A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



Weyland of Fenhall, and John de Botetout of Mendlesham was one of the 

 negotiators of the peace of 13 12. The death at Bannockburn of the young 

 earl of Clare and the subsequent division of his property among D'Audleys, 

 Damorys, and Despensers, hardly affected the balance of parties in the county. 1 

 Roughly speaking the strength of the lords was in the south and west, while 

 what hold Thomas of Brotherton, earl of Norfolk, had, was in the north- 

 east. Clare Castle was the centre of the Lancastrian circle, and in many 

 cases the fiefs of the earl of Gloucester lay cheek by jowl in the same manor 

 with those of Lancaster, whose manors lay round 1 Ipswich, and possibly 

 encouraged the town-folk to resist the king's officers 2 and those of the 

 bishop of Norwich. The burghers besieged the king's bailiffs in their 

 house, while at 3 Bury the king's clerk had to run for his life from abbot 

 and townsmen. The castles were mostly in the hands of the rebels. The 

 king's half-brother, Thomas of Brotherton, held Framlingham, the Norfolk 

 centre, but in 13 14 it was given into the hands of Sir John de Botetout, 

 while Nicholas de Segrave still held Orford. Both Botetout and Segrave 

 were 'out' with the earls in 13 18, and were included in the general 

 pardon which followed. The staunch loyalists all through were Edmund 

 Bacon of Olton, and John of Cleydon his brother, Thomas de Grey of 

 Denardiston, Edmund de Hemgrave of Hemgrave and Mutford, Robert de 

 Bures of Aketon and Kettlebaston, and John de Haustede, Guy de Ferre of 

 Benhall, and William de Beauchamp of Debenham and Pettaugh. They 

 carried, or miscarried, on what county business could be transacted. There 

 were the usual complaints of the exactions of the sheriff, who could not 

 protect the property of those serving in Scotland nor would he bring the 

 malefactors to trial. In 13 17 Lancaster was making his party against the 

 Despensers, and the county was full of those who promised gifts and lands, 

 and who entered into illegal conspiracies. 4 Next year William de la Mote 

 of Willisham (Lancaster's tenant), Nicholas de Segrave, Peter de Denar- 

 diston, William de Amundeville of Thorney, John de Botetout, Robert 

 Spryng, Richard de Preston, Richard de Emeldon, John de Yoxhall, John, 

 son of Robert de Vaus, Nicholas de Preston, Simon Sturmyn, John de 

 Tendring, Bernard de Brus, John de Claveryng were all pardoned as Lan- 

 castrians, 6 and the castle and honour of Eye were taken into the king's hands. 

 On 18 November, 1321, Edward issued an order to arrest any in the 

 county who spoke to the king's shame, 6 and sent a writ of aid to Hemgrave 

 and Grey to assemble all the horse and foot of Suffolk against the insurgents 

 on the Welsh marches. Gilbert Peeche of Little Thurlow, Thomas de 

 Veer, Edmund Bacon, John de Vaus, and John de Tendring were amongst 

 those who led their men to join the royal forces. The sheriff was ordered to 

 raise the hue and cry against the adherents of Lancaster, taking with him the 

 posse of the county. Accordingly Peter Denardiston, Robert de Peyton, 

 Robert de Gedeworth, and Sir John de Botetout, Sir John de Fresingfeld of 

 Cockley [Despenser's man], Sir Adam de Swillington, and Robert de Wat- 

 ville were outlawed and their property confiscated. The usual pardon 

 followed. With Lancaster's death in 1322 the territorial balance was affected 



1 Tanner MSS. Bodl. Lib. 



3 Ibid. p. 469. 



6 Ibid. p. 228 passim. 



10056. 



' Cal. of Pat. 1 3 17-2 1, p. 605. 



4 Ibid. p. 95. 



6 Cal. of Close, 1 3 1 8-23, p. 506. 



170 



