THE King to his faithful and loyal subjects the bailliffs and prudent men of the town of Bristol, greeting. Since of late you were requested by our letters, to assist us with your navy, well manned and defensible, and well provided with other necessaries, in aid of our war with Scotland, to the end that you should depart for Dyvelyn [Dublin] in Ireland, on the octaves of the Assumption of our Lady next ensuing, ready and prepared to conduct thence to Scotland our faithful and loyal Sir Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, and other our faithful and loyal subjects from Ireland, to remain in the said parts against our enemies, together with our other navy of England which we have sent thither, for which we render you our sincere thanks. And since for other certain reasons we have countermanded the Earl and other our faithful and loyal subjects of Ireland, that they should not go towards the parts of Scotland at this present. We com-mand and beseech you, by the friendship and fidelity that you owe us, steadfastly enjoining you, that ye despatch in all haste to the Isle of Man the navy which we have before required of you, so that it may be there on the octaves of the Assumption of our Lady aforesaid, to conduct thence our faithful and loyal Sir Simon de Mountagu, whom we have made admiral of our navy, and whom we have commanded to be there at the day aforesaid, to go from thence in company with you and our other navy of England which shall then be there, to the parts of Scotland, against our enemies aforesaid. And to remain there according to our first command, to molest them in every way you can devise. And this ye shall in no wise cease to do. Given at Northampton, the 2nd day of August.

In like manner it is commanded the bailiff's and prudent men of the towns subscribed, that is to say,

Of Brydgewater. Of Portesmuth. Of Weymuth.
Of Lymyngton. Of Warham. Of Lyme.
Of Melcombe. Of Pole.

DE NAVIBUS AD INSULAM MAN, ET INDE IN SCOTIAM MITTENDIS.

ROTULI SCOTIÆ.

[note the given Norman French script is in an abbreviated hand and used characters not representable within the HTML latin alphabet - the following is a close but not 100% accurate transcription ]

3 ED. II.

LE Roi a ses foraux et loraux les baillifs et pdes homës de la ville de Bristul saluz. Come nad-geres vo' eioms reqius p nos lres q a vos custages no' eidissietz de vr"e navie bien eskipee de gentz sufsauntz et defensables et d'autres choses necessaries bien garnie en eide de l' esploit de ni-e guerre d'Escoce is si q vo' l'ussetz a Dyvclyn in Irlaund as utaves de l'Asssumption de nre Dame pchein avenir pste et apareille a condure d' illoq's jesgs en Escoce nre foial et loial Mons' Richard de Burgh conte de Ulvest et noz autres foraux et loiaux d'Irland a demurrer es dites pties sur noz enemës ovesq' nre autre navie d'Englet're q no' y envoioms de qoi no' vo' en savoms gant gre. Epuis par acunes c'teines resons eioms coun-tremaunde le counte et noz autres foiaux et loiaux d'Irland q'il ne viegnent pas vs les pties d'Escoce gant a ore. Vo' mandom' et p'oms en 1'amiste et la foi q võ no' devetz fermement en-join naritz q la dite navie dont no' vo' avoms avant ces houres requis facet liastivement envoier en l'Ysle de Man issi q ele y soit as utaves de l'Assumption ni-e Dame avant dite a condure de illo qs nre foial et loial Mons. Simond de Mountagu qi no' avoums fait amirayl de nr"e navie et a qi no' avoms maunde qil y soit au jour avant dit d' aler de ello qs oves qr vo' et nre autr' navie d'Englet're que a dounk y s'ra d' aler en les p'ties d'Escoce sur noz enemis avant ditz. E illo qs demorer solong nr"e p'mer mandement p'eux grever in totes les maneres q vo' sav'etz et purritz E. ceste chose en nule manë ne lessetz. Don' a Norht' le secund jour Aust.

En meismes la mane' est maunde as bailifs et pdes homes des villes suse seritz cest a savoir.

De Brygewaui. De Portesmuth. De Weymuth.

De Lymyngton. De Warh"m. De Lyme.

De Melcombe. De la Pole.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2002