1467. Alle soo that same yere there were many chyrchys robbyd in the cytte of London only of the boxys with the sacrament. And men had moche wondyr of thys, and sad men demyd that there had ben sum felyschippe of heretykys assocyat to gederys. But hyt was knowe aftyr that it was done of very nede that they robbyd, wenyng unto the thevys that the boxys hadde ben sylvyr ovyr gylt, but was but copyr. And by a copyr smythe hit was a spyde of hyr longe contynuans in hyr robbory. At a tyme, alle the hole feleschippe of thevys sat at sopyr to gedyr, and had be fore hem fulle goode metys. But that copyr smythe sayde, “I wolde have a more deynty mosselle of mete, for I am wery of capon, conynge, and chekyns, and such smalle metes. And I mervyl I have ete ix goddys at my sopyr that were in the boxys.” And that schamyd sum of them in hyr hertys. Ande a smythe of lokyers crafte, that made hyr instrumentes to opyn lockys, was ther that tyme, for hyt was sayed at the sopyr in hys howse. And in the mornynge he went to chyrche to hyre a masse, and prayde God of marcy; but whenn the pryste was at the levacyon of the masse he myght not see that blessyd sacrament of the auter. Thenn he was sory, and a bode tylle a nothyr pryste wente to masse and helpyd the same pryste to masse, and say [saw] howe the oste lay a-pon the auter and alle the tokyns and sygnys that the pryste made; but whenn the pryste hylde uppe that hooly sacrament at the tyme of levacyon he myght se no thynge of that blessyd body of Chryste at noo time of the masse, not somoche at Agnus Dei; and thenn he demyd that hit had ben for febyllenys of hys brayne. And he went unto the ale howse and dranke a ob. but then bothe he and hys feleschyppe lackyd grace. And in schorte tyme aftyr iiij of hem were take, and the same lokyer was one of yᵉ iiij, and they were put in Newegate. And by processe they were dampnyd for that trespas and othyr to be hangyd and to be drawe fro Newegate to Tyborne, and soo they were. And the same daye that they shulde dy they were confessyd. And thes iiij docters were hyr confessourys, Mayster Thomas Eberalle, Maystyr Hewe Damylett, Maystyr Wylliam Ive, and Maystyr Wylliam Wryxham. Thenn Mayster Thomas Eberalle wente to masse, and that lokyer aftyr hys confessyon myght see that blessyd sacrament welle i-nowe, and thenne rejoysyd and was gladde, and made an opyn confessyon by fore the iiij sayde docters of devynyte. And I truste that hyr soulys ben savyd.[144]
1468. That yere were meny men a pechyd of treson, bothe of the cytte and of othyr townys. Of the cytte Thomas Coke, knyght and aldyrman, and John Plummer, knyght and aldyrman, but the kyng gave hem bothe pardon. And a man of the Lorde Wenlockys, John Haukyns was hys name, was hangyd at Tyburne and be heddyd for treson.[145]
1495. The 22. of Februarie were arraigned in Guildhall at London foure persons, to witte, Thomas Bagnall, Iohn Scot, Ihon Hethe, and Iohn Kenington, the which were Sanctuarie men of Saint Martin le grand in London, and lately before taken thence, for forging seditious libels, to the slander of the King, and some of his Councell: for the which three of them were adiudged to die, & the fourth named Bagnall, pleaded to be restored to sanctuary: by reason whereof he was repriued to the Tower till the next terme, and on the 26 of February the other three with a Flemming, and Robert Bikley a yeoman of the Crown were all fiue executed at Tyborne (Stow, ed. Howes, p. 479).
1483. December 4. Four yeomen of the Crown were drawn from Southwark to Tyburn, and “there were hanged all” (Chronicle of London, Kingsford, 1905, p. 192).
1495. In this year Perkin Warbeck, a pretender, “A yoongman, of visage beautifull, of countenance demure, of wit subtil,” made a descent on the English coasts:—But Perken would not set one foote out of his Shippe, till he sawe all thinges sure; yet he permitted some of his Souldiours to goe on lande, which being trained forth a prettie way from their Shippes, and seeing they coulde haue no comfort of the Countrey, they withdrew againe to their Shippes: at which withdrawing, the Maior of Sandwich, with certaine commons of the Countrey, bikered with the residue that were vppon lande, and tooke aliue of them 169. persons, among the which were fiue Captaines Mountfort, Corbet, White Belt, Quintin & Genine. And on the twelfth of Julie, Syr Iohn Pechy, Sheriffe of Kent, bought vnto London bridge those 169. persons, where the Sheriffes of London, Nicholas Alwine and Iohn Warner receiued and conueied them, railed in robes like horses in a cart, vnto the tower of London, and to Newgate, and shortlie after to the number of 150. were hanged about the sea coasts in Kent, Essex, Sussex, and Norffolke; the residue were executed at Tiborne and at Wapping in the Whose besides London; and Perken fled into Flanders (Stow, ed. Howes, p. 479).
1499. Perkyn (of whome rehersall was made before) beyng now in holde, coulde not leaue with the destruccion of him selfe, and confusion of other that had associate them selfes with him, but began now to study which way to flye & escape. For he by false persuasions and liberall promises corrupted Strangweyes, Blewet, Astwood and long Rogier hys kepers, beynge seruantes to syr Ihon Dygby, lieutenaunt. In so muche that they (as it was at their araynment openly proued) entended to haue slayn the sayde Master, and to haue set Perkyn and the Erle of Warwyke at large; which Erle was by them made preuy of this enterprice, & thereunto (as all naturall creatures loue libertie) to his destruccion assented. But this craftie deuice and subtil imaginacion, beyng opened and disclosed, sorted to none effect, and so he beyng repulsed and put back from all hope and good lucke with all hys complices and confederates, and Ihon Awater sometyme Mayre of Corffe in Ireland, one of his founders, and his sonne, were the sixten daye of Nouembre arreyned and comdempned at Westmynster. And on the thre and twenty daye of the same moneth, Perkyn and Ihon Awater were drawen to Tyborne, and there Perkyn standyng on a little skaffolde, redde hys confession, which before you haue heard, and toke it on hys death to be true, and so he and Ihon Awater asked the kyng forgeuenes and dyed paciently. (Hall’s Chron., ed. 1809, p. 491).
1497. Henry had prepared “a puissaunt and vigorious army to inuade Scotland,” when domestic troubles arose:—“When the lord Dawbeney had his army assembled together and was in his iourney forward into Scotlande, he sodeinly was stayed and reuoked agayne, by reason of a newe sedicion and tumult begonne within the realme of England for the subsedy whiche was graunted at the last parliament for the defence of the Scottes with all diligence and celeritee, whiche of the moost parte was truely satisfied and payde. But the Cornish men inhabityng the least parte of the realme, and thesame sterile and without all fecunditee, compleyned and grudged greatly affirmyng that they were not hable to paye suche a greate somme as was of theim demaunded. And so, what with angre, and what with sorrowe, forgettynge their due obeysaunce, beganne temerariously to speake of the kyng him selfe. And after leuyng the matter, lamentyng, yellyng, & criyng maliciously, sayd, that the kyngs counsayll was the cause of this polling and shauing. And so beyng in aroare, ii. of thesame affinitee, the one Thomas Flamocke, gentleman, learned in the lawes of the realme, and theother Mighell Ioseph a smyth, men of high courages and stoute stomackes, toke vpon theim to be captaynes of this vngracious flocke and sedicious company.… These capiteynes exhorted the common people to put on harneys, & not to be afearde to folowe theim in this quarell, promisyng theim that they shoulde do no damage to any creature, but only to se ponyshement and correccion done to such persons which were the aucthors & causers that the people were molested and vexed with such vnreasonable exaccions and demaunds.” The rebels marching towards London, “the kyng perceauyng the cyuile warre to approche & drawe nerer & nerer, almost to his very gates, determined with all his whole powre to resist and represse thesame.… Wherfore he reuoked agayn the lord Dawbeney which as you have heard, was with a puyssaunt army goyng into Scotland, whose army he encreaced and multiplied with many picked and freshe warryers, that he might the better, and with lesse laboure ouercome these rebelles.”
At Wells the rebels were joined by Lord Audley, who became their leader. They reached Blackheath where, although they captured Lord Dawbeney himself, they were overcome. “There were slain of the rebelles whiche fought & resisted ii. thousand men & moo & taken prisoners an infinite nombre, & emongest theim the black smyth & chiefe capteins.” The king pardoned all the leaders “sauyng the chiefe capiteynes & firste aucthors of that mischiefe, to whome he woulde neither shewe mercy nor lenity. For he caused the Lord Audeleigh to be drawen from Newgate to the Towre hil in a cote of his awne armes peinted vpon paper, reuersed and al to torne, & there to be behedded the xxviii. day of Iuyn. And Thomas Flamock and Myghell Ioseph he commaunded after the fassyon of treytours to be drawen, hanged, and quartered [at Tyburn], & their quarters to be pytched on stakes, & set vp in diuerse places of Cornewhale, that their sore punyshementes and terrible execucions for their treytorous attemptes and foolish hardy enterprices, might be a warning for other herafter to absteyne from committing lyke cryme and offence.”
Michael Joseph, the blacksmith, “was of such stowte stomack & haute courage, that at thesame time that he was drawen on the herdle toward his death, he sayd (as men do reporte) that for this myscheuous and facinorous acte, he should haue a name perpetual and a fame permanent and immortal” (Hall’s Chronicle, ed. 1809, pp. 476-80).
1502. Vpon Monday, beyng the second day of May, was kept at the Guyld hall of London an Oyr determyne, where sat the Mayre, the Duke of Bokyngham, Therle of Oxenford, with many other lordes, Juges, and knyghtes, as commyssioners: before whome was presented as prisoners to be enquyred of, sir James Tyrell, and sir John Wyndam, knyghtes, a Gentilman of the said sir James, named Wellesbourn, and one other beyng a shipman.… Vpon ffriday folowyng, beyng the vjᵗᵉ day of May and the morowe after the Ascension of our Lord, Sir James Tyrell and the forsaid Sir John Wyndam, knyghtes, were brought out of the Toure to the scaffold vpon the Toure hill, vpon their ffete, where they were both beheded. And the same day was the forsaid Shipman laied vpon an herdyll, and so drawen from the Toure to Tybourne, and there hanged, hedid, and quartered. And the forenamed Wellysbourn Remayned still in prison at the kynges commaundment and pleasure (Chronicles of London, Kingsford, 1905, p. 256).