People of Dunwich. King. The people of Dunwich make four requests:1) They ask the...

Petitioners

People of Dunwich.

Addressees

King.

Nature of request

The people of Dunwich make four requests:1) They ask the king to give them back their town at the true value, as found by the inquiry held by Richard de Holebroc at the king's command, as all the disputes in the town have been settled in good fashion, and they were given a keeper because of these disputes and for no other reason; and they have other reasons if it will please the king to listen to them.2) They state that they were assessed for the fifteenth this year like others of the realm, but that a great sum has been demanded from the town, £53 more than they were assessed at, and that, although the king has released all those with less than 20s. from the fifteenth, they are distrained for their share like the others. They also state that their ships are assessed for this fifteenth, which was never the case before, and their other goods assessed other than has been done in the past.3) They state that Valentine Kenriz of Dunwich 'borrowed' (apromta) from Raymond Makan, citizen of Bordeaux, wines to the value of 100 marks, and brought them to England; and that, when he was passing Dover, the Earl of Leicester's people seized the ship and wines, and imprisoned the people, to Valentine's impoverishment. And at the complaint of Raymond's heirs, the bailiffs of Bordeaux are taking 6 marks from each ship that carries 120 tuns of wine, and so on in proportion, as Valentine has nothing from which to be distrained.4) They state that although they have always been free of the town of Bayonne, by the charters of the king's ancestors, customs are now being demanded from them. They request the king's letter to the community of Bayonne, to maintain them in their previous franchises and to deliver their pledges.

Nature of endorsement

[On face, to first] Nichil.[To second, third and fourth: no response][None on dorse]

Places mentioned

Dunwich, [Suffolk]

Bordeaux, [Guyenne, France]

Dover, [Kent]

Bayonne, [Gascony, France].

People mentioned

Richard de Holebroc (Holbrook)

Valentine Kenriz of Dunwich

Raymond (Ramon) Makan (Macan), citizen of Bordeaux

[Edmund Crouchback], Earl of Leicester.

For a transcript, see p.104 of PRO 31/7/126