ABSTRACT
For commentary, see the article by J.G.Bellamy, “The Northern Rebellions in the Later Years of Richard II”, in Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, March 1965, vol. 47, 25474. Rardon to John Stuffe alias del Stuffe of divers treasons insurrections, murders, elonies, trespasses, and misprisions, whereof he is appealed as follows: For coming armed with others to Wysemarfelde in the parish of Fosceton on Palm Sunday in the twelfth year and lying in wait to kill Robert Douf biggyng, forester of the duke of Lancaster, in the forest and chace of Knaresborough, as he was going to his parish church of Fosceton to hear divine service, and assaulting him and John de Denton, William Forster, Adam Douremar, and Richard Jaeson, then in his company, and wounding them mortally so that the [Duke of Lancaster] lost their services and the forest and chace were wasted of wood to the value of £40 and of deer to a large extent, and no minister of the duke durst stay therein for fear of losing his life; for coming in like manner to the common pasture of Redeslawe in Thorescrosse in the forest of Knaresborough on Thursday before St James the Apostle in the 13th year, and killing six oxen, seventeen steers, four cows, and fifteen bullocks, value £20, of the said Robert Douf biggyng, and assaulting the duke’s tenant Richard Gill; for coming in like manner to the castle of Haywra on Sunday before the feast of St Laurence in the same year and with axes breaking its doors, entering and cutting up, breaking and wasting, the said Robert’s woollen and linen cloths, vessels, goods, and chattels, value 10 marks, taking away a silver-mounted horn, bows, and arrows, value 40s and taking out of the castle John de Helsby, servant of Robert de Rokley, steward and constable of Knaresborough castle and master-forester of the forest and chace there, and keeping him a long time against his will; for coming with others to the said Robert’s house at Rodeshagh in Thorescrosse on Thursday before St James in the same year and breaking his chests and coffers and other household utensils, value 20 marks, and killing twelve cows and one calf, and taking away a silver-mounted baselard and divers goods; also for coming on Sunday after Michaelmas in the twelfth year to the said duke’s castle of Knaresborough and shooting at it, meaning to kill the said Robert de Rokley, and maiming Edmund, son of Robert Douf biggyng; also for lying in wait at Wysemanfeld in that forest on Palm Sunday in the twelfth year to kill the last named when supplying the place of the aforesaid Robert de Rokley, master-forester as above, shooting him with arrows and murdering John de Denton and William Forster there; also for coming in like manner to the said castle, on the Sunday after Michaelmas in the twelfth year, with William Jakson of Bekwith, Henry Lyghtfote, William, son of John del Mosse, Robert Short and others, and assaulting it and Robert de Rokley, constable thereof, by shooting at them; and for aiding and abetting William Jacson of Bekwyth, Henry Lyghtfote, William, son of John del Mosse, Robert Shorte, John, son of John
Robynson, Thomas Polayn, and Henry Mese and Robert Adill in the murder of Edmund, son of Robert Douf biggyng, and also for aiding and abetting William de Fletham in killing John de Denton at Tymble on Palm Sunday in the same year; and for then, with others, murdering John de Denton and William Forster, servants of the duke of Lancaster, at Wysemanfeld; and for coming armed to Knaresburgh castle on the Sunday after Michaelmas in the thirteenth year and shooting at it and at Robert de Rokley, constable thereof, and killing Edmund Douf biggyng; and for being the destroyer of the duke’s park of Haywia, and for assaulting and pursuing the parkers and killing their dogs; and for coming to Skirgill on 20 June in the thirteenth year, breaking the door of a fortlet of the said duke, entering the house and destroying the goods and utensils of Robert Douf biggyng there, to the value of 40s and abducting a groom and greyhound of Robert de Rokley; and for coming to the house of the said Robert Doubiggyng at Redeshagle on 1 June in the thirteenth year and slaughtering sixteen oxen and cows, and destroying his household utensils, to the value of £8, and to the house of William de Nessefeld at Beruby and destroying a horse, a mare, a boar, and other goods of his, to the value of 12 marks; and also for killing Edmund, son of Robert Doubiggyng, in the house of William Snawe on the Sunday after Michaelmas in the thirteenth year.
