Patent Rolls Edward I 1301
4 April 1301 Fakenham
Commission to William Haward and Robert Hereward to enquire touching a complaint by R Bishop of Ely that malefactors have entered his free chace of Somersham county Huntingdon, and broken and burnt the hay of his park there, hunted in the chace and carried away deer and hares.


From the Kings Bench Rolls at the PRO
Reference KB27/381, rex m.24
It is said that around the feast of Saints Simon and Jude (28th October) in the 19th year of our king’s reign (1346), near Somersham the said Robert of Godyngton, Bailiff to the said Bishop (of Ely, Thomas de L’Isle) at the instigation of the said bishop and against the king’s peace, imprisoned and then detained in prison, Simon son of Hugh, a free man, until he had paid a fine to the said bishop of 100 shillings.


Patent Rolls Edward III 1348 (PRO)
Pardon at the request of Ralph de Caourz and for good service done in his company in Brittany by John son of John de Milner of Erithe to the same John of the King’s suit for his having with others by night fished in the stews and stanks of Gregory ate Hall of Erithe and carried away fish therefrom to wit 100 pikes as well as for having broken from the prison of Somersham wherein he was detained on that account of which he is indicted and of any consequent outlawries.


PRO Kings Bench Rolls - Reference KB27/381
1349
Around the festival of Christmas in the twenty third year of the reign of the king, the aforesaid bishop (Thomas de L’Isle), in defiance of the king’s peace, received two ordained brother preachers (friar preachers) near Somersham, with one bundle of stolen goods to the value of twenty pounds, knowing that these were thieves and the bundle aforesaid to be stolen, the said bundle came to the profit of the said bishop. And through bad custody the said thieves, who were in the custody of the said bishop, escaped near Somersham.


Patent Rolls Edward III 1360
30 July 1360
Robert Cok of Colne in the company of Alan de Bockeshull for the death of William Gryme of Somersham killed before Michaelmas last and for having robbed him of 2 ½ Marks and come armed and besieged John de Brampton in his house at Somersham and shot 20 arrows at him to kill him and threatened to burn his house and kill him and for being a common malefactor and disturber of the peace.
The above entry appears amongst several folios of crimes where pardon is granted “for good service to the king in his last voyage in France…”


Patent Rolls Richard II 1385
16 June 1385 Westminster
Commission of oyer and terminer to William de Skypwyth, Roger Fulthorp, John Holt, William de Burgh, William de Thorpe, Knight, John de Burgh knight, Arnald Pynkeneye clerk, John de Hemyngford and John Broune on complaint by Thomas bishop of Ely that John Wauton, John Morton, Thomas Hardmede, Robert Stableman, John Pynchebek, John Forman and John Worcestre with others broke his park at Somersham co. Huntingdon, entered his free chace and warren there, hunted therein without license, felled trees, took them away as well as other goods, deer, hare, conies, pheasants and partridges and assaulted his servants.
For 1 mark paid in the hanaper.


Patent Rolls Richard II 1394
11 August 1394 Westminster
Pardon at the supplication of the bishop of Ely to Thomas Warde his bailiff in Somersham for the escape from his custody (at Somersham) of Richard de Multon who on Monday after the Nativity of St Mary in the fifteenth year (of our reign) stole at Ereth co Huntingdon, a horse and two mares value 30 s from a man unknown.