1361-06-10, Westminster

To the sheriffs of London. Order, if assured that Hugh de Welham lawfully bought a certain girdle harnessed with silver, and is of good fame, and that no man has prosecuted him for a robbery lately committed in Devonshire upon Thomas Waryn an esquire of the earl of Salisbury, and if he shall find a mainprise willing to mainpern to bring him again to gaol in case Thomas or any other would prosecute for the said robbery, to cause him to be set free from Neugate prison without taking anything of him unduly for such mainprise; as the king lately commanded the sheriffs to certify in chancery the cause wherefore Hugh was by them arrested, and they certified that Hugh was taken and committed to the said prison, and is there detained, for suspicion of the robbery aforesaid of certain goods and chattels of Thomas to the value of 500/., whereof the said girdle was found upon Hugh when taken, and it was witnessed before them by credible persons that Hugh is indicted for that felony ; and now on his behalf petition is made to the king, shewing that, although he is of good fame and innocent of the premises, and bought the said girdle in the city of London as he is ready to aver, and has ofttimes offered sufficient mainpernors in accordance with the statute of Westminster, in which it is contained that those who are taken for a light suspicion are replevisable unless previously accused of other larcenies, the sheriffs have put off receiving those mainpernors and setting him free by such mainprise, to the peril of his life and contrary to the statute ; and in their certificate it is not contained that Hugh is notoriously indicted of any felonies whereby he is not replevisable. By C. . 273