Roll A 16: 1370-71

ROLL A 16

Roll of the time of John de Bernes, Mayor, A ^o 44 Edw. III [1370-1]

Membr. 1

6 Nov. 1370

Henry Whelere of Watford and John Payn of Watford confessed to having sold oats by sample to Nicholas Melemaker of Smithfield in the market on the pavement within Newgate, contrary to the ordinance. The oats were forfeited to the Sheriffs.

7 Nov. 1370

William Selleale, turner, of Wood Street was charged with making false measures, viz. chopyns (fn. 1) to look like half-quarts. He pleaded guilty and was committed to prison. He was released on the Saturday following on his promising not to make such false measures in future, and to mark all measures made by him with his own mark.

Membr. 1 b

5 Dec. 1370

John Sevenoke, chandler, was attached to answer William de Walworth and Robert de Kayton, Sheriffs, that, whereas it had been ordained (fn. 2) that no commoner or other person should buy corn, malt or salt for resale until it had been exposed for sale at Billingsgate or Queenhithe in open market for three days, nevertheless the said John had bought 24 quarters of large salt from Thomas Wylford at Queenhithe for resale, which had only arrived the previous day. The defendant admitted the offence. Judgment was given that the salt be forfeited to the use of the Sheriffs.

7 Dec. 1370

William Catesby, brewer, was charged with having sold four barrels of ale to a certain huckster, contrary to the ordinance (fn. 3) and proclamation thereon. He was committed to prison: on the Tuesday following he was released on paying 20s, the value of the ale, according to the ordinance.

14 Dec. 1370

John Croydon, girdler, who had been committed to prison for using opprobrious words to the Mayor in the market within Newgate the previous day, confessed his offence, and was pardoned by the Mayor and released.

18 Dec. 1370

Beatrix, wife of Reginald Fuller, tailor, paid William Knotte, tailor, the sum of 8 marks, in the presence of the Recorder and certain Aldermen, towards obtaining the release of her husband and John Goldesmore, fuller, who had been captured by Frenchmen and imprisoned in Boulogne. The said Reginald Fuller had been already liberated by John de Burer of Boulogne in order to raise 20 marks, the amount of the ransom. Subsequently the ransom demanded had been reduced to 8 marks. It was agreed that William Knotte should refund the money if he failed to secure the release of John Goldesmore. At the same time William Knotte became surety for John Goldesmore that the latter would make no claim on the said Reginald for staying in England.

Membr. 2

2 Dec. 1370

John Schilvyngton of co. Lincoln brought a bill of complaint setting forth that a certain William Schilvyngton by his will had entrusted to Robert Schilvyngton a sum of money, either to be paid to the testator's son William, when he came of age, or employed for apprenticing him. The said Robert had apprenticed the boy to Adam de Carlel, spicer of London, for the sum of £22, under an agreement that the money should be returned if he died before completing his apprenticeship. In the latter case, the will provided that the money should be paid to the complainant, who was brother to the apprentice. Though the boy William had died during his apprenticeship, the said Adam de Carlel refused to repay the money. [French]

The master on being summoned pleaded that the apprentice was of full age when he died. The complainant repeated that he died under the age of twenty-one years and within his apprenticeship, as he was prepared to verify. Thereupon the defendant agreed to repay the money if the complainant brought sufficient information as to the date of birth of the apprentice. The complainant on 8 July 1371 produced letters testimonial of the Bishop of Lincoln containing a certificate of the finding of an inquisition held as to the date of birth of the said William, and the defendant then repaid the £22. The letter and certificate were placed in the file of letters of this Mayoralty.

Membr. 3

9 Dec. 1370

Roger, son of Roger Torold, late vintner, was summoned to answer Robert de la More and Alice his wife, widow and executrix of Simon de Worstede, mercer, and Adam de Wymondham, Robert Beumont and Thomas atte Bowe, her co-executors, for the sum of £30, due on a bond entered into by his father to the late Simon de Worstede. The defendant pleaded that the plaintiffs had no right of action against him because on the day of the levying of the plaint he had no estate in fee simple by hereditary descent from his father. The executors answered that the defendant had not denied being son and heir or having an inheritance in fee simple at some date, which inheritance they were prepared to prove. They demanded judgment. The defendant did likewise on the above pleading. Curia vult plenius consuli.

3 Feb. 1371

Henry Maunesfeld was attached to answer a charge of having deceived John Swanton, leatherseller, as to his title to certain tenements in Coleman Street, which he held by right of his wife Denise, and which he offered to the said John for sale, by producing a false copy of the will of Robert le Nayler, which purported to devise the property as a fee simple, whereas the actual will enrolled in the Husting showed that the property was entailed. The plaintiff being deceived had paid an instalment of 100 marks and 20 shillings and given bond for the remainder. The defendant pleaded that he was not aware that his copy of the will was incorrect or that the will was enrolled elsewhere. After an adjournment for consultation, judgment was given for the plaintiff to have his money and bond returned and that he give the defendant seisin of the tenements again; and that the defendant for his deceit and falsehood be committed to prison until etc.

Membr. 3 b

15 Feb. 1371

In an action for debt between Thomas Homle, plaintiff, and Peter Shipton a foreign attachment of 15 lbs of white woollen thread value 7s and an auncer value 12d were delivered to the plaintiff under pledge etc. In a similar action against John Rose, baker, a foreign attachment of a doublet (una cloca dupplicata), one part of red medley and the other of brown medley, value 8s, one cup of warr' (fn. 4), value 10s, and 5 silver spoons, value 5s 6d, were handed over etc.

10 March 1371

Writ of protection in favour of Geoffrey de Chaddesden, Master of the Hospital of Burton S^t Lazarus. Dated at Westminster, 10 March A^o 45 Edw. III [1370-1].

30 Jan. 1371

Similar writ in favour of Adam Rotteseye, who was about to proceed to Calais in the company of Nicholas de Tamworth, Captain of that town. Dated at Westminster, 30 Jan.

Membr. 4

3 July 1371

William Credill, scryveyn, delivered to the Mayor and Aldermen a writing obligatory entered into by John Molyns, meleward (fn. 5), in favour of William Bedell, cordwainer, in the sum of £40—for safe custody until the Mayor and Aldermen should otherwise order.

30 June 1371

Robert de Watlyngton in the presence of the Mayor and Aldermen handed over to Elianora, widow of John Helde of Chinnor, the sum of £6 3s 4d of rents accruing to her ward, Elianora, daughter of the said John, and the aforesaid Elianora acknowledged receipt of 20 marks 3s 4d of rents belonging to her late husband.

5 July 1371

Lambekin Sot, a Flemish mariner, and Thomas Serland, Lombard, appeared in court and the former declared that he had set free the goods of Bartholomew de Bosan, a partner of the said Thomas, which he had caused to be arrested at Bruges, producing a certificate to that effect from two Echevins of that town, and prayed that his ship which had been seized by the said Thomas might be delivered to him. This was done, and both parties then executed mutual releases.

Membr. 4 b

16 July 1371

Philip Sporier of the New Bailey (de la novel bayle) was committed to prison for failing to pay taxed damages of 22s in a plea of trespass to Alice Notyer. On the following Tuesday the money was paid and he was released.

Membr. 5

2 Aug. 1371

Stephen Daubeneye, Walter Pykeman and — Palmere, skinners, came into court and deposited £8 5s 10d which they undertook to pay as pledges of William Tauke in case the latter did not appear to prosecute an action of covenant against John Senyere begun in the Sheriffs' Court. As the said William failed to prosecute, John Senyere claimed the sum above-mentioned and it was paid to him.

Roger, son of Richard Gosse of Thame, apprentice of Emma, widow of William Hatfeld, chandler, was committed to Newgate because he was rebellious, refused to serve her and was unwilling to be punished by her, as was fitting and proper that he should be.

10 Aug. 1371

Quitclaim by Alice, wife of William, son of William de Lyle of Wade co. Kent, and daughter of Reginal Frilleford, to Thomas Elys of Sandwich, of lands, tenements, meadows and marshes in Wade co. Kent, which the said Thomas had lately acquired from John Messager of Neuton in Wade, and which her late husband William had formerly held. Witnesses: Adam Fraunceys, William de Haldene, Recorder, John de Stodeye, William de Stodeye, William de Waleworth, Thomas de Sauton, William Frogenhale, William Symme, Nicholas Levenoth, Adam Shelvynge and others. Dated at London, 10 Aug. A^o 45 Edw. III [1371].

11 Aug. 1371

Thomas and William Sewale, sons of Thomas Sewale of Canterbury, who had been apprenticed by their father to John Sharpe, came into court and complained that their master had been for a long time in Newgate and was unable to instruct them, and that his wife Margery had fed them insufficiently, had beaten them maliciously and had struck William on the left eye so violently that he lost the sight of that eye, wherefore they prayed the Court to be discharged from their apprenticeship. Evidence having been given that the master was in prison and that neither he nor his wife could support the boys, and as it appeared from a corporal examination that they had been cruelly beaten, the Court exonerated them altogether from their apprenticeship.

Membr. 5 b

14 Aug. 1371

John, son of William Aylef of Aketon (fn. 6) co. Suffolk, was committed to prison for refusing to be enrolled and to serve his master Richard Marchale, haberdasher, in accordance with his deed of apprenticeship.

26 Aug. 1371

William Daver, under-beadle of Farndon Without, was committed to prison for having arrested and put in Newgate a certain Roger Aylesham, cordwainer, without any warrant or process, at the instigation of Thomas Halford, tymbermaker (fn. 7). He was afterwards released on mainprise of Henry Godchep, Simon Macchyng, John Walgrave and John Goldston to pay a fine of half-a-mark.

28 Aug. 1371

A dispute between John Ferant, mercer, and Robert Leyham of Ipswich, his apprentice, was settled as follows: it was agreed that the apprentice should be liberated on condition that he would not serve any other mercer or anyone else in the City during the period for which he had been apprenticed. A bond in £200 to that effect and his apprenticeship indentures were deposited in court, to be cancelled if he fulfilled the conditions.

Membr. 6

17 Sept. 1371

Stephen Caresse (fn. 8), mariner and merchant of Bayonne, was mainprised by John de Stodeye, vintner, to produce in court letters testimonial under the seal of the Prince called "Real" and under the seal of the town of Bayonne, witnessing that he had paid a certain debt to John Blakeneye, fishmonger, or else to appear in court to answer the said John for the debt. Afterwards on 23 Jan., he produced the letters, and both he and his mainpernor were discharged.

22 Sept. 1371

Henry de Padyngton sued William Clerc, dyer, and Godfrey Dyer for the sum of £4. The defendants, who had been attached by foreign attachment, made four defaults, thus refusing to be brought to trial. Thereupon the goods were valued by oath of John Chipsted and John Dorsete and delivered to the plaintiff under pledge of Ralph Coo and John Tothe to answer therefor etc. They comprised a pair of tables, 2d; a curtepy (fn. 9) of green, furred with squirrel, 4s; an old tunic of tawne, 12d; a red hood with a lining of black cloth, 16d; a parti-coloured (bipartitum) hood with one half of motle, 18d; a pair of old russet hose, 12d; 4 ells of tawne called "Osetegloth (fn. 10)," - - -; a tunic with an unlined hood of russet and raye (fn. 11), 3s; a pair of black paternosters, of which some of the beads were silver, and a small forscer with small articles in it, 2s; a veil of Cipre (fn. 12), 2s; a hand-towel, a savenape, 3 sheets (linthiamenta) and a pellewe, 5s; one old fur of greye (fn. 13), 2s; a single goune of tawne for a woman, 2s; a tester of red saye, 16 (?); a small mazer cup, 40d; a quantity of stwffe of coarse wool, - - -; a small box, 20d, and other goods to a total value of 35s 4d.

Membr. 6 b

25 Sept. 1371

Richard Scot, hosier, was committed to prison for cheating John Green, servant of John Ellesworth, out of 40s of his master's money, by means of false dice. The servant was likewise committed to prison. Next day they were released, the said Richard Scot being mainprised in 40s to come up on Wednesday after Michaelmas.

John Godeston, a confederate, was also committed to prison. Subsequently the prisoner, together with the above Richard and William de Barton, cordwainer, paid 16s to the said John Ellesworth and was released.

The same day came Thomas Serland and prayed that certain cloths which were in dispute between him and John Graveshend and which had been seized by William Walworth, Sheriff, at the suit of the said John, might either be delivered to him outright, or valued and delivered to him on his giving security for their delivery in the event of John Graveshend proving his title to them within a year and a day. The parties, he declared, had put themselves on the arbitration of John Torgold, William Essex, John Aubrey and John Phillipot and only the two latter had sent in their award and meanwhile the cloths were deteriorating.

As the said John Graveshend did not appear to show cause to the contrary, the Court ordered the goods to be valued and delivered to the petitioner, as follows: a long cloth of taune, value 8 marks; 2 long cloths of brounemedle, 13 marks; 2 cloths of blanket, 16 marks; 4 long cloths of white russet, 20 marks; one long blanket, 16 marks; one plunket, 8 marks; one cloth of blanket, 6 marks; one cloth of brounblue, 9 marks; one cloth of green medle, 6 marks; one cloth of brown medle, 7 marks; and one cloth of blanket, 8 marks; under pledge of John Donat and Thomas Hanampsted.