_To the Kyng and the Lordes of his Councell._
[Sidenote: 1452 / [APRIL 30]]
I John Clopton, Shereffe of Norffolk, certifie that wher oon John
Falyate and othre were take within the hundred of Blofeld in the seid
shire, and led to the castell of Framlyngham in the counte of Suffolk,
I, the forseid Shereffe, be the comaundement of my Lord of Norffolk,
the last day of Aprill receyved at the seid castell a bille of divers
knowlech and confessyons which were enformyd me shuld have be mad in the
presens of my seid Lords Councell be Roger Chirch and othre, which the
seid John Falyate, as it was enformed me, shuld have confessid to have
be trewe. After which bille receyved and be me red and understand,
callyng befor me the seid John Falyate and alle othre that where
examyned, except the seyd Roger Chirch, in the presens of divers of my
Lords Councell there, I red to the seid John Falyate the tale comprised
in the seid bille seid be the seid Roger Chirch, demawndyng hym of the
trought her of; wherto he answered, and seid that he wust wele ther was
no wey with hym but deth, and therfore, as he wuld answer afore God, he
wuld sey the trought, and seid that the substaunce of the tale told be
the seid Roger Chirch was untrewe, and feyned and imagyned be the same
Chirch, and that he never had knowleched that the tale to be trewe.
Neverthelesse he seid that he was with a felesshep gadered undre
Possewykwode be the prokeryng of the seid Chirch, which feleshep, whan
thei were all togeder, passid not the nombre of xv. persones. And that
the seid Chirch wast the furst that ever mevid hym for to come theder,
seying that he shuld have feleshep i nowe and do goode, for he was
balyffe of the hundred, and be colour of his office he shuld send in men
i now, and that he knew a gode name for her capteyn, that shuld be John
Amend Alle. More over I the seid Shereffe asked the seid Falyate if thei
whan thei wer to geder spoke of Paston and othre gentilmen named in the
seid bille to have assisted hem; and he seid pleynly nay, but that thei
and othre thryfty men were noysid be the seid Chirch and be his
councellores sith the tyme of the gaderyng of the seid feleshep, and
never was spokyn of ther. In like wyse seid othre that were examyned in
the seid bille.
[Footnote 263.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] John Clopton was
Sheriff of Norfolk from Michaelmas 1451 to Michaelmas 1452.]
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