INTRODUCTION.

No Eyre Roll for Bedfordshire seems to have been preserved between that of 1202 (B.H.R.S. i, 133-247), and this of 1227. But in the meantime Justices Itinerant had visited the county at least twice. They were at Dunstable and at Bedford in 3 Hen. iii. (1218-9). They were at Dunstable, in June, 1224, as we know from various sources, for at this Eyre occurred the convictions for disseisin of Falk de Breaute, which led directly to his revolt and to the siege of Bedford Castle. No final concords for 1224 seem to have survived.—Presumably owing to this last Eyre having been violently interrupted (for William de Breauté seized and imprisoned Henry de Braibroc, while the remaining Justices fled), a fresh commission was issued in June, 1225, by which Simon de Hal’, Richard Duket, the Archdeacon of Bedford, William fitz Warin, and Henry de Braibroc, were to sit at Bedford, on July 15th. They found work enough, as witness the Dunstable chronicler:—” And in the same summer, through all provinces of England, robbers abounded; and not only despoiled travellers of their goods, but even slew the innocent. So that no one slept securely in the vills, nor could pass in safety from town to town. In order to put down this scourge, Justices Itinerant were sent through all the provinces of England, for novel disseisins and for gaol delivery, and for the punishment of wrong doers. And they hung many throughout England, and at their coming countless numbers fled, and left their country side. At this time the Justices in our county were Simon de Ales and Richard Ducket.” No final concords for this Eyre are preserved.

The Justices in 1227 were Stephen de Segrave, William de London, William fitz Warine, William Basset, and John de Kirkeby; their commission was dated 13 August, 1227 (Rot. Litt. Claus, ii, 213a). To them William de Ebor’ was added later for Cambs. and Hunts. The first sitting was appointed for September 21 at Northampton; and they were also to hold an Eyre for Beds., Bucks., Cambs., Hunts., and Rutland; of these, only the Rolls for Beds., Bucks., and Hunts, have survived.