Merchants who frequent the river Thames between London and Oxford. King and council....

Petitioners

Merchants who frequent the river Thames between London and Oxford.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The merchants who frequent the river Thames between London and Oxford state that their passage along the river is hindered by gorces, locks, mills and other impediments, to their great danger, and preventing them from serving king and community. They also complain about fishermen, taking more small fish than they should with their nets, to the great harm of the king and of the community. Justices used to be assigned to survey the river every seven years, but for twenty years none have been appointed. The good people of the community complained about this and William de Bereford and Roger de Hegham were appointed: but they are so busy in the king's service that they cannot find time for this. The aforesaid good people request that other justices of the country be appointed: namely the Constable of Windsor - because William Pascat was formerly Constable there - Master Edmund de Londres or Robert le Pugeys, or some other worthy man of the country.

Nature of endorsement

The rolls of Chancery are to be examined, and the letters patent formerly issued to W. de Bereford and R. de Heigham are to be examined, and similar letters patent are to be issued to the aforesaid W. de Bereford, R. le Sauvage, R. de Bello Fago and W. de Aillesbyri, so that if they cannot all etc., the aforesaid William together with one or two of them etc.

Places mentioned

River Thames

London

Oxford, [Oxfordshire]

Windsor, [Berkshire].

People mentioned

William de Bereford, justice

Roger de Hegham, justice

William Pascat, formerly Constable of Windsor

Master Edmund de Londres (London)

Robert le Pugeys

R[Roger] le Sauvage

R[Roger] de Bello Fago (Beaufou)

W[Walter] de Aillesbyri (Aylesbury).

Another later petition on this subject is SC 8/125/6201

A petition from the reign of Edward II on the same subject is SC 8/86/4300

An earlier petition on the same subject is SC 8/10/477

For transcript, see p.84 of PRO 31/7/93

• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw I, vol. IV, 1301-1307, (Public Record Office, 1898), p.406 (commission to the justices named above) & pp.88-89 (earlier commission to William de Bereford and Roger de Higham)
• Parliamentary Petitions Relating to Oxford, Oxford Historical Society, vol. XXXII, Ed. L. Toulmin Smith, (Oxford Historical Society, 1896), pp.109-110 (summary of petition)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. I, Edw I and Edw II, (Record Commission, 1783), p.475a-b, no.90 (full edition of 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), 1305, autumn parliament, appendix, evidence of business done at this parliament from chancery enrolments and elsewhere, no.23 (summary of references)