Boston University School of Law

Legal History: The Year Books

Record Detail

 
Previous Record Next Record
Seipp Number:
Year
Court
Writ
Marginal Heading
1456.103ss 1456 Exchequer Chamber Quare impedit Quare impedit
Term
Regnal Year
King: Plea Number Folio Number
Trin. 34 Hen. 6 (case 28) 51 SS 108-110
Serjeants/ Justices Plaintiff Surname Plaintiff First Name v. Defendent Surname Defendent First Name
a canon lawyer, Commissioner vne home de ley de Canoun
the Serjeants lez serieantz
the Justices lez iustices
Doctors (of Law) de le ley de seint esglice ... diuerse doctourz
Fortescue, John CJKB
Doctors (of Law) eux (de) ley de seint esglice
Fortescue, John CJKB
Yelverton, William JKB Yeluertone
Doctor (of Law) le doctour
Prysot, John CJCP Prisoit
Fortescue, John CJKB Forscue
(Boham or Bohom) (Humfrey)
Other Plaintiffs Other Names Places Other Defendents
Boniface, Pope
Edward II, King of England
England (Engliterre, dengliterre)
Abridgements Cross-References Statutes
  Prior proceedings 1455.030 = Pasch. 33 Hen. 6, pl. 3, fol. 12b-14a and 1455.088 = Mich. 34 Hen. 6, pl. 22, fol. 11a-12a and 1456.026 = Pasch. 34 Hen. 6, pl. 9, fol. 38a-41a
later proceedings 1456.081 = Mich. 35 Hen. 6, pl. 27, fol. 18a-19a and 1456.027 = Pasch. 34 Hen. 6, pl. 10, fol. 41a-41b 
 
Incipit (First Line) Number of Lines
Quare impedit vers leuesque de Lyncolne et autrez leuesque dit quil ne clayme riens si non come ordinarie 88
Process and Pleading
Defendant bishop pleaded that he claimed nothing except as ordinary, that is, rights of admission and institution, and defendant bishop prayed judgment whether without special disturbance (plaintiff could have action).
Plaintiff replied that after the vacancy plaintiff presented his clerk and defendant bishop refused him.
Defendant bishop rejoined that before plaintiff presented, defendant patron presented defendant incumbent, that defendant bishop said he would examine his register and do whatever he ought by right to do, that plaintiff then presented his clerk, that the church became litigious, that defendant bishop would not present (?) either clerk until inquiry of the right of patronage, that canon law required a bishop to commission inquiry at the requst of either party or either presentee, that defendant bishop was ready to do so, and that neither (party) asked defendant bisho9p to do so.
Plaintiff demurred.
This matter was adjourned from Common Pleas to Exchequer Chamber and was there much debated by the Serjeants and the Justices.
Various Doctors (of Law) appeared on behalf of defendant bishop to certify the justices concerning canon law.
Fortescue CJKB asked the doctors when this canon law was made.
The Doctors said that the canon law was made in the time of Pope Boniface and of Edw. 2.
Fortescue CJKB argued that canon law made within time of memory should not bar (toll) our law which had been in force since time immemorial.
Yelverton JKB argued that defendant bishop's plea as to canon law was no good, and that the Court should not follow this recent canon law.
Prysot CJCP argued that defendant bishop's plea was good and that parties should pay the costs of inquiry.
Language Notes (Law French)
(for D bishop): Et leuesque dit quil voil serche soun regestre et faire tout ceo que il de droit doit faire; leuesque ferra vne commissioun al request de lune partie ou de lautre ou al request de lez presentez a vne home de ley de Canoun pur enquerer de iure patronatus al costage cesti que requist et cesti que est troue patron soun presente serra resceu
Et cest mater fuist aiourne hors del comen banke en lescheker Chambre
Et ilz disoient quil fuist fait en temps de pape Boneface que fuist en temps le Roy Edward le ij-de
Fortescue CJKB: il serroit dure que le ley de seint eglice fait puis le temps de memorie tolleroit nostre ley que est vse est ad este vse de temps dount etc.; quare impedit est parcel merement temporel et parcel merement espirituel; deuant resceit .s. le institucion et induccion est temporel; le institucion Induccion et admissioun sount merement espirituelx; nous sumus vncore en temporel proses; il dit que est periurer bigamus bastarde ou tielx semblablez; ceo est espirituel
Yelverton JKB: serra graunt mischife qar lez powerz patrons duissent moltez mieulx dauer perdre lour presentementes alle comencement que de faire tielx oustragez costagez que causeroient multez dez patrons dengliterre destre disheretes; Et quaunt a ceo que le doctour dit que ceo est ley de seint esglice etc. ceo ne serra a purpos a nous qar si ceux de Seint esglice voilent faire vne ley foundant en nostre disheritance nous ne sumus pas tenuz dobeier cest ley que nous serroms disheirte mez toutz leys de seint esglice quex appent a nostre baptisme et a nostre foy sumus tenuz de garder et obserue et issint cest ley fait puis le temps de memorie en nostre disheretance nest a purpos etc.
quaunt le ley de seint esglice est fait puis le temps de memorie ne chaungera nostre ley que ad este vse de temps dount memorie ne court mez si ceo vst este ley de seint esglice de temps dount etc. parauenture autrement serroit etc.
Abstract Context
Bonifacius VIII was Pope from 1294 to 1303; Clemens V and Johannes XXII were Pope during the reign of Edw. 2
Commentary & Paraphrase
Fortescue CJKB: it would be hard if the law of holy church made within time of memory should bar (tolleroit) our law which is and has been in force since time immemorial; Quare impedit is partly purely (merement) temporal and partly purely (merement) spiritual; all the process and everything before receipt, that is before the institution and indcution, is temporal, and everything done since, that is, the institution, induction, and admission, is purely (merement) spiritual; and as to what is said that the law of holy church is such; we have no regard for that, because we are still in temporal proceedings
Yelverton JKB; the poor patrons would have done much better to lose their presentments at the beginning than to incur costs so heavy that they would cause many patrons in England to be disinherited; and as to what the Doctor (of Law) says that this is the law of holy church etc., that does not concern us, because if those of holy church like to make a law based on our disinheritance, we are not bound to obey this law that would disinherit us; but all laws of holy church that pertain to our baptism and our faith we are bound to keep and observe, and so this law made since time of memory to our disinheritance is irrelevant (nest a purpos), etc.
note the clear distinction, and likewise when the law of holy church is made within time of memory, it will not change our law which has been in force since time immemorial, but if this had been the law of holy church since time immemorial, perhaps it would be otherwise, etc.
Manuscripts Mss Notes Editing Notes Errors
BL MS Additional 6717 1456.103ss = Trin. 34 Hen. 6, 51 SS 108-110
Translations/Editions
M. Hemmant, ed. Select Cases in the Exchequer Chamber, 51 SS 108-114 (1933)
Plea Roll Record Year Record Plaintiffs Record Defendants Last Update
Common Plea Roll, Hil. 34 Hen. 6, rot. 463 0 2004-10-10
Keywords
Bishop
Claim
Ordinary
Admission
Institution
Demand
Judgment
Disturbance
Special Disturbance
Day
Vacancy (lauiodance)
Presentment
Clerk
Refusal
Name
Search
Register
Bishop's Register
Right
Of Right
Manner
Church
Litigiousness
Litigious Church
Patronage
Right Of Patronage
Inquiry
Law Of Holy Church
Holy Church
Ecclesiastical Law
Commission
Request
Man Of Canon Law
Canon Lawyer
Canonist
Canon Law (ley de Canoun)
De Jure Patronatus
Cost
Costs (custagez)
Finding
Patron
Receipt
Holding
Form
Demurrer
Plea
Cause
Matter
Adjournment
Common Pleas (comen banke)
Dispute (debate)
Serjeants
Justices
Certification
Doctor
Doctor Of Law
Time
Pope
King
Hardship (dure)
Since Time Immemorial
Memory
Time Of Memory
Tolling
Bar (tolleroit)
Our Law (nostre ley)
Usage (vse)
Costs Of Inquiry
Reason
Advantage
Discharge
Inquisition
Title
Own Costs
Collusion
Will (voluntie)
Against His Will
Covin
Fraud
Suit
Sending (maunder)
Inhibition
New Commission
Lapse
Presentment By Lapse
Mischief
Poverty (powerz)
Poor Patron
Evil (meilux)
Loss (perdre)
Commencement
Outrage (oustragez)
Disinheritance
Relevance (a purpos)
Purpose
Those Of Holy Church
Foundation
Obedience
Belonging (appent)
Baptism
Faith (foy)
Keeping (garder)
Observance
Irrelevance (nest a purpos)
Contrary
Opinion
Plea In Bar
Diem Clausit Extremum
Stranger
Traverse
Costs Of Suit
Purity (merement)
Temporal
Spiritual
Induction
Process
Disturber
Issuance
Regard
Temporal Process
Temporal Proceedings
Commission Of Inquiry
Answer
Good Answer
Excuse
Cause
Escheator
Passing
Perjury
Perjurer
Bigamy
Bigamist
Bastardy
Bastard
Similarity
Note
Distinction
Good Distinction
Change
Usage (vse)
Previous Record Next Record

Return to Search