The People of 1381
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Source
| Type | Indictment by jury |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA KB 27/486 rex m. 15 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| County | Cambridgeshire |
| Text in Original Language | Cantebr': Alias coram Hugone de la Souche et sociis suis per commissionem domini Regis ad quosdam rebelles insurrectores et pacis perturbatores puniend' et castigand' in comitatu predicto assignatis extitit presentatum quod Johannes Staumford Sadelere de London' fuit communis ductor et notorius congregator et malefactor ad prosternand' ardend' domos vicinorum et minatus fuit Thomam Cavell et Johannem Topclyve et alios fideles domini Regis in Comitatu Cantebr' Ita quod non ausi fuerunt in domibus propriis manere et dixit se habere comissionem domini Regis in quadam pixide ad destruend' traditores domini Regis et ad alia quamplura faciend' apud Meldeburn die Sabbati proximo post festum corporis Christi anno regni regis Ricardi secundi quarto - Item quod idem Johannes Stamford felonice intravit clausum Thome North apud Abyngdon et cepit unum equm precij duarum marcarum die Sabbati proximo post festum corporis Christi anno regni domini Regis nunc quarto - quodquidem indictamentum dominus Rex inter alia certis de causis venire fecit coram eo terminand' - per quod preceptum fuit vicecomite quod caperet eum si et cetera - Et modo scilicet die Lune proximo post festum sancti Luce Ewangeliste isto eodem termino coram domino Rege apud Westmonasterium venit predictus Johannes Staunford et reddidit se prisone marescall' domini Regis qui comittitur marescall' Et statim per marescallum ductus venit et allocutus est qualiter de felonia et prodicione predictis se velit acquietare dicit quod dominus Rex de gratia sua speciali pardonavit ei sectam pacis sue que ad ipsum pertinet pro felonia et prodicione predictis per litteras suas patentes quas profert hic in curia in hec verba - Richardus dei gratia Rex Anglie et Francie et Dominus Hibernie omnibus ballivis et fidelibus suis ad quos presentes littere pervenerint salutem licet nuper mensibus Maij Junij et Julij ultimo preteritis quamplures de populo nostro contra pacem nostram diabolo instigante quidam videlicet illlorum ex malicia propria et quidam ex aliorum artacione in multitudine excessiva in diversis partibus regni nostri insurrexerint quamplura facinora diversimode perpetrando Nos tamen super interitu populi nostri pie compacientes ac considerantes bonum et fidelem gestum subditorum nostrorum dicti regni nostri erga progenitores nostros et nos antea a longo tempore preexpertum necnon delinquentes huiusmodi de comissis ut intelleximus penitere et se velle erga nos et populum nostrum bene et pacifice gerere in futurum volentesque propterea rigorem iusticie et mansuetudine temperare de gratia nostra speciali pardonavimus Johanni Staunford de London' Sadeler sectam pacis nostre que ad nos pertinet pro quibuscumque prodicionibus feloniis et transgressionibus factis sive perpetratis in insurreccionibus predictis unde indictatus occasionatus seu reccatus existit ac eciam utlagarias si que in ipsum hijs occasionibus fuerint promulgate et firmam pacem nostram ei inde concedimus dum tamen dicte insurreccionis aut de morte venerabilis patris Simonis bone memorie nuper Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis seu fratris Roberti Hales nuper Prioris sancti Johannis Jerusalem in Anglia tunc Thesaurarii nostri seu Johannis de Cavendissh nuper capitalis justiciarii nostri seu de combuscione manerij de Savoye aut domus de Clerkenwell aut morte Prioris de Bury unus de principalibus non existat Ita quod de cetero bene et pacifice se gerat erga nos et populum nostrum Et quod stet recto in Curia nostra si qui erga eum loqui voluerint de premissis vel aliquo premissorum In cuius rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes Teste me ipso apud Westmonasterium iiijto die Novembris anno regni nostri quinto - Profert eciam quoddam breve domini Regis clausum justiciariis hic directum de non molestando prefatum Johannem contra tenorem litterarum domini Regis predicti cuius Dat' est apud Westmonasterium decimo octavo die Octobris anno regni regis nunc sexto pretextu quarum litterarum predictus Johannes petit ipsum a prisona domini Regis deliberari et cetera Et inspectis litteris domini Regis predictis consideratum est quod predictus Johannes Staunford eat inde sine die et cetera [Margin]: sine die |
| Text (English translation) | Cambridgeshire: At another time before Hugh de la Souche and his fellows, assigned by commission of the lord king to punish and chastise certain rebels, insurrectors and disturbers of the peace in the aforesaid county, it was presented that John Staumford, saddler of London, was a common leader and notorious assembler and wrongdoer in knocking down and burning the house of neighbours, and he threatened Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve and other loyal subjects of the lord king in the county of Cambridgshire, in such a way that they did not dare to stay in their own houses, and he said that he has a commission of the lord king in a certain box to destroy traitors of the lord king and to do several other things at Melbourn, on Saturday next after the feast of Corpus Christi in the fourth year of the reign of King Richard II. Item, that the same John Stamford feloniously entered into the close of Thomas North at Abington and took one horse, worth two marks, on Saturday next after the feast of Corpus Christi in the fourth year of the reign of the now lord king. Which same indictment the lord king amongst other things for certain causes caused to come before him to be determined. By which the sheriff was ordered that he should take him, if, etc. And now, namely on Monday next after the feast of St Luke the Evangelist in this same term, before the lord king at Westminster, there came the aforesaid John Staunford and he handed himself over to the prison of the marshal of the lord king, to be committed to the marshal. And immediately having been brought by the marshal, he came and spoke as to how he wishes to acquit himself of the aforesaid felony and treason. He says that the lord king, out of his special grace, pardoned to him the suit of his peace, which pertains to him for the aforesaid felony and treason, by his letters patent, which he produces here in court in these words: Richard, by the grace of God king of England and France and lord of Ireland, to all his bailiffs and loyal subjects, to whom these present letters will come, greetings. Although lately, in the months of May, June and July last past, several of our people made an insurrection against our peace at the devil's instigation, viz some of them from their own malice and some from the coercion of others, in an excessive multitude in diverse parts of our reign, perpetrating very many bad deeds of diverse kinds. We, nevertheless, piously taking pit upon the ruin of our people, and considering the good and loyal behaviour of our subjects of our said realm towards our progenitors and us previously, having been experienced before for a long time, and also that those doing these kinds of offences are penitent for the things they have committed, as we have understood, and want to behave well and peacefully towards us and our people in the future, and on this account wishing to temper the rigour of justice by clemency, out of our special grace, we have pardoned to John Staunford of London, saddler, the suit of our peace, which pertains to us, for any treasons, felonies and trespasses, made or perpetrated in the aforesaid insurrections, whereof he is indicted, occasioned or charged, and also outlawries, if any will have been published against him by these occasions, and we thereupon grant to him our firm peace, but provided that he is not one of the principal actors of the said insurrection or of the death of the venerable father Simon, of good memory late archbishop of Canterbury, or of brother Robert Hales, late prior of St John of Jerusalem in England, then our treasurer, or of John de Cavendissh, late our chief justice, or of the burning of the manor of the Savoy or the house of Clerkenwell or the death of the prior of Bury. In such a way that from henceforth he should behave well and peacefully towards us and our people, and that he should stand trial in our court, if anyone wishes to speak against him about the premises or any of the premises. In testimony of which matter, we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witnessed by me, myself, at Westminster on the fourth day of November in the fifth year of our reign. He also produces a certain writ of the lord king of close, directed to the justices here, about not troubling the aforesaid John contrary to the tenor of the letters of the aforesaid lord king, whose date is at Westminster on the 18th day of October in the sixth year of the reign of the now king. By pretext of which letters, the aforesaid John seeks that he be delivered from the prison of the lord king, etc. And the aforesaid letters of the lord king having been inspected, it is considered that the aforesaid John Staunford should go thereupon without day, etc. Margin: Without day. |
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People
| ID | First name | Last name | Gender | Occupation | Domicile | Role in source | Incidents | Go to participant page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24316 | Thomas | Cavell | Male | 4226 | Go to participant page | |||
| 24318 | Thomas | North | Male | Abington,Cambridgeshire | 4227 | Go to participant page | ||
| 24315 | John | Staumford | Male | Saddler | 4227,4226 | Go to participant page | ||
| 24317 | John | Topclyve | Male | 4226 | Go to participant page |
Incidents
| ID | Summary | Description | Type | Go to incidents page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4227 | John Staumford takes a horse from Thomas North | John Stamford feloniously entered into the close of Thomas North at Abington and took one horse, worth two marks, on Saturday 15 June 1381. | Larceny: theft of livestock,Trespass to land: forcible entry of close and houses | Go to incidents page |
| 4226 | John Staumford threatens Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve | John Staumford, saddler of London, was a common leader and notorious assembler and wrongdoer in knocking down and burning the house of neighbours, and he threatened Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve and other loyal subjects of the lord king in the county of Cambridgshire, in such a way that they did not dare to stay in their own houses, and he said that he has a commission of the lord king in a certain box to destroy traitors of the lord king and to do several other things at Melbourn, on Saturday 15 June 1381. | Trespass to person: threats | Go to incidents page |
Incidents and People
| Person | Incident | Role | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas North ( 24318 ) | John Staumford takes a horse from Thomas North (4227) | Victim | |
| John Staumford ( 24315 ) | John Staumford takes a horse from Thomas North (4227) | Accused | |
| Thomas Cavell ( 24316 ) | John Staumford threatens Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve (4226) | Victim | |
| John Staumford ( 24315 ) | John Staumford threatens Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve (4226) | Accused | |
| John Topclyve ( 24317 ) | John Staumford threatens Thomas Cavell and John Topclyve (4226) | Victim |
