The People of 1381
Search All View Names A-Z View Locations A-Z
Source
| Type | Petition |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA SC 8/132/6585 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| County | Oxfordshire |
| Published source (may be more than one) | Parliamentary Petitions Relating to Oxford, Oxford Historical Society, vol. XXXII, Ed. L. Toulmin Smith, (Oxford Historical Society, 1896), pp.147-148 |
| Text in Original Language | A nostre tresredoute seigneur le Roy et a son noble conseil supplient ses devoutz oratours Gardein et Escolers de Merton Halle en Oxenford qe come en temps de grante rumour des comunes le maire qestoit adonqes de Oxenford purchacea une chartre qe le dit maire et les burgeis purrent faire une fosse entour la dite ville de deux centz pees en laeure pur defense del dite ville comebien qe les ditz maire et burgeis en pluseurs lieux eient nulle terre hors les mures mes purchacerent la dite chartre en temps del dit rumour pur grevir les dit Escolers et leur autres veisins plus qe pur defense ou amendement del ville pur quoi pleise a vostre tresexcellente seigneurie repeller la dite chartre canceller lenrollement dicelle ou charger les maire et burgeis de faire restitucion de mesme la chartre pur eschuir le brige peril qe purront ent avenir qe dieu ne veulle et en oevre de charite. |
| Text (English translation) | To our most respected lord the King and to his noble council beseech his devoted petitioners the Warden and Scholars of Merton Hall in Oxford, that in the time of the great rumour of the commons the mayor that was at that time of Oxford purchased a charter that the said mayor and burgesses might make a ditch around the said town of 200 feet in width for the defence of the said town, although the said mayor and burgesses in many places have no land outside of the walls but purchased the said charter in the time of the said rumour, to harrass the said scholars and their other neighbours rather than for the defense or improvement of the town. For which may it please your most excellent lordship to repeal the said charter and cancel the enrolment of the same, or command the mayor and burgesses to make restitution for the same charter, in order to avoid the harmful quarrel that will ensue, which God does not wish, and as a work of charity. |
| General Information | This petition refers to a grant made to the Mayor and Commons of Oxford on 15 June 1381 (see TNA C 81/470 for the issuing warrant, an image of which is attached to this entry). This grant was later cancelled, probably as a result of Merton College's petition, on the grounds that it was made at the time of the Peasants' Revolt; see CPR 1381-85, p. 16: London. June 15. Licence for the mayor and commonalty of Oxford to fortify [the town] with a ditch [fossa] 200 feet wide, within its soil and liberty, and to hold the same as parcel of the town, at the same yearly fee farm. Vacated by surrender and afterwards cancelled by command of the king, because granted and sealed at the time of the insurrection of the commons. By К. Toulmin Smith (1896) erroneously dates the petition to June 1380, on the basis of documents alluding to earlier quarrels between Merton and the mayor and burgesses of Oxford over the town defences: O. Ogle, Royal Letters addressed to Oxford (1892), p. 83; CCR, 1377-81, p. 310. |
| Image of Source |  |
| Image of Source |  |
People
None foundIncidents
| ID | Summary | Description | Type | Go to incidents page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4320 | Petition from Merton College Oxford re. a grant made to the mayor and burgesses of Oxford at the time of the revolt | The warden and scholars of Merton College Oxford petition the king to repeal a grant made to the mayor and burgesses of Oxford allowing them to make a ditch around the town, on the grounds that the grant was made at the time of the revolt, to the detriment of the petitioners. | Go to incidents page |
