Page images
PDF
EPUB

they do nothing upon this information, the said plaintiff shall come before the jurats, and shall swear on a book that his action is due and true, and that he has delivered the said letters according to the tenor of them; and therefore, at suit of the said plaintiff, shall the bailiff by assignment of the jurats take a withernam of whosoever shall come from the said town or city; and in case that the citizens absent themselves and withdraw with their goods from our said town, the jurats, at the suit of the said plaintiff, shall send their letters to each town of the cinque ports, and to their members, recording their process which they have taken, and require them, by virtue of the same process, to distrain all the citizens of the same town, and to retain the distress until our fellow-baron be fully repaid, as well for the costs which he has reasonably expended, as for his goods; and upon the first arrest the bailiff shall take no fees or amercements. And it is to be understood that the said execution may be made to all towns, cities, or boroughs on this side the sea, and beyond.

25. No clerk to write under the common seal except the common clerk.

[ocr errors]

Item. It is used, that no clerk be suffered to write letters that shall be under the common seal except the common clerk, who is elected to serve the said commonalty, unless it be by grant of the said common clerk. And it is to be understood that the common clerk, for each writing that passes under the common seal, shall have fourpence.

26. Challenge of custom on foreign soil.

Item.-It is used, that if any of our fellow-barons come to any city, borough, or town in time of fairs or markets, or at what time soever it be, and he be disturbed, so that he dare not sell or buy his merchandise, and distress be taken of them by the lord of the franchise for customs or other tolls, or for any other cause that might hurt the franchise of the cinque ports, the baron who is disturbed shall come to the jurats and shall show his grievance done him, upon which plaint the jurats shall betake themselves to the lord of the franchise, and shall require of him to restore the said distress, and to surcease to do such wrongs

tiele dette, etc. Et sils riens ne fasont par celui certificacioun, le dit pleyntif vendra devant jurés et jurera sur une livre que soun accioun est due et verray, et quil ad delivré les dites letres solom la tenour de icelles; et sur ceo al sute du dit playntif ci deit le bailif par assignement des jurés prendre une wythirname sur quiconque vienge de la dite vile ou cité. Et en cas que les citeseyns se absentount et recreount ove lour biens de notre dite vile, les jurés à la sute del dit playntif manderont lour letres à chescun vile des Cynk Ports et à lour menbres, recordons lour procés quils ount fait, et requere par virtue de mesme le procés à destreyndre tots les citeseyns de mesme la vile, et retener la destresse tanke notre combaron soit pleynement parpaié, auxi bien de ces damages quil ath resonablement mys com soun chatel. Et quant quà le primer arest le bailif ne prendra fees ne amercements. Et fait à saver que la dite execucion se fait à tuts ville, cité, ou burgh desa la mer et par dela.

25. Nul clerk escrire al comune seal forke le comune clerk. Item.-Use est que nul clerk ne soit suffert descrire letres, que deyvont al suth le comune seal, forke le comune clerk, quest ellus à server la dite comune, si il ne seit par grant de dit comune clerk. Et fait à saver que le comune clerk, par checun escrit que pase al dit comune seal, iiij d. avera.

26. Chalenge de custum en estrange.

Item.-Use est que si ascun de nos combarons viegne en ascun cite, burgh, ou vile en temps de foires, ou de marchés, ou en quel temps quil soit, et il soit disturbé quil nose vendre ne achater ces merchandises, et destresse seit prise sur eux par le seignur de la franchise pur custumes ou autre toln, ou pur ascun autre cause que pureit blemiser la franchise des Cynk Ports, le baron quest desturbé vendra as jurés et mostra soun gref à li faite, sur quele pleynte les jurés se manderount al seignur du franchise, et lui requeront, la dite destresse deliverer, et surser de teux torts faire encountre la franchise des Cynk Ports. Et en cas quils ne voilount la de

against the franchise of the cinque ports. And in case that they will not make restoration nor reasonable return to the said jurats by letter, let a withernam be adjudged and taken of him and all his tenants, and held until he be willing to make restoration of the said distress, and satisfaction for the trespass, according to the point of the charter of our lord the king granted to us,-"And we prohibit that any unjustly disturb them or their merchandise, under pain of forfeiture of our ten pounds."

27. Withernam.

Item.-It is used, that no withernam be taken in any sort of case, before it be adjudged according as its nature points out or requires.

28. Claim of part.

Item.-It is used, that every freeman may claim part of every sort of merchandise if he be on the quay, unless the principal merchant can show cause why he should not receive part. It is to be understood as to causes-one is, if he be not a freeman of the franchise, or convict of perjury, or that he fled the town by reason of the service of our lord the king, or that he has done any thing contrary to the franchise of the cinque ports, whereby it is damaged. [As appears by their charter-We grant that, of lawful goods and merchandise which they may happen to buy in due manner in foreign soil or in Ireland, none shall be partakers with them of such goods and merchandise, only of their own barons, whosoever will may in any case partake thereof with them.] And in case that a foreigner buy merchandise in the absence of free residents, notwithstanding they shall have the half according to the price, if they choose to claim it.

29. Merchandise.

Item.It is used, that no host of Flemings, nor of any other alien, do take his foreign lodger out of the town to buy merchandise, as long as there is such merchandise in the town to be sold. [And be it understood that no Fleming, nor other alien, shall sell nor buy unless in the presence of his host, and unless he has first had leave from the bailiff.]

liverance faire, ne resonable retourner as dits jurés par sa letre, soit une wythirname ajugé pris sur lui et sur totes ces tenonts, et retenu tankil voile fere delivrance de la dite destresse et gré de le trespas, solom le poynt de la chartre notre seignur le Roy à nous granté—“ Et prohibemus ne quis eos injuste disturbet neque mercatum eorum super forisfacturam nostrarum decem librarum.”

27. Withirname.

Item.-Use est que nule Withirname ne soit pris en nule manere caas, avant ceo kil seit ajugé solom sa nature que ele demostre ou pursuy.

28. Claym de part.

Item.-Use est que chescun frank home puet claymer part de chescun manere marchandise, sil soit sur la kai, sil ne soit que principal marchont sache dire pur kai il ne deit part receyvre. Fet à saver de les enchesons, un est si il nest pas frank home de la franchise, ou convykt en perjurie, ou kil fut fuant la vile par cause de la servise notre Seignur le Roi, ou kil ait fait encountre la franchise des Cynk Ports, par kai ele est blemysé. ["Com apiert par lour chartre-Concessimus quod de legalibus rebus et mercandisis que ipsos in forinsecâ terrâ vel Hiberniâ debito modo emere contigerit, nullus de rebus et mercandisis illis sit illorum particeps, nisi cum illis qui voluerit eorum baronum inde participet quoquo modo."] Et en cas que estrange home achate merchandise en absence de frank receans, nekedent ils averont la moité par le pris sils se voilount clamer.

29. Merchandis.

Item.-Use est que nul oste des Flemyngs, ou de autre alien, ne horsmene son oste alien de ville pur merchandises à achater, tant com ili a tiel marchandise en ville à vendre. [Et fait à saver que nul Flemyng ne autre alien ne vendra ne achatera sinon en presence de son oste et quil a primes kongé de le bailiff.]1

1 The words in brackets are interpolated by a more recent hand.

30. Form of fine.

Item. It is used, that when a man and his wife, or any other, are to sell land or tenements within the franchise, or any other right, as by way of fine, for which it is necessary to have the common seal for record, the bailiff in presence of some barons shall privately examine the party as they do at common law. rendered for the said lands commonalty for the fine twelvepence; and the clerk, according to his trouble for the indentures, of which the one indenture shall remain in the common hutch (chest) for the maintenance of the said record, and the other indenture shall remain with the suitor, sealed with the common seal.

defendant in full court, in manner
And he who shall
And he who shall pay the money

and tenements, shall pay to the

31. The horn shall be sounded for a court.

Item.-It is used, that at what hour the bailiff shall hold the court of the town, he shall cause to be sounded the common horn twice at least in two places of the town, in the market and at the cross, to warn parties, plaintiffs and defendants, and the good men and people of the town, who have business in the said court, or who shall please to come into the said court.

32. Term of summons.

Item.-It is used, that no man resident in the town, be he free or not free, shall come before the commonalty to answer any plaintiff in any manner of plea, if he have not warning three days before the court day; and that by summons, except in pleas of trespass and account, in which a man shall come by attachment and every stranger, in all other places, shall come by distress.

33. Alienation of goods pending a plea.

Item.—It is used, that no manner of man aliene his lands, tenements, or chattels, within the franchise, pending any plea against him, unless he find security to the bailiff.

34. [A person apprehended on suspicion.]

[Also it is used, that if any be taken with goods by way of suspicion, the bailiff, in the presence of good folks, shall him arraign how he came by these goods; and if he will for to abide,

« PreviousContinue »