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Burgesses and Tenants of Melcombe Regis. Commons. The burgesses and tenants of Melcombe...

Catalogue reference: SC 8/126/6267

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This record is about the Burgesses and Tenants of Melcombe Regis. Commons. The burgesses and tenants of Melcombe... dating from [1431] in the series Special Collections: Ancient Petitions. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference
SC 8/126/6267
Date
[1431]
Description
Petitioners
Burgesses and Tenants of Melcombe Regis.
Addressees
Commons.
Nature of request
The burgesses and tenants of Melcombe Regis state that, at the Leicester Parliament of 1426, they recited that during the Westminster Parliament of 1410 they received a reduction in the fee farm and tax burden of their town for ten years, on account of it being burnt by the King's enemies, but at the end of this term they were distrained by the Exchequer for the arrears. Therefore, they had requested a commission be appointed to survey the town and decide what charges should be imposed, and that they be pardoned the arrears. The Lords ordered that a commission be sent to the Bishop of Bath, Cheyne and Juyn to make this enquiry, and that the arrears be respited until the next parliament. This inquest was held on 28 September 1430, and it was decided that the town should pay 20s for its fee farm and 13s 4d for each fifteenth. The burgesses therefore request that the King confirm this, granting them the keeping of the town for ten years for the sums cited, and fully pardon all outstanding arrears now due.
Nature of endorsement
[on face] Let it be sent to the Lords.
Places mentioned
Melcombe Regis, Dorset
Leicester, [Leicestershire]
Westminster.
People mentioned
Henry [IV], King of England
Henry [V], King of England
[John Stafford], Bishop of Bath [and Wells]
William Cheyne
John Juyn.
Note
Printed in Rot. Parl. IV, pp.468-9 under 1433 (seemingly linking it in error to SC 8/126/6255), but re-dated by the editors of PROME to the 1431 Parliament. The petition explicitly refers to events of the 1426 Leicester Parliament, and that decisions were deferred to the 'next Parliament'. Although there were parliaments held in 1427 and 1429, the inquest was not held until September 1430, and thus the next Parliament after that date was that of 1431. The grant in these terms made on 8 July 1437 (CPR 1436-41, p.74), to last during pleasure, was presumably an extension, and probably granted following the petition at SC 8/128/6371. The earlier petition presented at Leicester in 1426 was not identified by PROME, but would appear to be SC 8/128/6388.
Related material

The earlier petition referred to in this petition is SC 8/128/6388

For another petition in similar terms see SC 8/128/6371

A related petition is SC 8/19/922

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
Parliamentary Petition 5549
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
French
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Publication note(s)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen VI, vol. III, 1436-1441, (Public Record Office, 1907), p.74 (recitation of the terms of this grant)
  • Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. IV, Hen V and Hen VI, (Record Commission, 1783), pp.468b-469b (edition of petition, mistakenly assigned to 1433)
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C9208441/

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Series information

SC 8

Special Collections: Ancient Petitions

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Burgesses and Tenants of Melcombe Regis. Commons. The burgesses and tenants of Melcombe...

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