John Lewin, mason. Lewin John King and council. mason The petitioner seeks the king's...

Petitioners

John Lewin, mason.

Name(s)

Lewin, John

Addressees

King and council.

Occupation

mason

Nature of request

The petitioner seeks the king's aid in a matter concerning the bishop of Durham. He states that by the evil procurement of the Bishop he was indicted before Menvill and accused of harbouring Goldesburgh, who was not then attainted, by which indictment the bishop took hold of the petitioner. Sufficient mainpernors offered pledges, but the sheriff would not accept them and the petitioner was imprisoned in irons and remained so for a long time and delayed in his delivery to the quarter sessions until in the last [session] when the petitioner was delivered before the justices of the bishopric and accused with other masons (with force and arms) of damaging the bishop's houses in Durham Castle and taking goods, chattels, and money worth 2000 marks. The case was tried at Sedgefield, Thursday after the feast of St Cuthbert year forty-six of the king (21 March 1372). And still the bishop continues his malice by distraining on the petitioner and also by extending a debt of £200 (or £2000) to the petitioner for his labour, and moving against the petitioner in other matters involving great sums of money.

Nature of endorsement

[Illegible]

Places mentioned

Levechee de Duram (Bishopric of Durham)

Durham, [County Durham]

Sedgefield, [County Durham].

People mentioned

Edward III, King of England

Thomas [Hatfield], Bishop of Durham

William Menvill, sheriff of Durham

Richard Goldesburgh.

For the inquisition post mortem of William Menvill, see m. 88 of DURH 3/2