Crime and Punishment

Medieval Law and Order

Hundred and Shire courts

The local Manor had a court used to oversee local disputes but every few weeks the Hundred and Shire court came around to deal with more important matters. This court was controlled by a judge. A hundred was an area of land large enough to support a hundred homes. The shire contained several hundreds and was controlled by a shire reeve or sheriff. There was also a Shire Moot. This court was held in the open a couple of times a year and all the local people had to attend to pass judgement on the accused. If a person did not attend they could be fined. [3]

Courts

Court sessions in small towns would have caused many difficulties, such as provision of food and housing for the justices, their attendants and their horses.  However, the main difficulty must have been finding a hall suitable for court proceedings.  If it existed, a castle would be the obvious place.  In some places a chapel may have served as the 'court house'. 

In fact, besides holding courts in main shire towns, they were often held in tiny agricultural villages.

However, the heads of the great families were rarely directly involved in the cases or in official duties in the sessions. [1]

Is it possible, therefore that Court Hill in Spaldington refers to the location of such early medieval court sessions?  Maybe the sessions were held in the Lord's manor house on the early moated site or even in the chapel?

👑 Reign of Edward III

Rolls of Sessions of the Peace for the East Riding, 1361-1364

John Boseuill de Spaldyngton

During the period between 1361 and 1364 two names occur many times in reports of crimes carried out in Spaldington ... those of John Boseuill de Spaldyngton and his accomplice, Cecilia, the daughter of Nicholas de Thex.

Burglary

In one report they were accused that during the night of the Monday before the feast of Nativity in 1362 they entered the house of Robert de Laxton in Spaldington and stole one quart of corn, worth six shillings and two quarts of peas with a value of 3s.4d.

Furthermore, on the Tuesday after the feast of Saint Martin during the same year they stole two multon (mules?) worth 2s.8d. from John Prat of Spaldyngton.  They also stole ducks, geese and capons.

Another burglary occurred when John Boseuil allegedly took a horse from William Godifer at Spaldington and put his saddle on it.

The sheriff was called and took them before the magistrates.  John and Cecilia pleaded not guilty.  They were ordered to come before the jury at Howden on Thursday, 9th June 1362.  At this point Simon de Heselarton and William de Belthorp took John and Cecilia into their custody in return for £100 bail (equivalent to approximately £90,000 in 2023!) which was promised by Philip de Dalton and John de Brigg.

At the Howden trial, Thomas del Hay spoke on behalf of John and Cecilia, saying that the case should not proceed.  It was decided that the case should now be tried before the justices at Beverley on Saturday, 30th July 1362.  In the meantime, John Boseuill was released on bail.  Cecilia was found not guilty of the actual crime, although it seems that she was found guilty of aiding and abetting and was therefore also released on bail.  The jury at Howden consisted of William de Aton, Richard de Aske, John de Benteley and William de Ryse.  [4] 

The following local people were sworn in:  Iohannes del Hay de Juerthorp, Thomas del Hay de Spaldyngton, Robert de Raventhorp. Richard de Santon, Iohannes de Rippelay, Adam de Fenton, Iohannes de Pothowe, Willelmus Dryng, Johannes del Hay, Walterus de Cotes, Radulfus Stele and Johannes Sturmy.

They presented the case regarding John's burglary at the property of Robert de Laxton which occurred on the Monday before the feast of Nativity in 1362 and the theft of two multons at Spaldington from John Prat.  They also accused Cecilia of aiding and abetting.

Assault

They also accused John of attacking William Philipot of Spaldington at Spaldington, beating, wounding and ill treating him.  John was also accused of assaulting with force and arms John Pouwer.  John Pouwer was a servant in the household of Thomas del Hay of Spaldington.  John was beaten, wounded and treated badly .

Furthermore John attacked Thomas Swynerd at Spaldington, a common swineherd in the town of Spaldington, and beat, wounded and treated him badly.  At this point John was accused of being a common malefactor and disturber of the peace of the Lord the King.

The crimes continue as, with force and arms at Spaldington, John Boseuil attacked John, the son of John de Lascels de Eskryk, the clerk and minister of the Lord the King, and beat him, wounded him, and treated him badly.  For this, John Boseuil was brought before the justices of the peace of the East Riding.

John's vendetta against John, the son of John de Lascels de Eskryk, seems to have continued.  John de Lascels was ambushed by the road between Spaldington and the village of Bubwith and attacked with force and weapons.  John Boseuil imprisoned him there for a long time and threatened to kill him if he (John Boseuil) should be prosecuted for any of his crimes! [1]

Again, John and Cecilia surrendered themselves to the prison of the marshal of the king.  However, for whatever reason, at the end of the subsequent trial, the jury decided that John was in no way guilty of the crimes and he, and Cecilia, walked free!!  For what reason we will never know.

However, what we do know is that John Boseuil was certainly one of the most notorious men of Spaldington at that time!