City Court Papers

HRO: W/D1/110

f 57v (4–20 July)

Iurata dicit quod culpatum est ad dampna iij d. &c

Iohannes yerd queritur uersus Ricardum Syngere de placito transgressionis Et vnde queritur quodque cum quarto die Iulij anno regni regis henrici nunc xo apud Wyntoniam sic conuenit inter prefatum Ricardum & Iohannem ita quod dictus Iohannes xvjo die tunc proximo sequenti Wynton' luderet cum dicto Ricardo Senescallum in quodam ludo vocato pleye of synt agnes Et idem Ricardus inueniret eidem Iohanni vestimenta & omnia alia ornamenta tali Senescallo competencia cum custibus & expensis eius medio tempore Qui quidem Ricardus non inuenit dicto Iohanni vestimenta sua neque victum nec custus & expensa prout conuentum fuit inter eos vnde dicit quod deterioratus est & dampnum habet ad valenciam xl s. Et inde producit Et predictus Ricardus presens in Curia defendit vim & Iniuriam Inde &c Et dicit quod nunquam fuit tale Bargamentum inter eos prout &c Et hoc petit quod inquiratur per patriam Et predictus Iohannes Similiter Ideo prouisum est Ministro curie quod venire faciat xijnum &c per quos &c erga proximum diem Mercurie &c Idem dies &c

culpatum ad dampna iij d.

Willelmus Selver miles in ludo predicto queritur versus predictum Ricardum in omnibus modo quo vt dictus Iohannes yerd superius narrauit

culpatum ad dampna iij d.

Iohannes ffromond Webbe alius Miles queritur versus dictum Ricardum Et totum vt supra &c

culpatum ad dampna iij d.

Ricardus Trobwyk tormontour queritur versus dictum Ricardum Et totum vt supra &c

f 62

Iurata dicit quod culpatum est ad dampna xij d.

Ricardus Syngere queritur versus Iohannem ffromond Webbe Ricardum Trowbyb Willelmum Selver & Iohannem Ȝerd de placito transgressionis Et vnde queritur quod predicti Iohannes Ricardus Trowbyk Willelmus & Iohannes venerunt vi & armis saltibus baculis & cultellis apud Wyntoniam die dominica proxima post festum translacionis sancti Thome martiris anno regni domini Regis nunc decimo Et ibidem domum ipssius Ricardi Syngere contra voluntatem suam fregerunt & intrauerunt & super ipsum insultum fecerunt ipsumque verberauerunt vulnerauerunt & male tractauerunt Ita quod de vita sua desperabatur Et alia enormia ei intulerunt videlicet vnum originale sancte Agnetis & vnum pannum vocatum pleyngcloþ preciuo in toto x s. de bonis & catallis ipsius Ricardi Syngere ceperunt & asportauerunt iniuste & contra pacem domini nostri Regis &c Et ad dampnum ipsius Ricardi Syngere C s. Et inde producit sectam &c Et predicti Iohannes ffromond Webbe Ricardus Trowbykes Willelmus Selver & Iohannes Yerd presentes in Curia defendunt vim & iniuriam Inde &c Et dampna &c Et dicunt quod non sunt inde culpabiles & de hoc ponut super patriam &c Et predictus Ricardus Synger similiter &c ideo prouisum est ministro Curie quod venire faciat xij &c citra diem octauum &c Per quos &c Idem dies &c

  • Footnotes
    • Wynton': for deletion (?)
    • Trowbyb: for Trowbyk
    • die ... decimo: 14 July 1409
    • ponut: for ponunt; no abbreviation mark in MS
  • Record Translation

    f 57v (4–20 July)

    The jury says that there is liability for damages of 3d, etc.

    John Yerd complains against Richard Syngere on a plea of trespass. And whereupon he also complains that, although it was thus agreed between the aforesaid Richard and John on 4 July in the tenth year of the reign of the now lord, King Henry, at Winchester that the said John would play the steward in a play called 'play of St Agnes' with the said Richard on the sixteenth day then next following and (that) the same Richard would find for the same John the clothing and all other gear suitable for such a steward together with his costs and expenses in the meantime, yet this Richard did not find for the said John either his clothing or victuals or costs and expenses as was agreed among them. Wherefore he (ie, John) claims that he is injured and incurs a loss to the value of 40s and thereupon he brings (suit). And the aforesaid Richard, present in court, denies the force (ie, of the accusation) and the injury; wherefore, etc. And he claims that there was never such a bargain between them just as, etc, and on this matter he demands to be tried by the country (ie, he demands a jury trial) and the aforesaid John (does) likewise. Therefore provision was made for an officer of the court to cause a jury, etc, to come, by whom, etc, for the next Wednesday, etc. The same day, etc.

    There is a liability for damages of 3d.

    William Selver, knight in the aforesaid play, complains against the aforesaid Richard in every particular in the way that the said John Yerd told above.

    There is a liability for damages of 3d.

    John Fromond, weaver, another knight (in the aforesaid play), complains against the said Richard and all (is) as above, etc.

    There is a liability for damages of 3d.

    Richard Trowbyk, tormentor (in the aforesaid play), complains against the said Richard and all (is) as above, etc.

    f 62

    The jury says that there is liability for damages of 12d.

    Richard Syngere complains against John Fromond, weaver, Richard Trobwyk, William Selver, and John Yerd on a plea of trespass. And whereupon he complains that the aforesaid John, Richard Trowbyk, William, and John came with force and arms, assaults, staves, and knives at Winchester on the Sunday next after the feast of the Translation of St Thomas the Martyr in the tenth year of our now lord King Henry, and there they broke into and entered the home of that very Richard against his will and made an attack upon him (and) so beat, wounded, and maltreated him that his life was despaired of. And they inflicted other crimes on him, namely, they took one original of St Agnes and one cloth called 'playing cloth' total price 10s, from the goods and chattels of that very Richard Syngere and carried them away unjustly and contrary to the peace of our lord king, &c, and to a loss to that very Richard Syngere of 100s and thereupon he brings suit, &c. And the aforesaid John Fromond, weaver, Richard Trowbyk, William Selver, and John Yerd, present in court, deny the force ( ie, of the accusation) and the injury, wherefore, etc, and the damages, etc. And they claim that they are not guilty thereof and on this matter they demand (that they be tried) by the country (requested to be tried by jury), etc, and the aforesaid Richard Syngere likewise, etc. Therefore provision was made for an officer of the court to cause a jury, etc, to come before the eighth day, etc, by whom, etc. The same day, etc.

  • Glossed Terms
    • bargamentum, -i n nt bargain
    • Wintonia, -ie n f Winchester; Wyntonia, -ie
  • Endnote

    Dating these records to 1409 is dependent on matching the names of civic officials mentioned in them to other records, showing that the King Henry meant here is Henry IV. The alleged burglary happened on 'the sixteenth day then next following,' which could mean either 16 July or the sixteenth day after 4 July (20 July). The earlier date appears more likely since 15 July was the feast of St Swithun, the former bishop of Winchester, and a day that saw many pilgrims visiting Winchester who could have provided a large audience for the proposed play.

    John Yerd, William Selver (or Silver), John Frommond, and Richard Trowbyk are all mentioned in other Winchester records of the period, but Richard Syngere is not (see Keene, Survey of Winchester, vol 1, pt 1, p 393. For further discussion of these records, including whether the 'originale sancte Agnetis' stolen from Syngere may have been a play text, see Cowling, 'Saint Play,' pp 19–33.

  • Document Description

    Record title: City Court Papers
    Repository: HRO
    Shelfmark: W/D1/110
    Repository location: Winchester

    Winchester's city court dealt mainly with private pleas concerning debt and trespass, though at times it also regulated the trades and conducted other business. From the early fifteenth century the court rolls contained only the most basic information about each case, the details being relegated to slips filed in bundles and known as 'recorda.' The pleas are typically dated by the date of the offence rather than the date the plea was entered or the case heard.

    1409–10; Latin; parchment; single membranes each attached to heavy paper in a guard book with items roughly in date order within the year, regnal year date on f 57r; 269–95mm x 39–84mm; foliated; guard book is modern, front and back covers of dark blue cloth over cardboard stitched together at left side, white cloth ties, two white paper labels on front cover: ' 36 // T.C. 19' and 'W/D1/110.'

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