SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



how time and experience were playing into his hands. The townsmen 

 had appointed borough officials and instituted a common chest, with the 

 accompaniment of heavy collections from the greatest to the least, for their 

 common purposes," such as the payment of the members. These collec- 

 tions are described later as unendurable taxes "' ; and no doubt the men of 

 St. Albans felt their elevation to the burgess-ship rather as increased liability 

 than as increased prosperity. Like a wise man, Abbot Richard apparently 

 let experience accumulate for some years. During this time, too, the attitude 

 of the king to the borough must have changed, for when the abbot began 

 to act he received the royal support strongly enough. In September 1331 

 the townsmen were indicted before the justices of Traylbaston for the 

 extortion of a charter. In due course a royal writ ordered the justices to 

 inquire,^^ and, probably in connexion with these proceedings, the king ordered 

 a report to be made on the whole proceedings of 1275 and i 3 1 3.™ The abbot 

 further charged the burgesses as a body with having besieged the abbey, and 

 accused individuals of conspiracy and breaches of the peace." Eighteen 

 confessed their guilt, and forty-two were judged guilty by the verdict of the 

 country." The final charge of withdrawing suit to the abbot's corn and 

 malt-mills was preferred first against thirty-six burgesses. On the jury 

 finding that the abbot was seised of the right in the time of Henry III 

 the king issued a ' praecipe ' to the townsmen that they should restore the 

 suit.^» 



These cases were followed by another similar series, in which judgement 

 was given for the abbot. Some of the burgesses made claim to their hand- 

 mills, but they seem to have been unsuccessful.''* The litigation was very 

 expensive, and this apparently was the cause of the destruction of the 

 commune. Representatives came to the abbot and offered the following 

 terms : the villeins should surrender their charters, should pay 200 marks as 

 damages within five years, and give security ; they were to hold the malt-mill 

 at farm for £^S a year and to recognize due suit.''^ These terms were 

 accepted ; they represent indeed the complete victory of the abbot. The 

 charters were handed in, the indenture, the confirmation by Letters Patent, 

 and the charter of Edward II enforcing the privilege of Henry III.^* 



The king's Council authorized the concordat. But the agreement was 

 made so secretly that the ' community of the town ' would not believe then 

 or later that the charters had been surrendered." 



However, many of the villeins were evidently frightened ; they brought 

 in their querns, their seal and keys and common chest. The abbot took 

 obligations " from many of them, of which an example has survived. In the 

 Trinity term 1332 Gilbert de Hertford, Richard de Tring, William son of 

 John the Marshal and many others came into the king's court at Westmin- 

 ster, and caused their charter to be enrolled there ; they bound themselves to 

 grind their corn and full their common cloths at the abbot's mill, and to pay 

 all dues as well in these matters as in stallage and tolls, for which distraint 



«' Walsingham, op. cit. ii, 215. '^ Ibid. 248. '' Ibid. 



'" Chan. Misc. bdle. 62, file I, no. 15. '^ Wahingham, op. cit. ii, 229, 233-7. 



^2 Ibid. " Ibid. 237. '^ Ibid. 248. '» Ibid. 250. 



''Ibid. The indenture was surrendered by Adam the Usher and others 13 April 1332 (Close, 

 6 Edw. Ill, m. 26 d.). '' Walsingham, loc. cit. ''^ Ibid. 255-6. 



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