1356-11-15, Westminster

To the sheriff of York. Order to cause a certain rent of 6s. yearly and the arrears thereof for sixteen years to be levied of the lands and chattels of William son of John Gra, and William Piper, and to be delivered to the present warden of the king's chapel near his mills without York castle, as on its being found by inquisition taken by Miles de Stapelton, then sheriff of York, that the said rent, issuing from 4 messuages and 4 bovates of land in Sandhoton near Overhemelsay which the said William son of John and William now hold, was granted by the king's progenitors to the said chapel to celebrate divine service there for the souls of those progenitors, and that the rent was for a long time concealed by William and William and withdrawn, the king ordered the said sheriff to notify William and William to be in chancery on a certain day now past to show cause why they ought not to pay that rent and the arrears to the said warden, and on that day the sheriff returned that he notified William and William to show cause as aforesaid, by Robert de Flatewath and John de Crossom, and William Piper did not come on that day and William son of John came by Ellis de Sutton, his attorney, and said that the king's progenitors were never seised of that rent and did not give the rent to the said chapel, and the wardens of the chapel were never seised thereof, and he pretended to verify this by the country, and William de Ketelwelle, chaplain, now warden of the said chapel, who sued for the king, said that the king's progenitors Were seised of that rent and gave it to the chapel as aforesaid and the wardens of the chapel were seised thereof until it was withdrawn by William and William, and prayed that inquisition might be made by the country, wherefore the king appointed Thomas de Seton, William de Notton and John Moubray to take an inquisition upon the matter by the oath of lawful men of that county in the presence of William son of John if he chose to attend, and by the inquisition so taken it is found that 6s. rent issuing from 2 messuages and 4 bovates of land in Sandhoton near Overhemelsay, whereof William son of John Gra holds a messuage and two bovates of land and William Piper holds a messuage and two bovates of land by that yearly rent, were granted by Edward I to the chantry of the said chapel to celebrate divine service in the chapel for the souls of that king and his heirs and that Thomas de Norton, chaplain, late warden of that chapel, was seised of that rent and held it as appurtenant to the chantry during all his time, and the rent has been withdrawn and concealed by William and William for sixteen years past and more to the detriment of the king and the withdrawal of divine worship in the chapel. 20.