| Description (Repository) |
18. Arnold de Gerowedon and Thomas Sporon being chamberlains, for whom no one answers, Thomas de Wymborn and William de Durham, who answers now, being sheriffs; on Monday before the feast of SS. Simon and Jude [21 Oct. 12521 Richard Norman was found drowned in a pit in the garden of his father William Norman in Aldresgate street in the aldermanry of John le Minur.1 Because it is not known and cannot be ascertained by any inquest held by the chamberlain and sheriffs whether he died by misadventure or felony, the justices wish to examine twelve men from the aldermanry where the incident occurred concerning the death. The mayor and barons say that it is not for the justices to hold an examination concerning a man's death. Because it is found in the rolls2 of William de York that the mayor and barons in eyre have granted that the justices should hold enquiry at will, notwithstanding any inquest held by the chamberlain and sheriffs, the mayor and commonalty are in *mercy. Because no one answers for Arnold and Thomas, the sheriff of Essex is ordered to distrain Arnold's heirs and have their bodies here in fifteen days from the Purification [16 Feb.]. And likewise the bishops of Lincoln, Salisbury and Chichester are ordered to cause Thomas to come at the said term, as he is a clerk.
Nota 2. De majore et commun itate amerciatis quia in isto itinere dedixerunt id quodp rius in alio itinere concesserunt.
14th cent.: Nota scribatur [cf. 524 no. 21.
1. Presumably Aldersgate ward.
2. London Eyre, 1244, nos. 39-40. |