IEI I ER JJJ.

To oure right trufli and welbelovid John Pafton Squier.

The Duc of Norff"

Rufti and right welbelovid we grete you weel, lating you Tuft

we

witte that for the trust that as weel we as the heires of Edmund Swathyng have unto you we have appointid you to be one of the makeres up indifferently of the evydences betwix us and the feide heires, wher for we pray you hertily y' ye wil yeve attendaunce at fuch day and place as ye and our right trufti and welbelovid frende William Yelv.'ton with oure welbelovid f'vaunt Jenney shal mow attende to the making up of the feide evidencez, and we fhal fende fume of our f'vauntz to awayte. upon you for yo' reward and coftis y' ye fhal be pleafid wt by the grace of God who have you eve' in his keping.

Wreten undir our fignet in oure Caftel of fframlyngham the xviij. day of

11 by 5.

3 John
Mowbray,

Dorff.

This fhort Letter at first fight feems to convey nothing worthy notice, though, upon confideration, we are struck with the care and attention paid by the Duke to the Title Deeds of those Estates which he purchased.

Three Gentlemen, two of them afterwards eminent Lawyers, were employed to settle the title and draw up the conveyance of an estate bought by the Duke of the Heirs of Swathing, who, we here fee, were properly attended upon, and handfomely rewarded for their time and trouble.

The Title Deeds of the age were concife and clear, unincumbered with that seeming tautology, which the practice of modern times has perhaps made neceffary.

William Yelverton was created a Serjeant at Law in 1440, appointed a Justice of the King's Bench in 1444, and in 1460 made a Knight of the Bath.

2 William Jenney was made a Serjeant at Law in 1464, and in 1478 a Juftice of the King's Bench.

LET

LETTER III.

To our right trusty and wellbeloved John Pafton, Esquire.

The Duke of Norfolk.

'RUSTY and wellbeloved we greet you well; Letting you

T

ye

weet, that for the truft, that as well we, as the Heirs of Edmund Swathing have unto you, we have appointed you to be one of the makers up indifferently of the Evidences betwixt us, and the faid Heirs; wherefore we pray you heartily, that will give attendance at fuch day and place, as ye and our right trusty and wellbeloved William Yelverton, with our wellbeloved Servant Jenney fhall mow [be able to] attend to the making up of the faid Evidences, and we fhall fend fome of our Servants to await upon you, for your reward and costs, that ye fhall be pleased by the grace of God, who have you ever in his keeping.

Written under our Signet in our Caftle of Framlingham the 18th day of

Framlingham

18

Before 1444
23 H. VI.

3 JOHN MOWBRAY, NORFolk.

John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, fucceeded his Father in 1435, and died in 1461. He married Ellenor, only Daughter of William Bourchier Earl of Ewe in Normandy. The Signature of his name is fingular and curious, the monogram before the word Norff', containing all the Letters of his Chriftian and Surname. JOHN MOWBRAY. Pl. 1. N° 3.

The name of the month being written near the edge of the paper on the original Letter, is torn off

This Letter was most probably written before Yelverton was made a Judge, as the Duke would, in cafe he had then been fo, have called him Juftice, according to the custom of the time

The Date of it will therefore be before 1444, 23 H. VI.

The fignature only is of the Duke's hand writing.

LETTER JU.

To my worfchypful and reverent Lord John Vicont Beaumont.

R

2

YGTH worschypfull and my reverent and most spesiall Lord y recomaund me un to yowr good grace in the most humble and lowly wyfe that y canne or may defyryng to her of your profperite and well fare as to my moft fyngeler joy and fpefiall comfort. And gyf hyt plees your hygnes as towchyng the foden aventeur that fell latly at Coventre plees hyt your Lordfhyp to her that on Corpus Xpi even last passed be twene viij and ix of the clok at afternon Syr Umfrey 3 Stafford had browth my mayfter Syr James of Urmond towad hys yn from my Lady of Shrewefbery and reterned from hym toward hys yn he met w' Syr Robert Harcourt comyng from hys moder toward hys yn and paffed Syr Umfrey, and Richard hys fon came fomewhat be hynd, and when they met to gyder they fell in handes togyder and Sir Robert fmot hym a grette stoke on the hed w' hys ford and Richard w' hys Dagger haftely went

6

This Letter prefents us with the effects of a private difpute, and gives us an instance of the dangerous, though common ferocity of thefe unfettled times; it must have been written between 1440 and 450, as in the former year Lord Beaumont was created a Viscount, and in the latter Sir Humphrey Stafford was killed.

John Viscount Beaumont, fo created in Feb. 1439-40, 18 H. VI. was the first of that title by patent in England; he was killed at the battle of Northampton, in July 1460, fighting for the Houfe of Lancaster.

The Thursday after Trinity Sunday,

toward

LETTER IV.

I

To my worshipful and reverend Lord, John Viscount Beaumont.

R

IGHT worshipful, and my reverend, and most special

your

Lord, I recommend me unto your good Grace in the most humble and lowly wife, that I can or may, defiring to hear of your profperity and welfare, as to my moft fingular joy and special comfort.

4

And if it please your Highnefs, as touching the fudden adventure that fell lately at Coventry, please it your Lordship to hear, that on Corpus Chrifti even laft paffed, between 8 and 9 of the clock at afternoon, Sir Humphrey 3 Stafford had brought my mafter, Sir James of Ormond, toward his Inn from my Lady of 5 Shrewsbury, and returned from him toward's his Inn, he met with fir Robert Harcourt coming from his mother's towards his Inn, and paffed Sir Humphrey ; and Richard his fon came fomewhat behind, and when they met together, they fell in hands together, and Sir Robert finote him a great ftroke on the head with his fword, and Richard with his Dagger haftily went toward him, and as he stumbled,

3 He was a collateral branch of the family of the Duke of Buckingham; and, in June 1450, commanded a Detachment of the royal army, fent out against the Rebel Jack Cade; his Party fell into an Ambush and he was killed.

4 Query, Whether James, fon of the Earl of Ormond, who afterwards, in 1449, was created Earl of Wiltshire.

5 Wife of John Talbot, the famous Earl of Shrewsbury..

He fignalised himself in the wars of Henry VI. and Edward IV. was a knight of the Garter; and, in November 1470, 10 E. IV. was flain by the Staffords, perhaps in revenge for this murder of Richard Stafford.

one.

toward hym and as he stombled on of Harcourts men fmot hym

t

in the bak w1 a knyfe men wotte not ho hytt was reddely, hys fader hard noys and rode toward hem and hys men ronne befor hym thyder ward and in the goyng downe of hys hors on he wotte not ho be hynd hym fmot hym on the hede w1 à nege tole men know not wt us w what wepone that he fell downe and hys fon fell downe be fore hym as good as dede. And all thys was don as men sey in a 7 Pater nofter wyle. And forth w* Syr Umfrey Stafford men foloed after and flew ij men of Harcowrttus on Swynerton and Bradshawe and mo ben hurt, Sum ben gonne and fum ben in pryfon in the Jayll at Coventre. And before the Coroner of Coventre up on the fygth of the bodyes ther ben endited as Prynfipall for the deth of Richard Stafford, Syr Robert Harcourt and the ij men that ben dede. And for the ij men of Harcourts that ben dede ther ben endited ij men of Syr Umfrey as Prynfipall. And as gytte ther hath ben no thyng fownden before the Juftice of the Pees of Coventre of thys riot be caws the Shreffe of Warwyk fhyre is dede and they may not fytt in to the tyme ther be a new Shreve.

And all thys myschef fell be cawfe of a nold debate that was be twene heme for takyng of a dyftres as hyt is told.

And all mygthty Jhu preferve yowr hye aftat my fpefiall Lord and fend yow long lyve and good hele.

Wryten

7 Proverbially, a fhort time; for our Forefathers, who were to repeat a great number of Pater nofters at once, performed the business in a very expeditious manner. In Langham's Garden of Health, printed in 1597, is the following fentence,

Ears