102 



GUERNSEY HISTORY. 



the demand within a fortnight, from the 16th to the 30th 

 October, 1299. 



The appointment of English justices for these assizes 

 was looked upon as a novelty and with disfavour by the 

 people. One John du Vivier boldly refused to recognise 

 them as rightly appointed, and was fined £30 tournois for his 

 temerity.* In a sense it was a novelty, as for many years 

 previous the custom had crept in of appointing as justices for 

 the assizes, the Bailiffs of the islands or prominent local men. 



There is little to detain us on the assizes of 1299 or those 

 of 1304. The question of our privileges was raised, but 

 nothing further was done.f In 1309 the fight began, the 

 justice, John Fressingfield, called upon the people to show by 

 what right they claimed their privileges. They replied that 

 they and their ancestors had enjoyed them from time imme- 

 morial, but this the king's attorney denied and demanded 

 proof. The justices adjourned the matter for decision before 

 the King's Bench at Westminster, and the latter postponed 

 the case from term to term until 1318, or even later. In the 

 meanwhile affairs in the islands were rapidly becoming worse. 

 The Bailiff, Massy de la Cour, refused, by order of the 

 Governor, to take oath to the jurats to maintain our privileges 

 on his appointment. The jurats refused to obey him and 

 appealed to the king.J The king sided with the Governor 

 and ordered the jurats to obey Otho de Grandison or appear 

 before the king and his Council. § To these grievances was 

 added the more pressingly felt one, the rapacity of the shoal 

 of foreign adventurers with whom Otho de Grandison had 

 filled every lucrative post in the island. These preyed upon 

 the people by illegal fines and exactions. They imposed fines 

 on their own authority without consulting the jurats, 

 imprisoned people in the castle without trial on all sorts of 

 pretences, refusing to release them except on heavy payments, 

 and committed various other oppressions. Finally, in 1320, 

 at the urgent prayer of the people, the king appointed new 

 justices to hold the assizes, William de Bourne, Nicholas de 

 Chesney, and John de Carteret. These gave judgment in 

 favour of the islanders on every point concerning their 

 privileges. Also many of the seigneurs of the island, who had 

 been deprived of their liberties by Otho's Bailiffs, obtained 

 judgment in their favour, and the Governor's officers were 

 ordered to restore all that had been received from the 



* Assize Roll, No. 1157. 27, Edw. L, Record Office, 

 t Havet. Les Cours Royales des lies Normandes, p. 10. 

 X Ancient Petitions, p. 26. No. 5685. 

 § Cal. Close Rolls, March 8, 13U. 



