DOCUMENTS, LISTS AND TABLES 143 * 



ination of all the so-called "Assize Rolls" for every county 

 for the decade 1349- 1359 would be well worth while. The 

 result was the discovery of eight more sessional records, 

 which, with the Rutland roll and with the seven that had 

 been correctly described, gave a total of sixteen. One of these 

 had been translated and printed in a local archaeological jour- 

 nal, but as far as I know had never attracted attention.^ 



It also seemed advisable to examine Ancient Indictments, 

 classed in Scargill-Bird's Guide under "King's Bench, Crown 

 side," the manuscript list giving no clue to contents, but merely 

 the county and regnal year of each roll. The series is in a 

 very bad condition ; the membranes are crumpled and thick 

 with dust, and are fastened together by parchment strings 

 through holes in the middle of each, so tightly drawn that the 

 manuscript is easily torn and that deciphering the portions 

 near the strings is almost impossible. An examination of the 

 whole series for the decade, as far as was possible under these 

 adverse conditions, revealed the fact that in addition to many 

 rolls of indictments coram Rege for ofifences against the stat- 

 utes of labourers, there are also two rolls of proceedings be- 

 fore justices of labourers. Several rolls of the keepers of the 

 peace for this decade were likewise identified,^ quite by chance, 

 as well as several for a later period ; ^ it is, therefore, probable 

 that for the next century more such records are in existence 

 and will be discovered by an exhaustive search through Assize 

 Rolls and Ancient Indictments. 



There are also references to, or transcripts of, particular 

 proceedings before justices of labourers in the pardons for 

 outlawry recorded on the Patent Rolls,* and in the rolls of 

 exigends of offenders convicted before the justices to be pro- 



'Cf. app., C, I, no. XVI. 



^Assize Rolls, Bedford, 32; Ancient Indictments, Somerset, 104. For 

 a fuller account of these cf. my article in E. H. R., S'^s, note 139. 



'Assize Rolls, Bucks., "jfi; Warwick, 976; Ancient Indictments, Nor- 

 folk, 80 (called to my attention by Mr. Edgar Powell); Oxford, 98. 

 Cf. my article, loc. cit., note 140. 

 . '■Cf. e.g., app., C, I, no. XVIII. 



