A Brief Register Part 2, Part 2 · Section 4 · Subsection 25 – Subsection 29
Eodem modo mandatum est subscriptis, viz: Willo: de Ormesby, Rico: de Bereford, Henrico de Staunton, Johi. de Mitford, Henrico le Scrop, Henrico de Guldeford, Willo: de Colneye, Willo. de Goldington, Johi: de Insula, Johi: de Doncastr. Johi: Lovell de Snotescumbe, Rico de Rodeneye, Johi: Cheynel, Willo: de Bourne, Johi: de Batesford, Rog…ro de Scotre.
3ly. It necessitated the King to adjourn the Parliament till a further time, and much hindred the publike affaires of the King and kingdom, which should have been dispatched therein, as is evident by the writ of Prorogation. Cl. 5 E. 2. dorso 17. And what sadder effects such armed tumults and Souldiers have of late years produced, not only to the disturbance of the publike peace and affairs of the Realm, and Parliament, but to the very ruin of the King, Parliament, kingdom, Lawes, Liberties themselves, we have seen by sad experience; Therfore we should use all good and effectual means for the future prevention of such tumults, armed powers and mischiefs, when and where any Parliaments are convened.
The next Writs are in Claus. 4 E. 3. dors. 19. Vic. Northumbr. recited at large, with Cons. literae singulis Vicec. per Angl running all in the ordinary form, having the same recitals and dates with those to the Prelates forecited, Section 1.
But in Dors. 13. of this year, I find this memorable Writ of Proclamation issued to all Sheriffs cf Countles, after the Writs of Elections sent unto them, to direct them and the people what persons they should then elect for their Knights, and inviting all that were grieved by the Kings Officers to complain against them in Parliament to the King himself, or such as he should appoint who should give them full and speedy relief: There being the like Writs formerly issued to them by King Edward the first, Claus. 17 E. 1. dors. 2. Quod Vit. singuli venire fac. illos qui de Ministr. Rs. conqueri voluerint, quod veniant apud Westm. coram certis Justiciariis assignandis, to exemine and redress all offences, misdemeanours and oppressions, dum Rex erat extra Regnum.
*Claus. 4 E. 9. m. 43. dorso. See my plea for the Lords. p. 376, 327.Le Roy a Viscount de Lancastr. falutz. Pur ce que nous avomous entendues, que diverses oppressions et duretes ount este faits sur plusours gentz de nostre Roilme, per acunes q'uont estre nos Ministers en diverses Offices, et auxint per acunes gentz de nostre Rollme, auxibien Nouz consealers come autres, tant come nous besoigne per reason de la tendernes de nostre age, ount este meney per acunes gentz a damage et dishonor de nouz, la quelle chose nous ne voloms desore soeffrer, et nos avoms mult grant desire que tiels choses fuissent m…s en estat due, et les tortes, et misprisions, redresses. Vous mandoms et charge…nt en la foi que vous nous devoz, que hastiment sanz delay, faitz crier per mi vostre bailive auxibien deinz Franchise come dehors, que toutz ceux que se vodroint pleindre des oppressions, duretes ou autres grievance a eux faitz countre droiture et: les loyes, et les usages de nostre Roilme, veigne it a Westm. a cest nostre prochein Parlement, et monstrent illeoqes lour plaints a nous, ou a ceux que nous ferront a ce deput, et nous lour feroms fair covenable. et hasti…, remede, dont ils se devient aggreer per reason. Et pour ce que avant ces heures ascunes, des Chivalers qe sont venus as Parlements pour les communautes des countees ount estre gentz de coveigne et maintieners des fauses querels, et nount mi seoffree que les bones gentz poient monstrer les grievances du comune poeple, ne les choses que deuseant avoir este redresses en Parlement, a gran… damage, de nous et de nostre poeple, vos mandoms et chargeoms qe vous faces eslier per come assent de vestre Counte…, deux des plus leaux et plus suffisouns Chivalers et *Es …uires, not Sergeants at saw. See 5 II. 5. cap. 1.Sergeantz de mesme le Countee que soient mi suspiciouns de male coveigne ne communes meinteir…ours des parties, d'estrez a nostre Parlement selonc le forme de nostre mandement que vous en aves. Et ceo ne lessez si come vous voilliez eschuer nostre grief indignation: Don a Woodstock le triers jour de November, per ipsum Regem.
Eodem modo mandatum est singulis, Vic. per Angl. A fit Writ to be now revived.
The next writs are those in Claus 5 E. 3. dors. 7.
Rex Vic. Eborum salutem. Cum pro magnis & arduis negotiis Nos & statum a… regimen Regni nostri specialiter contingentibus de consilio Praelatorum & Magnatum Nobis assistentium, ordinavimus Parliamentum nostrum apud Westm. in crastino sancti Michaelis prox. futur. tenere, & cum Praelatis, Magnatibus & Proceribus dicti Regni habere Colloquium & Tractatum. Tibi pr…cipimus firmit…r injungentes, quod de dicto Com. duos Milites, & de qualibet Civitate Com. illius duos Cives, & de quolibet Burgo duos Burgenses, de discretioribus, & ad laborandum potentioribus eligi, & eos ad dictos diem & locum venire facias. Ita quod dicti Milites plenam & sufficientem po…estatem pro se, & pro communitate Com. praedicti, & dicti Cives & Burgenses, pro se & communitate Civitatum & Burgorum divisim ab ipsis habeant ad faciend. & consentiend. biis quae tunc de communi Consilio favente Domino ordinari contigerit super negotiis antedictis. Ita quod pro defectu potestatis hujusmodi dicta negotia infecta non remaneant quovis modo. Et habeat ibi nomina praedictorum Militum, Civium & Burgensium, & hoc breve. Teste ut supra.
Eodem modo praeceptum est singulis Vic. per Angliam.
The like in all respects, except in the recitals (being alwayes the same with those to the Spiritual and Temporal Lords, relating in special or general the causes of summoning each Parliament, and in the times and places of the Parliament, and dates of the Writs) issued to the Sheriffs, and are entred in the same order as those preceding, in Cl. 5 E. 3. d. 25. Claus. 6 E. 3. d. 9. 19. 36. Claus. 7 E. 3. part 1. d. 3. Claus. 8 E. 3. dors. 18. Claus. 9 E. 3. d. 2. 18. Claus. 10 E. 3. d. 1. 5. Cl. 11 E. 3. pars 2. d. 11. 40. Cl. 12 E. 3. pars 2. d. 32. Cl. 13 E. 3. pars 2. d. 28. where you may peruse them.
But in Cl. 10 E. 3. dors. 1. there is this Writ of Prorogation and Resummons entred. Rex Vic. Ebor. salutem. Cum nuper Parliamentum nostrum quod apud Ebor. in diem lunae in festo sancti Hillarii prox futur. tenere ordinavimus, usque ad Octabas Purificationis beatae Mariae Virginis prox. futur. prorogavimus apud eundem locum tunc tenend. Et tibi preceperimus, quod de Com tuo Milites duos, &c. venire faceres, ad faciend. et consentiend biis quae tunc de communi Consilio ordinari contigerit super quibusdam Negotiis Nos et Statum Regni nostri tangentibus. Ac propter diversa nova Nobis et dicto regno nostro permolesta, quae in partibus transmarinis jam noviter emerserunt, &c. (as in the Writ to the Archbishop) idem Parliamentum usque diem Lunae prox. post festum Sancti Matthaei Apostoli prox. futur. apud Westm. tunc tenend. duximus prorogand. Tibi praecipimus, quod praemuni…i fac. Milites, Cives & Burgenses praedictos, quod ad Octabas praedictas ad dictum locum Ebor. ex causa Parliamenti non veniant ista vice. Praecipimus insuper tibi firmiter injungentes, quod eosdem Milites, Gives et Burgenses sic electos, vel alios eligend. si electi non fucrunt, in forma praedicta eligi, et eos ad dictum locum Westm. ad praedictum diem Lunae venire facias. Ita quod Milites plenam et sufficientem potestatem pro se & Communitate Com. praedicti habeant, &c. (ut supra.) usque hoc breve. Teste ut supra.
Eodem modo mandatum est singulis Vic. per Angl.
In Claus. 13 E. 3. pars 2. dors. 1. the form of the Writ for elections to the Sheriffs, is thus notably varied.
Rex Vic. Eborum salutem. Cum quaedam ardua & urgentia negotia Nos, et honorem nostrum, Statumque Regni nostri contingentia in Parliamento nostro apud Westm, in Quindena sancti Michaelis prox. praeterito summonito, Praelatis, Proceribus ct Communitati dicti regni ibidem existentibus exposita extitissent, super quibus eadem Communitas tempus ad deliberand. petiit, supplicans quoddam aliud Parliamentum statim infra breve, ut tunc deliberatione hujusmodi valeret expofitis maturius responderi, per quod de avisamento Praelatorum et Procerum praedictorum necnon ad dictae Communitatis hujusmodi supplicationem, ordinavimus, quod super hiis et aliis urgentissimis negotiis tam Nos et expeditionem guerrae nostrae, ac jura nostra et Coronae nostrae in partibus transmarinis, quam defensionem dicti regni ceterarumque terrarum nostrarum contingentibus, Parliamentum nostrum apud Westm. in Octabis Sancti Hillarii prox. futur. teneatur. Nos advertentes, quod negotia nostra in Parliamento nostro hactenus agitata saepius impedita fuerunt et etiam retardata, Ita quod electiones de Militibus, Civibus et Burgensibus pro Communi…tibus Com: Civitatum et Burgorum ad Parliamenta illa venientibus minus factae provide exiterunt. Tibi praecipimus districtius injungentes, quod de dicto Comitatu tuo duos Milites gladiis cinctos, et de qualibet Civitate Com. illius Duos Cives, et de quolibet Burgo Duos Burgenses de discr…tioribus et probioribus Militibus, Cidibus et Burgensibus Com. Civitatum et Burgorum, et eosd…m ad laborand. potentioribus, eligi, et eos ad dictos diem et locum venire facias. Ita quod iidem Milites plenam et sufficientem potestatem pro se et Communitate Com. praedicti, & dicti Cives ac Burgenses pro se et Communitatibus Civitatum et Burgorum divisim ab ipsis habeant, ad faciend. et consentiend. hiis quae tunc de Communi Consilio nostro, favente Domino, ordinari contigerit super negotiis antedictis. Ita quod pro defectu potestatis hujusmodi, seu Propter improvidam electionem Militum, Civium aut Burgensium praedictorum (quam tibi si aliter quam praedictum est facta fuerit imputabimus) dicta negotia infecta non remaneant quovis modo; & habeas ibi nomina praedictorum Militum, Civium et Burgensium, et hoc breve. Teste ut supra.
Per ipsum Regem, et dictum Custodem & Consilium.
Eodem modo mandatum est singulis Vicecomitibus per Angliam.
From wheuce it is observable,
1. That the Commons in Parliament ought not rashly to determine, or give answer to any business of great moment propounded to them, without due time and consideration; and that they may justly desire convenient time to deliberate upon it, till another Parliament shall be summoned for that purpose; as they did here: which the King upon their Petition, and the advice of the Prelates and Great men, assented to by his Cussos Regni.
2. That the indiscreet and Improvident Elections of unfitting, undiscreet, dishonest, insufficient Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, is a frequent occasion of hindering and retarding the great and weighty affair… of the King and kingdom in Parliament, and cause of their miscarriage without good effect.
3. That the blame of such improvident elections, is much to be imputed to the Sheriffs, as well as Electors.
4. That the Clause of gladiis cinctos, was first added to duos Milites by this writ, not being in any former writs; that so none but actual Knights by Order, as well as tenure, might be elected and returned.
5. That the word Probioribus, is superadded to Discretioribus et ad laborandum Potentiaribus Militibus, Civibus et Burgensibus, &c. extant in none of the precedent Writs since 49 H. 3. and Legalioribus omitted.
6. That there was no Alteration at all now made in the Writs to the Warden of the Cinque-ports, continuing as before, but only in those to Sheriffs for electing Knights, Citizens and Burgesses.
The next succeeding writ in Claus. 14 E. 3. pars 1. dors. 33. runs in the usual form, yet with duos Milites gladiis cinctos, &c. de discretioribus et probioribus Militibus, Civibus et Burgensibus Com. Civitatum et Burgorum eorundem, et ad labor and. potentioribus eligi, &c. but de probioribus is omitted out of the Writ to the Warden of the Cinque Ports. In dors. 23 of this Roll, gladiis cinctos is omitted in the writs to Sheriffs, as it is in Claus. 15 E. 3. pars 1. d. 37. cl. 16 E. 3 pars 2. d. 22. (where Probioribus is changed into Legalioribus) cl. 17 E. 3 pars 1. d. 25. (probioribus is used, and legalioribus omitted) as it is likewise in claus. 18 E. 3. pars 2. d. 14. claus. 20 E. 3. pars 2. d. 22.
In Claus. 21 E. 3. p. 2. d. 9. The Writ is Duos Milites &c. de discretioribus et probioribus, &c. to hoc breve. Then follows this notable clause, Et scire vos volumus, quod dictum Parliamentum non ad Aurilia seu Tallagia apopulo dicti regni nostri petenda, vel alia onera eidem populo imponenda, sed duntarat pro pro su…titia populo nostro super dampuis et gravaminibus sibi illatis faciend. et pro tractatu super dictis negotiis, ut praemittitur b…end. fecimus summoneri. Teste ut supra. Per ipsum Regem.