They shall meet the eternal "No," however.
October 13th.--In Ormerod's history of Chester it is mentioned that
Randal, Earl of Chester, having made an inroad into Wales about 1225, the
Welshmen gathered in mass against him, and drove him into the castle of
Nothelert in Flintshire. The Earl sent for succor to the Constable of
Chester, Roger Lacy, surnamed "Hell," on account of his fierceness. It
was then fair-time at Chester, and the constable collected a
miscellaneous rabble of fiddlers, players, cobblers, tailors, and all
manner of debauched people, and led them to the relief of the Earl. At
sight of this strange army the Welshmen fled; and forever after the Earl
assigned to the constable of Chester power over all fiddlers, shoemakers,
etc., within the bounds of Cheshire. The constable retained for himself
and his heirs the control of the shoemakers; and made over to his own
steward, Dutton, that of the fiddlers and players, and for many hundreds
of years afterwards the Duttons of Dutton retained the power. On
midsummer-day, they used to ride through Chester, attended by all the
minstrels playing on their several instruments, to the Church of St.
John, and there renew their licenses. It is a good theme for a legend.
Sir Peter Leycester, writing in Charles the Second's time, copies the
Latin deed from the constable to Dutton; rightly translated, it seems to
mean "the magisterial power over all the lewd people .
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67