John Hotham, Bishop of Ely. Hotham John King. Bishop of Ely [Petition in four parts:]1)...

Petitioners

John Hotham, Bishop of Ely.

Name(s)

Hotham, John

Addressees

King.

Occupation

Bishop of Ely

Nature of request

[Petition in four parts:]1) The bishop requests that the charters of liberties granted by the king's ancestors to the bishop's predecessors be granted and confirmed, and if any point in the charters has not been used then henceforth it should be able to be used, and if any point is obscured by its wording then let it be put in a charter by words usual and acknowledged.2) He requests that the liberties used and claimed by his predecessors in eyres and allowed are able to be by charter affirmed and confirmed.3) The bishop requests that whereas his predecessors have had in their lands and fees the chattels of felons and fugitives, that he be granted that he and his successors by them and their bailiffs are able to seize, hold and have the chattels without any obstruction from the sheriff or any other minister.4) He requests that it is granted to him and his successors that he can have a coroner in his half-hundred of Midford chosen by writ of the king. The bishop already has return of writs there.

Nature of endorsement

Let certain justices and sergeants of the king and two clerks of Chancery be assigned to view the charters of which the petition makes mention and advise themselves of the articles contained in these, and which points have been used, and which have not, and whether it is to the king's prejudice if those that have not been used are used, and report what they find to the king.Concerning the second and third requests it is commanded that they advise themselves and report to the king.Concerning the coroner, let it be enquired of in due manner etc. and returned into Chancery, and if it be found that this is not to the damage of the king or of others, let it be granted by the grace of the king.It seems to the justices, clerks and sergeants that these matters be granted.Afterwards the king, by advisement of the justices, sergeants and clerks grants the requests.

Places mentioned

Midford, Norfolk.

For the petition for which this petition was perhaps the draft, see SC 8/191/9518

For an inquisition into whether the Bishop can have a coroner, see C 143/138/2

• Calendar of Charter Rolls, vol. III, Edw I and Edw II, 1300-1326, (Public Record Office, 1908), pp.397-398 (inspeximus and confirmation of a charter, with clause concerning non-usage as above)
• Documents Illustrative of English History in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, selected from the Records of the Department of the Queen's Remembrancer of the Exchequer, Ed. H. Cole, (Record Commission, 1844), p.46 (Latin summary of petition on parliament roll)
• Rotuli Parliamentorum Anglie Hactenus Inediti, Ed. H.G. Richardson and G.O. Sayles, (Camden Society, 3rd Series, vol. LI, 1935), pp.68-70 (edition of another copy of this petition with some variations)