Burgesses of Cardigan. King and council. The Burgeses of Cardigan state that there...

Petitioners

Burgesses of Cardigan.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The Burgeses of Cardigan state that there used to be an English county court in their town, and that since it has been abolished they have been greatly impoverished, as they can no longer sell to the suitors who sued at that court. They ask that it might be reinstated. They also state that since the county court was abolished, their walls have been in ruinous state, and that the castle also needs repairs. They have shown these grievances to the King's father, who sent a writ to the Earl of Arundel, formerly Justice of South Wales, who held an inquisition which found that the county court used to be held as they said, and that its removal was a great loss to king and people.

Nature of endorsement

Coram rege.The Justice of South Wales is to be ordered to inquire whether such a county court has been held there before this time, and if it has been writhdrawn, then for how long, and by whom, and for what reason, and to what harm to the King, and what profit it would be to the King if the county court were restored. And he is further to inform himself by all the ways he can, and to inform the King in Chancery of what he finds.

Places mentioned

Cardigan, [Cardiganshire], Wales.

People mentioned

[Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales]

[Richard Fitz Alan], Earl of Arundel.

For an earlier petition on a related matter see SC 8/38/1870

For a petition by the burgesses of New Carmarthen on a related matter see SC 8/255/12729

For another contemporary petition by the same petitioners on the same matter see SC 8/84/4187

• Calendar of Ancient Petitions Relating to Wales, Board of Celtic Studies, History and Law, (University of Wales, 1975), pp.155-6 (calendar of petition)
• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric II, vol. III, 1385-1389, (Public Record Office, 1900), p.114 (grant to petitioners of a county court at Cardigan)