Bristol is revolting!

SC6-851-10 Bristol 1309-14  Translation of Bristol particulars of account 1309-13

In 1309–10 William Randalf, custodian of the Templars’ former properties in Bristol, was thrown out of the Templars’ house. Mayor John le Taverner and his cronies carried off his property and took over the income from the house and its little farm (24 acres of arable land and four acres of meadow) for the next three years. John and three other tenants failed to pay their rent for properties they had leased from the Templars, either because they were involved in the rebellion or because the property was empty and un-lettable (presumably because of the revolt) — I’ve attached my transcription of the document recording these events to this blog.

The revolt was nothing to do with the Templars — John le Taverner and his friends were revolting against King Edward II’s official in Bristol castle, Bartholomew de Badlemere. You can read more about the revolt, and John le Taverner and William Randalf, here and here. But the result of the revolt was that King Edward II received rather less income from the former Templar properties in Bristol than he would have hoped, at a time when he very much needed money.