1338-02-04, Westminster

Geoffrey le Scrop and his fellows, justices appointed to hold pleas the king. Whereas the king lately caused a sian, petition 1338, of the prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, shown before him and his council in parliament, concerning the church of Rothele and the record and process held upon the advowson of that church before William de Bereford and his fellows, justices of the Bench of the late king, between the king and the prior, to come before him in chancery, and the king sent the record and process to the justices under the half seal (swb pede sigilli), ordering them to view the same and the said petition, calling before them the king's serjeants and hearing their reasons, and to cause justice to be done; and afterwards at the prior's suit, showing that the justices have delayed to proceed in that affair by pretext of a writ of privy seal directing them not to take any inquisition upon the said affair until the quinzaine of Michaelmas last, and the prior beseeching the king to provide a remedy, the king ordered the justices to view the petition and record and process, calling the king's serjeants before them and to cause justice to be done, notwithstanding the said writ of privy seal, and although the justices have proceeded to the discussion of the affair by virtue of the said order, yet they have hitherto delayed to render judgment ; the king therefore orders them to view the petition, record and process, and the inquisition taken by them upon the said affair, as is said, calling before them those whom they see fit to summon, and further to proceed to render judgment with all possible speed, notwithstanding the said writ of privy seal. By p.s.