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Community of the realm. King. The community of the realm make five complaints:1)...

Catalogue reference: SC 8/8/392

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This record is about the Community of the realm. King. The community of the realm make five complaints:1)... dating from [1325] in the series Special Collections: Ancient Petitions. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference
SC 8/8/392
Date
[1325]
Description
Petitioners
Community of the realm.
Addressees
King.
Nature of request
The community of the realm make five complaints:1) The ministers of the Forest on both sides of the Trent have taken vills, lands and woods back into the Forest, contrary to the Charter of the Forest, and have destroyed ditches, disrupted agriculture and exacted money from the people; they request a remedy.2) Many people have been imprisoned, and their lands and goods seized, without being convicted by process of law, but solely on the allegation of malevolent persons that they were adherents of the king's enemies. They request that they be released, and that henceforth no such arrests be made without process of law.3) The tenants of various honours which have come into the king's hand through forfeiture state that previously they could buy lands and take feoffment without permission from the lordships; but now, the king's escheators and other ministers treat the lands as though they were held of the king in chief as of the crown, contrary to the Great Charter; they request a remedy.4) Various lands have come into the king's hand, through the forfeiture of various rebels, which these people had seized wrongfully from others; inquisitions have been returned in Chancery about this, but there has been no issue of law. Likewise for lands etc. seized into the king's hand to which a title can be proved by charter. They request that he order issue of law for such lands, when as they can prove their title by inquisitions or by charters.5) They have delivered petitions into various parliaments concerning various grievances, some of which are adjourned before the king and some before the chancellor, but nothing is done; for which they request a remedy.1)
Nature of endorsement
It pleases the king that the justices of the Forest and their ministers be called before the Bishop of London, the Chancellor, Geoffrey Lescrop and William de Herle, so that both they and those who wish to complain can be heard, and justice be done for the king and others. And the king's serjeants are to be called, and the treasurer and chamberlains be asked to search the exchequer for evidence for the king.2) Those who have been arrested in this way are to come to Chancery and have justice. Henceforth the king does not wish anyone to be arrested contrary to the law of his land: if anyone is, he is to sue, and justice will be done.3) With regard to taking fines for the purchase of lands held of honours in the king's hand, the king is to have the same estate as the previous lords, according to the tenor of the Great Charter, saving his rights in other matters.4) To the first point: they are to show the inquisitions, and any charters or fines they have, in Chancery, and if everything is in order, justice is to be done. The same for the second.5) It pleases the king.
People mentioned
[Stephen Gravesend], bishop of London
Geoffrey Lescrop (Scrope)
William de Herle.
Note
The petition is dated to 1325, and this is based on the heading in Rot. Parl. vol. I, p.430a-b, that this was from the November 1325 parliament. CCR 1323-7 pp.539-540 confirms this: the octave of Martinmas 19 Edward II is November 1325.
Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
Parliamentary Petition 3055
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
French
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Publication note(s)
  • Calendar of Close Rolls, Edw II, vol. IV, 1323-1327, (Public Record Office, 1898), pp.539-540 (memorandum that these petitions were granted in the parliament held at Westminster at the octave of Martinmas 19 Edward II)
  • Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. I, Edw I and Edw II, (Record Commission, 1783), p.430a-b (full edition of a near-duplicate 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, p.430, nos. 1-5 (summary of references)
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C9060516/

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SC 8

Special Collections: Ancient Petitions

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Community of the realm. King. The community of the realm make five complaints:1)...

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