Roll of Felonies committed, and Misadventures that happened, in the
City of London, in the time of Matthew de Columbers, Chamberlain of our Lord the King in the same, Walter le Cornewaleys
and John Adrien being then Sheriffs of the same city. (A.D. 1277, 8.)
Letter-Book B. fol. xviii. old numeration. (Latin.)
On Thursday, the morrow of St. Laurence the Martyr [10
August], in the sixth year of the reign of King Edward, the
Chamberlain of our Lord the King in the same city, and the
Sheriffs, were given to understand that a certain man, William
Cole by name, a citizen of London, was lying dead, by another
death than his rightful death, in the Ward of William de Hadestoke, (fn. 1) and the Parish of St. Dunstan, near the Tower of London.
On hearing which, the said Chamberlain and Sheriffs went there,
and calling together the good men of the Ward and of the two
nearest Wards, those, namely, of Wolmar de Essex (fn. 2) and Nicholas
de Winton, diligent inquisition was made how this had happened.
Who say that on the Wednesday next after the Feast of St.
James the Apostle [25 July], the said William was in the fields
of the village of Stratford, getting in his corn; and that one John,
parish-clerk of the same village, as to whose surname they are
ignorant, came into the same fields on that day, and secretly took
and carried off certain sheaves belonging to the said William, and
certain neighbours of his. Whereupon, it so happened that the
said William met this same John, and rebuked him for so carrying
off the sheaves, and took them away from him; upon which, the
said John went to one Richard, Chaplain to the Prioress of Stratford, but as to whose surname they are ignorant, as also to one
John de Scheld, and made grievous complaint to them that the
said William had taken away from him the sheaves beforementioned; upon which, being greatly moved thereat, they went
to the fields aforesaid, and finding the said William there, suddenly rushed upon him and threw him on the ground, beating him
with sticks both behind and before, all over the body, from his neck
down to the soles of his feet; and then left him in the said fields
for dead. Afterwards, he was carried to the village of Stratford
aforesaid, where he lay languishing from the effects of the blows
before-mentioned, down to the Saturday next before the Feast of
St. Laurence; upon which day he was carried in a cart to London,
and still lived on from that day to Thursday the morrow of St.
Laurence; early in the morning of which day he died, from the
blows before-mentioned. And the body was viewed, which was
black and blue all over, and quite crushed by excessive and most
grievous blows, from the neck down to the soles of the feet, as
before-mentioned. Being asked what became of them, after committing the felony aforesaid, they say that they fled forthwith to
the Parish Church of the same village, and afterwards secretly
escaped therefrom, and have never since been found. Being asked
if they hold any one else suspected of his death, they say they do
not, but only the before-named Richard the Chaplain, and John
de Scheld; who, on hearing the complaint of John the Clerk
before-mentioned, went off in haste to the fields to avenge him.
But whether the same John was present when the said William
was so slain, or whether he gave any blow, they cannot ascertain.
Being asked as to the goods and chattels of those felons, they say
that they know nothing thereof, because they are foreigners. (fn. 3)
And the four nearest neighbours were attached, by sureties.
On Thursday, the Feast of St. Giles [1 September], in the year
above-mentioned, the said Chamberlain and Sheriffs were given to
understand that one Godfrey de Belstede was lying dead, by
another death than his rightful death, in the house of John de
Salle, in the Parish of St. Michael le Quern, in the Ward (fn. 4) which
was that of Ralph le Fevre. Upon hearing which etc., and
calling together the good men of that Ward, and of the two
nearest Wards, that is to say, the Ward of William de Durham (fn. 5)
and the Ward of Castle Baynard, diligent inquisition was made
thereon.
Who say that as the before-named Godfrey, on the Day of St.
Bartholomew [24 August] last past, was coming from Cestrehunte towards London, (fn. 6) mounted on a hackney, hired of a certain
man of that village, as they believe, but as to whose name and
person they are ignorant, and having one Richard le Lacir in his
company, they met certain carters coming from London, with
three carts, but as to the names and persons of whom they are
altogether ignorant. Whereupon, one of the carters aforesaid
began most shamefully to abuse the said Godfrey, for riding the
said hackney so fast, and a dispute arising between Godfrey and
the said Richard, on the one side, and the said carters on the other,
one of the carters seizing with his hands a certain iron fork, struck
Godfrey upon the crown of his head with such force, as to inflict
a wound two inches in length, and penetrating almost to the
brain. The other carters also badly beat him all over the body
with sticks, and maltreated both him and the said Richard le
Lacir; so much so, that the latter hardly escaped with his life.
Godfrey before-named survived from the Day of St. Bartholomew
to the Thursday before-mentioned, languishing from the wound
and beating aforesaid; and on that day, at about the third hour, (fn. 7)
he died. And the body was viewed; upon which was seen the
wound aforesaid, and it appeared altogether disfigured from the
beating before-mentioned.
And John de Salle was attached, in whose house he died, by
William de Boxebrigge and Ralph le Paumere; and Sarra, his
wife, by John de Wilesdene, barber, and Roger de Bury, paternostrer. (fn. 8) And the two nearest neighbours were attached; namely,
William de Kaustone by Roger le Cheyne and Richard le Bryd,
paternostrer; (fn. 8) Robert de Bury, by Gilbert le Armorer and John
Gretheued, paternostrer. (fn. 8) And the aforesaid Richard le Lacir, the
companion of the said Godfrey on his journey, was attached by
Henry de Bury, glover, and Richard le Eschot, cutler.