Commonalty of North Wales; Commonalty of South Wales. King and council. The commonalty...

Petitioners

Commonalty of North Wales; Commonalty of South Wales.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The commonalty of North Wales:1) They request that they be able freely to sell their lands to aid themselves, their wives and children when need arises, at the king's pleasure without being charged by the king or his ministers2) They request that leyrwyte not be demanded or levied unless the woman is defamed and cannot duly acquit herself.3) The commonalty who are of the advowry request that if a man of the advowry die without heirs of his body, that the others of the advowry are charged for their part.4) They pray that if a man buys diverse parcels from divers men of the fee of the king, that he is not distrained to make more than one suit, and if he makes default that he not pay anything but one amercement.[Endorsed] The commonalty of South Wales:1) They request that all suits arrained in the king's court may be answered by sergeants, and that the suit may be tried by a jury of 12 men.2) They request that leyrwyte not be levied except in cases where the woman cannot acquit herself.

Nature of endorsement

[The responses are given under each entry]North Wales:1) The council is advised that this can be done, that the free tenants should do this at the king's pleasure.2) Let it be done.3) The justice is ordered that if this is done by duress of ministers and not by ancient custom, then it is to be prevented.4) The justice is ordered that if this be by the duress of ministers and not by ancient custom, then he is to do what is rightSouth Wales:1) [None].2) [None].

Places mentioned

Norgales (North Wales)

Suthgales (South Wales).

For a related petition in part referring to the same problem see SC 8/64/3179

Topics

Children

• Calendar of Ancient Petitions Relating to Wales, Board of Celtic Studies, History and Law, (University of Wales, 1975), pp.28-9
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. I, Edw I and Edw II, (Record Commission, 1783), p.387a (nos.1 & 2) (full editions from original petitions)
• The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, Ed. Paul Brand, Anne Curry, Chris Given-Wilson, Rosemary Horrox, W.M. Ormrod and J.R.S. Phillips, (Cambridge University Press, 2005), Appendix of Unedited Petitions, 1307-1337, Rot. Parl. vol. I, pp. 387-415, nos. 1 and 2 (summary of references)