Bracton: Thorne Edition: English. Volume 2, Page 310

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Volume 2, Page 310

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Writ patent on the same subject to all the justices together.

[002] ‘The king to A. B. [and] C., greeting. Know that we have appointed you our
[003] justices etc. (as above). And therefore we order you, urging that you meet on such
[004] a day at such a place there to do what pertains to justice, and in the loyalty whereby
[005] you are bound to us there to attend to our business so faithfully that etc. (as
[006] above). We have ordered our sheriff, such a one, that at the aforesaid date and
[007] place he cause the summonses to be made before you and the attachments to
[008] come with the writs of the assises and pleas aforesaid. In witness whereof we send
[009] you these our letters patent. Witness etc.’ Afterwards let writs close be drawn to the
[010] sheriff, that he cause all pleas to come before the justices. ¹Of a general summons
[011] to be made to all, both great and small.²

Writ close to the sheriff to cause all pleas to come before the justices.

[013] ³‘The king to the sheriff (or ‘sheriffs’), greeting. We order you to cause to come
[014] before them, at certain days and places which our trusty and well-beloved men,
[015] such persons (or ‘such a one⁴ and his companions’) whom we have appointed our
[016] justices to travel through your county (or ‘your counties’) for all pleas shall make
[017] known to you, all the pleas of our crown which were not pleaded and which have
[018] come to light since our justices last travelled in those parts for all pleas, and likewise
[019] all attachments pertaining to those pleas and all assises and all pleas which
[020] have been put to the first session before the justices, together with the writs of
[021] assises and pleas, as is more fully contained in our letters close which we have sent
[022] to each of you separately. Witness etc.’ That is, writs of general summons which
[023] are in the following form.

Writ close of general summons.

[025] ⁵‘The king to the sheriff, greeting. Summon by good summoners all the archbishops,
[026] bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, knights and free tenants of your
[027] bailiwick and from each vill four lawful men and the reeve, and from each borough
[028] throughout your bailiwick twelve lawful burgesses, and all those who are accustomed
[029] to and ought to come before the itinerant justices, that they be at such a
[030] place on such a day in such a year of our reign before our trusty and faithful A.
[031] B. C. [and] D. whom we have appointed our justices, to hear and do our command.
[032] Cause then to come before those same justices all the pleas of the crown which
[033] were not pleaded and which have arisen since our justices last travelled in those
[034] parts for all pleas, also all attachments pertaining to

Notes

1-2. Rubric of section after the next

3. Cal. Pat. Rolls 1225-32, 83 (30 Aug. 1226)

4. ‘talis’

5. Rot. Litt. Cl., ii, 151 (27 May 1226)