1336-11-12, Stirling

To Geoffrey le Scrop and his fellows, justices appointed to hold pleas the king. Whereas lately, at the prosecution of William Shouuyn Brentyngby and Agnes his wife, by their petition before the king and his . 721 council in parliament, asserting that they had demised a messuage and a virgate of land in Brentyngby to Simon de Bereford before he forfeited to the king, for the term of a year, and they were taken into the king's hands among the other lands which belonged to Simon, by reason of the said forfeiture, and seeking the restitution of those lands to them, the king ordered the justices by writ to view that petition which he sent to them enclosed in the said writ, having heard the plaint of William and Agnes upon the contents of the same, and to cause what is just and reasonable to be done; and although it is found by inquisition taken by the justices that one Ralph Shouuyn was seised of the said messuage and land in his demesne as of fee and right and that he gave these tenements to William and Agnes in free marriage, and that afterwards, because [they made] no profit from the said lands on account of various destructions which John de Wodeford, of whom they were held, made to them in the same, for certain causes, they offered the lands to Simon, who caused them to be sown by his serjeants, and at another time on his arrival in these parts, having viewed the rights which William and Agnes had there, he agreed well with them and immediately departed from those parts; and afterwards on his return to the same, having viewed the said muniments and right shown by William and Agnes to him, and understanding that the said lands were given to them as aforesaid, Simon wished to admit them of the gift of William and Agnes, but said that he wished to give them all the crop growing in those lands sown by him, and immediately departed from those parts, and before he returned he forfeited to the king, wherefore those lands were taken into the king's hands; and that Simon never had any other estate in the messuage and land, as fully appears by the tenor of the record and process held thereupon, which the king caused to come before him in chancery ; but the justices, because the king's attorney alleged in the plea held before them, that Simon was enfecffed for ever by William and Agnes of the said lands and died seised thereof in his demesne as of fee, delayed to proceed further in that plea, whereupon William and Agnes have besought the king to provide a remedy; the king therefore orders the justices to view and examine the said record and process, and if they shall find that such process has been made in the said plea, then to cause justice to be done for them in the premises, and to proceed to render judgment according to the verdict of the jurors of the said inquisition with all lawful speed, notwithstanding the said allegation or that the messuage and land are in the king's hands or that it is net found by the said inquisition that William and Agnes demised the messuage and land to Simon to hold for the term of one year, as they suppose by their petition, and that it is found by the same inquisition that they have a right in the messuage and land as aforesaid. By C. To Hugh de Courteneye, earl of Devon, John de Ralegh, William de Ferariis, Hamo Dereworth and Elias de Godelegh. Wihereas the king appointed them to pursue, arrest, take and commit to prison all malefactors committing felonies and prmiccdch in the realm, and those suspect, wherever they shouid be found in co. Devon, according to the ordinance passed in the last parliament at Westminster, and the king also appointed them to be justices to take inquisitions in that county concerning the felonies and misdeeds committed by the said suspects and ccncerning felonies, robberies, misdeeds, trespasses, excesses and crimes committed by any in that county, and to hear and determine all the premises both at the king's suit and at that of any others who wish to complain or prosecute for the king or his; and John de Norwico, with certain false and forged commissions under the great seal and with other false letters and commissions under counterieit privy seal with other suspect instruments, seals and things, who was lately found Siembrane 8d and arrested at Bokeland and imprisoned at Exeter arrested ships, victuals and other things in divers towns and ports of the realm, by pretext of the said commissions and letters, extorting divers sums of money from divers men; which commissions, etc., have been brought before the king's council at York, whereupon a debate was held there upon the punishment of such malefactors, and it was agreed that if by inquisition or by John's confession, he should be found guilty of the said forgery, sedition, extortion and crime, then justice should be done to him as a plunderer and enemy of the king and his people; the king therefore orders the justices to view the said commissions, etc., which he sends to them in a certain bag (baga) and box (pizide), under the half seal (sub pede sigilli), and these being examined and inquisition taken upon the premises, if John is found guilty of the said crimes then to judge him to be drawn and hanged. By K. and C. John Conestable of Frismerk acknowledges that he owes to Walter Power, clerk, 2 marks; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. York. Richard Monyworth of Hereford acknowledges that he owes to the said Walter, 40s.; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Hereford.