Thomas le Leche

The year the Magna Carta was signed:

From the conquest (1066) until the end of the 13th century, Latin was the language of all official written documents, and Norman French was almost exclusively used as a spoken language. Nevertheless, some important documents had their official Norman translation, such as the Magna Carta signed in 1215. The first official document written in Anglo-Norman was a statute promulgated by the king in 1275. So from the 13th century, Anglo-Norman became used in official documents, such as those that were marked by the private seal of the king, whereas the documents sealed by the Lord Chancellor were written in Latin until the end of the Middle Ages. Here are some entries in "The Fine Rolls Henry III" about Thomas:

Leche (Lecch', Lech l'Leche') , Thomas de Leche,

Roles keeper of the bishopric of Worcester, 20/461-464, 498, 510a keeper of Evesham, 20/515

20/461 (20 August 1236) Concerning the bishopric of Worcester . The king has committed the vacant bishopric of Worcester to John Mansel and Thomas de Leche to keep for as long as it pleases the king, so that they answer at the Exchequer for the issues of the same bishopric. Order to the king’s escheators to cause them to have full seisin of the same bishopric.

20/464 (20 August 1236) Concerning offerings at the shrine of St. Wulfstan . Because the king has been given to understand that a moiety of the offerings at the shrine of St. Wulfstan pertains to him, the bishopric of Worcester being vacant, the king has assigned Thomas de Leche to keep the aforesaid offerings together with the keepers deputed to keep the custody of the same shrine and to receive a moiety of them and …

20/515 (20 September 1236) 20 Sept. York. Concerning the abbey of Evesham . The king has committed the vacant abbey of Evesham to Thomas de Leche, clerk , to keep for as long as it pleases the king. He did not have letters for having seisin thereof because he has taken seisin by himself. [1]

[1] Fine Rolls Henry III ©2009 The National Archives and King's College London