Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton

7 Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton, 19 May [1463] (No. 13, p. 157)

Right reue[r]end and honorable Sir^a and mine especiall good maister,
after all humble recomandations, with dew regraces and hartly than-
kinge of your kind mastership vnto me vndeserved, effectualy my trust
is desiring continuance. Please you that I haue communed with Beford¹
in your mater, as ye wrote to me, and I cannot find him disposed that
he will eyther grant you any yeares of payment, or els <to> be content
by any soum yearly to be paid, and he will agre to no[. . .]^b treate but
if he have some money in hand, and so he haith taken his exigi facias
de nouo² and is with us called in the hustengs; maruelling me that after
writing by letter and comunication by [p. 158] mouth, ye tender not
hartyly that matter, considring the other obligation which might be
executed against Plumtre of Nottingham, if ye wold doe your deuor;
beseching you to remember your honestie and wellfare.

     And, Sir, I have tretied with Wigmore, and, at few words, I find him
right hard and strange, and soe ye bene iij called in Middlesex;³
wherfore ye must purvay hastely remmedy, for he will noe more trust
faire wordes, as he saith. Thus remiting matters to your discrett wisdom,
whom the Holiest enspire to your profit and pleasure, my advis being
allwaies [. . .]^c redy. Written in hast [. . .]^d at London, the 19th of May.^e

                                     Your servant         Brian Roclife

Endorsed (p. 157): Vnto his right reuerend and honorable master Sir
William Plompton knight in hast

     ^a Marginal note: 13 letter.

     ^b inn deleted.

     ^c written deleted.

     ^d the deleted.

     ^e Marginal note: Coppied the 13th December Anno 1612.

     ¹ See 6.

     ² A writ, sued out with a return day, which allowed the sheriff sufficient time to
proclaim outlawry in four successive courts before pronouncing it in a fifth, M. Blatcher,
The Court of King’s Bench, 1450–1550: A Study in Self-Help (1978), 74.

     ³ The Bill of Middlesex was the procedure whereby the court of King’s Bench acquired
jurisdiction in civil cases between subject and subject.

LETTER IV.

Unto his right reverend and honorable master Sir William
Plompton, knight, in hast.

    Right reverend and honorable Sir, and mine especiall good
maister, after all humble recomandations, with dew regraces and
hartly thankings of your kind mastership unto me undeserved,
effectualy my trust is desiring continuance. Please you that I
have communed with Beford in your mater as ye wrote to me,
and I cannot find him disposed that he will eyther grant you any
yeares of payment, or els to be content by any soum yearly to be
paid, and he will agre to no treate but if he have some money in
hand, and so he haith taken his exigi facias de novo and is with
us called in the hustings;a marveling me that after writing by
letter and comunication by mouth, ye tender not hartyly that
matter, considring the other obligation which might be executed
against Plumtre of Nottinggam,b if ye wold doe your devor, be-
seching you to remember your honestie and wellfare. And Sir,
I have tretid with Wigmore and at few words, I find him right
hard and strange and soe ye bene iijc called in Midlesex; wherfore
ye must purvay hastely remmedy, for he will noe more trust faire
wordes as he saith; thus remiting matters to your discrett wisdom,
whom the holiest enspire to your profit and pleasure, my advis
being allwaies redy. Written in hast at London, the 19th of May.

                                                          Your servant, BRIAN ROCLIFE.

    (19 May, anno circiter 1462.)

    a Hustings, the court for causes in the City of London.

    b John Plumtre of Nottingham died April 1471.-See Thoroton for an account of
this family.

    c A defendant was to be called in court five times before judgment of outlawry could
be given.