Messengers of the city of Bayonne. King and council. The messengers of the city of...

Petitioners

Messengers of the city of Bayonne.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The messengers of the city of Bayonne make nine requests:1) They request confirmation of their city's privileges and liberties, granted by the king's predecessors.2) They state that they have lately been charged 3d. on arriving in England with their merchandise, and 3d. on leaving, while the Spaniards are quit of this toll. They ask that they too may be quit.3) They ask to be quit of customs and tolls (peage) in the Duchy of Guyenne pertaining to the king, as the people of Dax are.4) They ask that if any man of Bayonne kills a stranger in Bayonne or its country or marches, he might be able to escape as the stranger would have if he had killed a man of Bayonne in his own country.5) They state that for default of baillis they do not dare to go to their lands or goods by land or sea, for fear of being captured and robbed. They request a remedy so that they may come and go safely.6) They state that certain people have lately fixed and collected a greater tax than they were accustomed to pay for the seal of Gascony, and ask that they might have the seal freely.7) They ask the king to write to the King of France, asking him to annul and revoke the letters of marque he has authorised against them.8) They ask that if a person from Bayonne commits murder or some other crime on land or sea, those who are not guilty might not be arrested in body or goods, but that the guilty party might be punished according to his deed. And they request letters of request to the King of France on this.9) They state that as it is the custom for each new Duke of Guyenne to swear first to the people of Bayonne according to a certain form, and afterwards the people of Bayonne will swear to him, and as they have already sworn to the king and duke, they ask that he might swear personally before the messengers, and give them a letter containing his oath.

Nature of endorsement

[On face, to first] Let the charters be viewed.[To second] The said custom was granted at the request of the merchants of the Duchy and elsewhere overseas, to have certain advantages in England: which they have.[To third] Let the privileges of the city of Dax on this point be viewed.[To fourth] The king has understood that the oath made by his seneschal to the people of the city is that he will keep their laws and customs, and to grant this request would be contrary to their laws and customs, and so contrary to the oath.[To fifth] The present seneschal and constable, or those who will be seneschal and constable for the time being, are to be written to, to advise themselves concerning this article and ordain so that they can come and go safely.[To sixth] The present seneschal, or the person who will be seneschal for the time being, is to be ordered to take from the people of Bayonne in moderation, and that they are to be treated the more graciously because of the good service that they have done and will do.[To seventh] The king of France has been asked on this point. [Deleted] They are to come to Chancery and show the deed, and are to have letters of request to the King of France in suitable form . . . that the marques are to cease.[To eighth] The messengers who will go to the parlement of Paris are to be charged with this business among the others.[To ninth] The king understands that his seneschal, who is in Gascony, has made an oath to them as is customary, and nevertheless let the present seneschal be commanded to swear the oath if [he has not already done so].[None on dorse]

Places mentioned

Bayonne, [Gascony, France]

Guyenne, [France]

Spain

Dax, [Gascony, France]

Paris, [France].

People mentioned

King of France.

For a duplicate of this petition, see SC 8/273/13606