Væ pueri terræ sæpissimè sunt ibi guerræ.
The franchises of the citie of London confirmed.
He confirmed the liberties and franchises of the citie of London, and granted that the maior of the same citie for the time being might sit in all places of iudgement within the liberties thereof for chéefe iustice, aboue all other, the kings person onelie excepted; and that euerie alderman that had béene maior should be iustice of peace through all the citie of London and countie of Middlesex; and euerie alderman that had not béene maior, should be iustice of peace within his owne ward. He granted also to the citizens, that they should not be constreined to go foorth of the citie to anie warres in defense of the land, and that the franchises of the citie should not be seized from thenceforth into the kings hands for anie cause, but onelie for treason and rebellion shewed by the whole citie. Also Southwarke was appointed to be vnder the rule of the citie, and the maior of London to be bailiffe of Southwarke, and to ordeine such a substitute in the same borough as pleased him.
Records of Burie.
In the first yeare of this kings reigne, we find in records belonging to the abbeie of S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke, that the inhabitants of that towne raised a sore commotion against the abbat & moonks of the same abbeie, and that at seuerall times, as first on the wednesdaie next after the feast of the conuersion of S. Paule, in the said first yeare of this kings reigne, one Robert Foxton, Richard Draiton, and a great number of other, assembling themselues togither in warlike order and araie, assaulted the said abbeie, brake downe the gates, windowes, and doores, entered the house by force, and assailing certeine moonks and seruants that belonged to the abbat, did beat, wound, and euill intreat them, brake open a number of chests, coffers, and forssets, tooke out chalices of gold and siluer, books, vestments, and other ornaments of the church, beside a great quantitie of rich plate, and other furniture of household, apparell, armour, and other things, beside fiue hundred pounds in readie coine, & also thrée thousand florens of gold.
All these things they tooke and caried awaie, togither with diuerse charters, writings, & miniments, as thrée charters of Knute sometime king of England, foure charters of king Hardiknute, one charter of king Edward the confessor, two charters of king Henrie the first, & other two charters of king Henrie the third, which charters concerned as well the foundation of the same abbeie, as the grants and confirmations of the possessions and liberties belonging thereto. Also they tooke awaie certeine writings obligatorie, in the which diuerse persons were bound for the paiement of great summes of monie, and deliuerie of certeine wines vnto the hands of the said abbat. Moreouer they tooke awaie with them ten seuerall buls, concerning certeine exemptions and immunities granted to the abbats and moonks of Burie by sundrie bishops of Rome.
Furthermore, not herewith contented, they tooke Peter Clopton prior of the said abbeie, and other moonks foorth of the house, and leading them vnto a place called the Leaden hall, there imprisoned them, till the thursdaie next before the feast of the Purification of our ladie, and that daie bringing them backe againe into the chapter-house, deteined them still as prisoners, till they had sealed a writing, conteining that the abbat and conuent were bound in ten thousand pounds to be paid to Oliuer Kempe and others by them named. And further, they were constreined to seale a letter of release for all actions, quarels, debts, transgressions, suits and demands, which the abbat might in anie wise claime or prosecute against the said Oliuer Kempe and others in the same letters named.
For these wrongs and other, as for that they would not permit the abbats bailiffes and officers to kéepe their ordinarie courts as they were accustomed to doo, as well thrée daies in the wéeke for the market, to wit, mondaie, wednesdaie and fridaie, as the Portman mote euerie tuesdaie thrée wéeks, and further prohibit them from gathering such tols, customes, and yearelie rents, as were due to the abbat for certeine tenements in the towne, which were let to farme, the abbat brought his action against the said Foxton, Draiton, and others, and hauing it tried by an inquest, on the fridaie next after the feast of saint Lucie the virgine, in a sessions holden at Burie by Iohn Stonore, Walter Friskney, Robert Maberthorpe, & Iohn Bousser, by vertue of the kings writ of oier and determiner to them directed, the offendors were condemned in 40000 pounds, so that the said Richard Draiton, and others there present in the court, were committed to prison in custodie of the shiriffe Robert Walkefare, who was commanded also to apprehend the other that were not yet arrested, if within his bailiwike they might be found, and to haue their bodies before the said iustices at Burie aforsaid, on thursdaie in Whitsunwéeke next insuing.
The second riot.
Beside this, there was an other indictement and action of trespasse found there the same daie against the said Richard Draiton and others, for a like disorder and riot by them committed, on the thursday next after the feast of the Purification of our ladie, in the same first yeare of this king, at what time they did not onelie breake into the abbie, and beat the abbats men, but also tooke the abbat himselfe, being then at home, with certeine of his moonks, kéeping both him and them as prisoners, till the next daie that they were constreined to seale certeine writings. And amongst other, a charter, in which it was conteined, that the abbat and his conuent did grant vnto the inhabitants of the towne of Burie, to be a corporation of themselues, and to haue a common seale with a gild of merchants and aldermen: also they were compelled to seale another charter, wherein was conteined a grant to the said inhabitants, that they should haue the custodie of the towne gates, and likewise the wardship of all pupils and orphans within the same towne, beside diuerse other liberties.