[214]
THE SHERIFF OF NORFOLK TO THE KING AND COUNCIL[263.1]
To the Kyng and the Lordes of his Councell.
1452
[APRIL 30]
I John Clopton, Shereffe of Norffolk, certifie that wher oon John Falyate and othre were take within the hundred of Blofeld in the seid shire, and led to the castell of Framlyngham in the counte of Suffolk, I, the forseid Shereffe, be the comaundement of my Lord of Norffolk, the last day of Aprill receyved at the seid castell a bille of divers knowlech and confessyons which were enformyd me shuld have be mad in the presens of my seid Lords Councell be Roger Chirch and othre, which the seid John Falyate, as it was enformed me, shuld have confessid to have be trewe. After which bille receyved and be me red and understand, callyng befor me the seid John Falyate and alle othre that where examyned, except the seyd Roger Chirch, in the presens of divers of my Lords Councell there, I red to the seid John Falyate the tale comprised in the seid bille seid be the seid Roger Chirch, demawndyng hym of the trought her of; wherto he answered, and seid that he wust wele ther was no wey with hym but deth, and therfore, as he wuld answer afore God, he wuld sey the trought, and seid that the substaunce of the tale told be the seid Roger Chirch was untrewe, and feyned and imagyned be the same Chirch, and that he never had knowleched that the tale to be trewe. Neverthelesse he seid that he was with a felesshep gadered undre Possewykwode be the prokeryng of the seid Chirch, which feleshep, whan thei were all togeder, passid not the nombre of xv. persones. And that the seid Chirch wast the furst that ever mevid hym for to come theder, seying that he shuld have feleshep i nowe and do goode, for he was balyffe of the hundred, and be colour of his office he shuld send in men i now, and that he knew a gode name for her capteyn, that shuld be John Amend Alle. More over I the seid Shereffe asked the seid Falyate if thei whan thei wer to geder spoke of Paston and othre gentilmen named in the seid bille to have assisted hem; and he seid pleynly nay, but that thei and othre thryfty men were noysid be the seid Chirch and be his councellores sith the tyme of the gaderyng of the seid feleshep, and never was spokyn of ther. In like wyse seid othre that were examyned in the seid bille.
[263.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] John Clopton was Sheriff of Norfolk from Michaelmas 1451 to Michaelmas 1452.
[215]
JOHN OSBERN TO JOHN PASTON[264.1]
To my right reverent and worchepful maister John Paston in the Iner In of the Temple be this delyverid in hast.
1452
MAY 14
Please it your maisterchep to weete that John Reyner and Nicholas Strecok of Sparham have gete a respyte of Nicholas Byschop for the distresse that the seid Byschop had take, as ye knowe wele, tyl seche tyme as ye may speke wyth Symond Blake for the trought of the mater; not wythstandyng this respite myght never be gete tyll that Byschop had a reward of mony; it is told me he toke viijd. for hese reward. The dryvers ought of the catell fro Sparham ground to Lyng grownd were Hugo Sadde of Baldeswell, Byschoppis man, Nicholas Gatesend, Roberd Joye, Jacobis Baxter of Lyng. James Gloys hath a bill of the tyme and day. I pray your maisterchep to know that on Fryday in the afftyr none I spak with my lord of Norwiche in hese chamber more than the space of j. owre and ther I dede to hym myn erand that ye commaunded me for to a do to chalanches, and when my lord woost that ye were to London he was right sory that he had not a spoke wyth yow or that ye reden; he told me that he had iij. letters fro my lord of Norffolk the day before. Alle I wet wel were they not for yowre mater of Charlys Nowell. Aftyer that he had told me of these letteris he askid me how ye dede. I sayde wel, for I trostid to my lord of Norffolkis lordchep and ritewesnesse that he wold see that Charles shuld be sharply correctyd for hese trespasse and mysrewle, or ellis the jentelmen of the shire must to giddyer purvey anodyer meane; and he seid it wold never odyerwyse be, but if he had spoke wyth yow or ye redyn to London he hopid be your avys he shuld a perveyd a meane to a set that in correccion, and also the trobyl for the maner of Brayston, for that was cause of all. For he seide he had spoke wyth my lord Skales and he is wel disposid to yow and vn the best wyse and wel do . . . yow that he can, so that he wold forsake Danyell. This was seyde in a diswere, savyng he told me he must . . . . pleayne he told me many more thyngges and tales I pray you of your maistechep (sic) hold me excusid that I wryte hem [not], but they were not alle of gret substans, &c. I had gret cher, he comaunded me to be had into the seler, and for to drynk wyne and ale bothe; and so I had and goode chere. My mastras recomendith her to yow and pray yow that ye wol do the cost vn my mastras Margery for to do make her a new gyrdyl a yens Witsontyde, for she shal never have, my mastras seith, till she hath nede; and my mastras prayith yow to send her tydyngges, as hastely as ye may, how ye do in your maters. The Holy Trenyte have yow in hese kepyng. Wrete at Norwiche the xiiij. day of Maii. —Be your seruaunt, John Osbern.
[264.1] [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 83.] The reference to the outrages of Charles Nowell, the bailiff of Bradeston, and the trouble about that manor, show that this letter must be of the year 1452.