Folios: 438v-439v. Charters of privileges. Grant of liberties. First party: Richard...

Folios: 438v-439v. Charters of privileges. Grant of liberties.

First party: Richard II.

Place or Subject: Whereas Edward III, the king's grandfather, by his charter, which the king has confirmed by his charter, granted to John, duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster, the king's uncle [John of Gaunt], by the name of John, king of Castile and Leon and duke of Lancaster, that he and his heirs in tail should have all fines, redemptions and amercements of all their men and tenants from and in the hundred of Northgrenowe [North Greenhoe] and Smethdon [Smithdon], Norfolk, and their fees, in exchange for certain other lands and tenements lately granted by him; and also issues forfeited and all things, which could pertain to the king's uncle and his heirs from the year, day and waste, forfeitures and murder fines in any of his courts and those of his heirs; when it happens his men and tenants make fines or redemptions or are amerced both before the king's uncle and his heirs and in his Chancery and that of his heirs, and before his treasurer and barons of the Exchequer and those of his heirs, and also before his justices itinerant and those of his heirs for common pleas and pleas of the forest, and also before his justices and heirs of the Bench and before the steward and marshal and coroner of his household and that of his heirs, and the clerk of the market, and before his other justices and ministers and those of his heirs whatseover, or when it happens these kinds of issues, murder fines or forfeitures, year, day and waste are awarded. As fully and entirely as the king's grandfather had them, if those hundreds had been retained in his hands. In such a way that he and his heirs can levy, receive and have, by the hands of his ministers or bailiffs, without the suit or impediment of the king's uncle, or of his heirs or his bailiffs or ministers, the fines, redemptions and amercements of those men and tenants, issues, forfeitures and all things which could pertain to the king's grandfather and his heirs from the year, day, waste, forfeitures and murder fines from and in those hundreds and their fees, which happen to be made and awarded before those justices itinerant for common pleas and pleas of the forest and before the steward and marshal, coroner or clerk, by estreats of those justices itinerant in their eyres and those of the steward, marshal, coroner and clerk in their sessions, to be delivered to the same bailiffs and ministers. And also fines, redemptions and amercements of the said men and tenants, and the issues forfeited and all things which could pertain to the king's said grandfather and his heirs from the year, day and waste, forfeitures and murder fines from and in those hundreds and fees, which happen to be made and awarded before his grandfather and his heirs or in his Chancery and that of his heirs or before the treasurer and barons of the Exchequer of the king or his heirs, or before his justices and those of his heirs of the Bench or justices to take assizes and deliver gaols, or justices assigned to hear and determine felonies and trespasses, or before other justices or ministers of the king of his heirs, by estreats of his Exchequer and that of his heirs, to be delivered to the bailiffs and ministers of the king's uncle and those of his heirs by the hands of the sheriffs in whose bailiwicks those hundreds or their fees are. And that the king's uncle and his heirs are to have in that hundred and their fees the chattels of felons and fugitives in such a way that if any of his men or tenants or others in those places or their fees ought to lose life or member for their offence, or flee or refuse to stand to judgement, or have made any offence for which they ought to lose their chattels, whenever justice ought to be done about them, either in the court of the king's grandfather or that of his heirs or in other courts, those chattels are to be of the king's uncle and his heirs. And it is to be lawful for them or their ministers without trouble or impediment of his grandfather or his heirs to put themselves in seisin of those chattels and to retain them to the use of the king's uncle and his heirs. And that the king's uncle and his heirs are to have in those hundreds and their fees the returns of all writs of his grandfather and those of his heirs and the summons of estreats and orders from the Exchequer, and also of the orders and estreats of justices itinerant of the king's grandfather and his heirs, both for pleas of the forest and also for common pleas, and of any other justices, and the execution of those writs, the summons of estreats and orders to be made by his bailiffs and ministers. In such a way that no sheriff, bailiff or minister of the king's grandfather or his heirs are to enter that hundred or their fees to perform their offices or anything concerning their offices, unless in default of the king's said uncle or his heirs, bailiffs or ministers, just as is more fully contained in the charter of the king's grandfather and the king's confirmation.

Additional people: (witnesses) W. archbishop of Canterbury [William Courtenay]; Thomas, archbishop of York, chancellor [Thomas Arundel]; R. bishop of London [Robert Braybrooke]; W. bishop of Winchester [William of Wykeham]; J. bishop of Salisbury, treasurer [John Waltham]; Richard [fitz Alan], earl of Arundel; Thomas [de Beauchamp], earl of Warwick; Henry [Percy], earl of Northumberland; John de Cobham; Richard Lescrop, knights banneret; Master Edmund de Stafford, keeper of the king's privy seal; and Edmund, duke of York, keeper of England [Edmund of Langley].

Dated at Westminster.

30 Oct 18 Ric II.