| Description (Repository) |
Against this, it happened, about the Feast of Saint Katherine [25 November] in this year, that a dispute arose between certain of the craft of the goldsmiths and certain of the craft of the tailors ; to whom adhered, on the one side and the other, some of the trade of the 1 parmenters and some of the 2 tawyers ; which persons held great assemblages, and for three nights together went armed throughout the streets of the City,
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creating most severe conflicts among themselves. Hence, without doubt, as was said, more than five hundred of these mischievous persons were collected together at night, and in the affray many of them were wounded; but still, no one would 3 act a part that belongs only to the Bailiffs. For every one was waiting by force of arms to take vengeance on his adversary, against the peace and his own fealty to his lordship
the King : the Bailiffs and discreet men of the City understanding which, had more than thirty of them seized and imprisoned in Neugate ; and these, on the Friday next after the Feast of Saint Katherine [25 November], appeared before Laurence de Broc, the Justiciar assigned for gaol delivery, who took proceedings against them in the King's behalf, saying that they, against the peace and their fealty to his lordship the
King, had gone armed in the City, and had at night wickedly and feloniously wounded some persons, and had slain others, whose bodies, it was said, had been thrown into the Thames.
They however denied violence and injury etc., and as to the same put themselves upon the verdict of the 4 venue. But on the morrow, those who by the said venue were found to have been in the conflict
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aforesaid, were, by judgment of the said Justiciar, immediately hanged,
although not one among them had been convicted of homicide, l mayhem,
or robbery. Hence, one Geoffrey, surnamed " de Beverley," a parmenter
by trade, because certain of those misdoers had armed themselves in his
house, and he himself had been present with them in arms in the said
affray, was hanged, together with twelve others who had been indicted, as
well goldsmiths as parmenters and tawyers. All this however was done,
that others, put in awe thereby, might take warning, that so the peace
of his lordship the King by all within the City might be the more
rigid] v maintained.
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