1348-05-24, Westminster

To the mayor and bailifis of Newcastle upon Tyne. Order to deliver to de Staunford, of Knaresburgh, and Maud his wife a rent of 14s. of a messuage in that town, together with the arrears thereof from time of the messuage being taken into the king's hand, as lately at the of John and Maud showing the king that they were seised of the said which Peter Graper and Laurence de Duresme gave to John Reede, Maud's husband, and to Maud and the heirs of their bodies, and continued in seisin thereof until it was taken into the king's hand by forfeiture of William Waleys, late the tenant thereof, who was indicted the death of John de Denton, killed at that town, and afterwards and Robert de Tughale, late keeper of the lands forfeited to the king in that town, unjustly detained that rent, and John and Maud beseeching the king to provide a remedy, he appointed John de Moubray and Peter de Richemund to take an inquisition upon the matter by the oath of lawful men of co. Northumberland, by which it is found that John le Rous son and heir of Roger le Rous of Newcastle gave the said messuage to Richard Raynaud, clerk, for rendering 14s. yearly, and John afterwards granted that rent to Peter and Laurence, who granted it to the said John Reede and Maud, and the heirs of their bodies, with remainder, in default, to the right heirs of John Reede, by reason of which grant John Reede and Maud were seised thereof during John's life, and Maud afterwards, and John de Staunford and Maud after that, as of Maud's right, until the messuage was seised into the king's hand, to wit on Friday after St. Barnabas, in the 19th year of the reign, and that John and Maud never released their right in the rent to any one, and the messuage has been in the king's hand from the said Friday by the forfeiture of William Waleys, and it is not worth more than the said rent of 14s. except 7d. of which sum 6d. has to be paid yearly for repairing the bridge of the said town and 1d. to the king, for which 17. the messuage is held immediately of the king, and the rent is held of no one because it is dry, and now John and Maud have besought the king to order the rent to be paid to them with the arrears thereof.