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. 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 request that justices be appointed to survey the river in this way.They also complain about fishermen who use nets which are so narrow that they are destroying all the stock of young fish.

Nature of endorsement

Coram toto consilio.Let W. de Berford and R. de Heyham, justices, be assigned to this.

Places mentioned

River Thames

London

Oxford, [Oxfordshire].

People mentioned

W[William] de Berford (Bereford), justice

R[Roger] de Heyham (Hegham), justice.

For a later petition on the same subject is SC 8/10/474

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

• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw I, vol. IV, 1301-1307, (Public Record Office, 1898), pp.88-89 (commission to William de Bereford and Roger de Higham to inquire into subject of petition)
• Parliamentary Petitions Relating to Oxford, Oxford Historical Society, vol. XXXII, Ed. L. Toulmin Smith, (Oxford Historical Society, 1896), p.109 (summary of 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), 1302, summer parliament, appendix, evidence of business done at this parliament from chancery enrolments and elsewhere, no. 17 (summary of references)