Margaret Basset. Basset Margaret King. Margaret Basset complains of certain trespasses...

Petitioners

Margaret Basset.

Name(s)

Basset, Margaret

Addressees

King.

Nature of request

Margaret Basset complains of certain trespasses and extortions committed against her by Richard Stanop:1) He attacked her house in Normanton on 7 August 7 Henry IV [1406], and carried off her goods and chattels.2) On 3 May in the same year he assaulted her violently at Fledborough, and in fleeing from this assault she fell, hurting herself badly.3) On the same occasion he threatened her servants, so that they did not dare to go about her business.4) On 3 July in the same year, being Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, he had his officers and ministers threaten Margaret and take money from her by colour of his office.5) On 12 January 8 Henry IV [1407] he forcibly took one John Paton of Scotland, prisoner, from Margaret, and let him escape, to her great damage.6) He extorted money from one Elizabeth Shepard at Fledborough, wrongly claiming she was his vilein.7) When she distrained one William Dey, who held land of her in Stokeham, for arrears of his rent, he claimed those distraints as his, by colour of a gift made to him by William.8) He threatened her and her servants so that they have left her and she has fled Nottinghamshire and does not dare to return.She requests a remedy.

Nature of endorsement

Touching this petition which Margaret Basset delivered to the King in his parliament held at Leicester on the last day of April in the second year of his reign, and in which she complains about Richard Stanop, knight, and various wrongs committed by the same Richard and contained in the petition; Richard, then being present before the King and lords, with regard to the first article, read to him then, made protestation that the goods are not worth as much as she claims in the petition, answering that he was the Sheriff of King Henry, father of the present lord King, in Nottinghamshire seven years ago, and that then by virtue of this office he seized the goods and chattels contained in the article at Fledborough as chattels of a felon of the late King, for the use of the King, and that he has answered to the King fully for them in the Exchequer. And Margaret said that on the contrary she had title to these goods and chattels by virtue of a certain franchise belonging to the manor of Fledborough, and that Richard took them out of her possession [illegible] And several people asked that a search might be made for evidence both for the said account (?) and for the franchise that Margaret claims to have; which the King granted. And with regard to all the other articles contained in the petition, Richard said by way of response that he was not guilty, and Margaret said that he was and that all her complaints were true. Therefore, because the matter could not be tried in this court, Richard was examined on these articles and it was eventually decided that he was guilty rather than not. Therefore, because Richard was one of the most powerful and contentious people in the county and Margaret was a poor widow, and it seemed to the King and lords that the truth could not well be found while Richard was at large, the King, with the assent of the lords, decided that Richard should be kept in Kenilworth castle while the truth was inquired into, as had been done in similar cases previously. The King ordered the Chancellor to send a writ to the warden of the said castle to receive the said Richard and have him well guarded. And the King further told Margaret that if her complaints were found to be false, then she would have such a punishment as would deter others from making such untrue suggestions to the King.

Places mentioned

Normanton, Nottinghamshire

Fledborough, [Nottinghamshire]

Leicester, [Leicestershire]

Scotland

Stokeham, [Nottinghamshire]

Kylyngworthe (Kenilworth), [Warwickshire].

People mentioned

Henry IV, King of England

Richard Stanop (Stanhope), knight, formerly Sheriff of Nottinghamshire

Thomas Forsett, servant of Margaret Basset

Gawain Boteler (Butler), servant of Margaret Basset

John Paton of Scotland, prisoner

Elizabeth Shepard

William Dey.

For transcript, see no.4 of PRO 31/7/114