to pay by indentures to the mayor and fellowship of merchants of the staple of Calais and to their successors 6s. 8d. of the subsidies upon every sack of wool and every 240 woolfells shipped in that port after 1 March last according to an act of parliament, bringing one part of such indentures to the exchequer with them at their account; as in consideration etc. (as above, p. 152–3), the king did grant to the said mayor and fellowship, among other things, 6s. 8d. as aforesaid in money or bonds in every port of the realm except Suthampton and Sandewich, wool and woolfells of the growth of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland and the bishopric of Durham shipped in the ports of Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick excepted, until full payment be made them of the sums mentioned, and of so much as the commissioners shall find and certify to be due to the late captain and soldiers, such certificate being sent to the barons of the exchequer for more certainty and for furtherance of the business.
	By K. and C. by authority of parl.
Feb. 9. Westminster.	To the customers or collectors for the time being of customs and subsidies in the port of Winchelsea.
	Like order, mutatis mutandis. By K. and C., and the date etc.
Feb. 23. Coventry.	To the farmers, receivers or other the occupiers for the time being of the keeping of the manors of Kynefare and Storton and of the forest of Kynefare. Order to pay to John Hampton the king's serjeant, esquire for his body, 9l. a year for life and the arrears since Michaelmas, 34 Henry VI, from which date the king has granted him for life the 9l. a year which Hugh Tyrell, brother and heir of John Tyrell, and his heirs are bound to pay the king of the office of keeper of the same.