John de Usk, Abbot of Chertsey. de Usk John King and Parliament Abbot of Chertsey...

Petitioners

John de Usk, Abbot of Chertsey.

Name(s)

de Usk, John

Addressees

King and Parliament

Occupation

Abbot of Chertsey

Nature of request

The petitioner seeks discharge from responsibility for the maintenance of the highway between Egham and Staines. He states that in year forty-two of the reign of [the king's grandfather] (1368), an inquest was held before the steward and marshal of the [then] king's household, by which it was presented ... that the causeway between the hill of Egham and the town of Egham (continuing in length for one league), that neither the petitioner nor his predecessors from time without memory had ever been responsible for repair of the said causeway, [but] the petitioner and his successors were made responsible for maintenance of the causeway, which by lack of repairs was ruinous and broken, and a nuisance to all those passing and carrying victuals, on which a prosecution was made to the petitioner and in answer he petitioned the court of the marshalsea, and by the solemn verdict of an inquest it was decided that he should not be held responsible for the maintenance of the said causeway etc., except by the alms of other men of the land. The causeway was improved in the reign of King Henry III and lastly by Thomas de Oxford (who willed his merchandise), before which time no road stood there, and that all times thereafter, when the causeway was damaged, the men of the surrounding land repaired the same from their alms, and the abbots were never held responsible for the said repairs in any court etc. Nevertheless, by the procurement of many men of the land, judgements have been obtained to the contrary.

Nature of endorsement

From his special grace and with the agreement of parliament the king wills that all process in king's bench toward the petitioner concerning the repair of the highway etc., be suspended until the next parliament, and let the petitioner have writs to the justices of king's bench in this matter.

Places mentioned

Chertsey, [Surrey]

Egham, [Surrey]

Staines, [Surrey].

People mentioned

Edward III, King of England

Henry III, King of England

Thomas de Oxford, merchant.

For a petition from the same petitioner see SC 8/103/5106

For a related petition on the same matter see SC 8/103/5102

• Calendar of Close Rolls, Ric II, vol. IV, 1389-1392, (Public Record Office, 1923), p.313 (writ of supersedeas in relation to this case)
• Calendar of Close Rolls, Ric II, vol. V, 1392-1396, (Public Record Office, 1925), p.125 (similar writ of supersedeas)