1450
DEC. 5
As the oyer and terminer in Suffolk is to be on Monday next, desires them to get Sir John Sypton indicted for forging the false acquittance, and Bury his advocate also. Has inquired of his tenants at Dedham who were the chief counsel of breaking his mill-dam, and they say Sir John Squyer was chief, but John Waryn was of counsel and court-holder there; also Sir John Buk, Parson of Stratton, who fished his stanks, &c. John Cole of Stoke has also taken in years past more than twenty of his swans. Let them be presented. The late Parson of Cotton got F.’s late bailly, Henry Holm (now dead), pledged out by false representations of the sufficiency of his bail, &c.
London, 5 Dec. 29 Hen. VI. Signed.
[195.1] [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 247.]
[162]
FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS[195.2]
To my ryght trusty and welbelovyd frendys, Sir Thomas, Parson off Castellcombe.
1450
DEC. 20
Ryght trusty frendys, I grete you well. And lete you wete that I have resseyved your lettre thys day, which was wryt xv. day of December, and undre[stand] well your ryght gode mocions and causes shewed of inconvenients that myght fall, yff the shyreve have not a gode undreshyreff whyche were not enclynyng to the partie of T. H.[195.3] And there as ye meoffe me to wryte to ij. Lordys for the said cause, they be both forth to theyr contre, and shall therfor wryte unto hem uppon the tenor of your lettrez in that at y can or may, as forre as reson and justice wolle, for such an officer as woll not, for no mede, hate, or losse, execut[196.1] dewlye his office to the weele of the contre.
Item, the day of thys lettre wrytyng, John Bokkyng ys com to me, and hath expressley enformyd me by mouth as by wrytynges the greete labour and diligence whych ye have take uppon yow, seth Martismasse, in especiall, abowte the expedition of my processe of oyer and terminer before the Kyngs Commyssioners attained; and I vele ryght well by the avauncement of my processe your faithfull diligence, for whych y can you ryght gode thank, and trustyng uppon your gode continuance. And seth the Commissioners shall sytt at Lynne after the Epiphanye, such of my maters as have take none ende, but hang yn processe for deffaut of aunsuer or apparaunce of my partie, I pray you that the said maters may be called uppon of the new, and dew processe had as ferre as justice and gode concience wolle.
Item, it ys so, as I undrestand, that the Lord Scalys woll be at Lynne thys Cristmasse, and at the oyer and terminer halden there, and Sir Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon wolle appere, of which I am well content; and it ys lyke that grete labour and speciall pursute shall be made to the Lord Scalys that he wolle meynteyn the said Tuddenham and Heydon in all he can or may, and thus I have herd sey. Wherfor such persones as have founde hem soore greved by extorcion as I have ben, and have processe or wolle hafe processe before the Commissioners, they most effectuelly labour to my Lord Oxford, and to my brothyr Zelverton, Justice, that they wolle as ferre as justice, reson, and concience do that justice may [be] egallie mynistred, and not to wythdrawe theyr couragez well sett from the pore peple; for and they hald not the hand well and stedfast yn thys mater from hens forth whyle it shall dure, as they have herebefore, the pore peple and all the grete part of both shyres of Norffolk and Suffolk be destroyed. For it shewyth well by what manyfold undewe menys of extorcion they have lyved yn myserie and grete pouverte by manye yeers contynewed that the moste part of the comyners have litill or nought to meynteyn their menage and housold, ne to pay the Kyngs taskys, nothyr theyr rents and servises to the Lordz they be tenants un too, as it shewyth daylie to all the world, whych ys overe a grete pitie to thynk. And when the said pore peple have be by such injuries overladd and so undoon, nedz most the gentlemen that have they pore lyvelode amongs hem be gretely minisshed and hyndered of their increse and levyng.