Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
33. The jurors say that Hugh, son of Walter Priest, was
outlawed for the death of Roger Rombald at the suit of
Robert Rombald, and afterwards returned under the
[protection of the] king's writ, and afterwards was outlawed
for the same death on the appeal of Geoffrey, Thurstan's
son. The county therefore is asked by what warrant they
outlawed the same man twice for the same death, and says
that of a truth in King Richard's time the said Hugh was
outlawed at the suit of one Lucy, sister of the said Roger,
so that for a long time afterwards he hid himself; and at
length he came into the county [court] and produced letters
of Sir Geoffrey FitzPeter in the form following: "G.
FitzPeter etc. to the sheriff of Northamptonshire, greeting,
Know thou that the king hath pardoned to Hugh, son of the
priest of Grafton, his flight and the outlawry adjudged to
him for the death of a certain slain man, and hath signified
to us by his letters that we be aiding to the said Hugh in
reestablishing the peace between him and the kinsfolk of
the slain; wherefore we command thee that thou be aiding to
the said Hugh in making the peace aforesaid, and do us to
wit by thy letters under seal what thou hast done in this
matter, since we are bound to signify the same to the king.
In witness etc. by the king's writ from beyond seas." And
the said letters being read in full county [court] the
county told the said Hugh that he must find pledges that he
would be in the king's peace, and he went away to find
pledges, and afterwards did not appear. But the kinsfolk of
the slain, having heard that Hugh had returned after his
outlawry, came to the next county [court] and Robert Rombald
produced Geoffrey, Thurstan's son, who said that if he saw
the said Hugh he would sue against him the death of the said
Roger, who was [his kinsman]. And the county showed him how
Hugh had brought the Justiciar's letters pardoning him the
flight and outlawry, and that he was to find pledges to
stand to the king's peace, but had not returned. Whereupon
the king's serjeant was ordered to seek Hugh and bring him
to a later county [court]. And at a later county [court]
Geoffrey offered himself against Hugh, and Hugh did not
appear; whereupon the king's serjeant being questioned said
that he had not found him, and the county advised [Geoffrey]
to come to another county [court], because if in the
meantime Hugh could be found, he would be brought to the
county [court]. Then at the third county [court] the said
Geoffrey offered himself, and it was testified by the
serjeant that Hugh had not yet been found, wherefore the
county said that as Hugh would not appear to the king's
peace, he must bear the wolf's head as he had done before.
To judgment against the coroners and the twelve jurors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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