Folios: 119-119v. Sixty charters or muniments about Shenston [Shenstone], Staffordshire,...

Folios: 119-119v. Sixty charters or muniments about Shenston [Shenstone], Staffordshire, in one box, marked by the letter S. Pleas of assizes at Stafford before Roger Hillary and his fellow justices of the king assigned to take all assizes and certificates in Staffordshire.

First party: Henry de Lancaster, earl of Derby, Robert, son of Ralph de Grendon, and John de Rocheford.

Second party: Roger de Chetewynd, knight, and Joan, his wife.

Place or subject: An assize comes to recognise if Henry de Lancaster, earl of Derby, Robert, son of Ralph de Grendon, and Joan de Rocheford unjustly disseised Roger de Chetewynd, knight, and Joan, his wife, of their free tenement in Shenston [Shenstone]. Upon which Roger and Joan complain by Richard de Gresebrok, their attorney, that they disseised them of a third part of the manor of Shenstone. And the earl, Robert and Joan come by Ralph Shayl, the earl's attorney. And John says that he has nothing in the third part of the manor placed in view, nor did he do any injury or disseisin upon Roger and Joan. And he puts himself upon the assize, and Roger and Joan similarly. And the earl answers as tenant of the same third part and calls Robert to warrant. Robert, present in court, freely warrants it to him and says that an assize ought not to be made between them, because he says that he, at another time in the court of the present king before John de Stonore and his fellow justices of the Bench at York, brought a certain writ of the form of a gift against Joan de Rocheford, then tenant of that entire manor, and he sought that manor. Which same writ was returned before the same justices of the Bench at York in the octaves of Martinmas in the eleventh year of the present king, supposing by the same writ that a certain Philip Burnel gave the manor to one Ralph, son of Ralph de Grendon, and Joan, his wif,e and their heirs in tail, and he made a descent from Ralph and Joan to the same Robert as son and heir, etc. In which same octaves the same Robert, by judgement returned in the king's court, recovered that manor. And he says that the estate which Roger and Joan had in the third part was active in the meantime between the gift mentioned above made to Ralph and Joan by Philip and the time of that judgement being returned. He seeks judgement as to whether they ought to have an assize of such a mesne estate. Roger and Joan say that they were not party to the writ concerning the form of the gift or judgement, etc. And they say that, whereas Robert supposed by the same writ that Philip had given that manor to Robert, Ralph, son of Ralph, and Joan and their heirs in tail, Philip did not give the third part of the manor, now placed in view, to Ralph and Joan in the same form, just as Robert supposed by his writ. And they seek that this be inquired into by the assize, and Robert similarly. Therefore an assize is to be taken upon this. The jurors, elected and sworn with the consent of the parties, come and say upon their oath that Philip gave that third part of the manor, now placed in view, together with the whole rest of the same manor to Ralph and Joan and their heirs in tail, as Robert supposed by the aforementioned writ about the form of the gift. Therefore it is considered that the earl, Robert and John should go without day, and Roger and Joan are to take nothing by that assize, but be in mercy for false claim.

County: Staffordshire.

Additional people: [unspecified]

Wednesday next after the feast of the Decollation of St John the Baptist, 16 Edw III.