A Petition of the Parishoners of Didcot to Thomas Stonor

74. A PETITION OF THE PARISHIONERS
OF DIDCOT TO THOMAS STONOR

[c. 1465]

     The only clue to the date is the reference to Dr. Bulkeley, i.e. Roger
Bulkeley, D.D. of Oxford, who was Proctor in 1433, Principal of Hare Hall
in 1450, and Commissary of the University in 1450, 1461, and 1464. He was
Rector of Didcot in 1465-67 (Ministers Accounts, 1240/10, 11; see Vol. ii,
P. 182); he may have held the rectory for some time previously. The original
is badly damaged in the lower left-hand corner. From A.C., xlvi, 41.

     Unto oure worshipfull and reverent Maister, Thomas Stonor, esquier,
or to such as it plesith him in this behalf to assigne.

     Besechethe lowly and mekely unto youre gracious Maistership youre
pore bedemen and tenauntes off youre lordeship off Dudcote, wich beth
gretly wronged and ungodely entreted by the parson off Dudcote fore-
said: wich parson desired off the Township foresaid, that is to say off
Thomas Frocwell, Richard Colleman, Williham Harries, and off other
mo, to go to scole to Oxonford, and the said parson to fynde his depute
and his attorney for alle sacramentes and necessaries in his absence there
treuly to be observed and kept. Herapon this was graunted to the said
parson, and then the parson yeed to Oxford, and the dyvyne service and
other sacramentes wer not kept as thei aght to be, to gret unese to the
parish. Ferthermore the chirchemen of Dudcote wer in bargenyng
off a ryke off weete for the welfare and help off the chirch: the seid
parson undirstode this, and unkyndly labored to Doctor Bulkley, that
was awner off the reke, and prively bargened with and put the chirche-
men aparte. And when the parson com home he declared in the
polepitt openly, that it was the Doctor wille the parissh shuld by the
straw off the reke, because thei had but litell stuff among hem this
yere: God knoweth full evell penyworthes thei had and sharp. And
but because off him the parish wer like to have more favor off the straw,
the said parson toke to him Richard Colleman and Williham Harries to
be parcenars with him after the price he bought itt, and fully agreed:
and the next day after the parson denyed it, and wrongly to put hem
from the bargeyne. Also the said parson yeed to Oxonford, and
graunted to Williham Harries a dayes thress off straw off the same for
ix. d. And he remembred him, and wold not let him have it after
under xvj. d. a daies thress, and ever sold so and derrer: he myght
have do better, for the straw was not his, and it was the Doctoures will
that the parish shuld have penyworthes better then he shewid: ffor
this unkyndnes the parish wer displesid, and thought greet unkyndness;
for what that ever he wer to by straw, he must pay in honde or fynde
surete as it wer a straunge man. And mo this langage and contenciones
is betwix the said parson and his parishioners, with other maters moo,
to greet heveness off the parish the parson to be so unkynde. Item,
Robert Dobson, the parson's man, repreved and ungodely in the moost
unhonest wise called diverse men knaves and harlettes and Charles,
and said thei wer so everychon. And the said parson mayntened him
therin. Thei wer so bold that tweyne off the parson's men lay awayte
apon John Pepwite in Bagley; and ther thei bete him, and, except
pepull of Abendon, likly to have kylled [him]: this man rekevered and
come home. And apon a Sonday after evensong the moder of [this]
same man, Bett, and the man also, made an oute cry apon the parson
amonge all the parisshe . . . whiche were hevy to here off, iff it shuld
be written. Item, Richard Browne com, and openly [declare]d afore
the parson and the parisshe that Richard Colleman shuld have be beet,
iff he had come . . . . . . wey: the parson said he wold put on
aventure the valure off his parsonage, but at the last . . . . . . vjs.
viijd., that Browne wold nat awow this: and Browne at all tymes will
. . . [awo]w itt, and testifie it at alle tymes. The parisshones, for
goode tranquillite, reest, and . . . [fe]ryng the greet hurt off the chirch
ale at that tyme, beside alle other offences . . . . . . and his preest to
go in to the parsonage to kepe peas, and the parson redde a greet
. . . bully, and called Maister Stonors men, and said stonde, wich we,
Williham  . . . . . . and off this, and come to Dudcote and made peas
unto the tyme Maister  . . . . . . at. Wherfore we wyll beseche youre
maysterschip to have knowleche how and . . . . . . en yet to make a
new dyvysion ayen. Ther was a mason wroght on the . . . . . . the
parson wold have sett his horse on the chirchyerd in the night tyme,
and . . . . . . it in his horse, and desiryd him to put hym noon there
by cause off the . . . off the scafoldys that were aboute hytt.

    No endorsement.

74. A PETITION OF THE PARISHIONERS
OF DIDCOT TO THOMAS STONOR

[c. 1465]

     The only clue to the date is the reference to Dr. Bulkeley, i.e. Roger
Bulkeley, D.D. of Oxford, who was Proctor in 1433, Principal of Hare Hall
in 1450, and Commissary of the University in 1450, 1461, and 1464. He was
Rector of Didcot in 1465-67 (Ministers Accounts, 1240/10, 11; see Vol. ii,
p. 182); he may have held the rectory for some time previously. The original
is badly damaged in the lower left-hand corner. From A.C., xlvi, 41.

     Unto oure worshipfull and reverent Maister, Thomas Stonor, esquier,
or to such as it plesith him in this behalf to assigne.

     Besechethe lowly and mekely unto youre gracious Maistership youre
pore bedemen and tenauntes off youre lordeship off Dudcote, wich beth
gretly wronged and ungodely entreted by the parson off Dudcote fore-
said: wich parson desired off the Township foresaid, that is to say off
Thomas Frocwell, Richard Colleman, Williham Harries, and off other
mo, to go to scole to Oxonford, and the said parson to fynde his depute
and his attorney for alle sacramentes and necessaries in his absence there
treuly to be observed and kept. Herapon this was graunted to the said
parson, and then the parson yeed to Oxford, and the dyvyne service and
other sacramentes wer not kept as thei aght to be, to gret unese to the
parish. Ferthermore the chirchemen of Dudcote wer in bargenyng
off a ryke off weete for the welfare and help off the chirch: the seid
parson undirstode this, and unkyndly labored to Doctor Bulkley, that
was awner off the reke, and prively bargened with and put the chirche-
men aparte. And when the parson com home he declared in the
polepitt openly, that it was the Doctor wille the parissh shuld by the
straw off the reke, because thei had but litell stuff among hem this
yere: God knoweth full evell penyworthes thei had and sharp. And
but because off him the parish wer like to have more favor off the straw,
the said parson toke to him Richard Colleman and Williham Harries to
be parcenars with him after the price he bought itt, and fully agreed:
and the next day after the parson denyed it, and wrongly to put hem
from the bargeyne. Also the said parson yeed to Oxonford, and
graunted to Williham Harries a dayes thress off straw off the same for
ix. d. And he remembred him, and wold not let him have it after
under xvj. d. a daies thress, and ever sold so and derrer: he myght
have do better, for the straw was not his, and it was the Doctoures will
that the parish shuld have penyworthes better then he shewid: ffor
this unkyndnes the parish wer displesid, and thought greet unkyndness;
for what that ever he wer to by straw, he must pay in honde or fynde
surete as it wer a straunge man. And mo this langage and contenciones
is betwix the said parson and his parishioners, with other maters moo,
to greet heveness off the parish the parson to be so unkynde. Item,
Robert Dobson, the parson’s man, repreved and ungodely in the moost
unhonest wise called diverse men knaves and harlettes and charles,
and said thei wer so everychon. And the said parson mayntened him
therin. Thei wer so bold that tweyne off the parson’s men lay awayte
apon John Pepwite in Bagley; and ther thei bete him, and, except
pepull of Abendon, likly to have kylled [him]: this man rekevered and
come home. And apon a Sonday after evensong the moder of [this]
same man, Bett, and the man also, made an oute cry apon the parson
amonge all the parisshe . . . whiche were hevy to here off, iff it shuld
be written. Item, Richard Browne com, and openly [declare]d afore
the parson and the parisshe that Richard Colleman shuld have be beet,
iff he had come . . . . . . wey: the parson said he wold put on
aventure the valure off his parsonage, but at the last . . . . . . vjs.
viijd., that Browne wold nat awow this: and Browne at all tymes will
. . . [awo]w itt, and testifie it at alle tymes. The parisshones, for
goode tranquillite, reest, and . . . [fe]ryng the greet hurt off the chirch
ale at that tyme, beside alle other offences . . . . . . and his preest to
go in to the parsonage to kepe peas, and the parson redde a greet
. . . bully, and called Maister Stonors men, and said stonde, wich we,
Williham . . . . . . and off this, and come to Dudcote and made peas
unto the tyme Maister . . . . . . at. Wherfore we wyll beseche youre
maysterschip to have knowleche how and . . . . . . en yet to make a
new dyvysion ayen. Ther was a mason wroght on the . . . . . . the
parson wold have sett his horse on the chirchyerd in the night tyme,
and . . . . . . it in his horse, and desiryd him to put hym noon there
by cause off the . . . off the scafoldys that were aboute hytt.

     No endorsement.