In the Record Office in London are preserved some money accounts²⁷ concerned with a visit of the scholars of King’s Hall to York at Christmas in the year13 EdwardII, that is, in 1319. The following analysis gives the route followed by one section of the party and the expenses of the journey: it is a valuable record of the method and cost of travelling in medieval times.

By way of preamble, I may say that the origin of King’s Hall is to be found in the establishment at Cambridge, in 1317, by EdwardII, of a body of Scholars or King’s Children; that they were regarded as part of the royal household; and that the nominations to the office of warden and to scholarships were reserved to the king. King’s Hall was dissolved in 1546, and its buildings and property assigned by HenryVIII to Trinity College.

Early in December 1319, the warden and scholars were ordered to spend the coming Christmas with the court, then at York, and the sheriff of Cambridgeshire was directed to provide for their journey. During the preceding Michaelmas term thirty-three [155] members of the House had been in residence, and all of them went to York.

The names of the members of the House in 1319 are immaterial to our story, but I venture to give them, for these students lived here nearly six centuries ago, and doubtless had hopes, plans, and ambitions at bottom much the same as we have. They were, in order of seniority, John deBagshot the warden, Nicholas deDurnford, Nicholas deRome, David deWinchester, William Pour, Richard Pour, Nicholas Pour, John deAston, John deTorterold, James deTorterold, Robert deImmeworth, Thomas deWindsor, Walter deNottingham, Roger Parker, John deKelsey, John deHull, Edward deKingston, Hugh deSutton, Philip deLondon, John deSalisbury, Richard deSalisbury, Robert deBeverley, John Fort, Ralph deGretford, Henry deGretford, Nicholas Parker, Nicholas Pull, Richard deBerwick, Andrew Rosekin, Thomas Griffon, John Griffon, William Draghswerd, and John deWoodstock. It will be noticed that some of the students are designated by surnames which were already coming into use and some by place names: the latter show from what a wide area the scholars were drawn.

For the purpose of travelling the Society was divided into two sections, both of which started from Cambridge on Thursday²⁸, 20December. One [156] party, comprising the warden, John deBagshot, and six of the scholars, went on horseback, and arrived at York on Christmas eve. Their journey thus occupied five days and they covered about thirty-five miles a day; of it we have no particulars, save that the warden paid £1. 3s. 4d. for the hire in Cambridge of seven hackneys, and was allowed £1. 9s. 2d. for the other expenses, namely 10d. a day for each member of the party. The remaining twenty-six scholars travelled under the care of one of their number, John deAston, and arrived at York on 28December. They took with them seven and a half lengths of cloth with the furs thereto belonging, and four grooms, but whether the grooms went the whole way is not clear. It is with this nine days’ journey that I here deal.

The cloth and furs which had been purchased on behalf of the crown from merchants at Bury were valuable. The former was red in colour (de blodes mixto) and had cost £21. 2s. 6d.: the latter comprised twenty-one lamb skins, bought for £2. 19s. 6d. and six budge skins, bought for £1. The carriage of these goods must have been a serious hindrance to rapid travelling.

The first two days, Thursday and Friday, 20 and 21December, were occupied in the journey from Cambridge to Spalding. This was made in two hired boats (with the services of six men), for which [157] the charge was 5s. On 20December, the travellers paid 2d. for porterage of their goods to the boats at Cambridge, 1s. 7d. for bread, 2s. for beer, 1s. for herrings, 1s. 4d. for hard fish and codlings, and 4d. for fuel. On 21December they paid 1s. 5d. for bread, 2s. 2d. for beer, 1s. 7d. for herrings and other fish, 3d. for cheese, 2d. for porterage from the boats at Spalding, 5½d. for fuel and candles, and 8d. for beds at Spalding.

On Saturday, 22December, they travelled to Boston. On this day, they paid 2s. for hiring two carts for carrying the cloth and fourteen of the scholars, and 3s. for twelve hackneys for the rest of the party. They also spent 1s. 4d. for bread, 1s. 11d. for beer, 2s. 3d. for herrings and other fish, 5d. for fuel and candles, and 8d. for beds at Boston.

The next two days, Sunday and Monday, 23 and 24December, were occupied in the journey to Lincoln which was performed in a single large boat. On 23December, they paid 5s. for the hire of this boat, 4d. for straw to spread on it, 2d. for porterage to the boat, 1s. 6d. for bread, 2s. 7d. for beer, 2s. 4d. for meat, 1s. 6¾d. for eight hens, and 6d. for fuel. On 24December, they paid 1s. 2d. for bread, 2s. for beer, 2s. 1d. for herrings and other fish, 9d. for eels, 3d. for porterage from the boat at Lincoln, 6½d. for fuel and candles, and 8d. for beds at Lincoln.

Tuesday, being Christmas Day, was spent quietly [158] at Lincoln. Their expenses for the day were 1s. 4d. for bread, 2s. 1d. for beer, 2s. 3d. for meat, 1s. 1¼d. for five hens, 7½d. for candles and fuel, and 8d. for beds.

On Wednesday, 26December, the party travelled to Torksey, making the journey in two boats hired at Lincoln. On this day, they paid 2s. 8d. for the hire of the boats, 3d. for porterage to the boats, 1s. 8d. for bread, 2s. 3d. for beer, 2s. 1d. for meat, 7d. for eggs, 4d. for fuel and candles, and 8d. for beds at Torksey.

The next two days, Thursday and Friday, 27 and 28December, were occupied in the journey from Torksey to York, which was made in a large boat hired at Torksey. On 27December, they paid 6s. for the hire of this boat, 2d. for porterage to the boat at Torksey, 1s. 7d. for bread, 2s. 6d. for beer, 1s. 10d. for meat. On 28December, they paid 1s. for bread, 1s. 5d. for beer, 1s. 4d. for herrings and other fish, and 2d. for porterage of their goods at York.

The total cost of the journey came to £4. 5s. 8½d., and this was repaid to the warden from the royal exchequer on 31December. On the opposite page is a summary of the daily expenditure described above.

There are no records of the expenses of the Society during the time the members were at York; but presumably while there, they were treated as [160] members of the royal household. Their visit, however, was not devoid of incident since a warrant was issued against one of them, Robert deBeverley, for having joined with the prior of the preaching friars of Pontefract in an assault on a certain William Hardy: the student was left behind at York, and there disappears from our history. Two other members of the House, Edward deKingston and David deWinchester, were also left in the city, of whom probably at least one was concerned in this disturbance. One new member, Warin Trot, was admitted at York. These changes reduced the numbers to thirty-one. Of these thirty-one members, twenty-one, under the guidance of John deAston, came back to Cambridge on the festival of StFabian and StSebastian (i.e. 20January), while the warden and the remaining nine scholars, among whom Trot was included, arrived on 9February, and from these dates their stipends in Cambridge during the Lent Term, 1320, were reckoned.

Why the king summoned the members of the House to York at so considerable cost I cannot say, but I think the detailed statement of how most of them travelled and their expenses on the journey are interesting.