Information against Walter Aslak

6

INFORMATION AGAINST WALTER ASLAK¹

     BE it remembred that where, on the nyght next biforne
         the feste of the Circumcision of owre Lord Jesu, the
         [second]² yeer of the regne of Kyng Henry the Sexte,
certeyns maffaisours, felons, and brekeres of the kynges peas
vnknowyn, to the noumbre of iiij^xx [four score] and more by
estimacion, of malice and imaginacion forne thowght felon-
owsly, the dwellyng place of John Grys of Wyghton, in
Wyghton, in the shyre of Norffolk, brokyn, and with car-
penteres axes the yates and the dores of the seyd place hewen,
and the seyd John Grys, and hys sone, and a servaunt man of
hese by here bodyes tokyn, and fro the seyd dwellyng place by
the space of a myle to a payre gawles ledden, there hem for to
have hangyd; and by cause hem fayled ropes convenient to
here felonowse purpos, the seyd John Grys, hese sone, and
hys man there felonowsely slowen and mordered in the most
orrible wyse that ever was herd spoken of in that cuntre.
Wher up on Walter Aslak, purposyng and imaginyng to
putte William Paston in drede and intollerable fere to be
slayn and mordered in the seyd forme with force and ageyn
the kinges peas, on the shyre day of Norffolk, halden at Nor-
wiche, the xxviij day of August, in the seyd secunde yeer,
beyng there thanne a grete congregacion of poeple by cause of
the seyd shyre, in hese owne persone, and by Richard Kyllyn-
worth, that tyme hese servaunt, to the seyd William Paston
swiche and so many manaces of deth and dismembryng maden
and puttyn by certeyns Englische billes rymed in partye, and
up on the yates of the Priorie of the Trinite chirche of Nor-
wiche, and on the yates of the chyrche of the Freres Menures
of Norwiche, and the yates of the same Cite called Nedeham
yates and Westewyk yates, and in othre places wyth inne the
seyd Cite by the seyd Walter and Richard sette, makyng
mension and berying this undyrstondyng that the seyd William,
and hese clerkes, and servauntes schuld be slayn and mordered
in lyke forme as the seyd John Grys in the seyd forme was
slayne and mordered: conteyning also these too words in
Latyn, et cetera, by which wordes communely it was undyr-
standyn that the forgeers and makers of the seyd billes
imagyned to the seyd William, hese clerkes and servauntes,
more malice and harm than in the seyd billes was expressed.
Wherfore the seyd William, hese seyd clerkes and servauntz,
by longe tyme aftyr were in gret and intollerable drede and
fere by the sayd maffaisours and felons to be slayn and
mordered. Wherfore the seyd William, hese clerkes and ser-
vauntes, ne durst not at here fredom nothyr goon ne ryde.

     Wher up on the seyd William, for hese owyn persone,
affermyd a pleynt of trespas ageyn the seyd Walter and
Richard, processe contynued ther up on til the seyd Walter
and Richard were founden gilty of the seyd trespas by an
iniquisicion ther of takyn in dwe and lawefull forme, by
whiche inquisicion the damages of the seyd William for the
seyd trespas were taxed to cxx^li [£ 120]. Aftyr which pleynte
affermyd, and to fore ony plee up on the seyd pleynt pleded,
the seyd Walter and William, by Thomas Erpyngham,
Knyght, a myghty and a gret supportour of the seyd Walter
in alle these matiers and circumstaunces ther of ageyn the seyd
William, were induced to trete in the same matier in the
forme that folwith: That is to seyne, that the seyd William
schuld sue forth the seyd pleynt and the execucion ther of at
hese owne will, and the seyd Walter schuld defende hym self
in the seyd pleynt at hese owne will, except that he schuld no
benefice take by noon proteccion, ne wrytte of corpus cum
causa, ne of no lordes lettres up on the seyd sute. And what
so ever fortunyd in the seyd pleynt, the proces, execucion, or
the sute ther of, the seyd Walter and William schuld stonde
and obeye to the ordinaunce of certeyns persones by the seyd
William and Walter arbitratores that tyme named, if thei
myghten accordyn, and ellys of anoonpier also that same
tyme named, of alle the seyd trespas, pleynt, and sute, and
alle the circumstaunces ther of, so that the seyd arbitrement
and ordinaunce of the seyd arbitratores, or ellys of the seyd
nounpier, were made withinne xl. dayes next folwyng aftyr
the jugement geven in the seyd pleynt.

     And aftyrward, the Thursday next biforn Pentecost, the
thrydde yeer of the regne of the seyd kyng, at London, in
the presence of the right excellent, high and myghty prynce,
the Duc de Gloucestre,¹ and by hese commaundement, atte
sute and instaunce of the seyd Thomas Erpyngham, it was
accordyd bytwen the seyd William and Walter that thei
schuld stande and obeye to the ordinaunce and award of alle
the seyed matiers of twenye of these iiij. persones, William
Phelip, Knyght, Henry Inglose, Knyght, Oliver Groos, and
Thomas Derham, chosen on the partye of the seyd William
Paston, and tweyne of those iiij. persones, Symond Felbrygge,
Knyght, Bryan Stapilton, Knyght, Roberd Clyfton, Knyght,
and John of Berneye of Redeham, chosen on the partie of the
seyd Water, and elles the decree and jugement of a nounpier
to be chosen by the same arbitrores. The whiche William
Phelip, Bryan Stapilton, Roberd Clyfton, Oliver Groos, John
of Berneye, and Thomas Derham, takyng up on hem the
charge of the makyng of the seyd award and ordinaunce by
the assent of the seyd Thomas Erpyngham, the Fryday next
aftyr the feste of the Assumpcion of Owre Lady, in the seyd

thrydde yeer, at Norwiche, tokyn ensurans of the seyd William
and Walter by here fayth and here trowthez to stande and
obeye to here ordinaunce of alle the seyd matiers, and the
same day biforne noon, maden here full ordinaunce and
arbitrement of alle the same matiers in the chyrche of the
Greye Freyrys at Norwich; and aftyrward, up on the same
award and ordinaunce mad, hadden a communicacion ther of
with the seyd Thomas Erpyngham; and aftyr the same com-
municacion, the same day aftyr noon, the same ordinaunce and
award wretyn was red byforn the seyd arbitrores and the seyd
Walter and William, and examyned, agreed, and assented, and
by the seales of the same vj. arbitrores and the seyd Walter and
William, was affermed and ensealed and left in the handes of the
seyd Sir Bryan, saveliche to be kept in playne remembraunce of
the seyd award and ordinaunce; the whiche award and ordin-
aunce the seyd William was at all tymes redy to obeye and
performe, on to the seyd feste of Michelmesse, that the seyd
Walter to holde or performe the seyd award pleynly refused.

     And where the seyd Walter, by jugement of the Chaun-
celler of Inglond, the xvj. day of Jull’ the seyd thrydde yeer,
was remytted to the kynges prison at Norwich by cause of the
seyd sute, the seyd Walter yede at large owt of warde fro the
seyd xvj. day of Jull’ to the seyd day of the makyng of the
seyd arbitrement and award, and fro that day in to Michel-
messe thanne next aftyr; the seyd William that meene tyme
evermore supposyng that the seyd Walter wolde have holde
and performyd the sayd ordinaunce, arbitrement, and award.
And at the comyng of the right high and myghty prynce the
Duc of Norfolk fro his Castell of Framyngham to the Cetie of
Norwyche, aftyr the seyd day of the makyng of this arbitre-
ment and ordinaunce, and to fore the feste of Michelmesse
than next folwyng, the seyd Walter by hese sotill and un-
goodly enformacion caused the seyd Duke to be hevy lord to
the seyd William. Where the seyd William the tyme of the
seyd enformacion was with Sir John Jermy, Knyght, and
othre of the counseill of the seyd Duk of Norffolk in hys
lordshipes in Norffolk and Suffolk, thanne to hym falle [fallen]
by the deth of the right worthy and noble lady hys modyr,
occupied abowte the dwe service of wryttes of diem clausit
extremum¹ aftyr the deth of the seyd lady. And where as the
seyd William Paston, by assignement and commaundement of
the seyd Duk of Norffolk, at hese fyrst passage over the see
in to Normandye, in the kynges tyme Henry the Fyfte, was
the Styward of the seyd Duc of Norffolk, of alle hese lord-
shipes in Norffolk and Suffolk fro hys seyd passage un to the
seyd feste of Michelmesse; [And² over that as sergeaunt of
lawe, thow he be unworthy, withholdyn with the seyd Duc of
Norffolk alle the tyme that he was sergeaunt bifore the same
feste of Michelmesse. And all be it that the fees and the
wages of the seyd William for hys seyd service unpayed
draweth a gret some to hys pouere degree, if the seyd Duk of
Norffolk lyked, of hys noble and plentifous grace, to graunte
to the seyd William, in right, ony part of the favour of hese
good lordship, the seyd William wolde evere be hys pouere
and trewe bedeman, and evere in hys herte thenke alle hys
seyd service, and alle the service that ever he dede to the seyd
[Duke] of Norfolk, plentefeousely weell rewarded.³]

     And where the seyd Walter, the tyme of the seyd trespas
and of the seyd bylles makyng ne long to fore, ne never aftyr
biforn the seyd comyng of the seyd Duc of Norffolk to Nor-
wich, ne no tyme hangyng the seyd sute, ne the tyme of
makyng of the said arbitrement and ordinaunce, never was
servaunt to the seyd Duc of Norffolk at fees, ne at wages, ne
wythhaldyn in hese service, ne to hym sued to be supported
by hese high Lordship in this seyd matier, to the knowleche
of the seyd William, ne to no commune knowleche, in the
shyres of Norffolk, Suffolk, ne Norwiche; the sute that the
seyd Walter made for supportacion in this seyd matier was be
the meene of the seyd Thomas Erpyngham to the seyd Duk
of Gloucestre, by whose reule and commaundemente the seyd
arbitrement and award was mad in the forme aforn seyd.
And not with stondying the seyd trespas and grevaunce by
the seyd Walter doon the seyd William, ne that the seyd
William ne is not satisfied of the seyd cxx^li., ne no peny
therof, and hath absteyned hym of al maner of execucion,
sewyng of godes or catelles, that by force of the seyd processe,
or ony othyr, he myght have had ageyn the seyd Walter or
hese borwes [sureties], ne that the seyd William hath suffred
the seyd Walter to gon at large by long tyme whan he myght
have had hys body in warde in lawfull forme: The seyd
Walter, be billes in the too last parlementz holden at West-
minster and at Leycestre, and at divers tymes in divers other
maneres hath noysed and skaundered the seyd William un-
goodly and othyr wyse than othyr [either] gentilnesse or
trowthe wolde; and, overmore, caused the seyd William
orribly to be manassed of hys deth, betyng and dismembryng
of hys persone by certeyns servauntz of the Lordes Fitz
Wauter and othre persones, and by ferefull and overe felle
lettres and sondes. Wherfore the seyd William, nothyr hese
frendes, ne hese servauntz in hys companye, at here fredam
sithen the seyd parlement at Leycestre durft not, ne yet ne
dar not rydyn ne goo abowte swyche occupacion as he arn
used and disposed, to here grete and unportable drede and
vexacion in here spirites, and gret harme and damage and
losse of here pouere goodes.

     [Overmore,¹ the seyd Walter hath sued, and yet rigorously
suethe a wrytte of decies tantum² ageyns x. persones of the seyd
Inquisicion and ij. of the servauntz of the seyd William and iiij.
othre persones; supposyng by hese seyd sute hem to have
taken of the seyd William in hys seyd syte lxij^li [£62] and
more of moneye. The whiche sute of decies tantum the seyd
Walter, betwyx God and hym, knewith verraly is untrewe.
And also the seyd Walter hath sued, and yet persuyth Adam
Aubre, on of the seyd Inquisicion in the court of the said Duc
of Norffolk of hys manoir of Fornsete, by cause and occasion
of the seyd matiers, in whiche sute in the seyd court it is pro-
ceded ageyn the seyd Adam in other maner thanne othyr lawe,
conscience, or good fayth wolde.¹]

     Overmore the seyd William, atte commaundement of the
seyd Duc of Norffolk, hath submytted hym to stonde to the
ordinaunce of divers persones of alle the seyd matiers: ones
at Leyceetre, the Wednesday next biforn Palm Soneday, the
iiij. yeer of the regne of the syd kyng ; anothyr tyme at Reed
clyf in Aprill the same iiij. yeer, aftyr the forme of certeyns
billes endented ther of made. The whiche submission, with
alle the circumstaunces ther of, the seyd William hath be at
alle tymes redy to obeye. The cause why the seyd Walter,
by the seyd Englishe bylles, and in othyr forme, putte and
sette the seyd William, and hys seyd clerkes and servauntz, in
drede and fere intollerable to be slayn and mordered, and to
hem trespaced in the forme aforn seyd, was onely for as moche
as the seyd William was with the prior of Norwiche of coun-
seille in hese trewe defence ageyn the entent of the seyd
Walter in a sute that he made ageyn the seyd priour of a
voweson of the chyrche of Sprouston in the counte of Nor-
ffolk, wher to the seyd Walter hath nothyr title suffisaunt ne
right in no maner wyse by ony matier by hym declared byforn
thys tyme.

     This scrowe is mad only for the informacion of the worthy
and worshipfull lordes the arbitrores ; savyng evere to the
maker the benefice reasonably to adde and amenuse, his ignor-
aunce in swiche occupation and defaute of leyser also tendrely
considered.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This paper refers to proceedings as late as the
fourth year of Henry VI., and therefore cannot be earlier than 1426; but as it
mainly relates to outrages committed in the second year of Henry VI., i.e. 1424, we
have arranged it under that year.

     ² This word is omitted in the MS.

    ¹ Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Protector of England.

    ¹ These were writs issued on the death of a tenant in capite of the Crown, and
directed to the escheators in the different counties in which his lands lay, directing
them to inquire by jury what lands he held, and of what value, and who was his
nearest heir, and what was the heir’s age.

     ² Over this word is written ‘va,’ the first syllable of vacat, showing that the
passage is cancelled.

     ³ Here is written’ cat.’—See Note 2.

    ¹ Here is written ‘va.’—See p. 16, Note 2.

     ² A writ against a juror who had been bribed, by which the prosecutor could
recover from him ten times the amount of the bribe, dividing the proceeds with the
King.

    ¹ Here is written ‘cat.’—See p. 16, Note 2, and p. 17, Note 1.

1424

1424

1424

1424

1424

1424

1424