154 SOME OLD DOCUMENTS. 



Meyencef le tiers jours doctobre Tan cle grace mcccxxxviii. 

 Par la vertu desquelles lettres je vous mand de par le Roi 

 et prie de par moi que tout ce que Jehan Lallement ou Henri 

 de Heugueville sergens darmes du dit seigneur yous demande- 

 ront ou lun deulx pour le dit mon seigneur le mareschal, yous 

 leur bailliez et delivrez hastiYement et sanz delai selonc le 

 contenu es dictes lettres du Roy notre dit seigneur. Et ce 

 faites en tele maniere que il ny ait point de deffaut et que 

 nous nen puissons avoir blasme, en prennant lettres de 

 recognoissance des diz Jelian et Henri ou lun deulx de ce que 

 baillie leur aurez par les quelles je yous ferai allouer en yoz 

 comptes ce que ainsi leur aurez baillie. Donn a Harefleur 

 sous mon seel le IXe jour de Janvier Ian myl ccc trente huit. 



Fragment of seal in red wax 

 bearing a shield with arms — a cock 

 within a srothic border. No counter seal. 



PETITION OF THOMAS DE APPELBY, 1374-75. 



This petition of Thomas de Appelby, King's Receiver 

 of the Channel Islands, is now in the Cottonnian MSS. 

 (Titus B. VIII. art. 10, p. 68). It gives a curious insight 

 into the government of our islands during the closing years 

 of the reign of Edward III., one of the most troubled periods 

 of our history. The spring of 1372 had seen the invasion of 

 Guernsey by Evan de Galles, and the following year the 

 raiding of all the Channel Islands by the forces of du 

 Guesclin. Edward III. also at this time decided to make an 

 alteration in the constitution of our government, and abandon- 

 ing the system of one warden or governor for all the islands, 

 which had been in force for many years, he appointed on the 

 20th November, 1373, William de Asthorp and Edmund 

 Rose, respectively, Wardens of Guernsey and Jersey, 

 probably thinking that the defence of the islands would be 

 more thoroughly secured by this means. In consequence of 

 the sequestration to the crown of the lands and revenues of 

 the alien abbeys, on account of the war, the crown revenue 

 was greatly increased, so much so that the king thought it 

 advisable to appoint a comptroller to supervise the expenditure 

 of the Wardens and to pass the accounts of the King's 

 Receiver. With curious inconsistency, considering he had 

 just divided the governorship of the islands, the king, on the 

 1st February, 1374, appointed John de Saint Martin, Bailiff 

 of Jersey, and Thomas de Appelby, respectively, comptroller 

 and receiver of all the Channel Islands. De Saint Martin 



t Note.— Pout Sainte Maxence, Oise. 



