A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



Evidence of this ravage is found in the Pipe Roll of Henry's second 

 year. A considerable sum was spent on restocking the royal manors ; more 

 than a third of the Danegeld due from Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire was 

 excused on the score of ' waste ' ; ^' an allowance was made for ' waste of 

 granaries in time of war ' ; the burgesses of Bedford owed 20 marks ' for 

 having been in the castle against the king,' ^* which they paid two years 

 later." In the same year the borough accounted for an aid of 10 marks," 

 and three years later for a 'gift' of 40 marks," and in 1166 the burgesses 

 owed 40 marks for a charter conferring on them the same liberties as those 

 enjoyed by Oxford — ' ut sint in libertate de Oxinefordia,'*" while the sum of £6 

 was spent on the building of gaols at Aylesbury and Bedford " in accordance 

 with the Assize of Clarendon,'^ and evidence of the increased strictness of 

 criminal administration under the new code is found in the record of the con- 

 fiscation of the chattels of twelve offenders who had fled from justice or 

 ' perished in the ordeal of water.' '' Another important step taken by 

 Henry in 1166 was the inquiry sent to all tenants in chief regarding the 

 number of knights whom they had enfeoffed in accordance with their feudal 

 obligations. The return of the fees of the three Bedfordshire baronies is as 

 follows : — '* 



Simon de Beauchamp ..... 



Walter de Wahull 



Robert de Albini (of Cainhoe) 



The quarrel between Becket and Henry II concerning criminous clerks 

 was brought to a head by a case which occurred in Bedfordshire. Philip de 

 Broi," a secular canon of St. Paul's, Bedford, had been charged with the 

 death of a knight, and had cleared himself in the bishop's court, even to the 

 satisfaction of his accusers. Some time afterwards Simon Fitz Peter was 

 sitting as justice in eyre at Dunstable,*' and he reopened the case,*' or accused 

 Philip of the crime in the course of altercation. Philip answered with insult- 

 ing words, and Simon reported to the king that he had been treated with 

 insolence in full court while sitting as one of the king's justices. The king 

 swore per oculos Dei that justice should be done upon the canon on the 



" The calculation is made by Mr. H. W. C. Davis in Engl. Hist. Rev. xviii, 634. 



" Pipe R. 2 Hen. II (Rec. Com.), 22. " Ibid. 4 Hen. II, 139. 



■' ' auxilium,' ibid. 2 Hen. II, 21. " ' donum,' ibid. 5 Hen. II (Pipe R. See), 19. 



™ Ibid. 1 2 Hen. II (Pipe R. Soc), 15. The entry appears under the ' Pleas of Earl Geoffrey [de Mandeville] 

 and Richard de Luci,' who were the visiting justices under the Assize of Clarendon. The charter itself still 

 preserved, says ' sicut recognite fuerunt in comitatu (i.e. in the county court) de Bedefort et sicut burgenses de 

 Oxenef[ordie] eas habent.' Mandeville was half-brother of Simon de Beauchamp (Round, Geof. de Mandeville 

 390). The charter of Oxford is given in Stubbs, Select Chart. 167-8 ; the Bedford charter in facsimile as a 

 frontispiece to Rec. of Coif, of Bed. Bedford paid 30 of the 40 marks in 1 1 67, and the other 10 in 1168 • 

 Pipe ;?. 13 & 14 Hen. II (Pipe R. Soc). 



" Ibid. 12 Hen. II, 1 1. There are two entries : (i) Aylesbury, ±.os. ; (2) Aylesbury and Bedford r± 



'' Axu 7; Sr.vihhs, Select Chart. I ^^. ' ' ^^' 



"^ Pipe R. 12 Hen. II, 13. The total value was only £6 9/. ^d. There is a separate entry for ' Gilbert 

 Tod, who killed his wife,' and had chattels worth 19/. lod. 



^ Red Bk. of Exch. (Rolls Ser.), 319-24. « ; ^ ^^^^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ of Henry I. 



" With certain fractions which make a total of fifty-four ; Round, Feud. Engl. 257. 



" See Ramsey Chartul. (Rolls Ser.), i, 258, and Pipe R. 6 Hen. II (Pipe R. Soc), 39 ; he and Walter 

 were sons of Robert, a knight holding under the barony of Bedford. 



^ Mater. Hist. Becket (Rolls Ser.), iii, 45. 



"' By the king's order, according to Will, of Cant. ibid, i, 1 1. 



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