Abbot and convent of St Augustine, Canterbury. King and council. The Abbot and convent...

Petitioners

Abbot and convent of St Augustine, Canterbury.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The Abbot and convent of St Augustine, Canterbury, make two requests:1) They state that William the Conqueror granted them a tithe of all rents and profits from the manor of Milton except for the rent of honey and the tithe of rent called pennygavel, and that his charter for this, a copy of which is sewn to this petition, has been confirmed by later Kings, and that they have been peacefully seised of this until the third year of the present King, who granted the manor to John de Florence for term of life. John lived for four years after that, and withheld the tithe of rent, cheese and pannage from them; and then Benedict de Fulsham, who is the Queen's farmer for the manor, has also withheld them. They ask that they might be paid the arrears from the time of John de Florence, and that Benedict de Fulsham might be ordered to pay them the arrears from his time, and to pay them their tithe in future.2) They state that they have had the correction of bread and ale by presentment of their tenants in their court of Newington, from time immemorial and by claim in various eyres, and which the King's father confirmed to them specifically by point of charter in the sixth year of his reign, but that Benedict de Fulsham is now distraining the tenants to present infringements of the assize of bread and ale in the hundred court of Milton, to the detriment of their franchise. They request a remedy.

Nature of endorsement

He is to have a writ in Chancery on his charter.This petition is to be sent into Chancery and the certification of which a transcript is sewn to this petition is to be searched for there; and when the certification has been examined, together with the charter of the said Abbot, and when the said Benedict, farmer of the manor of Milton, and other necessary people, have been summoned, justice and reason are further to be done there.

Places mentioned

Canterbury, [Kent]

Milton, [Kent]

Newington, [Kent].

People mentioned

William [I], King of England

John de Florence

Benedict de Fulsham

[Philippa of Hainault], Queen of England

Hervey de Stantone (Staunton)

Edward [II], King of England.

For a mandate to the Chancellor to do justice to the petitioners, if he can find that their claim for tithes from Milton is true, see no.12711 of C 81/263

For a later related petition see SC 8/88/4376