No. 28.
Reply to the above. Dated 9 May [1471].
Id. ibid.
Worshipfull sir we receyved your lettres writen at Sydyngborn the viijth day of the present month of Maij by the whiche we understande that it is comyn unto youre knoulege that if ye and youre ffeleaship wt the which ye be accompanyed shulde come unto the Citee of London like as ye write ye entende to doo that thanne ye wolde rifell and dispoile the saide citee ye desire us by the saide lettre that we shulde yeve no credence to noon suche surmyse seiyng and takyng recorde of god that ye never entended so to doo. Prayng us to suffre you and youre saide ffeleaship to passe through the saide Citee of London uppon youre journey to perfourme and execute suche thinges as in your saide lettres ben more largely expressed. Sir we lette you witte that whanne the kgng kyng Edward þe fourth oure soveraigne lord after his grete victorye hadde uppon Ester day last passed beside Barnet daparted oute of the saide Citee of London. He charged and commaunded us upon oure aligeaunce that we shulde kepe the same saffely and suerly to his beof and use not suffryng any persone what degree or condicioun or estate whereof gaderyng or makyng assembles of any people contrary to his lawes wt oute auctorite of his high commaundement to entre therin ffor the whiche cause and many oþer we ne darre may ne wille suffree you to passe through the same Citee, lettyng you witte for certayne that we understand that if ye and youre saide feleaship shulde come and entre in to the same that youre saide feleaship wolde beof like condicioun as other of like disposicioun have bene in tyme passed as by sondry precedentis it appereth unto us right largely. And it shulde not lye in youre power to lette your saide feleaship frome dispoilage and robery. Wherefore we advertise you for that love and service that we afore tyme have ought unto that noble knyght youre ffader[849] and oure goode lorde whose steppes we wolde that ye shulde folowe and for verrey favour that we have born and bere unto you for the goode disposicioun and vertue that in tyme passed we have knouen to be in you that ye spare and absteyne you self from suche unlawfull gaderyng & asumbleng of people the whiche if ye soo doo we doubte not but it shal not onely be unto you grete honour and worship but also to youre prevaile and cause the kyng the rather to be youre goode and graciouse lorde. Moreover Sir we have receyved a proclamacioun sent from you in the whiche amonge oþer articles we understand that ye by the commaundement of Henry late kyng of this Reaume Margarete late quene and Edward late called Prynce by thavise of the Erle of Warwyk whom ye suppose to be alyve[850] as we ben enfourmed and oþer ye be ordeigned Captayne of the Navye of Englond and men of warre both by þe See and by lande. Right worshipfull Sir we mervaile gretely that ye beyng a man of soo grete wisdame and discrecioun shulde be disceyved by simple seynges and fayned tales we certifie you upon oure worshippes and trouthes that bothe the saide Edward late called Prynce and therle of Warrewyk ben slayne and dede for we knoue for certayne not onely by the reaporte of men of grete credence bothe of this citee and by other which were wt the saide Erle of Warrewyk in the felde whanne he and his brother Marqueys Montagu were slayne but also by open lying of theire bodyes in the chirche of Poules by the space of ij dayes whiche many of us didde see and understand for certayne to be the bodies of the saide Erle of Warrewyk and Marqueys Also Sir the saide Edward late called Prince Therle of Devynshire lord John of Somerset lord Wenlok Sir Edmund Hampden Sir Robert Whityngham, Sir John Lewkenore, John Delves wt other moo were sleyne upon Saturday last passed at Tewkesbury. And the Duke of Somerset lord of Seint Johannys Sir Gerveys of Clifton Sir Thomas Tresham wt oþer moo to the noumbre of xij persones ben taken and ben beheded on Monday last passed as we ben veryly enfourmed at Tewkesbury aforsaide where god yaffe the kyng oure saide soverayn lord the victory as we certeynly understande not onely by lettres signed with oure saide soveraigne lordys owne hande whereof we sende yow a copye herein enclosed and by writynges senden from lordes and gentilles there beyng present unto divers and many persones beyng wtin in the saide Citee of London but also by the reaporte of many credible persones and men of worship and by oþer servauntes of the same Citee. Whereof some were sent unto the hooste of oure saide soveraigne lord the king and some unto the hooste of the saide Edward late called Prynce to see and understand the disposicioun of bothe þe saide hoostes and to make reaporte unto us accordyng to the trouth whiche faiethfully have made reaporte unto us of the disposicioun and gugdyng of bothe the saide hoostis and howe and in what manere and fourme the saide Edward late called Prynce and oþer were taken and slayne. Wherefore we fryndely exorte you and stire you not onely to absteyne youre silf from suche unlawfull gaderynges and assembles of people and gevyng feith and credence to any symple feyned and forged tales contrary to trouth as it is rehersed, but also to take accepte and obey the kyng, kyng Edward the iiijth for your soveraigne lord the grete victories aforerehersed which god hath gevyn hym by his myghty power considered like all the lordes spirituell and temporell of this lande and we also have agreed for to doo. And ye soo doyng shal cause the kyng rather to be youre goode lorde and therby ye shal eschewe grete ieobardies parelles and inconveniences that myght enshewe of the contrary. And also ye shal not onely have oure good willes and benevolences in all thinges that hereafter ye shall have to doo wt us but also we shall be meane to the kynges highnesse trustyng that by oure praier he shalbe unto you the rather goode and graciouse lord lettyng you witte for certayne that ye nor youre hooste shal not come within the said Citee. Writen at London in the yeldehall the ix day of Maij.
No. 29.
Account of the invasion of the City by the Kentish rebels on Sunday the 12th May 1471.
Journal 8, fo. 7.
Translation.
Be it remembered that the Mayor and Aldermen with the assent of the Common Council fortified the banks of the river Thames from Castle Baynard as far as the Tower of London with men at arms, bombards, and other implements of war to prevent an attack by the seamen who had brought a large fleet of ships near the Tower, and the said bank was held by the Aldermen and the rest of the citizens in great numbers. Be it remembered also that on Sunday viz: the 12th day of May in the eleventh year of Edward IV, [1471] Kentish seamen and others, rebels of the lord the king made an attack upon London bridge and on the new gate there and set fire to divers houses called berehouses near the hospital of Saint Katherine; and afterwards on the 14th day of May being Tuesday the eleventh year aforesaid about eleven o'clock in the morning of the said Tuesday the said Kentish seamen and other rebels made an attack with great force and set fire to 13 tenements upon London bridge. The said Kentish seamen and others to the number of 5000 persons also made an attack from the Thames upon the gates of Aldgate and Bishopsgate and set fire to divers tenements. The citizens, however, sallied out of the gates and made a stout resistance and put them to flight, and nearly 300 men fell in battle and in flight besides those who were drowned in endeavouring to get on board their ships at Blakewall &c. And afterwards viz.: on the eve of the Ascension the aforesaid eleventh year our said lord King came with a great multitude of armed men to the city of London and there to the honour of the same city created knights John Stokton the Mayor, Richard Lee, Matthew Philip, Ralph Verney, John Yong, William Tailor, aldermen, Thomas Urswyk the Recorder, George Irlond, William Hampton, Bartholomew James, Thomas Stalbrok and William Stokker, aldermen. And the same lord the King conferred upon them knights' badges.