urder of William de Cantilupe From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search The murder of Sir William de Cantilupe by members of his household took place in Scotton, Lincolnshire, in March 1375. The family was a long-established and influential one in the county, traditionally providing royal officials to the Crown both in the central government and at the local level. Among William de Cantilupe's ancestors were royal councillors, bodyguards, as well as, distantly, Saint Thomas de Cantilupe. William de Cantilupe's death by multiple stab wounds was a cause célèbre. The chief suspects were two neighbours—a local knight, Ralph Paynel; and the sheriff, Sir Thomas Kydale—as well as William de Cantilupe's entire household, particularly his wife Maud, the cook and a squire. The staff were probably paid to either carry out or cover up the crime, while Paynel had been in dispute with the
family for many years; it is possible that Maud was conducting an affair with Kydale, during her husband's frequent absences on service in France during the Hundred Years' War. The Treason Act 1351 laid down that the murder of a husband by his wife or servants was to be deemed petty treason. De Cantilupe's murder was the first to come within the purview of the act, as were the subsequent trials of Maud and several members of her staff. Multiple people were indicted for the crime, although only two were convicted and, in the end, executed for it. Others were also summoned but, as they never appeared, were outlawed instead. Other influential local figures, such as the sheriff, were accused of aiding and abetting the criminals. The last trial and acquittal was in 1378, although the case had long-term consequences. No motive has been established for de Cantilupe's killing; historians consider it most likely that responsibility rested with de Cantilupe's wife, her lov
er, the cook and their neighbour, with a mix of motives including love and reveng
