The People of 1381
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Source
| Type | Appeal of murder |
| Unique Identifying Text | TNA KB 27/483 m. 40 |
| Archive name | The National Archives (London) |
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Text in Original Language | Hertford. Willelmus Ffordham [blank] Ricardus Baldok de Longemerston et Thomas Baldok de Longemerston attach' fuerunt per corpora sua et co. ad respondendum Anne que fuit uxor Willelmi Brag simul cum Hugone the personesprest of Puttenham [blank] Waltero Ffreman de Longemerston Ricardo Perston de Longemerston et Ricardo Ffordham de morte predicti Willelmi quondam viru sui unde eos appelat. Et sunt plegi de pres' scilicet Reginaldus Jory et Thomas Cobbler de comitatu Oxon'. Et unde eadem Anna in propria persona sua instanter appelat predictos Willelmum Ffordham et alios de eo quod ubi predictus Willelmus Brag fuit in pace dei et dom' Reg' nunc apud Cobelcote in comitatu predicto die martis proxima post festum conceptione Beate Marie anno regni Regis Ricardi secundi quinto hora nona ibi ven' Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas simul felon' ut felon' dom' Regis insidiando et insultu premeditato contra pacem dom' Regis coranam et dignitatem suam die anno hora villa et com' predictis. Et predictus Hugo quem predict' Anna appelaret si presens fuisset cum quadam pila plumbi quam tenuit in manu sua dextera percussit predictum Willelmum Brag in dextera parte capitis sui et fecit ei plagam mortalem unde postea obiit. Et predictus Willelmus Ffordham [blank] cum quodam baculo quem tenuit in manibus suis percussit predictam Willelmum Brag in collo et fregit os eiusdem et fecit ei plagam mortalem unde si non obiisset de utu quem predictus Willelmus Ffordham ei dedit. Et predictus Walterus quem et co. cum quodam baculo quem tenuit in manibus suis percussit Willelmum Brag postiore partis capitis sui et fecit ei plagam mortalem unde si non obiisset et co. Et predicti Ricardus Ffordham et Ricardus Merston quos et co. et predicti Ricardus Baldok et Thomas videlicet quilibet eorum cum quodam baculo et co, seperatim percusserunt predictam Willelmum Brag super crura et brachia sua et ea fregerunt et quilibet eorum dedit ei plagam mortalem unde si non obiisset et utubus quos predicti Hugo Willelmus Ffordham et Walterus ei dederunt statim obiret de utubus quos predicti Ricardus Merston Ricardus Baldok Thomas et Ricardus Ffordham ei dederunt. Et ipsum felon' interfecerunt. Et quancito iidem Willelmus Ffordham et alii felon' predictam de homicidio fecerant fugierunt predictamque Anna ipsos resent' insecut' fuit de villa in villam usque ad quatuor villat' propinquiores et ulterius quousque et co. Et si predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas felon' predictam de homicidio veluit dedicere predictam Anna hoc parat' est versus eos probar' prout cur' et co. Et predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas in propriis personissuis veniunt et defend' omnem felon' et quicquid et co. Et dicunt quod ipsi in nullo sunt culpabiles. Et inde de bono et malo ponent super patriam. Et predicta Anna similiter. Ideo ven' unde iur' coram domino Rege a die Pasche in xv dies ubicumque et co. Et qui non et co. ad recogn' et co. Quia tam et co. Idem dies datus est partibus predictis et co. Et predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas interim committuntur mar' in custod' Roberti Bray mar' et co. Ad quem diem coram dom' Rege venit predicta Anna in propria persona sua. Et predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas per mar' ducti similiter veniunt. Et vicecomes non misit brev'. Ideo sicut prius ven' inde iur' coram domino Rege in octabis Sancti Michaelis ubicumque et co. Et qui nec et co. ad recogn' et co. Quia tam et co. Idem dies datus est partibus predictis et co. Et predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas interim committuntur mar' et co. Ad quas octabas Sancti Michaelis coram domino Rege apud Westminster veniunt predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas in custod' mar' et predicta Anna licet quarto die placita solempniter voc' non venit. Ideo ipa' capiatur et pleg' sui predicti in mia'. Et predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas quia ad sectam ipsius Anne eant inde sine die et co. set quo ad sectam dom' Regis instanter allocuti sunt seperatim qualiter de morte predictam se velunt acquietare dicunt separatim quod ipsi in n ullo sunt inde culpabes et inde de bono et malo ponent se super patriam. Ideo ven' unde iur' coram domino Rege in crastino animarum ubicumque et co. Et qui non et co. ad recogn' et co. Et interim predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas committuntur prisone mar' in custod' Roberti Bray mar' et co. Ad quem diem coram domino Rege apud Westminster veniunt predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas Baldok in custod' mar'. Et similiter iur' veniunt qui ad hoc electi tracti et iurati dicunt super sacramentum quod predicti Willelmus Ffordham Ricardus Baldok et Thomas Baldok in nullo sunt culpabiles de morte predictam nec ea occasione se retraxerunt. Ideo ipsi eant inde quieti et co. Postea scilicet die Pasche in xv dies anno rr nunc quartdecimo coram dom' Rege apud Westminster venit predictus Walterus Ffreman et reddidit se prisone mar' dom' Reg' occasione predict' qui committitur Mar'. Et statim per mar' ductus venit et allocutus est qualiter de morte predict' se velit acquietare dicit quod dominus Rex nunc de gratia sua speciali perdonavit ei sectam pacis sue que ad ipsum pertinet pro morte predictam per litteras suas patentes quas profert hic in curia in hec verba. Ricardus dei gratia ... perdonavimus Walterus Ffreman de Longemerston ... de eo quod ipse indictatus est quod ipse et alii die martis martis proxima post festum conceptione Beate Marie anno regni nostri quinto apud Cobbelcote in comitatu Hertford Willelmi Brag felon' interfecerunt ... Teste me ipso apud Westminster xvi die martii anno r' nostri quartodecimo. Pretextu quarum litterarum idem Walterus petit ipsum a prisone dom' Reg' deliberari et co. Idem Anna in propria persona sua op se quarto die versus predictos Hugone Willelmum Ffordham Walterus et Ricardus Ffordham de morte predictam. Et ipsi non veniunt. Et preceptum fuit vicecomiti quod attach' eos per corpora et co. Et vic' retorn' quod ipsi non sunt inventi et c. Ideo precveptum est quod exigi fac eos de comitatu in comitatum quousque et co. utlagent' si non et co. Et si et co. tunc eos capiat. Et salvo et co, Ita quod hebeat corpora suorum coram dom' Rege in octabis Sancti Michaelis ubicumque et co... |
| Text (English translation) | Hertford. William Fordham, Richard Baldok of Long Marston and Thomas Baldok of Long Marston were attached by their bodies to respond Anna, who was the wife of William Brag, and who appeals them together with Hugo the parson of Puttenham, Walter Freman of Long Marston, Richard Perston of Long Marston and Richard Fordham of the murder of the aforesaid William lately her husband. There are pledges present, namely Reginald Jory and Thomas Cobbler of the county of Oxford. And whereof the same Anna, in her own person, instantly appeals the aforesaid William Fordham and the others that when the aforesaid William Brag was in peace with God and the lord king at Gubblecote (in Long Marston) in the aforesaid county on Tuesday after the feast of the Conception of Mary, 5 Richard II, at the ninth hour (3pm) there came William Fordham, Richard Baldok and Thomas together with the other felons lay in wait and made a premeditated assault against the lord king's peace, his crown and his dignity at the day, year, hour, place and aforesaid county. And the aforesaid Hugo whom the aforesaid Anna appealed that he had been present, holding a lead mortar in his right hand, stroke the aforesaid William Brag on the right side of the head and inflicted a mortal blow whereof he died afterwards. [paraphrase:] William Fordham hit his neck with a club and broke his neck bones; Walter Freman hit him with a club on the back of his head and Richard Fordham and Richard Merston hit him with clubs on his legs and arms and broke those. William Fordham and the others fled immediately; they were pursued by Anna and William Fordham, Richard Baldok and Thomas Baldok finally apprehended; they declare that they are not guilty and put themselves upon the country, so does Anna. The court session is scheduled for the quindene of Easter; the three suspects are imprisoned in the Marshalsea. Both parties appear at the scheduled date, but the sheriff did not send letters to summon the jury; case postponed until the octave of Michaelmas; the suspects are kept in prison. At the new date Anna does not appear for four days, therefore the three suspects are discharged on the appeal of murder; however, they are immediately rearrested on the king's charge of murder and asked how they plead; they plead not guilty; the case is postponed until the day before All Souls at which day a jury is sworn in and they declare the three suspects not guilty who are acquitted. [in a different hand:] On fifteenth day after Easter 1391 Walter Freman surrenders himself to the Marshalsea prison for his part in the murder of William Brag. When asked how he would plead he declares that the king pardoned him for the murder of William Brag on 10 December 1381 ... [the pardon, dated 16 March 1391, is recited] . Walter is released from prison. Anna in her own person appears against the aforesaid Hugo, William Fordham, Walter and Richard Fordham for the aforesaid murder. And they do not come ... orders to prepare for outlawry and to arrest them and have them before the king's bench in the octave of Michaelmas. |
| General Information | The date given for the murder of Brag, Tuesday after the Conception of Mary, 5 Richard II (10 Dec 1381), disproves its connection with the rising. However, in a trespass suit (KB 27/486 rex m. 5) the murder was said to have been committed during the rising in an attack of Gubblecote manor (Cublicote in Long Marston) of Edmund de Stonor. See also CPR 1381-85, pp. 87, 276; CPR 1388-92, p. 384. |
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People
| ID | First name | Last name | Gender | Occupation | Domicile | Role in source | Incidents | Go to participant page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21936 | Richard | Baldok | Male | Long Marston,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21937 | Thomas | Baldok | Male | Long Marston,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21934 | Anne | Brag | Female | Gubblecote,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21933 | William | Brag | Male | Gubblecote,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21943 | Thomas | Clobber | Male | Pledge | Go to participant page | |||
| 21941 | Richard | Fordham | Male | 3962 | Go to participant page | |||
| 21935 | William | Fordham | Male | 3962 | Go to participant page | |||
| 21939 | Walter | Freman | Male | Long Marston,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21942 | Reginald | Jory | Male | Pledge | Go to participant page | |||
| 21940 | Richard | Perston | Male | Long Marston,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page | ||
| 21938 | Hugo | Male | Parson | Puttenham,Hertfordshire | 3962 | Go to participant page |
Incidents
| ID | Summary | Description | Type | Go to incidents page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3962 | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). | Appeal of murder by Anna, widow of William Brag, who was killed by several people in Gubblecote (Herts). | Trespass to person: assault,Trespass to person: battery,Homicide: beating | Go to incidents page |
Incidents and People
| Person | Incident | Role | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Baldok ( 21936 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | |
| Thomas Baldok ( 21937 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | |
| Anne Brag ( 21934 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Victim | |
| William Brag ( 21933 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Victim | |
| Richard Fordham ( 21941 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | |
| William Fordham ( 21935 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | |
| Walter Freman ( 21939 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | pardon dated 16 March 1391 |
| Richard Perston ( 21940 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused | |
| Hugo ( 21938 ) | Murder of William Brag at Gubblecote (Herts). (3962) | Accused |
