Merchants of Gascony. King and council. Merchants of Gascony The merchants of Gascony...

Petitioners

Merchants of Gascony.

Addressees

King and council.

Occupation

Merchants of Gascony

Nature of request

The merchants of Gascony state that the Archbishop of York has recovered by judgment in parliament his prises in the River Hull, and takes wine from them, two tuns from each ship, paying 20s a tun as is right, and Richard de la Pole, the king's butler, distrains them to pay 2s a tun, as it was previously granted that they should pay to the king. They ask that they might be quit of this payment of 2s as the Archbishop is taking his prises in tuns of wine by judgment of parliament.

Nature of endorsement

Because it was previously decreed in the present parliament that the Archbishop ought to have the prises in the River Hull and not the king, and a writ was sent on this to the butler etc. of which the council is certified by remembrance of the same parliament, and there is no reason why the king should have prises of 2s. in the tun, or any others, in the place where the Archbishop has his prises in this way by award of parliament, the butler is to be ordered to cease all demands that he makes for the said 2s. under title of prises of wine in the aforesaid river, and not to harass the merchants for this reason. And there is further to be a process if necessary to the same butler, and similar commands and processes to others if necessary. And it is also to be ordered that if distraints have been made for this reason, they are to be released.Enrolled.In the presence of the Earl of Lancaster, Thomas Wode (?), W. de Herle, W. de Frisk', R. de Malberth, W. de . . ., Gilbert de Totheby.

Places mentioned

Gascony, [France]

River Hull.

People mentioned

[William Melton], Archbishop of York

Richard de la Pole, king's butler

[Henry of Lancaster], Earl of Lancaster

Thomas Wode (?)

W[William] de Herle

W[Walter] de Frisk' (Friskney)

R[Robert] de Malberth (Mablethorpe)

W. de . . .

Gilbert de Totheby.

For a transcript, see p.140 of PRO 31/7/130

• Calendar of Close Rolls, Edw III, vol. I, 1327-1330, (Public Record Office, 1896), pp.51-52 (order to Benedict de Fulsham, king's butler, to remove the king's hand and allow the Archbishop to have prises in the River Hull) & pp.150-151 (order to Richard de la Pole, king's butler, to remove the king's hand and allow the Archbishop to have prises in the River Hull)
• Calendar of Fine Rolls, vol. IV, Edw III, 1327-1337, (Public Record Office, 1913), p.33 (order to be intendant to Richard de la Pole, appointed chief butler)