Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/82

20 marks of silver 'pro omni debito patris sui'. Mr. W. Farrer in his article on 'The Sheriffs of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, 1066–1130', identifies Willelmus Torn' of the Pipe Roll as William Torniant, son of Osbert, a former sheriff of Lincolnshire,^[1] though he fails to notice the reference in the Pipe Roll to Hugh of Leicester.

London and Middlesex

Ralph Fitz Ebrard			Before Michaelmas 1128.
Fulchered Fitz Walter			Michaelmas 1128–9.
William Lelutre	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ (joint sheriffs)		Michaelmas 1129–30.
Geoffrey Bucherell
Ralph Fitz Herlewin
William de Balio

In the opening entry on the roll no names are specified; the passage merely runs: Quattuor Vicecomites Londonie redd. comp. de firma Londonie. But among the items of new business occur the names of the four sheriffs in connexion with payments ut exeant de Vicecomitatu Londonie.^[2]

The account of the four sheriffs is followed immediately by two entries, in the first of which Fulchered Fitz Walter is declared 'quit' for a balance of more than £200 indebtedness on an 'old farm'; in the second he is debited with 120 marks of silver de Gersoma pro Vicecomitatu Londonie.^[3]

After Fulchered's account, John Fitz Ralph Fitz Ebrard is debited with £7 and more de veteri firma Londonie de tempore patris sui.^[4] Since Fulchered held the office for the year 1128–9, and possibly earlier, Ralph Fitz Ebrard's tenure could not have lasted beyond Michaelmas 1128. From evidence outside the roll it would appear that Aubrey de Vere and Roger, the nephew of Hubert, were joint sheriffs in 1125.^[5] Thus Ralph could not have held office before Michaelmas 1125, and there would remain a period of three years, Michaelmas 1125–8, during all or a part of which he might have exercised the office of sheriff.

Oxfordshire

Restold	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	?Michaelmas 1126–7.
		?Michaelmas 1127–8.
Robert	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	?Michaelmas 1128–9.
		Michaelmas 1129–30.

1. Ante, xxx. 279, 281.
2. Pipe Roll, 31 Henry 1, pp. 143, 149. On page 149 there is first an entry in which all four sheriffs together account for 8 marks of gold to be quit of the sheriffship. This entry is cancelled. A few lines further along, however, occur two entries, in the first of which William Lelutre, Geoffrey Bucherell, Ralph Fitz Herlewin, render account of 6 marks for the same purpose, paying down 3 marks, and being debited with 3 marks; in the second, William de Balio renders account of 2 marks, likewise for the same purpose.
3. Ibid. pp. 143, 144.
4. Ibid. In Hughes's List Ralph is put down as the successor rather than the predecessor of Fulchered.
5. Stow, Survey, ed. Strype, ii. 4, in Round, Geoffrey de Mandeville, p. 309.