The People of 1381
Search All View Names A-Z View Locations A-Z
Source
| Type | Indictment by jury |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA KB 9/166/2 m. 2 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| County | Essex |
| Published source (may be more than one) | Excerpts printed in translation in J. A. Sparvel-Bayly, 'Essex in Insurrection, 1381', Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society, n.s. 1 (1878), pp. 216-7. Transcription and translation in TNA online exhibition on citizenship: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/citizen_subject/peasant.htm [accessed 21 April 2021]. |
| Text in Original Language | Essex. Inquisitio capta apud Chelmesford die martis proximo post festum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli anno regni regis Ricardi secundi post conquestum quinto coram Roberto Tresilian et Willelmo Morrers justiciariis domini regis, etc, per sacramentam Johannis Hobekyn, Jacobi Stokwelle, Rogeri Colvill, Johannis Beauchamp, Martini Stamer, Johannis Gobion, Laurencii Stamer, Nicoli Michel, Willelmi Cut, Benedicti Stubbere, Johannis Onywand, Johannis Aldewyn, qui dicunt super sacramentam suum quod Willelmus atte Stable nuper serviens Galfridi Dersham, Thomas Sprag de Southbeniflete, Ricardus Bertram herde manens in Southbenifletmerssh, Robertus Maryn de Southbeniflete, Nicholus Cartere qui uxorem nuper Willelmi Dekne duxit de Southbeniflete, Thomas Treche de la Leye, Willelmi Bocher de Hadleye, Johannes Colyn de Hadleye wryght et duo filii sui Willelmus Brachet de Hadleye, Ricardus Belle de Hadleye, Johannes Symond de Hadleye, Petrus Pekok de Bures Giffard, Johannes atte Merssh de Hadleye et Henricus Fleccher de Ralegh die mercurii proximo post Festum Sancte Trinitatis anno regni Regis Ricardi, etc quarto fuerunt ductores et manutentores comitive inique ad manerium Galfridi Dersham de Bernhalle in Dounham et ibidem quinque boves precii quinque marcarum, tres boviculis precii viginti solidos, clx bidentes precii xvi li et ollas patellas ereas et alia bona et catalla ipsius Galfridi ad valenciam lx s. felonice ac proditorie ceperunt et asportaverunt ac etiam domos ipsius Galfridi de manerio predicto fregerunt et prostraverunt et cxx capones precii xl solidorum suos ceperunt et felonice asportaverunt ac etiam omnes supra equitaverunt in terra pacis armati cum comitiva predicta quo surrexerunt contra Regem et ligeos suos ad Templum Prioris Sancti Johannis Jerusalem in Anglie de Cressyng et ad domum Johannis Sewale de Coggeshale et domos edificia ipsorum Prioris et Johannis prostraverunt et bona et catalla sua ibidem inventa felonice ceperunt et asportaverunt. Item dicunt quod Johannes Tawyere de Raureth, Thomas Maude sexteyn de Fobbyng surrexerunt cum comitiva supradicta faciendo malicia supradicta. Item dicunt quod Johannes Wiltshire de Parva Burstede die veneris proxime post Festum Sancte Trinitatis anno regni Regis Ricardi predicti quarto amputavit capud cuiusdam armigeri Ducis Lancastrie vocati Grenefeld sua spontanea voluntate et sine coactione alicuius in civitate London. |
| Text (English translation) | Inquisition held at Chelmsford on the Tuesday next after the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul in the fifth year of the reign of King Richard II after the Conquest [2 July 1381], before Robert Tresilian and William Morrers, justices of the Lord King, etc, by the oaths of John Hobekyn, James Stokwelle, Roger Colvill, John Beauchamp, Martin Stamer, John Gobion, Laurence Stamer, Nicholas Michel, William Cut, Benedict Stubbere, John Onywand, John Aldewyn, who say upon their oaths that William atte Stable, late servant of Geoffrey Dersham, Thomas Sprag of South Benfleet, Richard Bertram, herdsman in South Benfleet Marsh, Robert Maryn of South Benfleet, Nicholas Cartere who led the late wife of William Dekne of South Benfleet, Thomas Treche of Leigh-on-Sea, William Bocher of Hadleigh, John Colyn of Hadleigh, wright, and his two sons, William Brachet of Hadleigh, Richard Belle of Hadleigh, John Symond of Hadleigh, Peter Pekok of Bowers Gifford, John atte Merssh of Hadleigh and Henry Fleccher of Rayleigh, on the Wednesday next after the Feat of Trinity in the fourth year of King Richard II [12 June 1381] led and encouraged the evil company to the manor of Geoffrey Dersham of Barnhall in Downham and feloniously and traitorously stole and carried off 5 cows priced at 5 marks, 3 calves priced at 20 shillings, 140 sheep priced at £16, and pots and pans and other goods and chattels of the same Geoffrey worth 60 shillings; and furthermore broke and levelled the house of the same Geoffrey and feloniously took and carried away 120 chickens priced at 40 shillings. And furthermore they all rode armed through the peaceful countryside raising the aforesaid commons against the King and his laws to the Temple of the Priory of St John in England at Cressing Temple and to the house of John Sewale of Coggeshall, and they levelled the houses of the aforesaid Prior and John and feloniously came upon and took away their goods and chattels. Moreover they say that John Tawyere of Rawreth, Thomas Moude, 'sexteyn', of Fobbing, rose up with the aforesaid company and committed the abovesaid evils. Moreover, they say that on Friday next after the Feast of the Holy Trinity in the fourth year of the reign of the aforesaid King Richard II [14 June 1381], John Wiltshire of Little Burstead freely and without compulsion lopped off the head of a certain esquire of the Duke of Lancaster called Grenefeld in the City of London. |
| General Information | In general, the TNA transcription and translation have been followed here. However, the TNA transcription gives: 'Nicholus Cartere qui uxorem nuper Willelmi Dekne duxit de Southbeniflete', which is translated as 'Nichola Cartere who was lately taken as wife by William Dekne of South Benfleet'. However, it is clear that the masculine form of Nicholus is used in the indictment, as can be seen from the image. This may just be an error by the scribe, but for this reason the alternative reading, that Nicholas led the [nameless] woman who was lately the wife of William Dekne to the attack at Downham is preferred here. Either could be correct. |
| Image of Source |  |
People
| ID | First name | Last name | Gender | Occupation | Domicile | Role in source | Incidents | Go to participant page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12586 | John | Aldewyn | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12578 | John | Beauchamp | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12601 | Richard | Belle | Male | Hadleigh,Essex | 3356,3354,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12590 | Richard | Bertram | Male | Herd | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3356,3355,3354 | Go to participant page | |
| 12597 | William | Bocher | Male | Hadleigh,Essex | 3354,3355,3356 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12599 | William | Brachet | Male | Hadleigh,Essex | 3354,3355,3356 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12593 | Nicholas | Cartere | Male | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12577 | Roger | Colvill | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12598 | John | Colyn | Male | Wright | Hadleigh,Essex | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | |
| 12608 | Colyn | Male | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | ||||
| 12583 | William | Cut | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12594 | William | Dekne | Male | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | Mentioned | Go to participant page | ||
| 12595 | Dekne | Female | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3355,3356,3354 | Go to participant page | |||
| 12588 | Geoffrey | Dersham | Male | Downham,Essex | Victim | Go to participant page | ||
| 12605 | Henry | Fletcher | Male | Rayleigh,Essex | 3356,3355,3354 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12580 | John | Gobion | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 22954 | Grenefeld | Male | Squire | 3358 | Go to participant page | |||
| 12575 | John | Hobekyn | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12607 | Robert | Maryn | Male | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12604 | John | atte Merssh | Male | Hadleigh,Essex | 3356,3354,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12582 | Nicholas | Michel | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12574 | William | Morrers | Male | Justice | Go to participant page | |||
| 22956 | John | Moude | Male | Sexton | Fobbing,Essex | 3355,3354,3356 | Go to participant page | |
| 12585 | John | Onywand | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12603 | Peter | Pekok | Male | Bowers Gifford,Essex | 3356,3354,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12606 | John | Sewale | Male | Coggeshall,Essex | Victim | 3356 | Go to participant page | |
| 12589 | Thomas | Sprag | Male | South Benfleet,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3355,3354,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12587 | William | atte Stable | Male | Servant | Downham,Essex | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | |
| 12581 | Laurence | Stamer | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12579 | Martin | Stamer | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12576 | James | Stokwelle | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12584 | Benedict | Stubbere | Male | Juror | Go to participant page | |||
| 12602 | John | Symond | Male | Hadleigh,Essex | 3354,3356,3355 | Go to participant page | ||
| 22955 | John | Tawyere | Male | Rawreth,Essex | 3356,3355,3354 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12591 | Thomas | Treche | Male | Leigh-on-Sea,Essex | 3356,3355,3354 | Go to participant page | ||
| 12573 | Robert | Tresilian | Male | Justice | 4089,4594,4096,4147,4148,4086,4581,4592 | Go to participant page | ||
| 22953 | John | Wiltshire | Male | Little Burstead,Barstable Hundred,Essex | 3358 | Go to participant page |
Incidents
| ID | Summary | Description | Type | Go to incidents page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3356 | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall | Trespass to land: throwing down of house,Larceny: theft of goods,Trespass to chattels: removal of goods | Go to incidents page |
| 3355 | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple | Trespass to chattels: removal of goods,Trespass to land: throwing down of house,Larceny: theft of goods | Go to incidents page |
| 3358 | Esquire of Duke of Lancaster named Grenefeld beheaded in London, 14 June 1381 | Esquire of Duke of Lancaster named Grenefeld beheaded in London, 14 June 1381 | Homicide: beheading | Go to incidents page |
| 3354 | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed and livestock stolen, 12 June 1381 | Trespass to land: throwing down of house,Larceny: theft of livestock,Larceny: theft of goods,Warlike array and insurrection,Trespass to chattels: removal of goods | Go to incidents page |
Incidents and People
| Person | Incident | Role | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Belle ( 12601 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Richard Bertram ( 12590 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| William Bocher ( 12597 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| William Brachet ( 12599 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Nicholas Cartere ( 12593 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John Colyn ( 12598 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Colyn ( 12608 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Dekne ( 12595 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Henry Fletcher ( 12605 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Robert Maryn ( 12607 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John atte Merssh ( 12604 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John Moude ( 22956 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Peter Pekok ( 12603 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John Sewale ( 12606 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Victim | |
| William atte Stable ( 12587 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John Symond ( 12602 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| John Tawyere ( 22955 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Thomas Treche ( 12591 ) | Destruction of house of John Sewale at Coggeshall (3356) | Accused | |
| Richard Belle ( 12601 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Richard Bertram ( 12590 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| William Bocher ( 12597 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| William Brachet ( 12599 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Nicholas Cartere ( 12593 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| John Colyn ( 12598 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Colyn ( 12608 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Dekne ( 12595 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Henry Fletcher ( 12605 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Robert Hales ( 6778 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Victim | |
| Robert Maryn ( 12607 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| John atte Merssh ( 12604 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| John Moude ( 22956 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Peter Pekok ( 12603 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Thomas Sprag ( 12589 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Thomas Sprag ( 12589 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| William atte Stable ( 12587 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| John Symond ( 12602 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| John Tawyere ( 22955 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Thomas Treche ( 12591 ) | Destruction of manor of Hospitallers at Cressing Temple (3355) | Accused | |
| Grenefeld ( 22954 ) | Esquire of Duke of Lancaster named Grenefeld beheaded in London, 14 June 1381 (3358) | Victim | |
| John Wiltshire ( 22953 ) | Esquire of Duke of Lancaster named Grenefeld beheaded in London, 14 June 1381 (3358) | Accused | |
| Richard Belle ( 12601 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Richard Bertram ( 12590 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| William Bocher ( 12597 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| William Brachet ( 12599 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Nicholas Cartere ( 12593 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| John Colyn ( 12598 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Colyn ( 12608 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Dekne ( 12595 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Henry Fletcher ( 12605 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Robert Maryn ( 12607 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| John atte Merssh ( 12604 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| John Moude ( 22956 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Peter Pekok ( 12603 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Thomas Sprag ( 12589 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| William atte Stable ( 12587 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| John Symond ( 12602 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| John Tawyere ( 22955 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused | |
| Thomas Treche ( 12591 ) | Manor house of Geoffrey Dersham at Barnhall in Downham in Essex destroyed, 12 June 1381 (3354) | Accused |
