Tenants and inhabitants within the prince's forest of Dartmoor. Prince of Wales,...

Petitioners

Tenants and inhabitants within the prince's forest of Dartmoor.

Addressees

Prince of Wales, duke of Cornwall, earl of Chester

Nature of request

The tenants and inhabitants request that it is ordained that the prince's courts, statutes and customs within his lordship be kept and used as they have been in times past, and that the petitioners may peacefully enjoy such liberties as they have done. They complain that they have been accustomed to work in all the moors and wastes within Devon, but have recently been disturbed by Osberne and others with the maintenance of the bishop of Exeter, and have put out the old owners of the tinwork called 'Wilton Downe' against the acts and statutes. More particularly great maintenance has been used against the owners of 'Wilton Downe'(Leche, Storey and Sevar) who dare not reside there or work it, and he has let the tinwork at farm. Additionally, the bishop will let no tenant of the prince work in his lordship unless they pay him a rent and come to his court.

Nature of endorsement

[None].

Places mentioned

Dartmoor Forest, [Devon]

Devon.

People mentioned

[Edward Plantagenet], prince of Wales

Richard Osberne, Thomas Geffrey (Geoffrey)

William Harle

[Peter Courtenay], bishop of Exeter

William Leche, miner

Robert Storyge (Story, Storey), miner

John Sevar, miner

Thomas Fulford

Nicholas Suthcote (Southcote), servant of the bishop of Exeter.

For another petition on the same matter, see SC 8/344/E1285