THE JUSTICES OF LABOURERS 



29 



Positive evidence as to how the lists are made up ex- 

 ists in a few instances and although referring chiefly to 

 the "keepers" may be quoted to illustrate the method. 

 I found among Ancient Indictments a list of twenty-three 

 names, two of which are crossed through, with a note 

 asking the king to grant commissions of the peace to the 

 men named for each wapentake in Lancaster ; ' letters 

 patent enrolled 2 June, 1350, appoint sixty men as keep- 

 ers of the peace in Lancaster and include all of the above 

 list except the two mentioned."" The people of the 

 county of Hereford petition the king and council that 

 Gilbert Talebot, Piers de Graunsoun and Roger de 

 Chaundos shall be keepers of the peace ; ^ the joint com- 

 mission of 15 March, 1351, composed of eight members, 

 includes the two last named and Richard Talbot. An 

 important action (to be discussed again) had been 

 brought in the court of king's bench against de Roulegh 

 and atte Wode, who had been removed from the joint 

 commission in Surrey;* in the winter of 1354, in the 

 course of this process, there is a complaint to the king 

 that there are no keepers of the peace or justices of 

 labourers in the county, and an urgent request that 

 Richard de Birton and Henry de Loxleye be made 

 "keepers. "5 Accordingly, in the following July, (there 

 had been no full commission for Surrey since March, 

 1351,) two commissions are issued, one for labourers and 

 one of the peace, both including de Birton. 



^ No. 56. '24, pt. I, m. 3 d; Cal., viii, 533. 



'Ancient Petitions, 5741; the petition is undated. 



* See pt. I, ch. ii, s. 7. 



* Coram Rege, 28, Hill., Rex, Surrey, 35: " et dixerunt quod nulli 

 custodes pacis seu iusticiarii ad inquirendum fuerunt in partibus illis et 

 domino regi supplicauerunt quod . . . ." It seems almost certain that 

 " de operariis, etc," has been accidentally omitted after "ad inquiren- 

 dum." 



