etc., Witness the King at Westminster, 16 July.
By the King himself and of the date aforesaid by authority of Parliament.
26. Claim to a Villein [Early Chancery Proceedings, 16, 436], temp. Henry IV-Henry VI.
To the most reverend father in God, the archbishop of Canterbury, and chancellor of England.
Beseecheth meekly your poor bedeman, John Bishop, that where he late was in his house at Hamble-en-le-Rice in the county of Southampton the 12th day of March last past in God's peace and the King's, there came John Wayte, Richard Newport and John Newport with thirteen other persons in their company arrayed in manner of war, and in full riotous wise in forcible manner there and then entered the house of your said beseecher about midnight, and him lying in his bed took, seized and imprisoned, and his purse with 25s. of money therein and the keys of his coffers from him took and the same coffers opened and 28l. of his money, 2 standing cups of silver gilt, 7 flat pieces of silver, 2 masers, 6 girdles and a baselard harnessed with silver, of the goods and chattels of William Poleyn of the value of 40l. there being in the keeping of your said beseecher, and 5 pieces of kerseys and the stuff of household of your said beseecher to the value of 30l. there found, took and bare away, and him from thence the same night to Sydyngworth led and in horrible strait prison kept by the space of two days, and from thence him carried to a place called Spereshot's place in the same [town] and him there in full strait grievous prison in stocks kept still by the space of five days and other full great wrongs to him did against the peace of the King our sovereign lord to the utter destruction of the body of your said beseecher, which is not of power to sue his remedy by the common law, and importable loss of his goods but if more sooner remedy be had for him in this behalf. Please it your gracious lordship to grant several writs to be directed to the said John Wayte, Richard Newport and John Newport, commanding them to appear before you at a certain day by you to be limited to be examined of these premises and to do and receive what good faith and conscience will in this behalf, and that they moreover by your discretion be compelled to find sufficient surety to keep the King's peace against your said beseecher and against all the King's liege people, at the reverence of God and in the way of charity.
Pledges to prosecute{William Poleyn.
{John Grene.
This is the answer of John Wayte to a bill put against him by John Bishop before the King in his Chancery.
The said John Wayte saith by protestation that the said John Bishop is his villein regardant to his manor of Lee in the county of Southampton, and he and his ancestors and all those whose estate John Wayte hath in the same manor have been seised of the said John Bishop and of his ancestors as villeins regardant to the said manor from the time that no mind is, and saving to the said John Wayte and his heirs all manner advantage to seize and claim the same John Bishop and his heirs and their blood, all their lands and tenements, goods and chattels, and all manner other advantage and objections of bondage of and against the said John Bishop and his blood hereafter, by protestation that the said John Wayte is not guilty of no matter contained in the said bill like as by the same bill it is supposed for plea, saith, inasmuch as all the matters of complaint contained in the said bill be matters determinable by the common law of this land in other courts of our sovereign lord the King, and not in this court, asketh judgment and prayeth to be dismissed out of this court after the form of the Statute.
This is the replication of John Bishop unto the answer of John Wayte.
The said John Bishop saith that he is a free man born and of free condition and not bondman of the said John Wayte, and that all the ancestors of the same John Bishop from the time that no mind is have been free men and of free condition, born within the parish of Corfe in the county of Dorset and not within the manor of Lee in the county of Southampton, as by divers true inquisitions hereof taken before certain commissioners by virtue of the king's commission to them directed it plainly appeareth, which commissions and inquisitions remaineth in this place of record; and he saith moreover that the said John Wayte wrongfully by great force hath taken from him his goods and chattels and him grievously imprisoned in the manner and form declared in his bill, and him put to such cost, loss of his good, let of his labour and business, and other great troubles and vexations, that he is so poor and brought to so great misery that he is not of power to sue against the said John Wayte for remedy of the said wrongs by course of the common law of this land. Wherefore, inasmuch as he withsaith not the matter contained in the said bill of complaint of the said John Bishop, he prayeth that the said John Wayte may be compelled by the rule and discretion of this court to restore him of his said goods and to give him sufficient damages and amends for the said trespass to him done.
27. The Effect of the Black Death [Duchy of Lancaster, Misc. Bks. 8, f. 57d.], 1350.
Proxy for Parliament.—To his most excellent Prince and Lord, the most reverend Lord Edward, by the grace of God illustrious King of England and France and Lord of Ireland, his most humble chaplain, Geoffrey, Abbot of the Monastery of Selby, in the diocese of York, submission and reverence, with the bond of instant prayer to God. Since we are occupied beyond our strength in supporting the charges incumbent on our monastery, as well because our discreeter and stronger brethren, on whom rested the governance of our house, have gone the way of all flesh through the pestilence, as because our house both in decay of rents and in lack of corn and other victuals is suffering undue disaster, and also being hindered by other unavoidable obstacles, we are unable to be present in person in the instant Parliament to be held on the octave of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary next coming, we make and appoint by these presents our beloved in Christ Sir Thomas de Brayton, clerk, and Hilary de Useflete, and each of them singly, our true and lawful proctors to appear for us in your said Parliament on the said day and place with the continuation and prorogation of the days following; giving and granting to the same and to each of them special command in our name to treat with you and with the rest of the prelates, magnates and chiefs of the said realm, being in the same Parliament, on the arduous and urgent affairs touching you and the estate and good governance of your realm of England and other your lands and lordships, which shall be there treated in common, and to consent to the measures which by God's favour shall be ordained then and there by the common council, and also to do and further all and singular other measures which we could have done in the said Parliament, if we had been present there in person; intending to ratify and approve whatsoever our said proctors or any one of them shall deem fit to be done in the premises in our name. In witness whereof our seal is affixed to these presents. Dated, etc.
28. Accounts of the Iron-works of South Frith Before and After the Black Death [Ministers' Accounts, 891, 8 and 9], 1345–6 and 1349–50.
The account of Thomas Judde, receiver of South Frith, from Michaelmas, 19 Edward III, to the morrow of Michaelmas following, 20 Edward III.
Sale of Wood.—[He answers] also for 188l. 4s. 6d. for wood sold in South Frith by Sir Andrew de Bures, Walter Colpeper, and William Lengleys, in the month of April, as appears in the particulars; and for 18l. 7s. for wood sold there by the same in the month of August, as appears by the particulars; and for 6l. 7s. 5d. for wood blown down by the wind, sold during the time covered by this account, as appears by the particulars indented. Sum:—212l. 18s. 11d.
Defect of rent.—In defect of rent of 40 acres of land sometime of Hugh Champion in South Frith, because they are in the hand of the lady and lie waste for lack of a tenant, 13s. 4d. a year; in defect of rent of Thomas Springget for a smithy which lies waste and is not worked, 12d. a year; in defect of rent of a house sometime of Walter le Smyth, because it is pulled down, and it is testified that he has nothing on the lady's fee, 12d. a year. Sum:—15s. 4d.
The account of Thomas Judde, receiver of South Frith, from Michaelmas, 23 Edward III, to the morrow of
