The People of 1381
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Source
| Type | Indictment by jury |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA CHES/25/8 m. 57 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| County | Cheshire |
| Published source (may be more than one) | Powell and Trevelyan, Peasants' Rising and the Lollards, pp. 14-16; Dobson, pp. 297-8 |
| Text (English translation) | By virtue of these letters a proclamation was made in the full county court of Chester on Tuesday 23 July 1381 according to the tenor and intention of the said letters. Similarly and in order to maintain the king's peace more surely, the bailiffs of the hundred of Wirral were given instructions in these words: Richard, by the grace of God, king of England and of France, lord of Ireland, to the bailiffs and sheriffs of the hundred of Wirral, greetings. From the evidence of trustworthy men we have learnt that several of the villeins (nativi) of our beloved in Christ the abbot of Chester have made certain assemblies within the area of your jurisdiction; and they have gathered in secret confederacies within the woods and other hidden places in the said hundred. They have held certain secret counsels there contrary to our recent proclamation on the subject; and they have contributed to certain levies of pence which they then granted to various men of your hundred - in order to have their help and maintenance in the matter of several complaints and articles illegally brought against the abbot by the said villeins. Therefore we firmly command you to have it publicly proclaimed in those places within your area of jurisdiction which seem most expedient to you that everyone residing in your said hundred, of whatsoever estate or condition, should absolutely refrain from such assemblies and remain in peace. No one is to grant or concede taxes, levies or financial contributions to any of our people in order to maintain such illegal complaints and articles - under penalty of losing life, limbs and all that can be forfeited to us; the same penalties apply to anyone who presumes to receive such subsidies, goods or rewards for their services in maintaining such actions. And you are to inform us how you have executed this order in our exchequer of Chester next Saturday, when you must return this writ. You are not to omit to do this under penalty of paying 40 to us. Given at Chester 1 September [1381]. Afterwards, on Wednesday 25 September 1381, before John de la Pole, justiciar of Chester, twelve named jurors swore under oath that in the full county court held at Chester on Tuesday 23 July 1381, and within the city of Chester on the Saturday then following, and again at the parish church of Eastham on the next Sunday, the aforesaid royal letters were read and a public proclamation made in the said places exactly in accordance with the tenor of the king's mandates. And the jurors say that on the following Monday Hugh Hervy [and fifteen other named men], villeins of the abbot of Chester by right of his church of St Werburgh of Chester, together with other villeins of the abbot rose in arms. They assembled at the lee near Backford in the hundred of Wirral, contrary to the said proclamation and royal letters to the contempt of the lord king, the breaking and manifest disturbance of the peace, the terror of the king's people in the city and the entire county of Chester, as well as to the annihilation and destruction of the said abbot and convent and the goods and chattels of their monastery and church. So they were seized, etc. And afterwards the said Hugh Hervy and the others were committed to the constable of Chester Castle. [The villeins were later allowed to leave prison under surety and the case was adjourned to the next county court.] |
