POLITICAL HISTORY 



held at Bedford in 1268 at which Sir Reginald de Grey and Sir Almaric de 

 St. Amand were present, and the king lodged at Elstow to witness it."^ 



Justices were appointed to search out clippers of coin at Bedford as 

 doubtless elsewhere, on the occasion of a change in the coinage in 1 279 ; "* 

 an injunction to the prior and burgesses of Dunstable ordered them to repair 

 the royal high roads passing their town, 1285 ; "° and the prior had to strug- 

 ' gle hard to retain the privileges of his ' liberty ' against the crown on a quo 

 warranto inquiry ; the inquiry was made in 1286,"° and the case was finally 

 settled in his favour in 1 29 1 by the enrolment of his charter of liberties in 

 the chancery."^ In the course of these proceedings the itinerant justices pro- 

 posed to hold a court at Dunstable for cases outside the liberty, and this was 

 successfully opposed by the prior, who insisted that only cases belonging 

 to the liberty should be dealt with there."' 



A tournament was held at Dunstable in 1 308, and the arms of those mem- 

 bers of Bedfordshire families who took part in it are upon record."''^ In 1 3 1 2 

 Dunstable was again the stage of political drama. After Gaveston's death the 

 barons assembled there, ' filling all the country around with horses and arms,' and 

 threatened violence if the Ordinances were not brought to effect. The king 

 remained in London ; but several of the bishops went to St. Albans to 

 mediate. From there they brought a letter from the pope and met the barons 

 at Wheathampstead, but took small comfort by their errand. The barons 

 said they knew little of letters, but more of arms ; so they cared not to see the 

 pope's epistle ; adding that there were English bishops enough already, with- 

 out others from abroad."* On the deposition and death of Edward II the 

 royal power was usurped by his queen Isabella and her paramour Roger Mor- 

 timer, and in 1328 Mortimer held a ' Round Table' at Bedford."* Bedford 

 Castle, no longer a fortress, was in possession of John Lord Mowbray, and 

 it was possibly there that this festival was held. Early in the next year 

 Bedford nearly saw a battle, when Henry, Earl of Lancaster, who had taken 

 a leading part in Edward's deposition, and had been deprived by Mortimer 

 and the queen of the control of the young king, advanced from the south 

 against the royal troops which had come from the west, and had ravaged 

 his lands in Leicestershire on the way. He pitched his camp near Bedford 

 and was prepared for battle, but was induced by the king's uncles to make 

 submission."* 



The early history of the parliamentary representation of the county may 

 be conveniently dealt with here. In 1 2 1 3 writs were issued to the sheriffs 

 to send four knights from each shire to discuss the business of the realm with 

 the king."** Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire were two of the eight 

 counties to whose sheriffs writs were issued in 1226 to send four knights to 

 Lincoln ' elected by the knights and discreet [probi) men of their bailiwicks 

 to set forth their dispute with their sheriffs as to articles of their charters of 



"' Inq. p.m. of Almaric St. Amand ; Cal. Geneal. 409. The Close Roll of 19 May 1275 mentions 

 ' the last tournament of Bedford,' and may refer to this. 



»» Jnn. Dunst. 281. '" Ibid. 322. "" Ibid. 329-33. "' Ibid. 366. 



"' Ibid. 334. For other suits in which the priory was at this time engaged see F.C.H. Beds, i, 373. 



^^^ Beds. N.andQ. i, 33-4. 



'*3 Trokelowe, Chron. (Rolls Ser.) 77-8. '" Knighton, Chron. (Rolls Ser.) i, 449. 



'«* Ibid. 450 ; Ann. Lond. in Chron. Edtv. I and Edw. II. (Rolls Ser.), i, 241-3. 



'«*> Stubbs, Select Chart. 40. 



2 33 S 



