Nicholas Cyfrewast, son and heir of Godfrey Cyfrewast. Cyfrewast Nicholas The King....

Petitioners

Nicholas Cyfrewast, son and heir of Godfrey Cyfrewast.

Name(s)

Cyfrewast, Nicholas

Addressees

The King.

Nature of request

The petitioner asks of the king by the authority of parliament that an exemplification now in his possession of certain records destroyed in the great tumult of the commons in 1381 should stand as the full record in court. He shows that in the time of King Edward [III] (the king's grandfather) in year forty-nine (1375-6), Godfrey Cyfrewast was indicted of various felonies before Walter Haywode and his fellow justices of oyer and terminer in the county of Southampton. In year fifty (1376-7) of the same king, before Haywode and his fellows, Godfrey was openly and fully acquitted of the same felonies. Record of this acquittance was enrolled in chancery. In the reign of the previous king Richard the tenor of the acquittance was exemplified under the great seal. In the meantime Godfrey was in the service of the late King Richard outside England in year three of the said king (1379-80), and was outlawed for the same felonies in Southampton against the law. Upon which the petitioner brought a writ in king's bench for the reversal of the said outlawry. And for this the full record of Godfrey's acquittance was destroyed in the great tumult of the commons of England in year four of King Richard (1380-1) at the London Temple, among many other rolls and records to the great damage of many gentlemen of England. And the petitioner was unable to secure reversal of the said outlawry as right and good faith demand.

Nature of endorsement

By agreement of all the estates of parliament, to grant that the tenor of the acquittance of Godfrey Cyfrewast mentioned in this petition and the exemplification of the same and any [other record] established by faith are to hold in all the king's courts and in all other courts and laws in England etc.

Places mentioned

Southampton, [Hampshire].

People mentioned

Edward III, King of England

Richard II, King of England

Walter Haywode

Godfrey Cyfrewast.

For the exemplification originally attached to this petition see SC 8/100/4993B