Prior of Worksop. King and council. Prior of Worksop The prior of Worksop states...

Petitioners

Prior of Worksop.

Addressees

King and council.

Occupation

Prior of Worksop

Nature of request

The prior of Worksop states that Walter, his predecessor, was seised of a windmill in the vill of Gringley, as of right of his church, with the suit of the men of the same vill, of which he was disseised by Constance de Bearn, John de Vescy and others. An assize of novel disseisin, before John de Reygate and his companions, found that he had been disseised, but would not give judgement because Constance held the manor of Gringley in dower, with the reversion to King Edward I. Meanwhile, Constance and John physically removed the mill from the prior's land to hers. The present prior had the record and process brought before Geoffrey le Scrope and his companions, justices of Edward II; who told the prior to rebuild his mill on his own ground. However, the then keeper of the manor of Gringley would not let him have suit of mill as he used to: so he petitioned the present king in parliament, and was granted an inquisition into whether suit was owed to him or not; which found that it was: but because the manor was assigned to Isabella, queen of England, before the inquisition was returned in Chancery, he could not have execution. At the prior's petition, Simon de Bereford, keeper of the manor of Gringley, was ordered to do justice to the prior according to the inquisition, but instead had the prior's mill knocked down and removed to Wheatley, which he had at farm from Queen Isabella. In response to another petition in parliament by the prior, a commission was granted to enquire into this wrong, as a result of which a writ was issued to John Bikke, then keeper of the manors of Gringley and Wheatley, to give the prior back his mill and suit; but he did nothing, so the prior sued to the York parliament, and the last parliament at Westminster, and had writs to John de Hegham, then steward of the queen's lands: who did nothing. Yet again he requests a remedy.

Nature of endorsement

He is to sue in Chancery to have a copy of the writ sent to John de Hegham, or to John Bikke, from the rolls, and is to have another writ, repeating that command, to the current steward or bailiffs to put the writs into execution, if this has not been done; and a process is to be further continued.

Places mentioned

Worksop, [Nottinghamshire]

Gringley on the Hill, [Nottinghamshire]

Wheatley, [Nottinghamshire].

People mentioned

Walter, formerly prior of Worksop

Constance de Bierne (Bearn)

John de Vescy

John de Reygate (Reigate), justice

Geoffrey le Scrop (Scrope), justice

Isabella [of France], Queen of England

John Bikke, keeper of the manors of Gringley and Wheatley

John de Hegham, steward of Queen Isabella's lands.

For an earlier related petition see SC 8/150/7477

For a related petition see SC 8/8/399C

For a copy of the grant of mill see SC 8/8/399B

For a copy of a related writ, see SC 8/8/399A

For a petition by the same petitioner on a related matter see SC 8/79/3903

• Calendar of Close Rolls, Edw III, vol. II, 1330-1333, (Public Record Office, 1898), p.197 (order to John Byk, keeper of the manors of Wheteley and Grengeley, to have the mill replaced where it was before it was moved, and to cause the prior to have the suit of the men of Gryngeley pertaining to the mill, and let them grind their corn there as previously)
• Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous, vol. II, Edw II - 22 Edw III, (Public Record Office, 1916), p.284 (various documents relating to the case up to January 1331)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. I, Edw I and Edw II, (Record Commission, 1783), p.440, no.42 (edition of a later copy of an ealier related petition)