Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
A Statute of the Fortieth Year of King Edward III., enacted in a parliament held in Kilkenny, A.D. 1367, before Lionel Duke of Clarence, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. (Author: [unknown])
article 32
XXXII. Also, whereas the fees of sheriffs are settled by statute, and the sheriffs in the land of Ireland take in their tourns of every barony in their
bailiwick,
p.111
one mark yearly, and of every market town at a time, twenty
shillings, ten shillings, and half a mark, to the great oppression
of the people; it is agreed and assented that the aforesaid sheriffs
shall hold their tourns twice in the year, that is to say, after the
feast of Saint Michael, and after Easter; and that they shall take only
forty pence off every barony at each tourn, however numerous the market
towns or boroughs may be within the said barony: and if he be so paid
by the lord of the barony, unless he be requested or invited to eat he
shall take nothing; and that no clerks of the sheriffs on account of
such tourn shall take any thing; and also, that from henceforth no
money shall be levied out of any ploughland, nor in any other manner,
on account of executing this office, except half a mark yearly as is
aforesaid; and if any person shall act contrary to the ordinance
aforesaid, and thereof be attainted, he shall be committed to prison,
and moreover, shall render to those from whom he shall have taken any
thing of this account against the said ordinance, double thereof if
they will complain, and shall moreover make fine at the King's will.
And that no sheriffs of franchises, who of reason ought to have
certain fees from the lords of the said franchise for executing their
office, shall take any thing for their tourns from the people of their
bailiwicks, but shall consider themselves paid by what they shall
receive from the said lords of franchises; and if they do so, and
thereof be attainted, they shall suffer the same punishment.