Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/666

656 A^. M. Tretihohite forth to be held and made by presentment of twelve burgesses. The bailiff of the town was to make executions within the town, and if he failed to do this, the bailiff of the hundred was to replace him temporarily. Certain of the provisions safeguarded the rights of the abbot and convent. No hand-mills were to be allowed, and the burgesses had still to bring tlieir corn to be ground at the abbot's mill. Such services as these were to remain unchanged, and the abbot and convent could seize any hand-mills set up against their authorit}-. ' The townsmen of St. Albans, as the result of their agitation in 1327, had undoubtedly won a victory and successfully asserted their liberties. Had they been content with this it would have been well for them, but their good fortune proved too much for them and by pushing matters to extremes they prepared a way for the resumption of the abbot's authority in the town. The stoiy of the reaction in favor of the monastic corporation can be briefly told. The burgesses soon began to abuse their newly won liberty. First of all they forced the abbot to grant them rights of common in Barnet wood, and then they proceeded to destroy many trees and hedges there. They invaded the abbot's warren and his fish- ponds, at pleasure ; and in spite of the indenture, they set up some eighty hand-mills in the town. - Fortunately for the rapidly dwin- dling prosperity of the monastery Hugh de Everisdene, the aged abbot, died in the autumn of 1327, and a new and more energetic ruler succeeded him. This was the sagacious Richard de Walling- ford, and under his wise and politic rule the burgesses were des- tined to lose all their lately acquired liberties. De Wallingford was economical and he reformed the monaster)- within and without, removing to distant cells of the abbey all monks who were favor- ably disposed towards the townsmen, or in any way connected with the town. ^ The reaction did not take place immediately, and the encroach- ments on the abbot's rights continued. The townsmen refused to hold the view of frankpledge before the abbot's seneschal, or to act as jurors and present amercements, or to choose wardens for the assize of ale, but only for that of bread. The abbot, therefore, ordained that the view of frankpledge should be rigidly held by his sub-seneschal and bailiffs, and on the day that it was held four con- stables were appointed on behalf of the abbot for the four wards of 1 The full text of the indenture and agreement is given in the Gesta Abba/urn, II. 166-170; kxt Lords Journals (En<^. Pari. Papers), LVI. H05 ; Eiig. Pari. Papers^ 1826, IX. 9-10 ; Clutterbuck, History of Hertfordshire, I. 22 ff. ^ Gesta Abbatiwi, II. 175-176, ^Jbid., II. 202; Cal. Pat. Rolls, 1327-1330, pp. 1S4, 191, 272, 364.