chapter-house, deteined them still as prisoners, till they had sealed a writing, conteining that the abbat and conuent were bound in ten thousand pounds to be paid to Oliuer Kempe and others by them named. And further, they were constreined to seale a letter of release for all actions, quarels, debts, transgressions, suits and demands, which the abbat might in anie wise claime or prosecute against the said Oliuer Kempe and others in the same letters named.

For these wrongs and other, as for that they would not permit the abbats bailiffes and officers to kéepe their ordinarie courts as they were accustomed to doo, as well thrée daies in the wéeke for the market, to wit, mondaie, wednesdaie and fridaie, as the Portman mote euerie tuesdaie thrée wéeks, and further prohibit them from gathering such tols, customes, and yearelie rents, as were due to the abbat for certeine tenements in the towne, which were let to farme, the abbat brought his action against the said Foxton, Draiton, and others, and hauing it tried by an inquest, on the fridaie next after the feast of saint Lucie the virgine, in a sessions holden at Burie by Iohn Stonore, Walter Friskney, Robert Maberthorpe, & Iohn Bousser, by vertue of the kings writ of oier and determiner to them directed, the offendors were condemned in 40000 pounds, so that the said Richard Draiton, and others there present in the court, were committed to prison in custodie of the shiriffe Robert Walkefare, who was commanded also to apprehend the other that were not yet arrested, if within his bailiwike they might be found, and to haue their bodies before the said iustices at Burie aforsaid, on thursdaie in Whitsunwéeke next insuing.

Beside this, there was an other indictement and action of trespasse found there the same daie against the said Richard Draiton and others, for a like disorder and riot by them committed, on the thursday next after the feast of the Purification of our ladie, in the same first yeare of this king, at what time they did not onelie breake into the abbie, and beat the abbats men, but also tooke the abbat himselfe, being then at home, with certeine of his moonks, kéeping both him and them as prisoners, till the next daie that they were constreined to seale certeine writings. And amongst other, a charter, in which it was conteined, that the abbat and his conuent did grant vnto the inhabitants of the towne of Burie, to be a corporation of themselues, and to haue a common seale with a gild of merchants and aldermen: also they were compelled to seale another charter, wherein was conteined a grant to the said inhabitants, that they should haue the custodie of the towne gates, and likewise the wardship of all pupils and orphans within the same towne, beside diuerse other liberties.

Moreouer, they were in like manner constreined to seale thrée seuerall obligations, in which the abbat and conuent were bound to the said inhabitants, as to a communaltie of a corporation, in seauen thousand pounds, as in two thousand by one obligation, and in two thousand by an other, and in thrée thousand by the third obligation: and further they were driuen to seale a letter of release of all trespasses, and other things that might be demanded against the said inhabitants, with a generall acquittance of all debts. Beside this, the said riotous persons tooke at the same time foorth of the abbie great riches, as well in plate, armor, books, & apparell, as in other things. They also brake downe two houses or messuages, that belonged to the abbeie, and situate within the towne of Burie: they also destroied his fish-ponds, and tooke out such store of fish as they found in the same: they cut downe also thréescore ashes there growing on the soile that belonged to the said abbat, and did manie other great outrages and enormities, so that it was found by the inquest, that the abbat was damnified to the value of other fortie thousand pounds.

These riots may séeme gréeuous and verie strange, but yet the same were not so heinouslie taken, as an other which the said inhabitants of Burie attempted against the said abbeie in manner of a plaine commotion, vpon saint Lukes day in the same yeare, at what time (as by the records of that abbeie it should appeare) both the abbat and his house were in the kings speciall protection, and the said inhabitants prohibited by his letters to attempt anie iniurie against him or his conuent. But neuerthelesse we find that not onelie the inhabitants of Burie, but also a great number of other misgouerned persons, that resorted to them from places there about, arraied and furnished with horsse, armor and weapons, after the manner of warre, came and assaulted the abbeie gates, set fire on them, and burned them with diuerse other houses néere adioining, that belonged to the abbeie, and continued in that their riotous enterprise all that day and the night following.

The same night also they burnt a manor of the abbats called Holdernesse barne, with two other manors called the Almoners barne, and Haberdone, also the granges that stood without the south gate, and the manour of Westlie, in which places they burned in corne & graine, to the value of a thousand pounds. The next daie they entered into the abbeie court, and burnt all the houses on the north side, as stables, brewhouses, bakehouses, garners, and other such necessarie houses and conuenient roomes of offices; and on the other side the court, they burnt certeine houses belonging to the Almonrie. On the next daie they burned the mote hall, and Bradford hall, with the new hall, and diuerse chambers and sollers to the same halles annexed, with the chapell of saint Laurence at the end of the hospitall hall. Also the manor of Eldhall, the manor of Horninger, with all the corne and graine within and about the same.

The next day they burnt the soller of the Sollerer, with a chapell there: also the kitchin, the larder, and a part of the farmarie. On the thursdaie they burnt the residue of the farmarie, and the lodging called the blacke lodging, with a chapell of S. Andrew therein. In executing of all these riotous disorders, one Geffrie Moreman was an aider, who with diuerse other persons vnknowne, departed foorth of the towne of Burie, and by the assent of the other his complices he burnt the manor of Fornham. The same day also other of their companie, as William the sonne of Iames Neketon, Rafe Grubbe, Richard Kerie, and a great number of other persons vnknowne, by the assent and abbetment of the other that committed the said disorders, burnt two manors belonging also to the said abbeie in great Berton, with all the corne and graine there found.

Vpon knowledge had of these great riots, and perillous commotions, there was a commission directed from the king, vnto Thomas earle of Northfolke high marshall of England, to Thomas Bardulfe, Robert Morlie, Peter Wedall, Iohn Howard, and Iohn Walkfare, authorising them with the power of the countesse of Suffolke and Northfolke, to apprehend, trie and punish such lewd disordered persons, and rebellious malefactors, which had committed such felonious enterprises, to the breach of the kings peace, and dangerous disquieting of his subiects: but the said commissioners procéeded not according to the effect of their commission in triall of anie felonies by the same persons committed and doone, but onelie caused them to be indicted of trespasse: albeit Robert Walkfare, and Iohn Clauer, with their associats iustices of peace, in their sessions holden at Elueden the tuesdaie next after the feast of the apostles Simon and Iude, in the said first yeare of this K. Edward the third procéeded in such wise against the said malefactors, that Iohn de Berton