1344-11-16, Kings Langley

To William de Percy. Whereas on 4 February in the 5th year of the reign at the suit of the dean and chapter of the free chapel in the castle of Hastyng, by their petition before the king and his council in parliament beseeching the king to cause the castle to be enclosed with door and gates, and houses for their dwellings to be constructed within the castle and to cause them to have herbage pertaining to the castle in the town of Hastyng, for which no answer was made before these times to the king or his progenitors, in aid of the enclosure, repairing and maintenance, and to grant that they should have the custody in time of peace, as for lack of such enclosure the chapel is ruined by frequent inundations of the sea, and is held as derelict, and has been often broken by malefactors, and the relics, ornaments and treasure there plundered, and the ministers of the chapel beaten and wounded; and because it was found by inquisition taken by Simon de Bereford, late escheator this side Trent, that the king could do without prejudice to himself, he granted their request, and now he has from their plaint that William hinders them from inhabiting the built in the castle, as well as their vicars and ministers of the chapel performing divine service there, and from receiving the herbage, by of his commission for the custody of the castle, and that he does not pilgrims going to the chapel to enter it and do oblations, in which maintenance of the dean and chapter consists, wherefore they have the king to provide a remedy: the king orders William to permit dean and chapter and the ministers and vicars to inhabit their houses castle, and receive the herbage, and to allow pilgrims free access to chapel, so that the complaint may not be repeated to the king, proalways that the castle be safely guarded against the attacks of the enemies. By C.