Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
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.
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