1345-11-25, Rockingham

_To the sheriff of Southampton. Whereas the king sent certain lieges in his ships to Gascony and Britanny in aid of other lieges in his service, certain malefactors having assembled in a great multitude of ships upon the sea coast near Southampton, pretending that they were about to set out in that service in that county, put in at Burseldon and in other places, entering the woods of divers men of the county, cutting trees and oaks there and taking them to their ships carried them where they wished, perpetrating other crimes: the king therefore orders the sheriff to take an inquisition upon the .matter, and if the damage has been done by lieges about to set out in the king's service, to take security from them to answer those whose things they were and to permit them to cross in the king's service, but if it was done by confederated malefactors to arrest them with their ships and the goods and chattels found therein and imprison them and keep the ships, goods and chattels safely, so that answer is made for the price of the ships and the value of the goods, certifying the king of the names of those arrested, the price of the ships and the value of the goods. By K. and C.