ABSTRACT

PARSON OF LANGAR v. CONYNGSBY To our lord the king and his good council shows Thomas, parson of Langar in the county of Nottingham that whereas the portmanteau of Thomas was stolen before Chartres in France and the servant of Thomas sued a certain man, servant of William Conyngsby, in the marshalsea before the constable and marshal, where they were adjudged to combat, and because Thomas was afraid of [incurring] irregularity he withdrew his servant from his suit; and then came the said Sir William into the marshalsea and entered suit by bill against Thomas, alleging in his plaint that between Thomas and his servant by abetting of Thomas an understanding of the two had been reached, [whereby] the servant of the said Thomas brought suit against the servant of Sir William damaging Sir William [to the extent] of a hundred marks, and these damages were awarded him in the absence of Thomas contrary to law. And because of the error the king took the case into his hand, giving a day for the parties to be before his council in England, there to be judged

because the marshalsea has no cognisance of such a plea. And since the return of our lord the king to England there came Sir William and many others in his company at daybreak to the house of Thomas, parson of Langar, dragging him out of his bed and taking him to the house of Lord Tiptoft, and then into Sherwood and there forced him to make fine in 100 marks, paying £10 down and giving bond for 400 marks to secure the payment of the 100 marks agreed upon between them; thence they took him to Lenton, and before they permitted him to leave their company made him swear on the sacred body of God to keep the covenant. And because Thomas sues before our lord the king for recovery, Sir William and others of his company threaten him in life and limb so that he dares not go or be seen anywhere. Wherefore Thomas prays our lord the king that remedy may be afforded him, in the way of charity. Moreover Sir William and his company seized Thomas in Walbrook in London and imprisoned him lest he should sue our Lord the king now in time of parliament for remedy for the duresses.