Godfrey Greene to Sir William Plumpton

28 Godfrey Greene to Sir William Plumpton, 8 November [?1477] (No. 23,
     p. 167; CB 620)

Right worshipfull Sir,^a I recommend me vnto your good maistershipp.
Sir, as for the suit against you by the executors of Parson Tuly, had
not it fortuned that there was a default founden in the writt,¹ it had
been so that ye had bene condemned, or els an exigi² awarded against
you; for as for the matter of your plea, there would noe man plead it,
ne it would not haue bene except if it had bene pleaded. Sir, there is
an indenture upon the same oblige, the which wold serue much of your
intents, and it might be found.

     Also, Sir, now of late I have receaued from you diuerse letters of þe
which the tenure and effect is this: one, that I shold labour to Sir John
Pilkinton³ to labor to my lord of Glocester or to the king, they to
moue my lord of Northumberland that ye might occupie still in
Knaresborough. [p. 168] Sir, as to that, it is thought here by such as
loues you at that labour should rather hurt in that behalue then availe,
for it is as long as my lord of Northumberlands patent thereof stands
good, as long will he haue no deputie but such as shall please him and
kan him thank for the gift thereof, and no man els, and also doe him
servise next the king. So [b]e labour shalbe fair answered and turne to
none effect but hurt.

     And as to another point comprised in your writing, that is to enforme
the lords and their counsell of the miscouernances of Gascoin⁴ and his
affinitie. Sir, ye understand that in euery law the saying of a mans
enemies is chalengeable, and rather taken a sayin[g] of malice then of
treuthe, whereby the correction of the [. . .] <same> default, the
complainer hath no availe. And so, certainly by your counsell, is
thought here that it wold be soe taken, and in no other wise, how be
it that it be trew, and also a disworship to my lo: of Northumberland
that hath the cheif rule there vnder the king. And as for the matter to
enforme my lord of Northu [mberlands] counsell how ye were entreated
at Knaresboro: Sir, we enformed my lords counsell, according to your
commaundement, and they enformed my lord, and my lord said he
wold speak with us himselfe, and so did, and this was the answerr: that
the cause why he wrote that no court of sheriff turne shold be holden
was <for> to shew debate betwixt you & Gascoins affinitie^b vnto time
he might come into the cuntry and se a deraction betwixt you; & that
he wold that the 3 week court were holden for discontinuance of mens
actions; & that he entended not to dischardge you [p. 169] of your
office,⁵ ne will not as long as ye be towards him; and that as soune as
he comes into the cuntry he shall see such a direction betwext his
brother Gascoin and you as shalbe to your harts ease & worship. And
that I vnderstand by his counsell that it shalbe assigned vnto you by
my lord & his counsell what as longes to your office, & Gascoin nott
meddle therewithall; & in likewise to Gascoyne.

     And as for the labour for þe bailiships & farmes: Sir, your worship
vnderstands what labour is to sue therefore: first, to haue a bill endorsed
to the king, then to certein lords of the counsell (for ther is an Act
made that nothing shall passe from the king vnto time they haue sene
it) and soe to the privie seale & chauncellor. So the labour is so
importune that I cannot attend it without I shold do nothing ells, and
scarcely in a month speed one matter. Your mastership may remember
how long it was or we might speed your bill of iustice of the peace, &
had not my lord of Northumberland been, had not been sped, for all
the fair promisses of my lord chamberlaine. And as for the message to
my lord chamberlain,⁶ what time I labored to him that ye might be
iustice of the peace,⁷ he answerred thus: that it seemed by your labor &
mine that we wold make a jelosie betwixt my lord of Northumberland &
him, in that he shold labor for any of his men, he being present. Sir, I
took that for a watch word for medling betwixt lords. As for any matter
ye haue to do in the Law, how be it that it be to me losse of time and
costly to labor or medle, as yett I am & always shalbe readie to doe
you service & pleasure therein. With the grace of God, who haue you
euermore in his lessed protection. Written att London, the eight day of
Nouember.^c

Your servant               Godfrey Greene

Endorsed (p. 167): To his right worshipfull maistre Sir William Plompton
kt

     ^a Marginal note: 23 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Deference betwene Gascoine & Plompton but Northumberland pacifies
them.

     ^c Marginal note: Copied 30 of January 1612, Saturday.

     ¹ The plaintiff was therefore not-suited, Hastings, 158.

     ² Order to appear in court because there was a case to be answered.

     ³ Sir John Pilkington of Chevet Hall, near Wakefield, knighted at Tewkesbury, 1471;
chamberlain of receipt of the Exchequer, April 1477, dead by 8 March 1479, App. III.

     ⁴ Sir William Gascoigne, of Gawthorpe (d.1487), brother-in-law of the 4th earl,
appointed deputy at Knaresborough after the earl’s appointment as steward etc., in 1470.
In Oct. 1471 he gave a bond to keep the peace towards Sir William, Kirby, NH, xxv,
111–12.

     ⁵ The bailiwick of Knaresborough, granted to Sir William by Gloucester, 29 Sept. 1472
for 12 years, App. II, 34.

     ⁶ Sir William Hastings, appointed king’s chamberlain for life, 31 July 1461, raised to
the peerage 1467, CPR, 1461–67, 55; ibid., 1467–77, 26.

     ⁷ Having made his peace with the Yorkists, Sir William reappeared on the commission
in Feb. 1472, but was dropped in Nov. 1475 when the number of JPs was reduced. His
reappointment in Dec. 1476 was due to Northumberland’s good offices, CPR, 1467–77,
638; Arnold, 117–25.

LETTER XXV.

To his right worshipfull maistre, Sir William Plompton, kt.

    Right worshipfull Sir, I recomend me unto your good maister-
shipp; Sir, as for the suit against you by the executors of parson
Tuly, had not it fortuned that there was a default founden in the
writt, it had bene so that ye had bene condemned, or els an exigi
awarded against you; for as for the matter of your plea, there
would noe man plead it, ne it would not have bene except, if it
had bene pleaded. Sir, there is an indenture upon the same
oblige, the which wold serve much of your intents, and it might be
found. Also, Sir, now of late I have receaved from you diverse
letters, of the which the tenure and effect is this; one, that I
shold labour to Sir John Pilkinton, ^a to labor to my lord of Glo-
cester or to the king; they to move my lord of Northumberland ^b
that ye might occupie still at Knaresborou.^c Sir, as to that, it is
thought here by such as loves you, ' at that labour should rather
hurt in that behalve then availe; for certaine it is, as long as my
lord of Northumberlands patent thereof stands good, as long will
he have no deputie but such as shall please him, and kan him
thank for the gift thereof, and no man els, and also doe him ser-
vise next the king: so the labour shalbe fair answered, and turne
to none effect, but hurt. And as to another point comprised in
your writing, that is, to enforme the lords and their counsell of
the misgovernances of Gascoin ^d and his affinitie. Sir, ye under-
stand that in every law the saying of a mans enemies is chalenge-
able, and rather taken a saying of malice then of treuthe, where, by
the correction of the same defaulte the complainer hath no availe;
and so certainly by your counsell is thought here, that it wold be
soe taken, and in no other wise, how be it that it be trew: and
also a disworship to my lord of Northumberland that hath the
cheif rule there under the king. And as for the matter, to informe
my lord of Northum: counsell how ye were entreated at Knas-
boro-Sir, we enformed my lords counsell according to your
comaundement, and they enformed my lord, and my lord said he
wold speak with us himselfe, and so did, and this was the answerr:
that the cause why he wrote that no court of Sheriff turne shold
be holden, was for to shew debate betwixt you and Gascoins affi-
nitie, unto time he might come into the country and se a derection
betwixt you-and that he wold 'at the 3 weeks court were holden
for discontinuance of mens actions-and that he entended not to
dischardge you of your office,^e ne will not as long as ye be towards
him-and that as soune as he comes into cuntry, he shall see such
a derection betwixt his brother Gascoin^e and you, as shalbe to
your harts ease and worship. And that I understand by his
counsell, that it shalbe assigned unto you by my lo: and his
counsell, what as longes to your office, and Gascoin nott meddle
therewithall; and in like wise to Gascoyne. And as for the
labour for the bailiships and farmes, Sir, your worship under-
stands what labour is to sue therefore; first, to have a bill
enclosed of the King, then to certein lords of the Counsell, (for
there is an act made that nothing shall passe fro the King unto
time they have sene it,) and so to the privie seale and Chaun-
cellor: so the labour is so importune, that I cannot attend it
without I should do nothing ells, and scarcely in a month speed
one matter. Your maistership may remember how long it was,
or we might speed your bill of Justice of the peace; and had not
my Lo. of Northumberland been, had not been sped for all the
fair promisses of my Lo. Chamberlaine.^f And as for the message
to my Lo. Chamberlain, what time I labored to him that ye
might be Justice of the peace, he answered thus; that it seemed
by your labor and mine, that we wold make a jelosie betwixt my
Lo. of Northumberland and him, in that he shold labor for any
of his men, he being present. Sir, I took that for a watche word
for medling betwixt Lords. As for any matter ye have to do in
the law, how be it that it be to me losse of time and costly to
labor or medl, as yett I am and alwayes shalbe readie to doe you
service and pleasure therein, with the grace of God, who have
you evermore in his blessed protection. Written att London, the
eight day of November.

                                                                  Your servant,

    (8 Nov. anno circiter 1475.)                              GODFREY GREENE.

    ^a Sir John Pilkington, one of the knights of the king's body. (2da pars Pat. 13
Edw. IV.)

    ^b Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, had obtained Letters Patent from the
King, granting him the offices of Constable, Steward, and Master Forester of the
castle, lordship, and forest of Knaresborough, within the County of York. ( Rot.
Parl. vi. 344 b.)

    ^c Sir William Plumton had had a grant of the keeping of the castle of Knares-
borough for the term of his life in the reign of Hen. VI. (Rot. Parl. vol. v. 347 a)

^d The quarrel between Plumpton and Gascoigne probably had its origin in the
latter having been appointed to have the custody of the castle of Knaresborough by
the Earl of Northumberland, to the exclusion of the former, and regardless of his right
in virtue of the grant of King Henry the sixth. In the Chartulary is bond
from William Gascoigne of Gokethorpe, esq. to keep the peace towards Sir William
Plumpton and to refer all matters to the arbitration of the Earl of Northumberland.
The instrument is dated 27 Oct. 11 Edw. Iv. 1471.    (Chartul. No. 576.)

    ^e Office of Bailiff of the Burgh of Knaresborough.     (See note to Letter XVIII.)

    ^e William Gascoigne, esq. was brother-in-law to the Earl of Northumberland, hav-
ing married Margaret the Earl's sister.

    ^f William Lord Hastings, Lord Chamberlain.