The People of 1381
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Source
| Type | Petition |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA SC 8/101/5012 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| Published source (may be more than one) | W. Mark Ormrod, Helen Killick and Phil Bradford (eds.) Early Common Petitions in the English Parliament, c.1290-c.1420 (Camden Fifth Series, 52), Cambridge University Press for the Royal Historical Society. 2017, pp. 180-1 (full edition, translation and historical note). |
| Text in Original Language | As tresgraciouses seignours et chivalers de touz le counteez d'Englet[er]re en cest present parlement ensemblez supplient treshumblement et requirent les lieges comunes de la roialme; qe come les ditz lieges comunes ont suffrez grandez oppressions et meschiefs, desheritesons et perdes de lour biens, terres et tenementz ove chateux par les meffesours, abbettours et lour maintenours du dit roialme, dount ces heures dont les ditz lieges comunes ont longement pursuiez en les courtz nostre seignur le Roi pur lour ditz terres, tenementz, biens et chateulx recover, sur quel les ditz meffesours ont de lour grande malice et conspiracie faitz torcenousement enditer les ditz lieges comunes de diversez feloniez, a cause de forbarrer et excluder lez ditz lieges comunes de lour droit et pursuite recover en les courtz suisditz, par colour des quels enditementz ont pris les ditz lieges comunes et meignes al prisone, et illoeques ont durement a grandez meschiefs et oppresions, tenuz tanqe les ditz lieges comunes troveront plegges et certeignez seurtes de pardoner et relesser as ditz meffesours toutz lours acciouns par eux faitz as ditz lieges communes. Qe plese a nostre tresnobles seignuries et tressages conseille d'ordeigner qe tieux obligaciouns, seurtez ou autres escutz ensi grande oppression des ditz lieges comunes soient tenuz par nuls sur certeigne peine, qe les abbettours et les meyntenours des ditz meffesours soient punisez et eient mesme le punissement come les ditz meffesours, et ensi ordeigner qe les ditz lieges comunes puissent lour biens et chateux ensi pardux recoverer, par cause del prisonement avantdit, et qe cest ordeignance teigne lieu auxibien du primer iour de Maii l'an du regne le Roi Richard quart, du temps del insurreccioun des comunes de Engleterre, come en temps avenir. |
| Text (English translation) | The liege commons of the realm: complaint that they have suffered great oppressions and mischiefs and loss of goods, lands, and tenements from wrongdoers and their abettors. They have pursued these people in the king's courts; but, by malice and conspiracy, the wrongdoers have indicted them of various felonies and had them imprisoned, and they cannot get released until they produce pledges and sureties that they will pardon the wrongdoers' liability for their earlier actions. The commons request that the lords and council ordain that these pledges and sureties be nullified, that the wrongdoers and their abettors be punished, and that the commons might be able to recover their goods and chattels. They further request that such an ordinance be held lawful from 1 May 1381, the time of the uprising of the commons of England. Response: [none]. |
| General Information | Dated to 1381-c.1388 (see Ormrod, Killick and Bradford, p. 181). |
