Commonalty of Lincolnshire. King and Council. The people of Lincolnshire ask the...

Petitioners

Commonalty of Lincolnshire.

Addressees

King and Council.

Nature of request

The people of Lincolnshire ask the king to enquire into a series of complaints against Robert Breton, the former sheriff of Lincolnshire, his family and his other ministers.1) That they imprisoned various people on false charges of trespass, extracting fines and ransoms and taking goods and chattels from their houses.2) That they took carts and horses in which to transport the goods of the Earl of Lancaster, but took too many and made the owners pay fines to recover them, to the value of £100.3) That they took goods from people for their own use without payment, claiming that they were for the provisioning of Lincoln and Bolingbroke castles.4) That they seized all manner of goods from the people, claiming tat they had received a commission from the king.5) That when the king ordered the sheriff to summon the people of the county to him at Coventry, they gathered at Lincoln before Peter Breton, who then told them not to go. Instead they were ordered to pay large fines.6) [Incomplete entry regarding the keeping of the peace and selecting armed men to assist the king].

Nature of endorsement

[on face] Benyngworth.[on dorse] Concerning the transgressions and oppressions contained in this petition the king has assigned justices in chancery ... to enquire into the truth and to do justice ....

Places mentioned

Lincolnshire

Lincoln, [Lincolnshire]

Bolingbroke, [Lincolnshire].

People mentioned

Robert Breton, former sheriff of Lincolnshire

Peter Breton, brother of Robert Breton

Guy Breton, brother of Robert Breton

William Breton, brother of Robert Breton

Roger Breton, brother of Robert Breton

Ralph Breton, brother of Robert Breton

[Thomas of Lancaster], Earl of Lancaster.

For a separate petition relating to the petitioners' failure to attend the king at Coventry see SC 8/205/10224