Cal. of Close, 1272-9, 65.
Dress of London Women.
1281. It is provided and commanded that no woman of the city (of London) shall from henceforth go to market or in the king's highway, out of her house, with a hood furred with other than lambskin or rabbitskin, on pain of losing her hood to the use of the sheriffs; save only those ladies who wear furred capes, the hoods of which may have such linings as they may think proper. And this because that regratresses, nurses and other servants, and women of loose life, bedizen themselves and wear hoods furred with gros vair and minever, in guise of good ladies.
Riley, Memorials of London, 20.
Unlawfulness of Bearing Arms at Fairs.
1328. It is shewn to the king on behalf of John Wynter of Norwich and Thomas Wynter of Norwich, merchants, that they lately went with their goods and wares to the abbot's fair at Reading, to trade there with the same and for no other purpose. And although they wore no armour save two single aketons, to wit one each, and that only by reason of the dangers of the road and not for the purpose of committing evil, the bailiffs nevertheless took and imprisoned them with their goods, and still detain them and their goods, by virtue of the ordinance of the late parliament at Northampton that no one shall go armed in fairs or markets or elsewhere, under pain of imprisonment and loss of their arms, wherefore they have prayed the king to provide a remedy. The king therefore orders the bailiffs to release the said John and Thomas and goods, upon their finding surety to have them before the king in three weeks from Michaelmas.
Cal. of Close, 1327-30, 314.
Misadventure of some Shrewsbury Merchants travelling to a Fair.
1332. To Richard Earl of Arundel.
Whereas the king lately took into his protection the burgesses of Shrewsbury so that they might be free to intend their affairs and to exercise their merchandise more safely, forbidding any to do them harm; and they have shewn to the king that whereas John de Weston, Richard Biget, William son of Roger de Wythiford, and John son of Yarvord le Walssh, their fellow burgesses, lately wished to go to the town of La Pole (Welshpool) in Wales to a fair there, to ply their merchandise, Yevan ap Griffith, the earl's yeoman, with other armed Welshmen of the earl, took without cause the said John, Richard, William and John, at Cause in the Welsh marches, without the earl's lordship, as they were going to La Pole, and took them with their horses and other goods and chattels, to the value of £200, and brought them to the earl's castle of Osewaldestre (Oswestry), where they imprisoned them and where they are still detained. And although the burgesses have repeatedly requested the earl to deliver the aforesaid men and to restore their said goods and chattels, the earl has neglected to do anything in the matter; wherefore the burgesses have besought the king to provide a remedy. The king therefore orders the earl to deliver from prison the said John, Richard, William and John without delay and to restore to them their horses, goods and chattels, or, if there be any reasonable cause why he should not do this, to be before the king and his council at the octaves of Holy Trinity to inform the king.