• Wrottesley, Major-General Hon. George (ed.), "Staffordshire Historical Collections, vol. 4" (1883) (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=52390).

• Category: Research

• Author: Wrottesley, Major-General Hon. George (ed.)
• Publisher: 1883

• 

Page: 121-133: Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 1251-1255

Roll No. 97.
Headed, "Jurata et Assisoe captoe apud Pontem Staunford, in Comitatu Northanton, in crastino Clausi Paschoe, coram Gilberto de Preston et Ranulpho de Kareby, anno XXXVIII." [20th April, 1254.]

Leyc. An assize, &c., if Ralph Basset of Drayton, Ralph his son, Eustace de Folevill, William Basset, Roger Basset, James his brother, Robert de Drayton, and nineteen others named, had unjustly disseised William de la Ferté of the manor of Overton Quatremars, which had been demised to him for term of his life by one William Maureward for 20s. yearly rent ; and he produced the charter of the said William Maureward to that effect. Ralph Basset answered for all, and stated that William Maureward had demised the manor to William de la Ferté for six years which had expired, and had never demised it to him for his life.

The jury state that William Maureward had formerly held the manor in his own hands, and had demised it to William de la Ferté for six years, which had expired at last Michaelmas day, and that the said William de la Ferté had come to Overton on the Saturday after the Nativity of the Virgin in this year, and had convoked the Curia of Overton, and had then produced a charter under the name of William Maureward which enfeoffed the said William de la Ferté of the manor for his life, and at the same time one Thomas de la Benneyfivere came into the Court and produced letters patent to put the same William de la Ferté in seisin of the said manor, according to the purport of the charter of the said William Maureward ; and that when Ralph Basset heard that William Maureward had died, he had come with the other defendants and taken the manor into his hands as capital lord ; and they say positively (precise) that William Maureward had never enfeoffed the said William de la Ferté of the said manor for his life, but that both the charters above named were drawn up by Thomas de la Benneyfevere without his knowledge, because he had been languishing in distant parts from that time until he died. Ralph Basset and the other defendants are therefore dismissed from the suit, and William and Thomas are in misericordiâ. Thomas was fined 20 marks ; the fine of William does not appear. m. 2.

Roll No. 99.
Headed, " Placita coram Consilio Domini Regis, in Octabis Sancti Hillarii, anno XXXVIII." [20th January, 1254.]

Staff. The suit of Mathew de Hathersege versus Magister Nicholas de Staunford, respecting the advowson of Berleburg, is concluded by a prohibition to Nicholas to pursue the suit further in Court Christian, and his consenting to withdraw his proctors (procuratores) on condition that Mathew foregoes his damages. m. 5.

Cestr. A long and interesting suit, in which the Abbot of Dieulacres recovers the advowson of Sandbach versus Roger de Sandbach, and in which the Domesday of Cheshire (Domesday Cestriœ) is referred to and quoted at length. (fn. 8) m. 10.

Warw. Roger le Fraunceys, William de Parles, and Alice de Parles, were attached to answer the complaint of Robert, Parson of Wadington, that they had come with others to the house of the said Robert in Wydehaye, which he held in custody, and had ejected him and his family from it, vi et armis, and had carried away his goods and chattels to the value of 20 marks.

Roger denied the accusation, and appealed to a jury, which is to be summoned in the county, and the inquisition returned on the Octaves of Trinity.

William de Parles and Alice appeared and admitted the fact; they are therefore committed to custody, and the Sheriff to return the amount of damage at three weeks from Easter. m. 12, dorso.

Page: 147-160: Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 1261-1265

Roll No. 116.
Headed, "Adhuc de Assisis captis apud Waleford" (Hillary Term, 45 H. III.). [January, 1261.]
Leye. An assize of last presentation to the Church of Raggedale (Rakedale), the advowson of which Ralph Basset of Drayton claimed against Beatrice de Coleville and the Prior of Kanewell; Ralph stated that Ralph Basset his grandfather had presented his Clerk Richard to the Church, who had been instituted, and had lately died Parson of it. Beatrice admitted this, but stated that Ralph Basset had assigned to her the manor of Raggedale in dower, after the death of Ralph his father. The Prior withdrew his claim. A postscript states a verdict was given for Ralph by a jury summoned at Windsor. (fn. 1) m. 1.

Banco Roll No. 16.
Headed, "Placita apud Westm: coram G. de Preston et . . . . in Octabis Sancti Michaelis, anno regni Regis H., filii Johannis, XLV., incipiente XLVI." [6th October, 1261.]
Staff. The Sheriff was commanded (fieri faceret) to raise out of the lands and chattels of Ralph Basset of Drayton, 24 marks and 40d., and bring the sum into Court in order to pay it to Roger de Sumery as part of the debt of 48½ marks which the said Ralph had acknowledged in Court he owed to the said Roger, and of which he ought to have paid half, and had paid nothing; and the Sheriff returned that the men of the said Ralph would not permit him to have entry into his lands to distrain the said Ralph. The Sheriff is therefore commanded to (as before), and return the sum into Court on the Octaves of Hillary, et si quos resistentes, &c.

Roll No. 33, Tower Records.
Headed, "Placita de Comitatu Warw., coram Martino de Lutlebiri et sociis suis, Justiciariis Itinerantibus, in crastino Sanctoe Trinitatis, anno regni Regis Henrici, filii Regis Johannis, quadragesimo sexto." [5th June, 1262.]
Warw. Ralph Basset of Drayton was summoned to answer the complaint of Jordan de Whitacre that he detained Nicholas, son and heir of Ralph de Sekendon, the wardship of whom belonged to Jordan, inasmuch as his father Ralph had held a fourth of a Knight's fee of him in Sekendon. The jury say that after the death of Ralph de Sekendon, Jordan had seisin of his land as of his lawful custody, and Ralph Basset sent his men, together with Nicholas, who was then under age, and ejected Jordan by force, and had from that time detained the land and the heir, who was now of full age; and they tax the damage to Jordan at 10l. m. 11, dorso.

Warw. Ralph Basset of Drayton sued Philip Marmiun for sending his serviens William de Lemynstre with a great multitude of outlaws and Welshmen, and other armed men, to the mill of the said Ralph in Bitlescote, breaking open the doors, destroying the mill pool, and carrying away the flour in a cart belonging to the said Ralph, to his castle of Tamworth, and doing damage altogether to the amount of 100l.
Thomas de Hereford and other tenants of Ralph Basset, likewise sue Philip Marmium for injuries and trespasses. Philip pleaded that the complainants owed suit to his mill of Thamwurth, and conceded that all trespasses should be emended by the view and consideration of friends of himself and of Philip, with which Ralph declared himself to be content.
Ralph denied that his tenants owed suit to Philip's mill of Tamworth, and because the mill is on the confines of Staffordshire, the Sheriff of Staffordshire is commanded to summon at Tamworth before M. de Litlebyri on the day of St. Margaret, Geoffrey fitz Warin, Hugh de Weston, John de Chetewyng, Thomas de Thamehorne, Robert de Wystan, Richard de Grendon, Richard de Barre, and Robert de Hilton; and the Sheriff of Warwickshire to summon for the same time Richard Fukeram, Henry de Rokeby, William Maunsel, Thomas le Yrays, Thomas Comund, Walter Bretun of Stoke, Robert, son of William de Brumwyz. And Ralph and Philip conceded that in the interim Thomas and the other tenants should not be impeded from grinding their corn where they pleased.
A concord was afterwards made at Tamworth, but because the two counties of Warwick and Stafford had been disturbed by a multitude of Welshmen and others congregated on the part of Philip at Tamworth, and also on the part of Ralph at Drayton, it is considered that they should find sufficient security not to introduce or maintain such men in future. The rest is mostly illegible, but the following names can be distinguished amongst the sureties, John de Plessetis, Earl of Warwick, Peter de Montfort, Robert de Grendon, William de Morteyn, Adam de Wheleberg, Thomas de Arderne, jun., Roger de Morteyn, and Roger Illari, on one side; and on the other side, Henry Murdak, William de Cavereswall, Thomas de Clinton, John de Wyavill, William du Lay, Robert de Knigtele, Robert de Wystan, Richard fitz Herbert, and Robert Silveyn. m. 33.

Staff. Ralph Basset, of Drayton, was summoued by Philip Marmiun to surrender to him Giles, son and heir of Nicholas, son of Ralph, the wardship of whom belongs to him, inasmuch as Nicholas held his land of him by Knight's service, viz., Whitacre by the service of a Knight's fee. Ralph called to warranty Thomas de Clinton, who appeared and warranted the custody to him, and stated that the said Nicholas held a fourth of a Knight's fee of him in Glascote and Klingefelde; and the ancestors of Nicholas were enfeoffed by his ancestors of the vills of Glascote and Klingfelde before the ancestors of Philip had enfeoffed them in Whitacre. Philip pleaded that the tenure of Glascote and Clyngefeld was a soccage tenure; but a jury find in favour of Thomas.

Roll No. 121.
Headed, "Placita apud Westm: de termino Sanctæ Trinitatis, coram Gilberto de Preston et Johanne de Wyvill, anno regni Regis Henrici, filii Regis Johannis, quadragesimo septimo." [June, 1263.]
Staff. The Sheriff was commanded to distrain Ralph Basset, of Dreyton, for a debt of 44 marks and 16d. owing to Roger de Somery, and he had done nothing therein, and stated that Ralph Basset defended all his goods "hostiliter et cum manu armatâ." The Sheriff is therefore ordered to take with him the posse comitatûs, and levy a distress for the said money, and to pay it into Court at fifteen days from Michaelmas. m. 5.

Footnotes
1 Lower down on the same membrane the heading is as follows:-"Assisoe captoe apud Windlesores, die Dominicâ proximâ post Festum Sancti Mathei, anno xlv., coram G. de Preston et G. de Leukenore." [27th February, 1261.] It is from this entry that the date of the Roll has been taken.

Page: 182-191: Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 1271-1272

Roll No. 167.
Headed, "Placita coram Domino Rege in Octabis Sancti Hillarii, anno regni Regis Henrici, filii Regis Johannis, Lmo. sexto. [20th January, 1272.]

Staff. In the suit of Hugh de Weston versus Thomas Corbet, respecting the redemption of Hugh's lands in Neweton and Weston, Thomas stated that during the time of the disturbances, Hugh was of the retinue (de familiâ et societate) of Ralph Basset of Drayton, throughout all the depredations and burnings committed by Ralph, and he assisted in the defence of the town of Stafford against the King at the coming of Hamon le Estraunge, the King's liegeman, and he ought therefore to be forced to redeem his lands under the provisions of the Dictum de Kenilworth. Hugh appeared and stated that Ralph had taken him against his will, and he had committed no damage to the King's subjects, and therefore ought not to be forced to redeem his lands. The Sheriff was ordered to summon a jury as in the last suit. m. 8.

Staff. A writ to the Sheriff reciting that whereas, on account of the transgression of Philip de Mitton, the King had conceded to his beloved and faithful Robert Blundel, the redemption of all Philip's lands in Mitton and Rewell (Rule), to hold according to the form of the Dictum de Kenilworth, and Robert stated that the said Philip was against the King during the disturbances, and at the capture of the town of Stafford was present with an armed force, and was with Ralph Basset of Drayton in all the depredations made by him and his men. And Philip came and denied all enmity to the King, and stated he was not at Stafford with Ralph Basset at the time of the capture of that town, nor was he ever with Ralph Basset at any other time, and therefore ought not to be forced to redeem his lands; also that both before and after the time of the disturbances he was Seneschall of Adam de Brynton, one of the King's liegemen, and was never mixed up with the disturbances, and he appealed to a jury. A jury is ordered to be summoned from the counties of Worcester and Warwick as before. m. 8.

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• Text: Page: 90-102: Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 1239-1243
  
  Roll No. 48.
  The third membrane is headed, "Placita apud Oxon: a die Paschæ in XV. dies coram W. de Ebor, Preposito Beverlac: et sociis suis Justiciariis Itinerantibus, anno regni Regis H., filii Regis J., vicessimo quinto." [14th April, 1241.]
  
  Norht. Ralph Basset and Geoffrey de Appelby sue Isabel de Bruis to acquit them of the third part of a debt of 100l.; and they sued John de Balliol and Derforguill his wife, to acquit them of the sixth part of a debt of 100l., for which John, formerly Earl of Chester, the brother of the said Isabel, and uncle of the said Derforguilla, whose heirs they are, had put them into pledge against Robert fitz Richard. The defendants did not appear; to be attached to appear at Canterbury at fifteen days from Trinity. Isabella de Bruis to be distrained in co. Huntingdon. m. 8, dorso.
  
  Plea Roll No. 7, Tower Records.
  Second Membrane, headed, "Placita coram Rege, in Octabis Sancti Michaelis, anno R. R., XXVII." [6th October, 1243.]
  
  Staff. Roger de Sumervill was attached to answer the complaint of the men of Alverwas (as before), with the addition that the tenants stated that he had accepted fines from them for their lands at the death of his father. The following jury was elected to try the issue by the consent of the parties, viz., Ralph Basset of Drayton, Robert de Esington, Robert de Grendon, Robert de Toke, Robert Selveyn, William de Tymor, David de Pakington, Robert del Wall, Richard de Thikebrom, Richard del Puz, Thomas le Venur, Richard de Whytinton, Nicholas de Alrewyche (Aldridge), and William Wymer. The jury return (a postscriptum) that the men of Alverwas (the plaintiffs), after Roger de Sumervill was in seisin of the manor, and after the death of his father Roger, had made a fine with him that they might hold their tenements of him in peace according as they were of the ancient demesne, or of villainage, and that he had ejected them afterwards by a writ he had obtained, and by no other means. m. 20.