_To my ryght trusty and welbelovyd frendys, Sir Thomas, Parson off
Castellcombe._
[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 20]
Ryght trusty frendys, I grete you well. And lete you wete that I have
resseyved your lettre thys day, which was wryt xv. day of December, and
undre[stand] well your ryght gode mocions and causes shewed of
inconvenients that myght fall, yff the shyreve have not a gode
undreshyreff whyche were not enclynyng to the partie of T. H.[195.3] And
there as ye meoffe me to wryte to ij. Lordys for the said cause, they be
both forth to theyr contre, and shall therfor wryte unto hem uppon the
tenor of your lettrez in that at y can or may, as forre as reson and
justice wolle, for such an officer as woll not, for no mede, hate, or
losse, execut[196.1] dewlye his office to the weele of the contre.
Item, the day of thys lettre wrytyng, John Bokkyng ys com to me, and
hath expressley enformyd me by mouth as by wrytynges the greete labour
and diligence whych ye have take uppon yow, seth Martismasse, in
especiall, abowte the expedition of my processe of _oyer and terminer_
before the Kyngs Commyssioners attained; and I vele ryght well by the
avauncement of my processe your faithfull diligence, for whych y can you
ryght gode thank, and trustyng uppon your gode continuance. And seth the
Commissioners shall sytt at Lynne after the Epiphanye, such of my maters
as have take none ende, but hang yn processe for deffaut of aunsuer or
apparaunce of my partie, I pray you that the said maters may be called
uppon of the new, and dew processe had as ferre as justice and gode
concience wolle.
Item, it ys so, as I undrestand, that the Lord Scalys woll be at Lynne
thys Cristmasse, and at the oyer and terminer halden there, and Sir
Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon wolle appere, of which I am well content;
and it ys lyke that grete labour and speciall pursute shall be made to
the Lord Scalys that he wolle meynteyn the said Tuddenham and Heydon in
all he can or may, and thus I have herd sey. Wherfor such persones as
have founde hem soore greved by extorcion as I have ben, and have
processe or wolle hafe processe before the Commissioners, they most
effectuelly labour to my Lord Oxford, and to my brothyr Zelverton,
Justice, that they wolle as ferre as justice, reson, and concience do
that justice may [be] egallie mynistred, and not to wythdrawe theyr
couragez well sett from the pore peple; for and they hald not the hand
well and stedfast yn thys mater from hens forth whyle it shall dure, as
they have herebefore, the pore peple and all the grete part of both
shyres of Norffolk and Suffolk be destroyed. For it shewyth well by what
manyfold undewe menys of extorcion they have lyved yn myserie and grete
pouverte by manye yeers contynewed that the moste part of the comyners
have litill or nought to meynteyn their menage and housold, ne to pay
the Kyngs taskys, nothyr theyr rents and servises to the Lordz they be
tenants un too, as it shewyth daylie to all the world, whych ys overe a
grete pitie to thynk. And when the said pore peple have be by such
injuries overladd and so undoon, nedz most the gentlemen that have they
pore lyvelode amongs hem be gretely minisshed and hyndered of their
increse and levyng.
Item, where as I undrestand by a lettre sent to me from my welbelovyd
frende Maister John Botewryght, that grete extorcion have be don by the
officers of the duchee in takyng awey cxl. acres pasture at Swaffam,
whych ys of the Kyngs demeynz and of hys enheritaunce as of the duchee
of Lancaster, for whych pastures, yff it com not ynne ayen, it woll be
grete disheritaunce to the Kyng, and fynall destruccion of the tenauntes
there, for whych the said Maistre John desyryth and prayeth of remedie
yn the name of all the toune of Swaffam. As to thys such as wold here
the encrese and wellfare of hym, of hys parysshons, and off all thoose
mysdon untoo, most by the avice of som lerned man to put theyr
oppressions and grevaunces in wrytyng, well grounded, and as the trouth
of the mater ys, and that the said wrytyng or bille may be enseled wyth
the seles of such gentlemen that have lyvebode there, and wyth the men
that be cowthest knowen,[197.1] and that wrytyng so enseled to be
directed to the Kyng, and to the Lordz of hys Councell. And then it ys
and woll be of more credence to the Kyng and the Lordys then a simple
lettre. And thys doon wyth the labours that they may make there in
shewyng theyr grevaunces to the Commissioners; and the seid grevaunces
shewed also here amongs the Kyng and the Lordz, it ys verrayly to thynk
that they shall be purveyd of a remedie. And foryete not to sende or
wryte to Maister Botewryght in goodly haste of thys article wyth your
correccion to be had where the avertisementes of you and my frendz that
have more particuler knowlege yn such maters.
Item, I have grete mervaylle that yong Jenney, whych ys of my Lord
Cromewell councell, and Robert Ledam, also off hys councell, and hys man
be not spoke with there, that they doo not attaine an accion ayenst Sir
Thomas Tudden[ham], Heydon, and John Gent, whyche have and wold dayly
labour to disseisse my Lord Cromewell of a knyghten service in Saxthorp,
which ye have ryght suffisaunt evidenses by an endentures of Kyng Edward
iij^d dayes enseled, as of Kyng Herry dayes the iiij^the, that the seid
maner ys hald by the iiij^the part of a knyzt fee[198.1] of my Lord
Cromewell as of the maner of Tateshale. And the seid Tuddenham and
Heydon wold after theyr voulente have it hald yn meen of the maner of
Hetersete, whych sufficient evidenses that ye have specifyeth no thyng
soo. And I have lost xx^li. yeerly yn approwement[198.2] of my chatell,
for cause my Lord Cromewell, throw neglicence of hys officers in
Norffolk, have not meynteyned hys ryght. And there as John Bokkyng seith
that John Jenney hath no commaundment of my Lord to pursue hys ryght, it
shewyth off reson that seth he ys of hys councell in especiall for that
shyre, he ought doo hys ryzt to be savyd and kept of hys dewtee. And
thertoo he knouyth well that my said Lord hath commaunded hym dyvers
tymys to take kepe hys ryzt be savyd in thys mater. Wherfor I pray you
requyre hym on my Lord ys behalf[198.3] to compleyn to Justice at thys
_oyer_ [_and terminer_ for a] remedie, and that the [bi]lle be made yn
my Lordys name. And then to . . . . . . have commaundment ryzt sone of
my Lord eftsonys, and [_i.e._ if] he wolle sende unto hym by suche as
goth dayly into that contre to Tateshale. And I had send hym hys
speciall [com]maundment, had he sent me suche word betyme whyle he was
heere. I pray you remembre ye so John Jenney and Robert Ledham as I have
no cause to [wri]te more, ne to compleyn to my Lord of theyr necligence.
Item, Sir Parson, where it ys soo that my cosyn Boys ys passed to God,
whoos soule God assoyle, ye shall fynde amonges my bokes of accomptes at
Castre, or amonges othyr wrytynges, he owed me money for a ferm he heeld
of me, as Watkyn Shypdam ys remembred; and also I lent hym xl^s. whych I
shuld have an obligacion at Castre off, praying you to inquire off thys
dewteez, and see recuvere may be made off it.
Item, I seende a lettre at thys tyme to my cosyn Wychyngham, to hys
modre also, for a mater that touchyth my cosyn Robert Fitzrauff ys
amercement, and the partie also. Whych lettre I woll ye breke to
undrestand my wrytyng and the substaunce off it the more. And y pray you
hertly to speke wyth the partie at Norwych as well as wyth my ryght
welbelovyd cosyn Sir Herry Inglose, and wyth my cosyn Wychyngham assone
as ye goodly may. And meoffe ye the said mater yn such wyse as your
discrecioun can well consider that the rathyr the said mater may take a
gode ende, yff it may be yn ony wyse; yn whych mater ye shall do me
ryght singler plesyr, and that thys be not slewthed, for taryeng drawth
perell. I wryte but briefflye, for I . . . . . . . . . .[199.1]
Item, where as Brome ys not well wyllyng yn my maters, whych for the
wrong takyng and wyth haldyng my shepe I ought take a accioun ayenst
hym; for declaracioun in whate wyse he dyd it, John Bele my sheperefe
can enforme you best, for he laboured about the recuvere of it. My Lady
Norfolk sent me a lettre viij. yere goon, whych I shuld hafe, desyryng
that the processe I was purposed take ayenst hym shuld be respited, and
all that reson wold he shuld obbey. I am avysed therfor let som man
about my Lord Norfolk and my Lady have wetyng, or I begynne. Yhyt I wold
ye had declaracioun before of the conduyt and grounde of thys mater.
Item, where my cosyn Inglose avyse me fully to take a speciall assise on
the priorye of Hykelyng for my rent, I have abydden uppon my cosyn
Paston that he and I shuld take one to ghedyr, and I vele hym no thyng
spede in it. Let me know how he woll doo thys next terme, for elles am I
fully avysed to take myne owt, and to traverse all iij. offices[199.2]
for Beyton, Bradwell, and Tychewell, wyth the help of my frendz, Not
elles at thys tyme; but I pray you comfort all thoo that fynde hem
greved to abyde by theyr ryzt, and that ye woll contynew forth for my
worshup and proffyt as ferre as ryzt wolle. Whych I trust to God shall
better have hys cours then it hath beforn; who have you in hys kepyng.
Wryt at London, the xx. day of Decembre anno xxixº regni Regis H. VI.
Item, that thys lettre commaund me to my cosyn John à Berney.