Philip Basset 1184-1271

Annals Londonienses. At that time, the king travelled around all his castles, wishing to possess full lordship over them and over the whole kingdom. He was encouraged by the fact that the King of France, together with his magnates, had recently promised to assist him vigorously. Summoning to himself the chancellor and justiciar who had recently been appointed by the baronage, he ordered that his seal be returned to him and that the roll concerning the justices be restored to him. They replied that they could in no way do this without the assent and will of the barons together with that of the king. The king was immediately angered and, without consulting the baronage, appointed Walter de Merton [aged 56] as his chancellor and Philip Basset [aged 77] as his chief justiciar. When the magnates heard this, they considered it contrary to themselves and to their Provisions. Fearing that the king might thus presume utterly to uproot their ordinance, they hastened armed to Winchester, where the king, through John Mansel, who held the castle of London on his behalf, had secretly made preparations. The king therefore hastened secretly to London and to the castle.

Tunc temporis rex circuit omnias castella sua, volens eorum et totius regni plene nossidere dominia, animatus ex hoc, quod rex Francorum una cum magnatibus suis nuper sibi [promisit] viriliter sucourrere. Vocatis ad se cancellario et justiciario nuper institutis a: barnagio, sigillum suum sibi reddi et rotulum de justiciariis sibi mandavit restitui. Qui respondentes, se nullatenus hoc facere, sine baronum una cum regis assensu et voluntate, confestim rex commotus, barnagio inconsulto, sibi cancellarium Walterum de Mertone et capitalem justitisrium suum Philippum Basset constituit. Quo audito magnates considerantes hoo sibi et provisionibus suis contrarium, timentesque ne rex ita præsumeret eorum funditus eradicare statutum, communiti armis apud Wyntoniam [properabant]; ubi rex per Johannem Maunsel, qui castrum Londoniense custodiebat per regem ipsum, præmunivit silenter, unde rex clam ad Londoniam properavit ad castrum.