A Shocking Murder
The murder of Forde stands out among a series of calculated revenge killings in Westcheap. The incident unfolded as Forde was approached by another priest, Hascup Neville, under the guise of friendly conversation just after Vespers and before sunset. This interaction took place near Foster Lane, where Neville’s accomplices ambushed Forde: Hugh Lovell, the brother of Ela Fitzpayne; his two former servants, Hugh of Colne and John Strong; along with a man identified as John of Tindale. In a brutal attack, one assailant slit Forde’s throat with a dagger while two others inflicted stab wounds to his stomach using long knives.
During an inquest, the jury was able to identify the attackers, yet no concrete measures were taken to bring them to justice. “Although the killers were named and the instigator was known, the jury chose not to pursue the case,” commented historian Eisner. “It’s astonishing that in a household of such high nobility, no one could be found to face trial. They suggested that Ela’s brother had no possessions to seize. This reflects the deeply flawed class-based justice of the period.”
Years later, in 1342, Colne, the former servant, was eventually arrested and imprisoned for his part in the crime, but the others involved effectively escaped accountability.
Recent research by Eisner and others has unearthed further historical documentation that elucidates the complex rivalry between the Fitzpaynes and Forde. Among the documents is an indictment from the Calendar of Patent Rolls of Edward III, which describes an event in 1321 where Ela, her husband Forde, and several accomplices undertook a raid on a Benedictine priory. The intruders committed numerous offenses, including the destruction of property: “They broke the prior’s houses, chests, and gates, seized a horse, a colt, and a boar… they felled trees, excavated a quarry, and carried away stone and wood.” Additionally, the group made off with 18 oxen, 30 pigs, and approximately 200 sheep and lambs.
