Close Rolls, Edward III: December 1354

Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III: Volume 10, 1354-1360. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1908.

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'Close Rolls, Edward III: December 1354', in Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III: Volume 10, 1354-1360, (London, 1908) pp. 45-50. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-close-rolls/edw3/vol10/pp45-50 [accessed 27 March 2024]

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December 1354

Dec. 5.
Westminster
To the sheriff of Gloucester. Order to deliver, by indenture, to John Goterest, spicer of Bristol, all his goods and chattels except his ship called 'la Elizabeth,' without delay by the mainprise of Thomas de Coventre of Bristol, Thomas de Thorneye, and Eudo Purchas of London, who have undertaken before the king and his council at Westminster for the said John, who has been placed in forfeited issues to no small sums because he did not come before Thomas de Bradeston and his fellows, justices appointed to hear and determine divers felonies, trespasses and excesses in the county of Gloucester, and whose goods and chattels have been arrested for that cause by the sheriff, to answer the king on the quinzaine of Hilary next concerning the said goods and chattels and other debts which he is found to owe by reason of the session of those justices. By C.
Nov. 27.
Westminster.
To Roger de Leukenore, escheator in Sussex. Order not to intermeddle further with the lands which are of the dower of Elizabeth wife of Gerard de Insula, late the wife of Edmund de Sancto Johanne, tenant in chief, after Edmund's death, delivering the issues thereof to her and Gerard, as by letters patent the king pardoned Gerard and Elizabeth the trespasses committed by them in marrying without his licence.
Oct. 21.
Westminster.
To Henry Pykard, the king's butler, or to him who supplies his place in the port of Bristol. Order to deliver to Joan de Carrue 6 tuns of wine for the present year in that port, receiving from her what he is bound to pay in the king's name to the merchants from whom the wine is taken, as the king granted to her 6 tuns of wine to be received yearly, during pleasure, of his right prise in that port, and afterwards on 22 April in the 14th year of the reign, the king further granted that she should receive that wine for life paying to the butler what he shall be bound to pay to the merchants.
Dec. 12.
Westminster.
To the collectors of customs in the port of Boston. Order to pay to Queen Isabel or to her attorney 250l. for Michaelmas term last, in accordance with the king's grant to her of 1,500l. to be received yearly for life in the ports of Boston, London and Kyngeston upon Hull, to wit 500l. in each port.
The like to the following to wit:—
The collectors of customs in the port of London.
The collectors of customs in the port of Kyngeston upon Hull.
Dec. 10.
Westminster.
To the treasurer and barons of the exchequer. Order to cause 10l. to be levied of the lands and chattels of Robert FitzPayn and Ela late his wife, without delay, as they are bound to the king in that sum for licence to enfeoff Thomas Wygot, parson of Wotton church, and Robert de Saumbourn, clerk, of the manors of Cary and Cherleton Makerel, co. Somerset, and the advowson [of the church] of the manor of Cherleton, which are held in chief as is said.
Dec. 12.
Westminster.
To the sheriff of Devon. Order to continue in the same state in which they now are until the quinzaine of the Purification next any exigents in which John Sampson, parson of Bradeford church, warden of the king's works at his manor of Eltham, may be placed in that county, and to certify the king without delay of the tenor of a process begun against John so that the king may further cause what is right to be done thereupon, as John has besought the king to order the exigents to be superseded, or to grant that he may return to the said county and render himself to prison, there to stand to right thereupon in accordance with the law and custom of the realm, as he was occupied for a great while upon the said works, and has been recently placed in exigents to be outlawed in Devon by process made there, he being entirely ignorant thereof.
Dec. 14.
Westminster.
To Miles de Stapelton, escheator in the county of York. Order to cause Roger son of Robert de Clifford, brother and heir of Robert son and heir of the said Robert de Clifford, tenant in chief, to have seisin of all the lands which came into the king's hands by his father's death and by reason of the minority of his said brother, as Roger has proved his age before Hugh de Louthre, escheator in Westmorland, and the king has taken his homage for all the lands which his father held in chief at his death, and rendered them to him, the said Robert son of Robert, his brother, having died a minor in the king's wardship. By p.s. [22635.]
The like to the following, to wit:—
Richard de Williamescote, escheator in the counties of Oxford and Berks.
Leo de Perton, escheator in the county of Worcester.
Richard de la Bere, escheator in the county of Hereford and the adjacent march of Wales.
Hugh de Louthre, escheator in Cumberland and Westmorland.
Saier de Rocheford, escheator in the county of Lincoln.
Dec. 14.
Westminster.
To John Everard, escheator in Wilts. Order to cause Edward son and heir of Roger de Stokke, lately a minor in the king's wardship, to have seisin of the manor of Rusteshale, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Robert de Hungerford, deceased, held that manor for life of Edward's inheritance, and that the manor is held in chief by the service of a fourth part of a knight's fee, and Edward has proved his age before Thomas de la Ryvere, late escheator in that county, and the king has taken his homage and has rendered the manor to him. By p.s. [22636.]
To the same escheator. Order to cause Edward son and heir of Roger de Stokke, tenant in chief, to have seisin of all the lands which Robert de Hungreford and Geva his wife, now deceased, held for their lives of his inheritance, as Edward has proved his age before the escheator and the king has taken his homage and has rendered the said lands to him.
By the same writ.
Membrane 6.
Oct. 30.
Westminster.
To the bailiffs of Shorham. Order to cause a third part of the goods of certain merchants of the parts of Normandy, in the keeping of John Bernard, burgess of Shorham, to be appraised by the oath of merchants and other lawful men of that town, and to deliver them to Thomas Paterlyng for the use of himself and his fellows, merchants of London, whose goods and merchandise were previously plundered by the French at sea, if he shall find security that he will restore that third part to the French without delay upon the restitution of his own goods plundered by the French, or the price thereof, as the king ordered the said bailiffs to receive from Ralph de Sancta Fide, burgess of Depe in Normandy, his two sons as hostages and place them in the keeping of Thomas, and after delivering a third part of the goods of the said merchants of Normandy to John Bernard to deliver the remaining two parts to Ralph or to his attorney [as at page 28 above], and now Thomas has besought the king to order the said third part to be delivered to him, as Ralph is dead and no restitution has been made to Thomas and his fellows of the goods plundered from them.
Nov. 23.
Westminster.
To the justices of the Bench. Robert bishop of Salisbury has shown the king that whereas he is suing in the king's court by writ of right against William earl of Salisbury, for the castle of Shirburne, co. Dorset, as the right of his church of St. Mary, Salisbury, and the earl, pleading in that suit, has alleged that the king granted that castle to William de Monte Acuto, the earl's father, and to Katherine, his wife, to hold to themselves and the heirs of the body of the said William de Monte Acuto, with reversion to the king in default of such heir, and that so he could not answer therefor without consulting the king, by pretext of which allegation the justices have hitherto delayed to proceed in that plea, whereupon the bishop has besought the king to provide a remedy; order to proceed with that plea and to cause full and speedy justice to be done to the parties in accordance with the law and custom of the realm, notwithstanding the said allegation, but not to render judgment without consulting the king. By p.s.
Nov. 20.
Westminster.
To the bishop of Durham. Order to permit the collectors appointed by the king to levy and collect for his use in the liberty of Durham the subsidy on each cloth for sale beyond the custom due thereon, granted in the great council held in the 27th year of the reign, for remission of the forfeiture of the alnage of cloth, pertaining to the king as of the right of the crown, to seal the cloth and arrest the forfeitures pertaining to the king in the matter, and freely to do all things touching their office in accordance with the commission made to them, and not to intermeddle in the taking of such subsidy or arrest, of such forfeitures for his own use, but if he has levied aught of the subsidy of cloth not sealed or has arrested cloth as forfeit because it was exposed for sale before being sealed, to deliver them to the collectors by indenture, so that they may be able to answer the king therefor, and to restore without delay any money levied by him in the name of the said subsidy for his own use and any sealed cloth arrested by him by reason of such subsidy to him payable, so behaving that a complaint thereupon may not reach the king, as although, in accordance with the form of the grant, the king appointed certain collectors to levy the subsidy in the liberty of Durham, and to seal each cloth when the subsidy had been paid under the seal ordained therefor, and to take as forfeit to the king all cloths not so sealed which are exposed for sale, yet the bishop hinders those collectors from exercising their office, claiming that the subsidy on cloth brought into his liberty ought to pertain to him, and causes the subsidy to be exacted for his own use both of cloth on which it has been paid and of cloth on which it has not been paid, and cloth to be arrested for that cause, and the king wonders that he has presumed to do such things, especially as he is bound by oath to the preservation of the king's rights, and it is not lawful nor reasonable that such a subsidy, which pertains purely to the king as of the right of his crown, by reason of the remission aforesaid, should be collected by any except his ministers especially deputed for the purpose.
Vacated because the writ was surrendered and nothing was done thereupon.
Membrane 5.
Nov. 7.
Westminster.
To Reynold de Cobham, captain of the king's town of Calais. Order to arrest and keep safe until further order all goods and merchandise of John Tynard and Florus Fleure of St. Valéry and John Mountstroill and Clays de Bak of the realm of France and of merchants and others of the town of St. Valéry and elsewhere of the power of France, found in the port of Calais, certifying the king in chancery from time to time of the nature and value of the goods so arrested and of their owners, as lately at the suit of Robert Clement of Hamelhok showing that the said John, Florus, John, and Clays had attacked a ship of his called 'la Nicolas' of Hok, laden with 35 tuns of wine, 2 bales of 'cordewan,' 2 bales of almonds, and 2 bales of skins of budge, whereof 4 tuns and one pipe of wine belonged to Robert and the residue of the said wine and merchandise belonged to Richard de Crosedale, Henry de Sutton and John Taverner of Great Yarmouth, at the time of the truces last begun between the king and his adversaries of France, when sailing at sea near Sandwich, and they killed several men then found in the ship, and took Robert with the ship and goods and carried them to St. Valéry and did their will therewith, and imprisoned Robert, and he beseeching the king to provide a remedy, the king ordered Bartholomew de Burgherssh, constable of Dover castle and warden of the Cinque Ports to take inquisition upon the matter, by which it was found that the said John, Florus, John and Clays and certain other unknown pirates of the power of France, entered that ship, price 55l. laden with the cases aforesaid price 200l., owned as aforesaid, at sea near Sandwich, in the time of the said truces, to wit on 26th May last, killed several men in the ship took Robert and the ship with the merchandise therein to the town of St. Valéry and imprisoned Robert there, without making any restitution to him or to the said merchants, contrary to the form of the said truces, and the king ordered the said captain to write to the keepers of the said truces in the parts of St. Valery or others who are bound to reform such attempts in accordance with the truces, for the reformation of the premises, and the captain returned that although he had requested the lord of Landas, captain of Boulogne, to reform the premises, in accordance with his office, yet he has not hitherto cared to do so. By C.
The like to the following, 'mutatis mutandis,' to wit:—
The bailiffs and 'écherins of Calais.
The mayor and bailiffs of Sandwich.
The bailiffs of Weymuth.
The bailiffs of Shorham.
Membrane 4.
Dec. 26.
Westminster.
To the treasurer and barons of the exchequer. Order to inspect the rolls and memoranda of the exchequer touching the foundation of the hospital of St. James near Westminster, and after taking inquisition if necessary concerning the lands and rents conferred upon the hospital by the king's progenitors, to cause all such lands and rents which have been alienated by the presidents or masters of the hospital, in whosesoever hands they may be, in the king's city or its suburbs or in other places, to be taken into the king's hand, and to maintain with the issues thereof those who support the charges incumbent on the hospital and ought to live of its alms in accordance with the foundation thereof, as the second statute passed at Westminster in the time of Edward I contains that if the wardens of hospitals and other religious houses founded by that king or his progenitors alienate the lands conferred upon their houses by the king, those lands shall be taken into the king's hand and held at will, and the purchaser shall lose his recovery both of the land and of the money which he paid, and now the king has learned that some lands and rents of the said hospital, which is of royal foundation, have been alienated by the presidents or others pretending themselves to be masters of the hospital, to the prejudice of the hospital and the annulling of the chantries and other alms established there. By C.
Dec. 12.
Westminster.
To John de Berneye, Thomas de Drayton, Reynold de Eckles and Hugh de Fastolf. Order not to take any inquisitions concerning men dwelling in towns on the sea coast without the port of Great Yarmouth, by reason of their buying of herrings brought to those towns freely by the fishermen, and not to molest them or others except those who meet ships and goods coming to Great Yarmouth to forestall the same either in that port or at sea, and so buy or bespeak those goods, whom the king wishes to be duly punished, as on being lately informed that certain merchants and others meet ships coming to the king's town of Great Yarmouth laden with herrings and other goods for the port and fair of that town both in the port and on the sea coast near the port, and buy and bespeak the goods and merchandise before they can reach the town to be unladed and sold, fore stalling them for their own gain, the king appointed John, Thomas, Reynold and Hugh to take an inquisition upon the matter by lawful men of the county of Norfolk and to certify him thereupon, and now the king has learned from the plaint of the men of the towns adjacent to that port on either side that John and the others unjustly molest them because they buy herrings which the fishermen take at sea and bring to those towns freely and there expose for sale, although they may lawfully do so in accordance with the ordinance of the king and council thereupon, whereupon the said men have besought the king to provide a remedy. By C.