Leonard Houndalre, abbot of Newenham. Houndalre Leonard Council. abbot of Newenham...

Petitioners

Leonard Houndalre, abbot of Newenham.

Name(s)

Houndalre, Leonard

Addressees

Council.

Occupation

abbot of Newenham

Nature of request

Leonard, abbot of Newenham, recounts that Legge, who committed many great offences concerning the goods of the abbey, lately resigned during a visitation from the abbot of Cleeve and the petitioner, by the assent of the former abbot and all his fellow monks, was elected abbot and received his estate and possessions. These he held from the feast of the Trinity last until the morrow of the feast of John the Baptist last when Courtenay sent 60 armed men arrayed for war who, at Courtenay's order and without reasonable cause, took the abbot from his house by force and brought him to Courtenay's manor of Bickleigh, where he was, and still is, imprisoned. The abbot requests that a writ be sent to Courtenay by a serjeant at arms ordering him to release the abbot from prison and allow him to go free, or to come before the council to certify the reason for the imprisonment.

Nature of endorsement

On 8 July in the third year (1402) at Westminster the council agreed that a writ under the great seal should be addressed to Courtenay ordering him to release the abbot of Newenham from prison, on pain of 1000 marks. And if Courtenay is not with the King, he should be before the council at Westminster on the morrow of St James next, and if he is travelling with the King, then within ten days of leaving the King's company, to answer in this matter. And a commission should be made to Markeleye to release the abbot and allow him to go at large.

Places mentioned

Newenham, Devon

Cleeve, [Somerset]

Bickleigh, [Devon]

Westminster.

People mentioned

John Legge, late abbot of Newenham

abbot of Cleeve

Philip Courtenay

Robert Markeleye, serjeant at arms.

For a related petition from this petitioner see SC 8/126/6261

• Calendar of Close Rolls, Hen IV, vol. I, 1399-1402, (Public Record Office, 1927), p.537 (writ to release petitioner from prison)
• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen IV, vol. II, 1401-1405, (Public Record Office, 1905), p.133 (commission ordering Courtenay to release the abbot)