People of Dunwich. King and council. The people of Dunwich make three petitions complaining...

Petitioners

People of Dunwich.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The people of Dunwich make three petitions complaining of the great damages done to their town by Edmund de Claveryng, knight and his people of Walberswick:1) They state that they have prevented them from receiving the profits of their harbour, and have appropriated them to themselves by force.2) They state that they have erected a fortress at the entry to their harbour, which is manned with armed men, to force the ships which should land their fish, herring and other merchandise at Dunwich, so that tolls and customs can be levied in aid of their farm, to land at Walberswick instead, where the merchandise is sold, to the prejudice of the King and his borough, and to their great impoverishment.3) They state that the bailiffs of the town have erected a building beside the harbour to guard the coast, on the King's instructions, and to collect the profits and customs of the harbour, Thomas Pecok, Geoffrey Ridel and other men of Sir Edmund's, maliciously burnt that building down in time of peace, at his command, killed William Scot, King's Bailiff of Dunwich and wounded William de Redenhale, his companion, and stole three boats, as well as horses and oxen, so that the bailiffs cannot guard the coast or collect customs.

Nature of endorsement

[None]

Places mentioned

Dunwich, [Suffolk]

Walberswick, [Suffolk]

Blythburgh, [Suffolk].

People mentioned

Edmund de Claveryng (Clavering), knight

People of Walberswick

Thomas Pecok (Peacock)

Geoffrey Ridel (Riddle)

William Scot, King's Bailiff of Dunwich

William de Redenhale, King's Bailiff of Dunwich.

For a continuation of this petition see SC 8/277/13812

For a related petition see SC 8/11/519

• Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. II, Edw III, (Record Commission, 1783), p.44a-b (no.60) (full edition of later copy of original petition and its continuation, with response)
• The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, Ed. Paul Brand, Anne Curry, Chris Given-Wilson, Rosemary Horrox, W.M. Ormrod and J.R.S. Phillips, (Cambridge University Press, 2005), Appendix of Unedited Petitions, 1307-1337, Rotuli Parliamentorum II, pp.31-51, no.60 (summary of references)