Catalogue description Petitioners: Workers and weavers of worsted cloth. Addressees: King and council....

Ordering and viewing options

  • Free

  • Download format PDF
  • Approximate size 1 MB

Order up to 10 items per basket, and up to 100 in a 30 day period.

Details of SC 8/17/811
Reference: SC 8/17/811
Description:
Petitioners: Workers and weavers of worsted cloth.
Addressees: King and council.
Nature of request: The workers and weavers of worsted cloth state that Robert de Polee obtained the alnage of their cloth by telling the king that such an assize had been and should be held. They state however, that the king cannot ordain an assize, as sixty years have not passed since this cloth was first made, nor has parliament ordered it, nor indeed can it be done, as, because of the variety of wools from various countries used, the weavers cannot guarantee the length of a piece of cloth until it is finished. Many weavers are being driven from their craft, as the merchants do not wish to buy their cloth, as Robert de Polee seizes improperly made cloth from them, until they have made fine with him. They request that they might be able to use their craft as before, without making fine or redemption to Robert or anyone else.
Nature of endorsement: A commission is to be given to the Bishop of Norwich, Walter de Norwich and the others named in the other commission made for the workers, that they are to call workers, merchants and others who seem to them to be appropriate, and enquire in the presence of Robert de Poleye, to be informed of this, so that he can be present if he wishes, how the matter has been done previously, and to what profit to the workers and others it is to use their craft as they did before, and what damage if they do not, and into who, and which and how etc. and other relevant matters etc., and the commission and inquisition are to be returned in Chancery, so that the king can further do what is to be done for the benefit of his people.
People mentioned: Robert de Polee (Poley); [William Airmyn], Bishop of Norwich; Walter de Norwic (Norwich).
Note: CPR 1327-30, p.31 (Robert de Poley's appointment) is dated at Westminster, 6 March 1327; CPR 1327-1330, pp.297-298 is dated at Northampton, 19 May 1328: this looks as though it is the commission granted in response to the petition, but may be the earlier one mentioned in the endorsement. It has therefore been given the date c. 1328. CPR 1327-1330, p.424 is dated at Westminster, 17 February 1329.
Date: [c. 1328]
Related material:

For another alternative version of this petition, see SC 8/268/13364

For an alternative version of this petition see SC 8/266/13292

For a related document, see SC 8/313/E106

For a related document, see SC 8/313/E105

For a related petition from Robert Poley, see SC 8/268/13369
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: Parliamentary Petition 8833
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: French
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Publication note:

Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw III, vol. I, 1327-1330, (Public Record Office, 1891), p.31 (appointment of Robert de Poley to alnage); pp.297-298 (commission to enquire into complaints of weavers against Robert de Poley concerning measurement of cloth); p.424 (commission of oyer and terminer on complaint by Robert de Poley of various weavers conspiring to prevent the execution of his office)

Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et Placita in Parliamento, vol. II, Edw III, (Record Commission, 1783), p.409a-b (no.175) (full edition of original petition)

The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, Ed. Paul Brand, Anne Curry, Chris Given-Wilson, Rosemary Horrox, W.M. Ormrod and J.R.S. Phillips, (Cambridge University Press, 2005), Appendix of Unedited Petitions, 1307-1337, Rotuli Parliamentorum II, pp. 13-30, no. 50 (summary of references)

Image viewer

Preview a low-resolution image of this record.

Subject image
Thumb item {{thumb.id}}
Image   of {{thumbImages.length}}
Loading image ...

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research