8.

Writ Appointing Justices of Laborers.

The king to his dear and faithful Robert Fraunceys and Thomas Adam of Ashbourne, greeting. Know that we have appointed you for the purpose of keeping and causing to be kept in the county of Derby, inside and outside the liberties, the ordinance and statute of laborers, artisans, and servants, (in all and singular their articles), which were made in our council and parliament recently held at Westminster for the common good of our kingdom of England; also to inquire about sheriffs, seneschals, bailiffs, ministers, and any others who, under color of said ordinance and statute, have arrested such laborers, artisans, and servants and then, by their own authority, freed them as a result of fines and ransoms appropriated to their own use, without having observed the regulations contained in said ordinance and statute; also to hear and determine according to the force and effect of said ordinance and statute everything which has been undertaken in said county (inside or outside the liberties) against the form of said statute and ordinance, either at our suit or that of any others who wish to prosecute or make complaint before you. Moreover, we have appointed you our justices to hear and, by a just fine, to determine all indictments and processes touching such laborers, artisans, and servants brought before our justices last assigned to this same county and not yet concluded. And therefore we command you to attend to all and singular the premises at a set day and place which you will provide for the purpose, and that you hear and determine these matters to the end of doing therein what pertains to justice according to the force and effect of the said ordinance and statute, saving to us the amercements and other things due to us thence. . . . Witness the King at Westminster, the tenth day of March. By the council.

Those named below have similar commissions in the counties and towns following, to wit:¹ . . .

¹ This commission was sent to "11 counties, 12 towns, 18 liberties, 1 group of wapentakes."—Putnam, op. cit., Ap., p. 41.