Abbot and monks of St Mary Graces, London. King and lords of parliament. The abbot...

Petitioners

Abbot and monks of St Mary Graces, London.

Addressees

King and lords of parliament.

Nature of request

The abbot and monks of the new abbey of St Mary Graces by the Tower of London state that Edward III, founder of the abbey, gave and granted by his letters patent to John of Gaunt and other lords, his feoffees, certain manors, lands, rents, and tenements, in Kent and Surrey, for them to endow and enfeoff the abbot and monks: which they, in accordance with his last will, granted to them for a term of forty years, until they could be amortized to the abbey. The abbot and convent then granted them to Simon de Burley, who purchased several letters patent from the king, wrongly showing them to be the king's gift to him. They also state that the same feoffees granted them the reversion of several manors in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, which reversions King Edward has purchased from James Daudele, but that after his death, the Duke of Ireland entered these and Daudele's other lands, which he had of the king's gift through a false allegation, although the feoffees were going to amortize them to the abbey. Now all the lands, both those held by Simon de Burley and those held by the Duke of Ireland, are in the king's hand: they request restitution of these lands, and that they might be amortized to them.

Nature of endorsement

They are to sue to the Council; and the king wishes that the Council should have power to do, and should do, justice to the supplicants on the matter comprised in the petition.

Places mentioned

London

Gravesend, Kent

Leuches (Linches), Kent

Parrok (Parrock), Kent

Bicknor, Kent

Leybourne, Kent

Wateringbury, Kent

Gore, Kent

Gomshall, Surrey

Blakedon (Blagdon), [Somerset]

Holdisworth (Holsworthy), [Devon]

Bovey Tracey, [Devon]

Standon (Staunton by Dunster), [Somerset]

Langacre, [Devon]

Ludeford (West Lydford), [Somerset]

Northleu (Northlew), [Devon]

Takkebere (Tackbear), [Cornwall].

People mentioned

Edward III, King of England

John [of Gaunt], Duke of Lancaster

Thomas de Stanes

Simon de Burley, knight

James Daudele (Audley), knight

[Robert de Vere], Duke of Ireland.

A similar petition from the Prior and convent of King's Langley is SC 8/20/991

For another petition concerning Daudele's lands, see SC 8/129/6431

For transcript, see no.55 of PRO 31/7/109

For another later petition from the same petitioners on the same matter, see SC 8/324/E658

For another petition from the same petitioners, see SC 8/189/9443

For another later petition from the same petitioners, see SC 8/25/1212

• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen IV, vol. I, 1399-1401, (Public Record Office, 1903), p.397 (exemplification of various documents relating to this matter)
• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric II, vol. III, 1385-1389, (Public Record Office, 1900), p.539 (restitution to petitioners of the lands held by Simon de Burley)
• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric II, vol. IV, 1388-1392, (Public Record Office, 1902), p.289 (grant to petitioners of livestock, goods and chattels formerly belonging to Simon de Burley in these manors)
• Richard II and his Grandfather's Will, C. Given-Wilson, (English Historical Review, XCIII, pp. 32, 1978), pp. 320-337 (discussion of context of this petition with editions of related petitions)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. III, Ric II and Hen IV, (Record Commission, 1783), pp.179b-180a (no.18) (full edition of original petition)