William Burcestre, knight; Margaret Burcestre, wife of William Burcestre. Burcestre;...

Petitioners

William Burcestre, knight; Margaret Burcestre, wife of William Burcestre.

Name(s)

Burcestre; Burcestre, William; Margaret

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

William Burcestre and Margaret his wife state that the late Bartholomew Burghersh enfeoffed Thomas de Hungerford, knight, who was of his council, and others with the manors of Heytesbury, Stert and Colerne in Wiltshire, and with various lands and tenements in Wales, so that they might re-enfeoff Bartholomew and Margaret, then his wife. After Bartholomew's death a diem clausit extremum was sued to the excheator, upon which it was found that the enfeoffments and re-enfeoffments were properly made, so that Margaret had delivery of the manors, and Thomas, who had promised to counsel her in the same way as he had her husband, was instructed to receive her fealty in name of the king; and for a long time afterwards he had Margaret's estate in the manors. Nevetheless, he informed Lady Despenser, Bartholomew's daughter, that her father alone died seised of these manors, so that she entered into them, through his deceit, on the agreement that he would have the manor of Heytesbury in perpetuity, of her gift and enfeoffment. Because of his great maintenance in the county, William and Margaret cannot have justice; he was also appointed justice of the peace, but would not inquire into the matter, stating before the county that Lady Despenser's right in the manors was just. William and Margaret request that they might not be denied their rights by such maintenance, and that such a remedy might be ordained as to put down such maintenance in future.

Nature of endorsement

[None].

Places mentioned

Heghtresbery (Heytesbury), Wiltshire

Steorte (Stert), Wiltshire

Colerne, Wiltshire

Wales.

People mentioned

Thomas de Hungerford, knight

Bartholomew Burghersh

Thomas Dru

Nicholas Bonham

[...] Warneford

[...] Steorton

[Elizabeth], Lady Despenser.

The response of Thomas de Hungerford to this petition is SC 8/19/930

For transcript, see no.17 of PRO 31/7/107

• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric II, vol. II, 1381-1385, (Public Record Office, 1898), pp.121-2 (licence for the petitioners to grant their estate in Heytesbury in fee simple to Lady Despenser, and for her to grant the same to Thomas de Hungerford and others, with remainder to Thomas' heirs)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. III, Ric II and Hen IV, (Record Commission, 1783), pp.109b-111a (transcription of petition on parliament roll, with response of Thomas de Hungerford to petition)