said Alice, seized on the obligation of statute merchant, and took out letters of administration in the name of Oliver de Standish, an infant, his son, and in the name of John Dale, a poor labourer, to administer the goods of the said Lawrence, his father. And notwithstanding that the said Alice had given no award, nor made any reformation in the payment of the annual rent in her lifetime, the said Alexander makes the said Oliver, his son, and John Dale, to sue against the complainant for the said statute merchant, against all right and conscience, at Lancaster, where he has such favour, suretyship, and succour to support him in his wrong. And he has lately got three persons favourable to him sworn at the sessions at Lancaster, there late holden, so that it is like to be perpetual destruction to your said suppliant, without help and favour of your gracious lordship to consider these premises, and thereupon send several writs of sub poena to the said Alexander, Oliver, and John Dale to appear before your lordship in the King's court of chancery, at a certain day by your lordship to be limited, and there furthermore to do and receive as right hath and good conscience at the reverence of God and in way of charity."[1]
There is no date to the copy of the petition from which this is taken, but it was probably made in or about the year 1442, in which year James de Langton, parson of Wigan, opposes himself to Alexander Standish, gent, in a plea that he should give up to him a certain deed of statute merchant, which he unjustly details. James de Langton did not appear to prosecute and he is summoned to be in court on the Wednesday next before the feast of St. Lawrence next coming.[2]
In a later plea of the same year, James de Langton, now described as late of Wygan, in the county of Lancaster, clerk, is summoned to answer Oliver Standissh and John Dale, the administrators of the goods and chattels of Lawrence Standysh,
