Inquisition taken at Leicester on Saturday next after the feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle[182] in the 15th year of the reign of King Edward, son of King Edward, before Roger Beler, guardian of the castles, lands and tenements of Thomas, late earl of Lancaster,[183] and other enemies and rebels of the lord the King in the County of Leicester, in the hand of the lord the King by their forfeiture, by the oath of William le Palmere of Leicester.[184].... Who say on their oath that in the time of Edmund, late earl of Leicester, uncle of the lord the King that now is, while he had the lordship of the town aforesaid, the men of the same town who were in the gild of the same town gave nothing for the retailing or sale of cloth or other merchandise, but in the time of Thomas, late earl of Leicester, by distraints of farmers[185] and extortions they were compelled to make heavy fines yearly. Further, in the time of the aforesaid Edmund, the fullers dwelling in the same town gave nothing to any man for exercising that craft, but in the time of Thomas they were compelled to pay 40s. a year, so that the aforesaid farmers would not permit other fullers to come into the same town, whereby none remains in the same town save one only, and he is poor. Further, in the time of Edmund, the butchers of the same town used to give nothing to any man for exercising their trade, but in the time of Thomas they were compelled to give 10s. a year to the farmers. Further, in the time of Edmund, for four days at Christmas no court of pleas of the Portmanmoot used to be holden, but in the time of Thomas by extortions and distraints the farmers[185] used to compel those who owed to others any debt, upon plaint made against them, to pay their debts within the aforesaid four days, or to imprison their bodies until they should have paid. In the time of Edmund vendors of oatmeal sold their meal, giving nothing to any man except toll; in the time of Thomas they were not permitted to sell the aforesaid meal except by great measures, and then the beadles of the farmers of the same town took by extortion from the buyers a great quantity for measuring it, and to have that profit the said beadles gave to the farmers 40s. a year. Further, in the time of Edmund, the farmers of the demesne lands of the same Edmund used to have the dung found in the four high roads and not elsewhere in the lanes; in the time of Thomas, by force and might they collected and took the dung in all the lanes, against the will of the burgesses. Further, in the time of Edmund, from payers of toll the farmers used to take nothing by way of a double toll, and that by view of any of the jurors of the same town; in the time of Thomas the farmers took from payers of toll the heaviest ransoms at their will, exceeding the value of the thing whereon the toll was so paid, and often more than the true value.