[Sidenote: 1454]
Thees be the persons that enformyd the Justicez of the Kyngis Benche the
last terme of suche ryottis as hath be done be Robert Ledham: The Lord
Skales, Sir Thomas Todenham, Sir John Chalers, Edmond Clere, Water
George, John Alyngton, Gilbert Debenham, John Denston, William Whit,
William Alyngton, Reynald Rows, John Berney, Richard Suthwell, John
Paston, John Henyngham, Raff Shelton, Henry Grey.
These be the names of the knyghtes and esquyers that endittyd Robert
Ledham:--Thomas Todenham, knyght, Andrew Ogard, knyght, John Henygham,
knyght, William Calthorp, esquyer, Bryan Stapelton, esquyer, Osbert
Mondford, esquyer, John Groos, esquyer, William Rokwod, esquyer, Thomas
Morle, esquyer, Thomas Scholdham, esquyer, John Wyndham, esquyer, John
Berney, esquyer, William Narbow, esquyer, John Chippysby, esquyer,
William White, esquyer, John Bryston, esquyer, John Paston, esquyer.
These be dyvers of the ryottis and offensis done in the hundred of
Blofeld in the counte of Norffolk, and in other townys be Robert Lethum,
otherwyse callyd Robert Ledham of Wytton, be Blofeld in the counte of
Norffolk, and by his ryottys men and by other of his affinitez and
knowleche, whos names folowyn, and that they contynually folow and
resorte unto his hous, and ther be supported and maynteynet and
confortid.
These be the principall menealle men of the sayd Robert Ledham ys hous
be the whiche the sayd ryottys have be done, that use in substaunce non
other occupacion but ryottys:--_In primis_, John Cokett, Thomas Bury,
Thomas Cokowe, Cristofer Bradlee, Elys Dukworth, William Donmowe,
Cristofer Grenesheve, Roger Chirche. Notwythstondyng the sayd Robert
Ledham kypith dayly many mo in his house and chaungeth such as have be
oppenly knowyn for riottis and takith other for hem as evill as they.
And these be the most principale persons comyng and resortyng unto the
house of the sayd Robert Ledham, and ther be supportid and mayntened in
ryottes be whom the sayd ryottes have be don, that ys to sey: _In
primis_, Robert Taillor, Henry Bang, Robert Dallyng, John Beston,
Charles Navell, John, the sone of Roger Ratclyff, Robert Berton;
notwythstondyng ther be money moo whos names ben unknowyn. With the
which persons, and many moo unknowyn, the sayd Robert Ledham kept atte
his hous in maner of a forcelet and issith ouute atte here pleaysour and
atte his lust, the sayd Ledham to assigne, somtyme vj. and sometyme
xij., somtyme xxx^ti and moo, armyd, jakkid, and salettyd, with bowys
and arrowys, speris, billys, and over ryde the countrey and oppressid
the Kyngs peple, and didde mony oryble and abhomynable dedes, like to
have be destruccion of the enhabitantes in the sayd hundred, in the
forme that folowyth, and warse.
_In primis_, on the Monday[309.1] next before Ester day and the shire
daye, the xxx. yere of oure soverayne Lord the Kyng, x. persons of the
sayd riottors, with a brother of the wyff of the sayd Robert Lethum,
laye in awayte in the hyght way under Thorpe Wode upon Phillip Berney,
esquyer, and his man comyng from the shire, and shette atte hym and
smote the hors of the sayd Phillipp with arowes, and than over rode hym,
and toke hym and bette hym and spoillid hym. And for thayr excuse of
this ryot, they ledde hym to the Bysshopp of Norwiche, axyng seuerte of
the peas wher they hadde never waraunt hym to areste. Which affray
shorttyd the lyffdayes of the sayd Phillippe, whiche dyed withynne
shorte tyme after the said affray.[309.2]
Item, iij. of the sayd riottys feloshippe the same day, yere, and place,
laye on awayte uppon Edmond Broune, gentilman, and with naked swerdes
and other wepyng faght wyth hym be the space of on qaurte (_sic_) of an
houre, and toke and spoillyd hym, and kepte hym as long as them lyst,
and after that lette hym goo.
Item, xl^ti of the sayd riottys felowshipp, be the comaundement of the
same Robert Lethum, jakket and saletted, with bowes, arowys, billys, and
gleyves, oppon Mauyndy Thursday,[309.3] atte iiij. of the clokke atte
after nonne, the same yere, comyn to the White Freres in Norwyche, and
wold have brokyn theyr yates and dorys, feynyng thaym that they wold
hire thayre evesong. Where they ware aunswered suche service was non
used to be there, nor withyn the sayd citee atte that tyme of the daye,
and prayd them to departe; and they aunswered and sayd that affore
thayre departyng they wold have somme persons ouute of that place,
qwykke or dede, insomuch the sayd freris were fayn to kype thaire place
with forsse. And the mayr and the sheriffe of the sayd cite were fayn to
arere a power to resyst the sayd riotts, which to hem on that holy tyme
was tediose and heynous, consedryng the losse and lettyng of the holy
service of that holy nyght. And theroppon the sayd ryotors departid.
Item, the sayd Robert Lethum, on the Monday[310.1] nest after Esterne
day, the same yere, toke from on John Wilton iiij. neet for rent arere,
as he said, and killed hem and layd them in salte, and afterward ete
hem.
Item, the sayd Robert Lethum, with vj. of his sayd ryottes, the same
yere made assaute uppon John Wilton in Plumstede churche yerde, and
theer so bete hym that he was in doute of his lyff; and also dede to hym
many grete wronggys and oppressioun, unto the undoyng of the sayd John
Wilton.
Item, in lyke wyse the sayd Robert Lethum and his men assauted on John
Coke of Witton, in brekyng uppe his dorys atte a xi. of the cloke in the
nyght, and wyth thaire swerdys maymed hym and gaff hym vij. grete
wondys, and toke from hym certayn goodys and catalls, of the whiche he
hadde, nor yitte hath, no remedy nor restitution.
Item, the same day and yere they bete the moder of the same John Coke,
she beyng iiij^xx. [_four score_] yere of age and more, and smote hure
uppon the crowne of here hed with a swerd; of the whiche hurte she myght
never be helyd into the day of hure deth.
Item, John, the sone of Hodge Ratleffe, and other of the sayd
felowshipp, toke on Thomas Baret of Byrlygham out of his house, and bete
hym and wondid hym that he kept his bedde a month, and toke from hym
certayn goodes and catells.
Item, the sayd Robert Taillor, because the sayd Thomas Baret complayned
of the same betyng, lay in awayte oppon hym, with other of his
feloushippe, and bete hym agayn.
Item, John Beston and the sayd Robert Taillor, and other of the sayd
riottes felowshipp, toke on Thomas Byrden of Lyngewod and bete hym and
prisoned hym till unto such tyme that he was delyvered by the mene of my
Lord of Norwych; and for that sorow, distres, and grete payne and
betyng, the sayd Thomas Byrden toke suche kynesse that he dyed.
Item, the sayd Robert Dallyng and Herry Bange, and other of the sayd
felowshippe, toke and bete on Nicholas Chirche atte Strumpeshawe, beyng
in the church of the same towne, that he was [in] dout of his lyff.
Item, the sayd Robert Dallyng lay on awayt uppon on Thomas Dallyng,
and hym grevously bete.
Item, on Middleynt Sunday,[311.1] the xxx^ti yere of oure soveraigne
Lorde the Kynge that now ys, Robert Dallyng, Robert Churche, Robert
Taillor, Herry Bang, Adam atte More, with other unknowyn, be the
comaundement and assent of the sayd Robert Ledham, made affray uppon
Herry Smyth and Thomas Chambre atte Suthbirlyngham, the sayd Herry and
Thomas and that tyme knelyng to see the usyng of the masse, and than and
ther wold have kyllyd the sayd Herry and Thomas atte the prestys bakke,
ne had they be lettyd.
Item, the sayd Robert Lethum, with his sayd ryottis felawshipp, the same
yere dide and made so many ryottes in the hundred where he dwellyth that
dyvers and many gentilmen, frankeleyns, and good men, durst not abyde in
here mansyon place, ne ryde, nother walke aboute thaire occupacions
without mo persons, arrayd in maner and forme of werre attendyng and
waytyng uppon them than thayr lyvelode wold extende to fynde hem. And
so, for savacion of thaire lyves, and in eschewyng of suche inordinat
costys as never was seen in that countrey befor, many of them forsoke
and leffte thaire owyn habitacion, wyff and childe, and drewe to
fortresses and good townes as for that tyme.
_In primis_, Phillipp Berney, esquyer, Edmond Broom to Castre; Thomas
Holler, John Wylton to Norwych; Oliver Kubyte to Seynt Benetts; Robert
Spany to Aylesham; Thomas Baret, with many others, to Meche Yarmouth and
to other placys of strenght.
Item, the sayd Robert Ledham, contynuyng in this wyse, callyd unto hym
his sayd mysgoverned felowshipp, consydryng the absence of many of the
well-rewlyd people of the sayd hundred of affere cast malice, and
congected, purposed and labored to the sheriff of the shire that the
sayd Roger Chirche, on of the sayd riottous felawshipp, was made bailly
of the hundred; and after causid the same Roger to be begynner of
arysyng and to take oppon hym to be a captayn and to excite the peple of
the countrey therto. And ther oppon, be covyne of the sayd Robert
Ledhaum, to appeche all these sayd well rewlyd persones, and as well
other divers substanciall men of good fame and good governaunce that
were hated be the sayd Robert Ledhaum, and promittyng the sayd Roger
harmeles and to sew his pardon be the mene of Danyell; to the which
promyse the sayd Rogger aggreed, and was arested and take be the sayd
Ledham be covyne betwixt hem, and appeched suche persons as they lust,
to the entente that the sayd substanciall men of the countre shuld be by
that mene so trowblyd and indaungered that they shuld not be of power to
lette and resist the mys rewle of the sayd Ledham and his mysgoverned
felawshipp, the whiche mater ys confessid by the sayd Roger Chirch.
Item, William Breton and John Berton, and other of the sayd ryottes,
come into the place of on Robert Spany of Poswyke and serched his
housez, hous be hous, for to have bete hym yf they myght have founde
hym.
Item, William Donmowe, servaunt of the sayd Robert Ledham, and by his
comaundement, the same yere bete the parson of Hashyngham, and brake his
hede in his owyn chauncell.
Item, the sayd Thomas Bery, Elys Dukworth, Thomas Cokowe, George of
Chamer, the v. day of Novembre last past, with divers other onknowyn
men, onto the nombre of xx. persons, and noman of reputacion among hem,
comen, under color of huntyng, and brake uppe gatys and closys of
Osburne Monford atte Brayston; and xij. persons of the same felowshipp,
with bowys bent and arowys redy in thair handys, abode alone betwixt the
maner of Brayston and the chirche, and there kept hem from vij. of the
clokke on the mornyng unto iij. of the clokk after none, lyyng in awayte
oppon the servauntez of the sayd Osburne Monford, lorde of the sayd
maner, so that nonne durst comen ouut for doute of thair lyves.
Item, viij. of the sayd felowshipp, on the Wennesday next after, prevely
in an hole layn in awayte oppon William Edworth and Robert Camplyon,
servauntz to the sayd Osburn Montford, comyng from Okill[313.1] market,
till that tyme that the said William Owell and Robert come uppon hem
onwarre, and theruppon chasid hem so that yf they had not be well
horssyd and well askapped, they had ben dede and slayne.
Item, vj. or vij. of the sayd Ledamys men dayly, boyth werkeday and haly
day, use to goo aboute in the countrey with bowys and arowys, shotyng
and playng in mennys closis among men catall, goyng from alhous to
alhousez and manassyng suche as they hated, and soght occasion and
quarels and debate.
Item, notwithstandyng that all the lyvelod that the sayd Ledham hath
passith not xx_li._ [£20], be sydes the reparacion and outcharges, and
that he hath no connyng ne trew mene of getyng of any good in this
countre, as for as any man may conceyve, and yette xypith in his house
dayly xx. men, besydes women and gret multitude of such mysgoverned
peple as ben resortyng to hym, as ys above sayd, to the whiche he yevith
clothyng, and yitte bysyde that he yevith to other men that be not
dwellyng in his household; and of the sayd xx. men ther passith not
viij. that use occupacion of husbondrye; and all they that use
husbondrye, as well as other, be jakked and salettid redy for to werre,
which yn this countrey ys thoght ryght straunge, and ys verely so
conceyved that he may not kepe this countenance be no good menes.
Item, the sayd Ledham hath a _supersedias_ oute of the chauncerie for
hym and divers of hys men, that no warant of justice of pees may be
served agayn hem.
Item, please unto your Lordshipp to remembre that the sayd Ledham and
his sayd mysgoverned feloushipp be endited of many of these articles and
of many moo not comprehendit here, and in especiall of the sayd rysyng
agayn the Kyng. Wherfore, though the sayd Ledham can prove the sayd
enditement of treson voyde in the lawe for symplenesse of them that
gaffe the verdit, that it lyke you, for the Kyngs availl, not redely to
suffre the sayd Ledham to departe atte large unto the tyme that the
mater of the sayd enditement be better enquered of for the Kyngs avayll,
and that the sayd Ledham fynde surte of his good aberyng; and the
inhabitauntz of the sayd hundred of Blofeld shall pray for you. And els
they be lyke to be destruyd for ever.
[Footnote 307.1: [From Add. Charter 16,545, B.M.] This paper
refers mainly to events of 1452 and 1453, but was probably drawn
up in 1454, after the Duke of York had come into power.]
[Footnote 309.1: 3rd April 1452.]
[Footnote 309.2: Philip Berney died, as we have seen, on the 2nd
July 1453, fifteen months after the date assigned to the
outrage.]
[Footnote 309.3: 6th April 1452.]
[Footnote 310.1: 10th April 1452.]
[Footnote 311.1: 19th March 1452.]
[Footnote 313.1: Acle.]
[[she beyng iiij^xx. ... yere of age
_printed “vere” (error or broken “y”)_]]
[[toke suche kynesse that he dyed
_text unchanged: error for “sykynesse” or equivalent?_]]
242