Please it to youre right high and gracious lordeshipe to considere
the grete wronges that William Paston hath done to Julian Herberd,
youre pore wydowe and continuell bedewoman, for with holdynge of
diverses evidences and wrongefulle prisonmentes that he hath done to
the seide Julian ayenst youre lawes, whiche been here under wretyn
yn article wise, whiche the seide Julian bisechith un to youre moste
hie and gracious lordeshipe oversee, and that remedie may be putte
therynne by youre gracious hondes atte Reverence of God and in wey
of charitee.
These been the wronges and extorcions done to Julian Herberd
doughter and heir of Herry Herberd of lytel Plumstede yn the Counte
of Norff. and Margarete his wyf, doughter and heir to William
Palmere, sometyme of the seide Plumstede, by William Paston, and of
othere by his assent.
Firste, there as the seide Margarete died sesid yn here demene as yn
fee taille of a mesuage of xix. acres of londe with thappourtenance
yn Plumstede, the whiche to the same Juliane schulde discende be
right of heritage, as doughter and nexte heir of the seide
Margarete. The whiche William Paston the seide Juliane of the seide
mees and londes now be xl. wynter hath witholden, the whiche been
yerly worth xxx_s̃._ and better, the sõme ys now owynge lx_l̃i._
Memorandum, quod Juliana Herberd de Norwico, que fuit filia
Margarete Palmere de Plumstede produxit Robertum Bresyngham et
Johannem Colton, Cives Norwici, coram Willelmo Paston apud Norwicum
in Camera sua ad recordandum coram eo et aliis circumstantibus quod
Johannes Thornham optulit prefate Juliane pro tribus acris terre in
campis de Plumstede predictis xl_s̃._ pro jure suo hereditario, que
tres acre jacent in placito inter dominum Johannem Thornham,
petentem, et Robertum Grigge tenentem. Et prefatus Robertus
Bresyngham et Johannes inquirebant per viciñ vill’ adjac̃, qui
dixerunt quod Margareta Palmere, mater dicte Juliane fuit recta
heres illius terre; Et quod post decessum ejusdem Margarete
discendere debuisset prefate Juliane ut de feodo talliato. Et postea
dictus Willelmus in presencia Radulphi Rectoris de Brunham, Johannis
Roppys, Henrici Pye de Brixston, Thome Marchall et aliorum ibidem
existencium publice legebat cartas et evidencias pertinentes dicte
Juliane, et optulit eidem Juliane pro suo jure habendo etc.,
xij_d._, et postea xx_d._ Et eciam pro majore evidencia dicta
Juliana produxit duodecim legales homines ville de Plumstede Magna
et Parva coram Thoma Erpyngham milite, qui dixerunt quod prefata
Margareta, mater dicte Juliane, fuit recta heres predictarum
terrarum etc., et quod per totam patriam bene est cognitum quod
prefata Juliana est recta heres ejusdem Margarete. Ac eciam alia
vice predictus Willelmus optulit dicte Juliane pro jure suo xx_s̃._
in presencia Ricardi Gegge, Gentilman, sibi solvendos quandocunque
vellet, prout idem clericus omni tempore recordare voluerit.
Also there as the seide Julian poursued ayenst the seide William
atte a parlement holden atte Westminstre, and there the seide
William did here arrest yn to the Countour of London, and there
kepte here yn prisone to the seide parlement was ended thretnynge
here to holde here there terme of here lyf, but yf sche wol relesse
to hym here right and make acquitaunce generall.
Also the seide Paston, be nightes tyme bituene ix. or x. of the
belle, did do bringe the seide Julian prisoner under warde to his
ynne in Fletestrete, and there constreined here to seale a blanke
chartre, yn whiche he dide write a relesse atte his owne devys, and
sent here ayene to prisone, and there kepte here iij. daies, and
sent ayene for here to hire the relesse radde, and profred for here
right vj. marke.
Also the seide Paston, the Saturday nexte bifore the feste of Saint
George, the vj. yere, etc., profred the seide Juliane in presence of
the Chaunceller vj. marke yn playne court and iij. acres of the
seide londe, and so moche ys the seide Juliane refused that profre,
did arreste here newe in the seide Countoure and helde here there
from the vij. day of Feverere, etc., and there wolde make here swere
on a book or be bounde by obligacion never more to poursue here
right.
Also the seide Paston atte Counsell holden atte Redynge the seide
Juliane poursued to the lorde of Bedford, and he comaunded to write
his lettres to the seide Paston chargynge hym to aggre with here,
the seide Paston havynge knowleche that sche sewed for the lettres,
made a false sugestion to the Chaunceller, wherby sche was by a
sergeaunt of armes committed to Flete, and there beten, fetered and
stokked, and so there holden by an hole yere, to that entent that no
man schulde wete where sche was by come tille sche hadde be dede in
prison. Of whiche false prisonment S{r} Thomas Erpyngham poursued
here deliveraunce, comaunded here to be atte the nexte Cessions to
be justefied there, consideringe to here grete damage as well in
here body as losse of goodes by so longe tyme continued, whiche
prisonment the seide Julian wolde nat have hadde for xl_li._ beside
alle other losse of goodes.
Also the seide Paston with holdeth alle the evidences to here seide
right longinge, and wastynge the seide mesuage and londes in that he
may.
Also the seide Paston kepte here iij. yere in the pitte withynne the
Castell of Norwiche in grete meschef, in so moche that scho hadde
nat but a pynte of mylke yn x. daies and x. nightes, and a ferthinge
loffe, standinge under the jugement and ordenance of the Duke of
Norffe now late passed to God.[333-1]
Also, the seide Paston scith hadde youre seide suppliant in prisone
in the Kynges benche, and there sche lay xij. monthes and more in
harde payne and distresse nye dede for colde hunger and thurste.
Item, the seide Paston dede to bringe here oute of the Roundehows yn
to youre paleys and brought here afore youre chef Justice, and than
the saide Paston comaunded certeines persones to bringe here to
prisone to youre Benche, and badde atte his perille certeines
persones to smyte the brayne oute of here hede for suynge of here
right, and there beynge in grevouse prison durynge half yere and
more fetered and cheined, suffringe colde, hunger, thurste, in
pointe of deth, God and ye, gracious Kynge, helpe here to here
right.
(_Membranes 1 and 2 are sewn on to the face of membrane 3, one at
the top, the other at the bottom._)
[Footnote 333-1: John Mowbray, second Duke of Norfolk, who died
in 1432.]
[[II. JULIAN HERBERD.--See pp. 33, 34.
_final . missing_]]
[[pp. 33, 34 = under sidenote “John Wortes”]]