Abbot and convent of Mont-Saint-Michel. King and council. The Abbot and convent of...

Petitioners

Abbot and convent of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Addressees

King and council.

Nature of request

The Abbot and convent of Mont-Saint-Michel state that they hold their goods in common and that in times of vacancy they have been accustomed from time immemorial to have all manner of profits arising from the lands and tenements that they hold of the king in Guernsey, Jersey, and the other Channel Islands, while the king and his ministers have had relief only, according to the custom of the Isles. A writ has been sent to the Wardens of the Isles to enquire into the rights of the king, and of the Abbot and convent, but, notwithstanding this, the Wardens' lieutenant holds the profits under arrest, and is distraining to levy the profits from the last vacancy. They ask that, since the present Abbot has done fealty to the king and received his lands and tenements, and is ready to find sufficient security in the Islands to answer to the king and his ministers for these issues if they ought to belong to the king, the Wardens or their lieutenant might be ordered to let the Abbot do as he pleases with the issues, on the aforesaid security, and to return anything received from them to him without delay.

Nature of endorsement

[None]

Places mentioned

Mont-Saint-Michel, [Normandy, France]

Guernsey, Channel Islands

Jersey, Channel Islands.

For a transcript, see p.118 of PRO 31/7/137

• Ancient Petitions of the Chancery and the Exchequer ayant trait aux Iles de la Manche, (Societe Jersiaise, 1902), pp.41-42 (translation of petition)
• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw II, vol. II, 1313-1317, (Public Record Office, 1898), p.264 (writ de intendendo to the tenants of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, on the election of John de Porta as abbot)