Family and Education

Offices Held

Bailiff, Dunwich Sept. 1399-1400, 1405-9; coroner 1414-15.1

Biography

In 1401, along with Thomas Clerk II* and another man from Dunwich, Griston was being sued in the courts at Westminster for trespass. At the end of the following year he stood surety in Chancery for Peter Cuddon II*, also a fellow townsman. Griston contributed 2s.2d. to the subsidy collected at Dunwich in January 1403, when he was living in St. John’s parish. He is mentioned in the borough court rolls in a number of petty cases between 1407 and 1412, and sometimes he witnessed local deeds. When, as bailiff, he received instructions from the sheriff of Suffolk to make returns to the Parliaments of 1406 and 1407 he failed to do so. He did, however, attest the parliamentary indentures for Dunwich in 1410 and 1414 (Nov.), on the latter occasion in his capacity as coroner.2

In May 1422 Agnes Griston, perhaps his wife or widow, was fined in the Dunwich court for an offence against the assize of ale. Griston probably died before 1427.3

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: K.N. Houghton

Notes

Variants: Greston, Gryston.

• 1. E368/173, 180-2; C219/10/3, 4, 11/4; T. Gardner, Hist. Dunwich, 79 says, probably erroneously, that he was also bailiff 1415-16.
• 2. CCR, 1399-1402, p. 481; 1402-5, p. 128; Add. Chs. 40674, 40704, 40706, 40711, 40714, 40718; C219/10/3-5, 11/4.
• 3. Add. Ch. 40722; SC11/886.