ROLL A 16
Roll of the time of John de Bernes, Mayor, A
o 44
Edw. III [1370-1]
Membr. 1
6 Nov. 1370
Henry Whelere of Watford and John Payn of Watford confessed to having sold oats by sample to Nicholas Melemaker
of Smithfield in the market on the pavement within Newgate,
contrary to the ordinance. The oats were forfeited to the
Sheriffs.
7 Nov. 1370
William Selleale, turner, of Wood Street was charged with
making false measures, viz. chopyns
(fn. 1) to look like half-quarts.
He pleaded guilty and was committed to prison. He was
released on the Saturday following on his promising not to
make such false measures in future, and to mark all measures
made by him with his own mark.
Membr. 1 b
5 Dec. 1370
John Sevenoke, chandler, was attached to answer William
de Walworth and Robert de Kayton, Sheriffs, that, whereas
it had been ordained (fn. 2) that no commoner or other person
should buy corn, malt or salt for resale until it had been exposed for sale at Billingsgate or Queenhithe in open market
for three days, nevertheless the said John had bought 24
quarters of large salt from Thomas Wylford at Queenhithe
for resale, which had only arrived the previous day. The defendant admitted the offence. Judgment was given that the
salt be forfeited to the use of the Sheriffs.
7 Dec. 1370
William Catesby, brewer, was charged with having sold
four barrels of ale to a certain huckster, contrary to the
ordinance (fn. 3) and proclamation thereon. He was committed to
prison: on the Tuesday following he was released on paying
20s, the value of the ale, according to the ordinance.
14 Dec. 1370
John Croydon, girdler, who had been committed to prison
for using opprobrious words to the Mayor in the market
within Newgate the previous day, confessed his offence, and
was pardoned by the Mayor and released.
18 Dec. 1370
Beatrix, wife of Reginald Fuller, tailor, paid William
Knotte, tailor, the sum of 8 marks, in the presence of the
Recorder and certain Aldermen, towards obtaining the release of her husband and John Goldesmore, fuller, who had
been captured by Frenchmen and imprisoned in Boulogne.
The said Reginald Fuller had been already liberated by John
de Burer of Boulogne in order to raise 20 marks, the amount
of the ransom. Subsequently the ransom demanded had been
reduced to 8 marks. It was agreed that William Knotte should
refund the money if he failed to secure the release of John
Goldesmore. At the same time William Knotte became surety
for John Goldesmore that the latter would make no claim on
the said Reginald for staying in England.
Membr. 2
2 Dec. 1370
John Schilvyngton of co. Lincoln brought a bill of complaint setting forth that a certain William Schilvyngton by his
will had entrusted to Robert Schilvyngton a sum of money,
either to be paid to the testator's son William, when he came
of age, or employed for apprenticing him. The said Robert
had apprenticed the boy to Adam de Carlel, spicer of London,
for the sum of £22, under an agreement that the money should
be returned if he died before completing his apprenticeship.
In the latter case, the will provided that the money should be
paid to the complainant, who was brother to the apprentice.
Though the boy William had died during his apprenticeship,
the said Adam de Carlel refused to repay the money.
[French]
The master on being summoned pleaded that the apprentice was of full age when he died. The complainant repeated
that he died under the age of twenty-one years and within his
apprenticeship, as he was prepared to verify. Thereupon the
defendant agreed to repay the money if the complainant
brought sufficient information as to the date of birth of the
apprentice. The complainant on 8 July 1371 produced letters
testimonial of the Bishop of Lincoln containing a certificate
of the finding of an inquisition held as to the date of birth of
the said William, and the defendant then repaid the £22. The
letter and certificate were placed in the file of letters of this
Mayoralty.
Membr. 3
9 Dec. 1370
Roger, son of Roger Torold, late vintner, was summoned
to answer Robert de la More and Alice his wife, widow and
executrix of Simon de Worstede, mercer, and Adam de
Wymondham, Robert Beumont and Thomas atte Bowe, her
co-executors, for the sum of £30, due on a bond entered into
by his father to the late Simon de Worstede. The defendant
pleaded that the plaintiffs had no right of action against him
because on the day of the levying of the plaint he had no
estate in fee simple by hereditary descent from his father. The
executors answered that the defendant had not denied being
son and heir or having an inheritance in fee simple at some
date, which inheritance they were prepared to prove. They
demanded judgment. The defendant did likewise on the above
pleading. Curia vult plenius consuli.
3 Feb. 1371
Henry Maunesfeld was attached to answer a charge of
having deceived John Swanton, leatherseller, as to his title
to certain tenements in Coleman Street, which he held by
right of his wife Denise, and which he offered to the said John
for sale, by producing a false copy of the will of Robert le
Nayler, which purported to devise the property as a fee
simple, whereas the actual will enrolled in the Husting showed
that the property was entailed. The plaintiff being deceived
had paid an instalment of 100 marks and 20 shillings and
given bond for the remainder. The defendant pleaded that he
was not aware that his copy of the will was incorrect or that
the will was enrolled elsewhere. After an adjournment for
consultation, judgment was given for the plaintiff to have his
money and bond returned and that he give the defendant
seisin of the tenements again; and that the defendant for his
deceit and falsehood be committed to prison until etc.
Membr. 3 b
15 Feb. 1371
In an action for debt between Thomas Homle, plaintiff,
and Peter Shipton a foreign attachment of 15 lbs of
white woollen thread value 7s and an auncer value 12d were
delivered to the plaintiff under pledge etc. In a similar action
against John Rose, baker, a foreign attachment of a doublet
(una cloca dupplicata), one part of red medley and the other of
brown medley, value 8s, one cup of warr'
(fn. 4) , value 10s, and
5 silver spoons, value 5s 6d, were handed over etc.
10 March 1371
Writ of protection in favour of Geoffrey de Chaddesden,
Master of the Hospital of Burton St Lazarus. Dated at
Westminster, 10 March Ao 45 Edw. III [1370-1].
30 Jan. 1371
Similar writ in favour of Adam Rotteseye, who was about
to proceed to Calais in the company of Nicholas de Tamworth,
Captain of that town. Dated at Westminster, 30 Jan.
Membr. 4
3 July 1371
William Credill, scryveyn, delivered to the Mayor and
Aldermen a writing obligatory entered into by John Molyns,
meleward
(fn. 5) , in favour of William Bedell, cordwainer, in the
sum of £40—for safe custody until the Mayor and Aldermen
should otherwise order.
30 June 1371
Robert de Watlyngton in the presence of the Mayor and
Aldermen handed over to Elianora, widow of John Helde of
Chinnor, the sum of £6 3s 4d of rents accruing to her ward,
Elianora, daughter of the said John, and the aforesaid Elianora
acknowledged receipt of 20 marks 3s 4d of rents belonging to
her late husband.
5 July 1371
Lambekin Sot, a Flemish mariner, and Thomas Serland,
Lombard, appeared in court and the former declared that he
had set free the goods of Bartholomew de Bosan, a partner of
the said Thomas, which he had caused to be arrested at
Bruges, producing a certificate to that effect from two
Echevins of that town, and prayed that his ship which had
been seized by the said Thomas might be delivered to him.
This was done, and both parties then executed mutual
releases.
Membr. 4 b
16 July 1371
Philip Sporier of the New Bailey (de la novel bayle) was
committed to prison for failing to pay taxed damages of 22s
in a plea of trespass to Alice Notyer. On the following
Tuesday the money was paid and he was released.
Membr. 5
2 Aug. 1371
Stephen Daubeneye, Walter Pykeman and — Palmere,
skinners, came into court and deposited £8 5s 10d which they
undertook to pay as pledges of William Tauke in case the
latter did not appear to prosecute an action of covenant
against John Senyere begun in the Sheriffs' Court. As the said
William failed to prosecute, John Senyere claimed the sum
above-mentioned and it was paid to him.
Roger, son of Richard Gosse of Thame, apprentice of
Emma, widow of William Hatfeld, chandler, was committed
to Newgate because he was rebellious, refused to serve her
and was unwilling to be punished by her, as was fitting and
proper that he should be.
10 Aug. 1371
Quitclaim by Alice, wife of William, son of William de Lyle
of Wade co. Kent, and daughter of Reginal Frilleford, to
Thomas Elys of Sandwich, of lands, tenements, meadows and
marshes in Wade co. Kent, which the said Thomas had lately
acquired from John Messager of Neuton in Wade, and which
her late husband William had formerly held. Witnesses:
Adam Fraunceys, William de Haldene, Recorder, John de
Stodeye, William de Stodeye, William de Waleworth, Thomas
de Sauton, William Frogenhale, William Symme, Nicholas
Levenoth, Adam Shelvynge and others. Dated at London,
10 Aug. Ao 45 Edw. III [1371].
11 Aug. 1371
Thomas and William Sewale, sons of Thomas Sewale of
Canterbury, who had been apprenticed by their father to
John Sharpe, came into court and complained that their
master had been for a long time in Newgate and was unable
to instruct them, and that his wife Margery had fed them
insufficiently, had beaten them maliciously and had struck
William on the left eye so violently that he lost the sight of
that eye, wherefore they prayed the Court to be discharged
from their apprenticeship. Evidence having been given that
the master was in prison and that neither he nor his wife could
support the boys, and as it appeared from a corporal examination that they had been cruelly beaten, the Court exonerated
them altogether from their apprenticeship.
Membr. 5 b
14 Aug. 1371
John, son of William Aylef of Aketon (fn. 6) co. Suffolk, was
committed to prison for refusing to be enrolled and to serve
his master Richard Marchale, haberdasher, in accordance
with his deed of apprenticeship.
26 Aug. 1371
William Daver, under-beadle of Farndon Without, was
committed to prison for having arrested and put in Newgate a
certain Roger Aylesham, cordwainer, without any warrant or
process, at the instigation of Thomas Halford, tymbermaker
(fn. 7) .
He was afterwards released on mainprise of Henry Godchep,
Simon Macchyng, John Walgrave and John Goldston to pay
a fine of half-a-mark.
28 Aug. 1371
A dispute between John Ferant, mercer, and Robert
Leyham of Ipswich, his apprentice, was settled as follows:
it was agreed that the apprentice should be liberated on condition that he would not serve any other mercer or anyone
else in the City during the period for which he had been
apprenticed. A bond in £200 to that effect and his apprenticeship indentures were deposited in court, to be cancelled if he
fulfilled the conditions.
Membr. 6
17 Sept. 1371
Stephen Caresse (fn. 8) , mariner and merchant of Bayonne, was
mainprised by John de Stodeye, vintner, to produce in court
letters testimonial under the seal of the Prince called "Real"
and under the seal of the town of Bayonne, witnessing that he
had paid a certain debt to John Blakeneye, fishmonger, or
else to appear in court to answer the said John for the debt.
Afterwards on 23 Jan., he produced the letters, and both he
and his mainpernor were discharged.
22 Sept. 1371
Henry de Padyngton sued William Clerc, dyer, and
Godfrey Dyer for the sum of £4. The defendants, who had
been attached by foreign attachment, made four defaults,
thus refusing to be brought to trial. Thereupon the goods
were valued by oath of John Chipsted and John Dorsete and
delivered to the plaintiff under pledge of Ralph Coo and
John Tothe to answer therefor etc. They comprised a pair
of tables, 2d; a curtepy
(fn. 9) of green, furred with squirrel, 4s;
an old tunic of tawne, 12d; a red hood with a lining of black
cloth, 16d; a parti-coloured (bipartitum) hood with one half
of motle, 18d; a pair of old russet hose, 12d; 4 ells of tawne
called "Osetegloth
(fn. 10) ," - - -; a tunic with an unlined hood of
russet and raye
(fn. 11) , 3s; a pair of black paternosters, of which
some of the beads were silver, and a small forscer with small
articles in it, 2s; a veil of Cipre
(fn. 12) , 2s; a hand-towel, a savenape,
3 sheets (linthiamenta) and a pellewe, 5s; one old fur of
greye
(fn. 13) , 2s; a single goune of tawne for a woman, 2s; a tester of
red saye, 16 (?); a small mazer cup, 40d; a quantity of stwffe
of coarse wool, - - -; a small box, 20d, and other goods to a
total value of 35s 4d.
Membr. 6 b
25 Sept. 1371
Richard Scot, hosier, was committed to prison for cheating
John Green, servant of John Ellesworth, out of 40s of his
master's money, by means of false dice. The servant was likewise committed to prison. Next day they were released, the
said Richard Scot being mainprised in 40s to come up on
Wednesday after Michaelmas.
John Godeston, a confederate, was also committed to prison.
Subsequently the prisoner, together with the above Richard
and William de Barton, cordwainer, paid 16s to the said John
Ellesworth and was released.
The same day came Thomas Serland and prayed that
certain cloths which were in dispute between him and John
Graveshend and which had been seized by William Walworth,
Sheriff, at the suit of the said John, might either be delivered
to him outright, or valued and delivered to him on his giving
security for their delivery in the event of John Graveshend
proving his title to them within a year and a day. The parties,
he declared, had put themselves on the arbitration of John
Torgold, William Essex, John Aubrey and John Phillipot
and only the two latter had sent in their award and meanwhile
the cloths were deteriorating.
As the said John Graveshend did not appear to show cause
to the contrary, the Court ordered the goods to be valued and
delivered to the petitioner, as follows: a long cloth of taune,
value 8 marks; 2 long cloths of brounemedle, 13 marks; 2 cloths
of blanket, 16 marks; 4 long cloths of white russet, 20 marks;
one long blanket, 16 marks; one plunket, 8 marks; one cloth of
blanket, 6 marks; one cloth of brounblue, 9 marks; one cloth
of green medle, 6 marks; one cloth of brown medle, 7 marks;
and one cloth of blanket, 8 marks; under pledge of John
Donat and Thomas Hanampsted.