_Un to the right reverent fadir in God and my right gracioux Lord, the
Cardinal Archebisshop of York, Prymat and Chaunceller of Inglond._
[Sidenote: 1450(?)]
Besecheth mekely John Paston that where Robert Hungerford, Knyght, Lord
Molens, and Alianore, his wyff, late with force and strength, and grete
multitude of riottous peple, to the noumbre of a thousand persones and
mo, gadered by th’excitacion and procuryng of John Heydon[166.3] a yenst
the Kynggs pees, in riotous maner entred up on your seid besecher and
othir enfeoffed to his use in the manoir of Gresham with
th’appurtenaunces in the shire of Norffolk; whiche riotous peple brake,
dispoiled, and drew doun the place of your seid besecher in the seid
toun, and drafe out his wiff and servauntes there beyng, and ryfled,
took, and bare awey alle the goodes and catalx that your seid besecher
and his servauntes hadde there to the value of cc_li._ [£200] and more;
and the seid manoir, after the seid riottous entre, kept with strong
hande in manere of werre, as weel ayenst your seid besecher and his
feffees, as ayenst oon of the Kyngges justicez of the pees in the seid
shire, that come thedir to execute the statutes ordeigned and provyded
ayenst suche forcible entrees and kepyng of possessions with force,
as it appiereth by recorde of the seid justice certifyed in to the
Chauncerie; and yet the seid Lord Molens the same manoir kepith with
force and strengthe ayenst the fourme of the seid statutes: Please it
your reverent Faderhood and gracioux Lordship, these premisses
considered, to graunte on to your seid besecher for his feffees by hym
to be named a special assise[167.1] ayenst the seid Lord Molens,
Alianore, and John Heidon, and othir to be named by your seid besecher,
and also an oyer and determyner[167.2] ayenst the seid Lord Molens, John
Heidon, and othir of the seid riotous peple in like fourme to be named,
to enquere, here and determyn all trespaces, extorcions, riottes,
forcible entrees, mayntenaunces,[167.3] champerties,[167.4]
embraceries,[167.5] offenses, and mesprisions[167.6] by hem or ony of
hem doen, als weel atte sute of our sovereign Lord the Kyng, as of your
seid besecher and his seid feffees, and every of hem, or of ony othir of
the Kyngges lieges: atte reverence of God, and in weye of charite.
[Footnote 166.2: [Add. Charter 17,239, B.M.] This is a bill
addressed to Cardinal Kemp as Lord Chancellor, to which
reference will be found to be made in the succeeding letter.
Kemp was appointed Lord Chancellor on the 31st January 1450. The
acts here complained of were therefore those connected with
Paston’s second expulsion from Gresham.]
[Footnote 166.3: John Heydon, Esq. of Baconsthorpe, a lawyer,
who was recorder of Norwich from 1431 to 1433, and sheriff in
1431-2.]
[Footnote 167.1: _See_ p. 161, Note 2.]
[Footnote 167.2: _See_ p. 161, Note 3.]
[Footnote 167.3: Unlawful support given to a disputant by one
not concerned in the cause.]
[Footnote 167.4: Bargains made with litigants for a share in
what may be gained by the suit.]
[Footnote 167.5: Attempts to corrupt juries.]
[Footnote 167.6: Treason or felony committed by oversight or
wilful neglect of a duty.]
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