[Sidenote: 1452]
Charlys Nowel, Otywell Nowell, Robert Ledeham, John the sone of Hogge
Ratkleff, Robert Dallyng, Herry Bangge, Roger Cherche, Nicholas
Goldsmyth, Robert Taylor, Christofer Grenescheve, ----[267.4] Dunmowe,
Elis Dokworth, Christofer Bradle, Jon Cokkow, assemblyng and gadderyng
to hem gret multitude of mysrewled people, kepe a frunture and a forslet
at the hows of the seid Robert Ledeham, and issu ought at her pleser,
sumtyme vj., sumtyme xij., sumtyme xxx^ti and mo, armed, jakked, and
salattyd with bowis, arwys, speris, and bylles, and over ride the contre
and oppresse the people, and do many orible and abhomynable dedis lyke
to be distruccion of the shire of Norffolk, wythoute the Kyng owre
Sovereyn Lord seth it redressid.
Un Mydlent Soneday[267.5] certeyn of the seid felechep in the chirche of
Byrlyngham made a fray upon tweyne of the servauntes of the reverent
fadyr in Godde, Byschop of Norwiche,[267.6] the seid servaunts at that
tyme knelyng to see the usyng of the Masse; and there and than the seid
felechep wold have kelled the seid two servauntes at the prestis bakke,
ne had they be lettyd, as it semed.
[268.1][Item, un the Moneday[268.2] next before Esterne daye, sex of the
seid persones made a saute upon John Paston and hese two servauntes at
the dore of the cathedrall cherche of Norweche, wyth swerdes, bokeler,
and dagareis drawe smet at the seid Paston, on of them holdyng the seid
Paston be bothe armes at hese bakke, as it semyth purposyng there to
have morderid the seid Paston and they had not a be lettyd; and also
smet on of the servaunts of the seid Paston upon the naked hed wyth a
swerd, and poluted the seyntewary.]
Item, on the Monday[268.2] next before Esterne day, x. of the seid
persones lay in awayte in the hey weye undyr Thorp Woode up on Phelep
Berney, Esquier, and hese man, and shet at hem and smet her hors wyth
arwes, and then over rede hym and brake a bowe on the said Phelippis hed
and toke hym presoner, callyng hym traytor. And when they had kepte hym
as long as thei lyst, thei led hym to the seyd Byshop of Norwiche and
askid of hym swerte of the peas, and forwyth relessid her suerte and
went her way.
Item, iij. of the seid felechep lay unawayte upon Emond Brome,
jentelman, and with nakid swerds fawte wyth hym be the space of a
quarter of a owre and toke hym presoner; and when they had kepte hym as
long as they lyst, lete hym goo.
Item, xl^ti of the same felechep come rydyng to Norwiche jakked,
and salettyd, with bowys and arwys, byllys, gleves, un Maundy
Thursday,[268.3] and that day aftyr none, when service was doo, they,
in lyke wyse arrayid, wold have brake up the Whyte Freris dores,
where,[268.4] seying that they came to here evesong; howbeit that they
made her avaunt in towne they shuld have sum men owt of town (?), qwhyke
or deede; and there made a gret rumor, where the mayre and the aldermen,
with gret multitude of peple, assembled, and therupon the seyd felischep
departid.
Item, dyvers tymes serteyn of the seid felechep have take fro John
Wylton, wythoute any cause, hese net, hese shep, and odyr cattell, and
summe there of have saltyd and eten, sume thereof have aloyned,[269.1]
so that the seid Wylton wot not where for to seke hese bestes; and un
the morwe[269.2] next aftyr Esterne day last past, they toke fro hym xj.
bestis, and kepte hem two dayis wythowte any cause.
Item, in lyke wyse they have do to John Coke and Kateryn Wylton.
Item, in lyke wyse they have take the goodys and catelles of Thomas
Baret and many odyr.
Item, certeyn of the seid felechep late made a sawte upon John Wylton in
Plumsted cherche yerd, and there beete hym so the [_that_] he was [in]
dowth of his liff.
Item, in lyke wyse upon John Coke of Wytton, brekyng up hese dores at
xj. of the clok in the nyght, and with her swerdis maymed hym and gaf
hym vij. grete woyndis. Item, smet the modyr of the seid Coke, a woman
of iiij^xx [_four score_] yeres of age, upon the crowne of the heed wyth
a swerd, wheche wownde was never hol to the daye of her deth.
Item, the seyd Dunmowe, on of the seid feleche[p], now lete beet the
parson of Hasyngham, and brake hese hed in hese owne chauncell.
[269.3][Item iii^xx [_three score_] of the seid felechep, arayid as men
of werre, now late enterd with fors upon Phelep Berney and dissesid hym
of the maner of Rokelandtoftys, wheche darnot, for feer of mordyr,
reentre hese owne londe; how be it, he and hese aunseters have be
pesibely possessid therof many yeris.]
Item, Alredis sone of Erll Some, fast be Framyngham, un the
Saterday[269.4] next before Palme Soneday last past was pullid ought of
a hows and kyllid. Whedyr any of the seid felechep were there or not men
kan not sey, there be of hem so many of wheche many be unknowe people.
Item, the seid felechep make seche affrayis in the contre abowte the
seid Ledehams place, and so frayith the people that dyvers persones for
feer of mordyr darnot abyde in her howses, ne ride, ne walke abowte ther
ocupacions, wyth owte they take gretter people abowte hem then acordith
to her degre, wheche they wol not do in evel exaumple gevyng.
Item, the seid felechep of a fer cast maleys and purpose now late toke
Roger Cherche, on of ther owne felechep, be hese owne assent, wheche
Roger Cherche be her assent had movid and sterid a rising in the hundred
of Blofeld, and hath confessed hym self to be at that arysyng, and hath
enbylled, as it is seid, divers jentelmen and the most part of the
trysty yomen and husbondis and men of good name and fame of the hundred
abowte the seid Ledehams place, where the seid felechep is abydyng, and
nameth hem wyth odyr suspecious people for risers, to the entent to hide
and cover her awn gylt, and to holde them that be trw men and innosent
in that mater in a dawnger and feer that they shuld not gader peopell,
ner atempte to resiste ther riotows governauns of the seid reotows
felechep.
[270.1][Item, it is conceyved that if the seyd riotows felechep, and
they that drawe to them were dewly examyned, it shuld be knowe that if
there were any seche rysyng, it was conjectyd, don, imagened, and
labored be the seid reotows felechep and be ther meanes; for aswele the
seid Cherche, as dyvers of the most suspeciows persones be the seid
Cherche enbelled for rysers, as it is seid, be and have be of long tyme
dayly in compeny wyth the seid reotows felechep.
Item, on of the seid felechep of late tyme, as it is seide, to encresse
her maliciows purpose, hath proferid rewardis and goode to anodyr
persone for to take upon hym to apele certeyn persones, and afferme the
seying of the seid Roger Cherche.]
In wytnesse of these premesses, dyvers knytes and esquieres, and
jentelmen whos names folwen, wheche knowe this mater be seying, heryng,
or credible reporte, to this wrytyng have set her seall, besechyng your
Lordcheppis to be meanes to the Kyng owre sovereyn Lord for remedy in
this behalve. Wrete, &c.
On the lower margin of this paper, and on the back are scrawled a
few additional memoranda, of which the following are the most
important. One paragraph, which is in the handwriting of John
Paston, is so carelessly written that the names contained in it are
quite uncertain.
Memorandum, that Jon, sone of Roger Ratkliff, bet T. Baret, and Beston
and Robyn Taylor tok and imprysonyd Thomas Byrdon of Ly[n]gwode. Item,
Robert Dalling bet Nicholas Chirch at Stromsaw Chirch. Memorandum of
manassing of the quest at Hengham. Item, Robert Dallyng bete Thomas
Dallyng.
Roger att Chirche, Robert Dallyng and Herry Bang with other went with
fors and armys, and fechid William Clippisby oute of his faders hous,
and brought hym to the town of Walsham, and kept hym there ij. days and
ij. nytys, and fro thens had hym to Romgey (?), and there inpresonyd hym
and made hym [give] to Eusdale (?) an oblygacion of C. libr. made after
her owyn desyr.]
[Footnote 267.3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The misdemeanours of
Roger Church, who is here complained of among other malefactors,
must refer to the same period as Letter 214. The date is
rendered even more certain by a comparison with the letter
following.]
[Footnote 267.4: Blank in MS.]
[Footnote 267.5: Midlent Sunday fell on the 19th March in 1452.]
[Footnote 267.6: Walter Lyhart or Hart.]
[Footnote 268.1: This paragraph is crossed in the MS.]
[Footnote 268.2: April 3, Easter day being the 9th April in
1452.]
[Footnote 268.3: April 6.]
[Footnote 268.4: After the word ‘where’ the original text had
‘the seid Paston dwellith,’ but these words have been struck
out, and other alterations made in the paragraph.]
[Footnote 269.1: Eloined (French _éloigne_), removed to a
distance.]
[Footnote 269.2: April 10.]
[Footnote 269.3: This paragraph is crossed out.]
[Footnote 269.4: April 1.]
[Footnote 270.1: These paragraphs are crossed through.]
[[had movid and sterid _text has “and and”_]]
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