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Neighbours at War part 1
1354-55

The item below relates to the start of an enquiry into the behaviour of the henchmen of the Bishop of Ely. Ralph Carles was known to be an official of the Bishop of Ely based at Somersham Palace. Blanche de Wake was a cousin of the King, Edward III and proved to be a worthy adversary for the Bishop, Thomas de L'Isle. She had a substantial manor house of her own in the village of Colne. Although this sort of behaviour may seem extreme, it was in fact all too common. In the lull between the wars that were a regular feature of Edward's reign, soldiers appeared to have rampaged through the country at will. Nonetheless the dispute between Bishop and Lady escalates very rapidly from arson to murder. The final item, Lady Blanche's petition to parliament asking for the King's support is in medieval French. Here we read of the murder of William de Holme in the wood of Somersham.

Patent Rolls additional entry 1354 to 1358

Oct 3 1354

Commssion of Oyer and Terminer to John Dengayne and Henry Grene on complaint by the King’s kinswoman Blanche late wife of Thomas Wake of Lydel that Ralph Carles and others at Colne County Huntingdon burned her horse worth 10 pounds her hay and a gorse (surely should be roscum – rushes not rossum – gorse) in stacks and five houses.


Patent Rolls Edward III 1355
28 Nov 1355
Pardon in like terms to Robert de Hale of Erithe with respect to the burning of the houses of the said Blanche (de Wake) of Colne by Somersham county Huntingdon and for having received a fardel worth 20s stolen by John Tidde.


From Kings Bench Rolls at the public Record Office in Kew:
Reference KB27/381, rex m.24
Thomas de Baa unknown others, with the help of Ralph Carles the “parker” (park keeper) of Somersham, set fire to houses belonging to Lady de Wake at Colne.


Parliamentary Rolls (From the Public Record Office collection at Kew)
29th Year Edward III (1355)

Et puis Dame Blaunche de Wake sa Petition a nostre. Seign le Roi en mesme le Prlement en la fourme q’s’ensuyt.

A son tres dout Seignr. Le Roi requert humblement la sue lige Blaunche de Lidell, q’desicome el n’ad nvl recoverir après me. Seignr q’de lui on qui sa sovereigne affiance est q’se pleint de l’Evesque d’Ely et les soens, q’encoutre la Pees et la Lei de la terre ses mesons ont ars; de quele chose ele avoit recoverir p. la Lei a grant mischief pursuy sanz favour et ele quidoit de celle heure en avant d’avoir en pees et repos purlui et les foens.

Et fue ceo la il pursui un atteint sur la petit dozeine et en quele il estoit nounsuy en sa suyte demesne, a grant mescheif et costages de la dite Blaunche et autres bones gentz du pais, q’viendrent p. Brief et commandement nostre dit Seign le Roi et a son tres bon Conseil remedie, pur lui et pur autres qui purrant escheir en ca case.

Et puis Monsr, furent ces mesmes gentz lessez a mainprise et les mainpernours estoient Seign Gerard de Baybroke, Seign Johan de Coville, Seign Henry de Valoyns et autres; et en mesme temps qu’ils estoient en mainprise ils tuerent William de Holme malveisement en treson entour la haute nounne en boys de Somersham, vadlet la dite Blaunche.

Par quoi ele requert humblement a nr. Seign le Roi et a tut son bon Conseil qu’ils violent sur ceste chose ordiner q’ele puisse vivre en pees et les soens, quar ils sont grantement manacer de jour en autre.

Par quoi jeo requer a Mons. Le Roi q’ s’il ne puisse deliverer bonnement a cest fortz q’il voile prendre entirement le Querele en sa tres graciouse main tant q’il soit leisir de trier et q’ele ne sont mye trie hors de sa presence. Ceo voillez tres honure Seign. Faire pur l’amur de Dieu a la requeste la dite Blaunche.

Quelle petition entendue nostre Seign le Roi otrolie a la derreine clause de sa petition et dist overtment Jeo prenk la querele en ma main.

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