THE JUSTICES OF LABOURERS 15 



comprising thirty-nine counties and three towns' and 

 during the following year commissions varying slightly 

 in phraseology but all including jurisdiction over both 

 the peace and the statutes of labourers were appointed 

 for several counties and for a number of towns.' 



3. The third period, from December, 1352 to Novem- 

 ber, 1359, is a period of separate commissions of the 

 peace and for labourers, issued systematically for practi- 

 cally the whole country. 248 commissions are recorded 

 on the Patent Rolls ; ^ the jurisdiction of those enrolled 

 during the first five years was limited to the statutes of 

 labourers,'' but in 1357 it was extended to include the 

 enforcement of uniform standards of weights and meas- 

 ures. ^ The form has been greatly simplified. The first 

 three clauses as to the peace, array and violence of male- 

 factors and clause 8 dealing with homicides and felonies 

 have, of course, disappeared, as well as clause 6 provid- 

 ing for the supervision of the collectors ; ^ clause 4, the 



'App., 34. 'App., 34-35. 



*App., 35-42. It must be remembered that in some counties the old 

 joint commissions were not superseded for several years; cf. e. g., Mid- 

 dlesex which had no separate commission for latotrers until i Oct. of 

 the 29th year. *App., 24-25. 



* In 1351 a statute had entrusted the enforcement of the uniformity of 

 weights and measures to justices to be assigned by the king in each 

 county whenever there should be need; Statutes, 25 Edw. III. st. 5, 

 cc. 9 and 10. Cf. Pat., 2y, pt. 3, m. 10 d, 4 Dec. {Cat., ix, 541). In 

 ^353 snd again in 1355 the commons petition, apparently in vain, that 

 justices of labourers shall have jurisdiction over weights and measures 

 {Rot. Pari, ii, 252b-253a, 265b); yet only two years later without any 

 statutory change, the regular form of their commission includes this 

 jurisdiction; see app., 25-27. As a result of a petition in parliament 

 {Rot. Part., ii, 260a) a statute had also given to justices of labourers the 

 power to p'mi;h these who sold iron at an excessive price; see app., 17- 

 18. It is not easy to understand the necessity for such an enactment. 



® All but clause 6 re-appear in the form of the com.mission of the peace 

 of the period; cf. e. g., Pat., 30, pt. i, m. 20 d, 12 Feb.; " De custodia 

 pacis." 



