Tax assessment, 1225

Translation

The king sends greetings to the sheriffs of Essex and Hertford. We assigned Simon, the son of Richard; Henry, the son of Aucher; Hugh of Clothall; Alexander of Littlebiry; and Richard of Stapleford, cleric; as our justices to assess and collect a fifteenth of all the movable property on our behalf in your counties according to the form of our letters patent which we sent to you, and which are to be communicated to them on our behalf in Chelmsford. Therefore because this work was begun in that place and on that day concerning the county court of Essex, and at Hertford four days later concerning the county court of Hertford, we commanded for our letters close to be transmitted through you to each one of these county courts so that they may assemble on the days and in the places aforementioned. And thus we order you to transmit our letters to each one of them under every haste, with our letters patent being reserved to you to communicate to them on our behalf in Chelmsford on the first day, on which day you should make all the knights of the county of Essex come in front of them, and similarly on the fourth day in Hertford for all the knights of the county of Hertford. Therefore you may introduce yourself in that place in the way described, lest through their failure we have to seize for you those things which belong to you in that area. Witness as above. Likewise concerning the same thing.