Thomas Weyland facts for kids

Sir Thomas Weyland (born around 1230, died January 1298) was an important English lawyer and official. He came from Suffolk and became a top judge, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, under King Edward I. However, he was later removed from his job because of some unfair actions and had to leave the country.

Early Life of Thomas Weyland

Thomas was born around 1230. He was the third son of Herbert Weyland and Beatrice. His mother was one of six daughters of Stephen Witnesham, a small landowner from the village of that name. Thomas had three brothers, John, Richard, and William. They also worked in government and law.

Thomas first appeared in official records in 1251. He worked as a lawyer for his brother John. In 1258, he bought a large piece of land called the manor of Chillesford for 100 marks. A mark was a type of money used back then. He bought another manor in 1258 at Blaxhall for 300 marks. It is not clear how he got so much money. It was probably from his legal work. He learned a lot about law, which helped him later.

Thomas had started training to work in the church. He was a subdeacon, which is a church official. But he later decided to become a regular person (a layman) instead. He was made a knight in 1270.

Thomas's Time as a Judge

In 1274, Thomas became a judge in the Common Bench. This happened after his older brother William, who was also a judge, passed away. Thomas served as a junior judge for four years.

In 1278, he became the Chief Justice. This was after Roger Seaton retired. Thomas held this important job for 11 years, until 1289. During this time, many court records were kept. These records show that Thomas was a very smart and clear-thinking lawyer. He often made decisions in court cases by himself or with just one other judge.

However, he was also involved in some unfair actions. He sometimes used his position to help his relatives. For example, he changed official court papers in a land case that involved one of his family members. He was then given a share of that property. Many of these questionable cases were found only after he was removed from his job. Some claims against him were false, but many were true.

During his time as Chief Justice, Thomas bought a lot of property. He bought seven manors in Suffolk and three in Essex. He also bought other properties elsewhere. He spent about £150 a year on land. Some of this money came from his own land or his wife's land. Some also came from his private legal work. But because he sometimes acted unfairly, it is possible some money came from his unfair actions.

Losing His Job and Leaving England

Thomas lost his job in 1289. This was not because of his unfair actions as a judge. On July 20, 1289, two of his servants were involved in a serious incident at a village fair. They were involved in the death of William Carwel, a servant of the Earl of Norfolk. This might have happened during a fight. Thomas was a close advisor to the Earl of Norfolk.

After the servants returned to Thomas's house, he did not have them arrested. He knew about what happened, so he became involved in the situation. The Earl wanted the matter dealt with. So, an order was given to investigate on September 4. The two servants were punished on September 14.

The people investigating also said that Thomas was involved because he protected the servants. Orders were given to arrest him. A clerk from the sheriff's office was sent to capture him. But Thomas escaped in the dark soon after being arrested.

He went to a religious house called Greyfriars at Babwell, near Bury St Edmunds. There, he joined the Franciscan order and found sanctuary. This meant he was safe from arrest in a church place. When King Edward found out where he was, he ordered another judge, Robert Malet, to make Thomas leave by starving him out.

Thomas gave up early in 1290. He likely agreed to go to the Tower of London safely. There, he was given a choice: stand trial, be imprisoned forever, or leave the country. He chose to leave. On February 20, he promised not to return to any English land, including Ireland. He was given nine days to reach Dover, where he would leave.

By 1292, he was living in Paris. But in 1297, the King forgave him. Thomas was allowed to return home. He passed away in 1298.

Family Life

Around 1266, Thomas married Anna, who was the daughter of Richard Colville. They had a son named John. John inherited his father's lands. He also became a knight and married Mary. Mary was the daughter of Sir Richard Braose, another important landowner from Suffolk.