A Petition to the Lord Chancellor

218

A PETITION TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR¹

To the right reverent fader in God, Cardynale Archebusshop
of York² and Chaunceler of Inglond.

     PLEASE it yowre gode Lordeshep to know that oon
        Roger Cherche, other wyse callyd Roger Bylaugh,
        Roger Wryte, and Roger Baly, late³ was at a gaderyng
and assemble of xv. persones in a feleshep under a wode in the
town of Possewyke, in the counte of Norffolk, which feleshep,
as it is seid be hem, was procured and gaderyd be the seid
Roger Cherche and be his councelores, the same Roger seyng
to summe of the same feleshep,⁴ he had remembred a gode
name for her capteyn, that shuld be John Amend Alle; and
the seyd Roger aftyr the seyd gaderyng aggreyd hym self to be
take and examyned be persones of his own covyne, and be
color of his seid feleshep of xv. persones be hym gaderyd,
enbilled divers gentilmen, and many thryfty and substanciall
yomen, and thryfty husbondes, and men of gode name and
fame, noysyng and diffamyng to the Kyng and his Councell
that the seid gentilmen, yomen, and thryfty husbondes, with
other, to the nombre of ccc. persones, shuld have mad a
gaderyng and a risyng ageyn the Kynges peas under the seid
wode, contrary to the trought; which is veryly conceyved to
be don of malyce to put the seid gentilmen and yomen in feer
and trobill that thei as wele as alle the contre shuld not be
hardy to attempt, ne lette the purposyd malyce of the seid
Cherche and his councellores in divers riottes, extorciouns,
forsibil entreys and unlawfull disherytauns of gentilmen and
other of the Kynges liege peple in the seid shire that thei
dayly use, which riottes, extorcions, aswele as the seid untrewe
diffamacions, causyth gret grudgyng, trobill, and comocyon in
the seid shire. Please it yowre gode grace, these premysses
considered, not to suffre the seid Cherche to have no pardon
of the comune grace graunted be the Kyng owre soverayn
Lord un Gode Fryday last past,¹ un to the tyme that he hath
fownde sufficient suerte of wel namyd persones of the seid
shire of his gode beryng; and to direct a comyssion un to
such notabill persones in the seid shire as please you, to take
and examyn the seid Roger Cherche, as wele as othre that them
semyth necessary to examyn in this behalf, so that thei that be
giltles in this may be so declared, and that thei that be gilty
may be ponysshed acordyng to her demerytes; and to beseche
the Kyng owre soverayn Lord in the behalf of the gentilmen
of the seid shire that his Hignesse wull not take hem, ne any
of hem, in conceyt to be of such rewle and disposicion up un
enformacion of such a mysse rewled and encredibill man as the
seid Roger. And thei shall pray to God for you.

     ¹ [Add. Charter 17,241, B.M.] The date of this petition will be seen by a
footnote.                                          ² Cardinal Kemp.

     ³ Here the words ‘before Crystmasse last past’ originally stood in the text, but
are crossed out.

     ⁴ Here occurs a caret referring to some illegible words in the margin.

    ¹ On Good Friday the 7th April 1452, Henry VI. offered general pardons for
offences against himself to all who would sue them out of Chancery.—See Whetham-
stede, 317, 319.                                                                                                                    

1452