Calendar of Close Rolls (PRO C54)

19.11.1400 (Thursday 19 November 1400)

document 12400215

Westminster to the guardians of the peace and justices of oyer and terminer in Essex order as at other times made that they or one of them shall repair in person to the Priory of Colne and if it shall be found that any evildoers have entered the priory and the possessions thereof with the strong hand and are holding the same by power and force to arrest them and others whatsoever who shall hereafter so do and to put them in the nearest gaol there to abide as convicts until delivered according to the statute causing proclamation to be made at the priory and elsewhere if need be that no man of whatsoever estate or condition shall at his peril make any attempt or cause any to be made which may tend to disturbance of the people or breach of the peace or to impair the statute published in the parliament holden at Westminster in 15Rich2 and certifying in chancery from time to time the names of such evildoers and all their own dealing in the matter as in the said statute it is contained that the statutes and ordinances made and not revoked concerning them that by the strong hand make entry upon lands and other possessions and by force keep themselves therein and them that make insurrections with no small ridings riots and unlawful assemblies to the disturbance of the peace and of the common law and terror of the people shall be kept and fully executed that whensoever such entries shall be made and a complaint shall come to any justice of the peace he shall take to him the power of the county and go to the place and any man whom he shall find holding such place by force after such entry shall be taken and put in the nearest gaol there to abide convict by record of such justice until he shall make the king fine and ransom and that all men of the county the sheriff and others shall under pain of imprisonment and fin e be intendent to go and reinforce the justices for arrest of such evildoers and in the same manner shall it be done concerning them that by force make entry upon benefices or offices of the church and now the king has information that Robt Wytton doctor of decrees and canon of the cathedral church of Wells subdelegate of Robt bishop of London the judge deputed by the papal see in a business ventilated some time past in the court of Rome between Hen Colne monk the prior and Jn Preston pretending to be prior of the said priory touching the title to the priory gave sentence in favour of Hen by the authority in him committed decreeing that he should be restored to possession of the priory removing the said Jn and imposing upon him perpetual silence touching the same as by his decree produced in chancery appears but that certain evildoers and breakers of the peace being adherents of the said Jn pondering not the said statute or decree having repaired to the priory with no small host of armed men have with the strong hand entered the same and divers possessions thereof and do yet hold and occupy them by force thereby wickedly and unlawfully hindering the said Hen from taking possession according to the said decree in contempt of the king and contrary to the statute and decree aforesaid and the king's will is that the statute be kept unbroken that such as impugn it be chastised according to their deserts and in as much as the said sentence was lawfully given that the said decree be executed especially as he is bound by oath to preserve the rights of the church et erat patens