Hamnet Harrington to Sir Robert Plumpton

208 Hamnet Harrington¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton 8 May [1510]    (No. 121,
        p. 73)

Master Plumpton, I comend me vnto you, letting you vnderstand ?at
the schereff of the shire of Lancaster sent a balife to my house with a
wrytt, and hath seysed into the kings hand al my lands & goods vnto
such tyme ?at ?e merchant of London be content of a cli which Sir
John Luth knight² and I were surty to for you,³ & the whole sume is
layed to my charge. Wherin I marvell greatly ?at ye shewed ?at ye
had gote longer day to pay it in at Whitsontide & Candelmas. Wherfor
I pray you to se a way ?at I may be discharged, as shortly as ye can,
so ?at I may occupy my land & goods. If ye will not so doe, I must
sue my statute marchant⁴ on you & ayre William, your sone, which I
wold be loth; & ye had such dayes granted as ye shewed me, ye must
[p. 74] at the least send to London to the marchant, & get him to send
downe to the schereffe, ?at I may be discharged; & if ye will not do
soe, I will up to London & sue out my statute marchant, as shortly as
I can.⁵ Take credence to ?e bearer therof. At Hyton, the eight day of
May.

Hamnet     Haryngton esquier^a

Endorsed (p. 73): To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton kt be
this byll delyuered, or to my lady his wyfe

     ^a Appended: Copied ?e 12th day of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ Died 1528 seised of lands in Farleton, near Kendal, Eskrigg, and Hutton Roof which
he held of Thomas, Lord Stanley, to whom they had been granted after the attainder
and death of Sir James Harrington, VCH, Lancs, viii, 202?3; CB, 833; App. III.

     ² Sir John Bothe of Barton, Lancs, knight of the body 1487, fell at Flodden, Somerville,
i, 495; Roskell, Knights of the Shire for Lancaster, 119.

     ³ The obligation is dated 1 Jan. 1509/10, and the final acquittal 9 May 1516, CB, 833,
847, 848.

     ⁴ The Statute of Merchants (1285) strengthened the creditor?s position by authorizing
immediate imprisonment of a debtor on proof that he had defaulted on his day, R.B.
Pugh, Imprisonment in Medieval England (Cambridge, 1965), 45.

     ⁵ Sir Robert was imprisoned in the Counter for debt from 24 April 1510 until the
following Aug.; CB, 836 is an account of his expenses during his incarceration (transcribed
in Stapleton, cxviii).

 LETTER CLXIX.

To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton, Kt. be thes byll de-
livered, or to my lady his wyfe.

    Master Plumpton, I comend me unto you; letting you under-
stand that the Scherefe of the shire of Lancaster sent a balife to
my house with a wrytt, and hath seysed into the Kings hands al
my lands and goods, unto such tyme that the marchant of Lon-
don be content of a cli. which Sir John Luth,^a knyght, and I were
surty to for you, and the whole summe is layd to my charge; wherin
I marvell greatly that ye shewed that ye had goten longer day to
pay it in at Whitsontide and Candelmas. Wherfore, I pray you to
se a way that I may be discharged, as shortly as ye can, so that I
may occupy my land and goods. If ye will not so doe, I must
sue my statute marchant on you and ayre William, your sone,
which I wold be loth, and ye had such dayes granted as ye shewed
me. Ye must, at the least, send to London to the marchant, and
get him to send downe to the Schereffe, that I may be discharged.
And if ye will not do soe, I will up to London, and sue out my
statute marchant, as shortly as I can. Take credence to the
bearer therof. At Hyton, the eight day of May.

                                                                     HAMNET HARYNGTON,

                                                                                       Esquire.

    ^a Sic, sed lege Bothe. Sir Robert Plumpton, kt. and William, his son and heir appa-
rent, were bound in a statute merchant to Sir John Bothe, of Barton, in com. Lanc.
kt. and Hamelett Harington, of Hayton-hay, com. Lanc. esq. in a ?100, to indemp-
nify them against Morgan Williams, citizen of London, who had advanced this sum upon
their security, which instrument bears date 1 Jan. 1 Hen. VIII. 1509-10. (Chartul.
No. 833.) This debt was not acquitted till 9 May, 8 Hen. VIII. 1516, when it was
agreed that costs should be awarded according to the judgment of Sir Robert Shef-
feild, knight, counseler to our Lord the King, and of Master John Veesy, clerk, Dean
of the King's chappell.    (Ibid. No. 847.)