1428-04-06, Westminster

Commission to John West of Stepilmordon, James Russell of Tklyngton, William Bakar of Swavesey, John Kyrkeby of Newemarket, Thomas Person of Ely and Adam Marchall of Wesebeche to levy and collect within the county of Cambridge the subsidies which the commonalties of the realm, in the Parliament held at Westminster in the quinzaine of St. Michael last past, granted to the king with the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal, for the defence of the realm ; to wit, 6s. 8d. from moveables from all inhabitants, being householders, of every parish (provided that there be 10 inhabitants householders in it) in the said county of which the church is not assessed or, before the said quinzaine of St. Michael, was assessed below the sum of 10 marks a year, all cities and boroughs, within the said county excepted ; 13s. 4d. from moveables from all inhabitants, being householders, of every parish containing 10 householders (cities and boroughs excepted), of which the church before the said quinzaine of St. Michael was assessed separately at the sum of 10 marks a year ; and so rising proportionately according to the rate of the assessment of each such church previously made ; 2s. from the inhabitants, being householders, of every parish within the cities and boroughs of the said county, which is inhabited in like manner and form and of which the church is of the yearly value of 20s., and so rising according to the rate to the highest and greatest . 215 value of each such church, by due inquisitions thereof to be made (saving always to the said cities and boroughs their franchises and liberties in the taking of such inquisitions); and 6s. 8d. from every person seised of lands and tenements within the said county in his demesne as of freehold, which lands and tenements the said person (or persons) possessed. holds (or hold) immediately by a whole knight's fee, and so according to the rate as far as a fourth part of a knight's fee, inclusively, tithable temporal possessions and the possessors of them, for the same possessions, excepted ; the subsidy from householders of parishes being due for payment at Pentecost next, and the subsidy on knights fees at Midsummer next; with proviso that the collectors of the goods and revenues of the said grants be reasonably rewarded for their labours and costs in the levying of the same at the discretion of the treasurer and barons of the Exchequer [Rot. Parl. iv. 318] ; and to answer for the said subsidies at the terms aforesaid at the Exchequer or other appointed place. And order to them to go in person from parish to parish and to other places within the county and cause to come before them two men and the reeve from every parish outside the cities and boroughs, and the mayor or bailiffs or reeve and three or two men from every parish of every city and borough, of the most discreet and upright men of the parishes, charging them to have the money levied and delivered to them (the commissioners) without delay by two or three of the most sufficient men of every parish, no one being spared, or else to have the money levied from the men themselves and answer made therefor to the commissioners ; provided always that answer be made in full to the king by the commissioners for the sums of the said subsidies at the terms aforesaid at the latest ; and the commissioners are also, if need be, to make inquisition by oath of upright and lawful men of the county, touching the premises. And order to dukes, earls, barons, knights, lords of towns, freemen and the whole commonalty of the county, to be intendant to the commissioners ; and to the sheriff of the county to join with the commissioners in distrainng those who refuse to pay. Mittitur in extractis.