By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 33 
knights whose names we meet with in the deeds of this period are 
Sir John de Comerwell and Sir John de Holte, the latter of whom 
was Sheriff for Wiltshire in the year 1314. The tomb on the north 
side may be that of some female benefactor to the church, or the 
founder of some one of the chapels that we now find existing in 
divers parts of the town or parish. 
We must not forget to mention, moreover, another evidence of 
the growing prosperity of our town in these early days. In the 
year 1295 (the 23rd of Edward I.) Bradford, then called a ‘ Burgus,’ 
or borough, .was called upon to send two members to Parliament. 
The names of our representatives, which occur several times in the 
earlier part of the series of deeds to which we have already alluded, 
were Thomas Dendans and William Wager. Though it does not 
appear that our town exercised this right more than once, it is 
something to know that the Parliament to which Bradford sent 
representatives was one of more than ordinary importance. Ina writ 
of summons addressed with reference to this same Parliament to the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, it is recited that the King of France, 
“not satisfied with his treacherous invasion of Gascony, had pre- 
pared a mighty fleet for the purpose of invading England, and 
effacing the English language altogether from the face of the 
earth.” By the English language the King meant the English 
nation, but what we have given, is a strictly literal translation of 
the words of the writ.1 The Archbishop is commanded “ in fide et’ 
dilectione” to appear in person at Westminster on Sunday next 
after the feast of St. Martin, 13th November, 1295, with the King 
and Prelates, the Nobles and other inhabitants of the realm, to 
deliberate upon, and ordain, in what manner the impending dan- 
gers might be obviated. 
Why Bradford discontinued to send members te Parliament we 
are not told, though a tolerable conjecture may be formed. In 
those early days the distinction of having representatives in the 
legislature, so far from being considered a privilege, was deemed a 
' Parliamentary Writs, vol. i. p. xlv. The words are ‘‘linguam Anglicanam, 
si concept iniquitatis proposito detestabili potestas correspondeat, quod Deus 
avertat, omnino de terra delere proponit.” 
D 
