Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton

8   Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton, [December 1463]       (No. 11, p.
     155; CB 618)

Right worshippfull my singuler good mastre,^a as my dewtie is, with
intier regraces, I recomend me vnto you, whose honor, ioy & prosperitie
I beseech the blessed Trinitie to encrease dayly, as I would haf of my
simple person. Sir, I thank you, among inumerable other of your
comfortable letters, that you now take your disport¹ att your libertie.
And as touching my lord,² I shall ride to M. to him within these 4
daies and doe my parte, and as I shall find him [p. 156] so shall I
certifie you. Sir, as anenst Scatergood, I hafe yett taken a longer
continuance vnto New Yere Day, and I would fayne that it were att an
end, thof it cost you money for counterrnaunding and noysing that
would be had by priuy seales, for they go light cheape; and send me
your will therein.

     Sir, it is necessary that T[homas Beckwith] be content at t[h]is time
x li for losse of money by suites makes more payments.³ Sir, if it like
you that Richard F. aftre this Yoole might entend vpon me toward
London, seing your presence now here, and ye might forgo him, I
would haue of you knowledge, for other haue labored me whome I
respite therefore. Butt dissease or displease would nott I you in any
wise. As for Gouldesburgh, yett mett we nott, but now I trust that ye
shall confirme all that first was named,⁴ and for God’s sake perform it
(qua mora trahit periculum), or his brother Edward⁵ goe to London att
twentie day of Yoole, and ellis will it straunge and delay. And think
how ye lost Robart Ros son.⁶ Your daughter & myn with humble
recomendations, desireth your blessing and speaketh prattely and
French, and hath near hand learned her sawter. Sir, Henry Suthill
hath knowledge of her feofment, as a man tould me secretly,⁷ but for
all that, I trust all shalbe well, with the grace of the blessed Trinity,
who quyte you and send you all your desires. Writen in hast att
Colthrop on Fryday.^b

                      Your serviseable brother         Bryan Roucliffe

Endorsed (p. 155): Vnto his singuler good maister Sir William Plompton
knight

     ^a Marginal note: 11 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Copied 12 of December 1612, Sunday.

     ¹ A reference to Sir William’s acquittal in 1463 on a charge of spreading treasonous
rumours. Pardons were issued to him on 30 Aug. 1463 and 20 Jan. 1463/4, CPR, 1461–
67, 285; App. II, 19, 26.

     ² Probably the earl of Warwick, whose stronghold was Middleham castle, Rich-
mondshire. Plumpton was reinstated as the earl’s deputy at Knaresborough after coming
to terms with him, Introd., above p. 7.

     ³ See 6.

     ⁴ The bond for the marriage of Sir William’s daughter Alice with Richard Goldsburgh
is dated 1 Oct. 1465, CB, 586.

     ⁵ Edward Goldsburgh later became a baron of the Exchequer, Test. Ebor., iv,49;
S.B. Chrimes, Henry VII (1972), 158; Rosemary Horrox, Richard III: A Study of Service
(Cambridge, 1989), 199.

     ⁶ Robert Roos of Ingmanthorpe, near Wetherby, whose son’s projected marriage with
another of Sir William’s daughters was aborted, WYASL, Acc.1731/6, fol.208.

     ⁷ Margaret, daughter of William’s deceased son and heir was contracted to marry
Brian Rocliffe’s son John, 26 Nov. 1463. The following Feb. her sister Elizabeth was
contracted to marry John, eldest son of Henry Sotehill of Stockerston, Leicestershire.
Significantly the two prospective fathers-in-law were servants of the earl of Warwick,
Apps I, 3; II, 23; III.

LETTER VI.

Unto his singuler good maister Sir William Plompton, Knight.

    Right worshippfull my singuler good mastre, as my dewtie is,
with intier regraces I recomend me unto you, whose honor joy and
prosperitie I beseech the blessed trinitie to encrease dayly as I
would haf of my simple person. Sir, I thank you among inumer-
able other, of your comfortable letter that you now take your
disport att your libertee.a And as touching my lord,b I shall ride to
M??to him within these 4 daies and doe my part, and as I
shall find him, so shall I certifie you. Sir, as anenst Scatergood
I hafe yett taken a longer continuance unto new yeare day, and I
would fayne that it were att an end, thof it cost you mony for
countermaunding and noysing; that would be had by privy seales,
for they go light cheape, and send me your will therein. Sir, it is
necessary that T. Beckwithc be content at this time of xli, for losse
of money by suites makes more payments. Sir, if it like you that
Richard F?aftre this yoole might entend upon me toward
London, seing your presence now here, and ye might forgo him,
I would have of you knowledge, for other have labored me, whome
I respite therefore. Butt dissease or displease would nott I you
in any wise. As for Gouldesburgh yett mett we nott, but now I
trust that ye shall confirme all that first was named, and for Gods
sake performe it (quia mora trahitt periculum ) or his brother
Edwardd goe to London att twentie day of yoole, and ellis will it
straunge and delay. And think how ye lost Robart Ros son.e
Your daughter and myn, with humble recomendations, desireth
your blessing, and speaketh prattely and french and hath near
hand learned her sawter. Sir, Henry Suthill hath Knowledge of
her feofment,f as a man tould me secretly, but for all that I trust
all shalbe well, with the grace of the blessed trinitie, who quyte
you and send you all your desires. Writen in hast at Colthrop on
fryday.g

    (Dec. 1463.)    Your serviseable brother,h BRYAN ROUCLIFFE.

    a Sir William Plumpton had about this time been confined on a false charge of car-
rying on a treasonable correspondence with the fugitive Lancastrians. (See Memoirs.)

    b John Nevill, Earl of Northumberland and Lord Mountague, between whom and the
Earl of Warwick the estates of the House of Percy were divided, after the accession of
Edward IV.

    c Thomas Beckwith. ( See note to Letter V.)

d Edward Goldesburgh, third Baron of the Exchequer in 1484. The writer of the
letter apparently alludes to the then projected match between Richard, eldest son and
heir apparent of Thomas Goldesburgh of Goldesburgh, com. Ebor. esq. brother of Ed-
ward Goldesburgh above named, and Alice, one of the daughters of Sir William Plump-
ton. The father's bond for the marriage bears date in 1465. (See Memoirs.)

    e "Robert Ros' son, " with whom and another daughter of Sir William Plumpton a
match had previously miscarried, was Thomas, eldest son of Robert Ross, of Ingman-thorp, com. Ebor. esq.

    f Margaret Rocliffe, the wife of John Rocliffe, eldest son of the writer, was grand-
daughter of Sir William Plumpton. Her feofment on marriage (dated 26 Nov. 3 Edw.
IV. 1463) had, it seems, been kept secret from Henry Suthill, esq. who in Feb.
1463-4 contracted for the marriage of the other co-heir.

    g The date of this letter was probably the Friday next preceding Christmas ( Yule )
day, which in 1463 fell on a Sunday. The manor seat of the Roucliffes was at Col-
throp, otherwise Cowthorpe, a parish-town in the upper division of Claro, com. Ebor.
The church there was built by this Brian Roucliffe, and in the choir on a flat stone
are the effigies in brass of him and his wife, bearing betwixt them the model. It was
consecrated in 1458; and he died 24 March 1494.

    h From the time of the marriage of his son with the grand-daughter of Sir William
Plumpton, Brian Rocliff contracted that degree of affinity with the latter which it was
usual to distinguish by the name of brother in social intercourse, and this change in
his mode of signature denotes the priority of date which attaches to the preceding
letters.