People of Dunwich. King and council. The people of Dunwich state that in the seventh...

Petitioners

People of Dunwich.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The people of Dunwich state that in the seventh year of his reign King Edward I granted them their town at farm. It was then prosperous, with a good harbour, but now a third of the town has been taken by the sea, and the harbour is so greatly weakened that they have to pay great sums of money to keep it open; furthermore, the king and his father have granted markets and fairs to people, both religious and others, within two or three leagues of their town. For these reasons the town is so impoverished that it cannot raise half the farm: so they ask that the king might take the town into his hand, put in a keeper, and enquire into these grievances; or that he might reduce the farm.

Nature of endorsement

Faithful people are to be appointed in Chancery to enquire into the truth of the contents of the petition, and into what harm the evils mentioned in it have caused the town, and how much it is deteriorated by them; into what lands and tenements have been destroyed by the sea, by whose fault, how, and in what way; and into the obstruction of the harbour and the other ills which arise from it; and into other necessary points. And the inquisition is to be returned in Chancery, and the king will be further informed.

Places mentioned

Donewyz (Dunwich), [Suffolk].

People mentioned

Edward I, king of England.

For another petition by the same petitioners on the same matter see SC 8/82/4092

• Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous, vol. II, Edw II - 22 Edw III, (Public Record Office, 1916), p.226 (no.907) (inquisition into damage to the port of Dunwich)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. I, Edw I and Edw II, (Record Commission, 1783), p.426a-b, no.39 (full edition of a later copy of the original petition)
• 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. 416-429, no. 39 (summary of references)