Neither did the townesmen of S. Albons, and the tenants of other townes
and villages thereabout, that belonged to the abbeie of S. Albons,
thus outragiouslie misdemeane themselues, but euerie where else the
commons kept such like stur, so that it was rightlie called the hurling
time, there were such hurlie burlies kept in euerie place, to the
great danger of ouerthrowing the whole state of all good gouernment in
this land. For euen the selfe same saturdaie after Corpus Christi day,
in Suffolke there were got togither to the number of fiftie thousand
men, by the setting on of Iohn Wraw, a naughtie lewd priest, that had
beene first among the Essexmen at London, and was sent downe in all
post hast from Wat Tiler, to stir the commons in those parts to commit
the like mischéefe as he had séene begun about London. These fellowes
therfore, after they were assembled togither, fell to the destroieng
of the manors and houses of men of law, & such lawiers as they caught,
they slue, and beheded sir Iohn Cauendish lord chiefe iustice of
England, and set his head vpon the pillorie in the market place in S.
Edmundsburie.
[Sidenote: The prior of S. Edmundsburie slaine.
This Edmund Brumfield was committed to prison by the K. for his
presumptuous intrusion into the abbacie of Burie.]
Also sir Iohn of Cambridge the prior of saint Edmundsburie, as he would
haue fled from them, was taken not far from Mildenhale, and likewise
beheaded, his bodie being left naked in the open field, and no man
presuming to burie it, during the space of fiue daies, for feare of the
cruell commons. His head was set vpon a pole, and caried before Iohn
Wraw and other of those wicked people; the which comming to Burie, and
entring the towne in maner of a procession, when they came into the
market place where the pillorie stood, as it were in token of the old
friendship betwixt the lord chiefe iustice, and the said prior, they
made sport with their heads, making them sometime as it were to kisse,
other whiles to sound in either others eare. After they had taken their
pastime inough herewith, they set both the heads againe aloft vpon the
pillorie. After this, they beheaded an other moonke called Dan Iohn
de Lakinghuith, whose hed was likewise set by the other two vpon the
pillorie. Moreouer, they caused the moonks to come foorth and bring
vnto them all such obligations, in which the townesmen stood bound
vnto the monasterie for their good abearing; likewise such charters
of liberties of the towne of Burie, which king Cnute the founder of
the said monasterie, and his successors had granted to the same: which
writings, when they had brought foorth, and protested that they knew of
no more, the commons would scarselie beleeue them, and therefore called
the townesmen foorth, and bad them sée if that there were all such
writings as they thought stood with their aduantage to haue brought to
light. The townesmen feigned as though they had beene sorie to see such
rule kept against the moonks, where in déed they had set the commons in
hand with all these things. To conclude, the commons tooke this order
with the moonks, that if the townesmen might not obteine their ancient
liberties, by the hauing of those writings, they should declare what
the same liberties were, which they were woont to inioy, and the abbat
of Burie, Edmund Brumfield, being then in prison at Notingham whom
they purposed to deliuer (so that he should celebrat diuine seruice in
his monasterie on Midsummer daie next) within fourtie daies after his
comming home, should confirme with his seale such charter as was to be
deuised and made concerning the same liberties of the said townesmen,
and the couent should likewise put therevnto their common seale.
Moreouer, they constreined the moonks to deliuer vnto the townesmen,
a crosse and |745| a chalice of fine gold, and other iewels that
belonged to the abbeie, being in value aboue the worth of a thousand
pounds in monie, the which was to remaine in the hands of the townsmen,
vpon this condition, that if Edmund Brumfield being deliuered out
of prison inioied the dignitie of abbat there, and with all put his
seale togither with the couent seale within the time limited, vnto a
writing that should conteine the liberties of the towne, that then the
same crosse, chalice, and other iewels should be restored vnto the
monasterie, or else the same to remaine for euer to the townesmen as
forfeited. Such were the dooings of those rebels in and about the towne
of Burie: and the like disorders & breach of peace followed by the
commotions of the commons in Cambridgeshire, and in the Ile of Elie,
resembling the others in slaughters of men, destroieng of houses, and
all other sorts of mischéefe.
[Sidenote: Iohn Littester capteine of y^e Norfolke rebels.