People of the liberty of Durham. King and council. The people show that when the...

Petitioners

People of the liberty of Durham.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The people show that when the bishopric was in the hand of the king following the death of Bishop Beaumont, he summoned an eyre to Durham, though no eyre was summoned in Northumberland. The people complain that this seems contrary to the law, and to avoid the mischief and disinheritance of the church the people made a fine of 1,000 marks to the king, the king's ministers disregarding the damages that they had suffered during the war. The people request that the king grant an aid to them similar to the one given to the men of Northumberland, and give them letters under the great seal like those given to other men for all manner of debts and of victuals, and that he grant to the present bishop that no eyre be held unless it is first begun in Northumberland as has been the use under the king's predecessors and the bishop's predecessors.

Nature of endorsement

Coram rege et magno consilio.They are to have respite until the feast of St Michael next coming, that the king in the meanwhile will do what by his good council seems to him ought to be done.

Places mentioned

Durham, [County Durham]

Northumberland

Norham, [Northumberland]

Sadberge, [County Durham].

People mentioned

Louis de Beaumont, Bishop of Durham.

For a fragmentary copy of this petition see SC 8/107/5334

• Northern Petitions Illustrative of Life in Berwick, Cumbria and Durham in the Fourteenth Century, Ed. C.M. Fraser, (Surtees Society, vol. CXCIV, 1981), pp.229-32 (no.169) (full edition)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. II, Edw III, (Record Commission, 1783), pp.99b-100a (no.8) (full edition of related petition)