Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton

11  Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton, 3 December [1464]       (No. 12, p.
       156)

Right reuerend worshipful Sir,^a intirly beloued brother and singularly
my good master, after al faithful and due recommdations premised and
special regraces and thankings, as I haue mo causes than I can write,
which our Lord acquit, where I by non power am restrained, desiring
him dayly for your honor, prosperity, ioy and longanimity to be
encreased to your pleasure. Sir, like you to remember the conclusion
of the matter taken betwixt you and Chapman of Stamford by Husse¹
and mee, that yee, for to haue his releas general, shall pay 100s, wherof
I paid 4 marks in hand [p. 157] which you paid mee again and now,
this term, by the aduise of Huzze, thorowh importune clamor of
Chapman, and you to bee in quiet deliuering your acquittance, I paid
33s4d afore Husze to Chapman, so that now you be utterly out of his
dammage.

     And Sir, I conceiued, by the remembrance of my cosin Mr Midleton²
that yee willed mee to buy to you black velvet for a gown, but, Sir, I
pray you herin blame my non power but not my will, for, in faith, I
might not doe it but gif I should run in papers of London which I did
neuer yet, so I haue lived poorly therafter; for and I might els haue
doon it, I should not have spared. But the wis man saith to us: Impedit
omne forum carentia denariorum. And that prooves here now: I dare not
write al my complaint.

     Sir, Sir Thomas Eyr clamoreth upon mee importunly for money, so
that gif I had any of my own I wold haue stopped him, and so as I
might have promised him this next term, which I like you for to send
hither than: for and hee begin his first suit now he wil not bee so easily
entreated.³ And also, Sir, I pray you specially for to send mee money
fro Nessfield, according to your appointment and saing at our last
departing, for and ye know how it stands with mee here, I trust uerily
yee would tender mee the more. And, Sir, the rather I pray you, for I
purpose to haue your son John Roclif⁴ to court [. . .]^b at beginning of
this next terme, where my charge of him in array and other expenses
shal encreas to the drible, as God knowes, whom I beseech entirly for
to haue you in his keeping, and graunt you all your desires. Written in
hast in the Middle Temple, tertio die Decembris. Sir Henry Uausor⁵ was
gone hence, or I wist, so that I might not speak to him for the wapp.
My Thomas may go to him and speed, I trow.

                          Your seruisable brother       Brian Rocliff

Endorsed (p. 157): Vnto the reuerend and right worshipful Sir William
Plompton knight my singular good master be this deliuered

     ^a Marginal note: 12 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Map.

     ¹ William Hussey, of Gray’s Inn (d.1495), king’s attorney, 1472, sergeant, 1478, CJKB,
1481–95, Ives, CL, 374–5, 466; John, Lord Campbell, The Lives of the Chief Justices of
England (3 vols, 1858), i, 154–5.

     ² The lawyer, Thomas Middleton, of Stockeld, near Plumpton, 14; App. III.

     ³ Thomas Eyre, a London merchant, acknowledged receipt of 10m. on account, 10
May 1465 and 15 Nov. 1465, CB, 567, 569.

     ⁴ The writer’s son, later Sir John, 8.

     ⁵ Sir Henry Vavasour, of Hazelwood (d.1500), whose wife, Joan, appears to have been
Dame Agnes Plumpton’s sister, Test. Ebor., v, 164.

LETTER IX.

Unto the reverend and right worshipful Sir William Plompton,
knight, my singular good master, be this delivered.

    Right reverend worshipful Sir, intirly beloved brother, and
singularly my good master, after al faithful and due recommen-
dations pr?mised and special regraces and thankings, as I have
mo causes than I can write, which our Lord acquit, where I by
non power am restrained, desiring him dayly for your honor
prosperity, ioy, and longanimity, to bee encreased to your pleasur;
Sir, like you to remember, the conclusions of the matter taken
betwixt you and Chapman of Stamford by Husee^a and mee, that
yee for to have his releas general should pay 100s., wherof I paid
4 marks in hand which you paid mee again; and now this term by
the advise of Huzze, thorowh importune clamor of Chapman, and
you to bee in quiet delivering your acquittance, I paid 33s. 4d.
afore Husze to Chapman, so that now you bee utterly out of his
dammage. And, Sir, I conceived, by the remembrance of my cosin
Mr. Midleton, ^b that yee willed mee to buy to you, black velvet for
a gown. But, Sir, I pray you herin blame my non power but not
my will, for in faith I might not doo it, but gif I should run in
papers of London, which I did never yet, so I have lived poorly
therafter; for and I might els haue doon it, I shold not have
spared. But the wis man saith to us, Impedit omne forum
carentia Denariorum. And that prooves here now: I dare not
write al my complaint. Sir, Thomas Eyr^c clamoreth upon mee
importunly for money, so that gif I had any of my own, I wold
have stopped him, and so as I might have promised him this next
term, which like you for to send hither than: for and hee begin
his suit now, he wil not bee so easily entreated. And also, Sir,
I pray you specially for to send mee money fro Nesfield,^d ac-
cording to your appointment and saing at our last departing, for
and ye knew how it stands with mee here, I trust verily yee wold
tender mee the more. And, Sir, the rather I pray you, for I
purpose to have your son John Roclif to court at beginning of
this next terme, where my charge of him in array and other
exspences, shall encreas to the double, as God knowes, whom I
beseech entirly, for to have you in his keeping, and graunt you all
your desires. Written in hast in the midle temple, tertio die
decembris. Sir, Sir Henry Vavasor^e was gone hence or I wist,
so that I might not speak to him for the wapp: my Thomas may
go to him and speed I trow.

(3 Dec. 1464.)    Your servisable brother, BRIAN ROCLIFF.

    ^a William Husee was at this time a counsel learned in the law; made serjeant
9 June 1479, Cheif Justice of the King's Bench 7 May 1482.

  ^b Thomas Middelton, son-in-law of Sir William Plumpton.

    ^c Thomas Eyr, citizen and draper of London, and Elizabeth his wife, late wife of
Nicholas Yeo, late citizen and alderman of London, acknowledge to have received of
Sir William Plumpton, knight, by the hands of Brian Rouclif, ten marks in part pay-
ment of a larger sum, 10 May, 5 Edw. IV. 1465. (Chartul. No. 567.)

    ^d The manor of Nesfield, com Ebor. had been settled in jointure upon Margaret
Plumpton at the time of her marriage with John Roclif, the son of the writer, but Sir
William Plumpton bargained to retain the issues for five years from 26 Nov. 1463,
the date of the contract.

^e Sir Henry Vavasour of Hazelwood, in com. Ebor. knt. high sheriff in 1470.