John Pullein to Sir Robert Plumpton

152 John Pullein to Sir Robert Plumpton, [18 May 1501]           (No. 158, p. 95)

Right worshipfull Sir, I recomend me vnto your mastership, letting you
vnderstand þat laytly I wrott to you a letter of your matters, where was
þat the great man E.¹ as [far as]^a vndoubted <as> I can know, intendeth
to have assyses agaynst you. Wherfore tyme is to labor as well the
schereffes as all your frynds, & euery country where your land lieth. It
is soe þat the same great man E., with other of the kings counsell,
sitting for assessyng of fynes for knyghts² [. . .]^b which may doe hym
pleasure, he is intreated scetretly to [. . .]^c <owe> his god will. Ye
may <haue trial> by lyklyhed what ther anyswere shalbe.^d Thus he
vndermyneth. But let you for no labour. All such copies of your matters
resteth in my keeping; & this was <your lawiers> conclusion: þat your
mastership should take a sure frynd^e to se all your evydence, which I
thynke after my mynd must be Mr Eleson,³ to this entent: þat your
sayd counsell may have all the estayts made by your graunser & father,
as well vppon marrage lesses, as other wayes, & in lykwyse, how all the
sayd estates come home agayne, wrytten verbatim in paper; & to have
all your newe evidence by your father to John Norton & others,⁴ &
estates made to have to your father for terme of lyfe; & to send copies
of all matters proving matrymony betwixt my sayd master your father, &
my lady your mother;⁵ & further prove which of the sayd feffees was
present at possession. Like <they> be at London the beginning of thes
next terme, w[ith] xlli [. . .]^f <Sir Rich:>⁶ [and] ij men & the sayd
copies. If Mr Eleson can fynd any of your lands talled to the here male,
send copies therof. I think none be; & thus the holy Trenety send good
speed to yours. From Lyncolnes Inn at London this Tuesday in the
Crosse Dayes.⁷

Your servant               Johen Pullan^g

Endorsed: To the right worshipfull & his specyall gud master Sir Robart
Plumpton kt deliuer these

     ^a MS as for us.

     ^b Several illegible words.

     ^c note deleted.

     ^d Marginal note: Assessing of fines for knights.

     ^e Marginal note: I find no sure frends in all cause but George Emerson. Yaxley and
Frowyk serieants and Brook and Edgar are your counselors.

     ^f MS Several words appear to be missing.

     ^g Appended: Much is omitted becaus it is riuen. copied þe 21 of Aprill 1613.

¹ Richard Empson.

     ² Fines for distraint of knighthood, Kirby, NH, xxv, 117.

     ³ William Elleson of Selby. Sir Robert was being advised to ‘prime his lawyer’, Ives,
CL, 298; 129, 130, 164, App. II, 64.

     ⁴ Sir John Norton of Norton Conyers was one of Sir William’s feoffees for the
conveyances of 1475, Introd., p. 4; 208; CB, 586–603; Apps. II 35; III.

     ⁵ Sir Robert’s mother, Joan Wintringham, was dead by this time, 119.

     ⁶ Probably Sir Richard Plumpton, cler., 157.

     ⁷ Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day, Stapleton 152n.

LETTER CXIX.

To the right worshipfull and his speciall good master, Sir Robart
Plompton, kt. deliver these.

Right worshipfull Sir, I recomend me unto your mastership,
letting you understand that laytly I wrott to you a letter of your
matters; where was, that the great man E.^a, as far as undoubted as
I can know, intendeth to have assyses agaynst you. Wherfore
tyme is to labor as well the Schereffes, as all your frynds, and
every country where your land lyeth. It is for that the said great
man E. with other of the Kyngs counsell, sitting for assessyng of
fynes for knyghts,b . . . . . . . which may doe hym pleasure,
he is intreated sceretly to owe his good will; ye may have trial
by lyklyhed what ther answere shalbe: thus he under myneth.
But let you for no labour. All such copies of your matters resteth
in my keeping. And this was your lawiers conclusion; that your
mastership should take a sure frynd to se all your evydence (which
I thynke after my mynd must be Mr. Eleson),c to this intent:
that your sayd counsell may have all the estayts made by your
graynser and father,d as well uppon marrage lesses, as other wayes,
and in lykwyse, how all the sayd estats come home agayne, wrytten
verbatim in paper: and to have all your new esvedence by your
father to John Norton and others, and estats made to have to your
father for terme of lyfe: and to send copies of all matters proving
matrymony betwyxt my sayd master your father, and my lady
your mother:e and further prove which of the sayd feffees was
present at possession. Loke they be at London the begining of
this next terme, with Xl^li . . . . . . . Sir Richard^f and ij men, and
the sayd copies. If Mr. Eleson can fynd any of your lands talled
to the here male, send copies therof; I thinke none be. And thus
the holy Trenety send good speed to yours. From Lyncolns Inn,
at London, this tuesday in the crose dayes.^g

                                         Your servant,                            JOHN PULLAN.^h

    I find no sure frends in all cause but George Emerson. Yaxley
and Frowick, serieants, and Brook and Edgar are your counselors.ⁱ

            (18 May 1501.)

    ^a Empson is here meant.

    ^b The fines levied upon persons who had not taken up their knighthood, was one of
the extortions in which Empson was an active agent for the crown. By partially
favouring individuals, he secured their services when empannelled as jurors for the trial
of the assise against Sir Robert Plumpton.

    ^c William Eleson, esq. (See Letter CIII. note a.)

    ^d Sir Robert Plumpton and Sir William Plumpton, knights.

    ^e See Memoirs for what relates to the clandestine marriage of Sir William Plumpton
and Joan Wintringham, his second wife. This lady was living 19 Oct. 12 Henry VII.
1496, when she passed some copyhold lands in the court at Knaresborough to her son,
before Thomas Coghill, the bailiff of the liberty, (Chartul. No. 785,) but was dead
in the following year, 1497, when by reason that Sir Robert Plumpton had given for the
repose of her soul the twentieth part of a ducat to the re-building of the greater hos-
pital at St. Jago de Compostella, her name was to be associated with all those prayed
for by that community, with a share in all spiritual indulgences according to the tenor
of the bulls of Popes Innocent VIII. and Alexander VI. (Chartul. No.788.) The
informalities attending her marriage required atonement, and in the Chartulary are
copied numerous certificates of the Indulgences which her husband and herself had
obtained in return for alms bestowed on different religious communities both at home
and abroad. Dodsworth, among his Church Notes, has the following memorandum:
"Knaresborowgh Church, 28 Sept. 1622. There is a quire in the south side called
Plumpton's quyer, which belonged to a house in the town called Wintringham Hall."
(Dodsw. MSS. in Bibl. Bodl. CLX. fol.186.) The same antiquary has also preserved
to us this description of a painted north window then remaining in the same church.
"A man in ar. kneeling, on his breast b. 5 fusells in fesse or, (Plumpton); his wiefe
behind him, on her breast the former coat paled with ar. a (inescocheon) ent. an orle
of martletts, g. (Wintringham); under, Orate pro a'i' a . . . . . . . Plumpton et etiam pro
a'i' a d'n'i Will'mi Plumpton qui istam . . . . . . . . . . . . anno . . . . . . . . . . . .Qu'rly. b.
5 fusells in fesse or, and sa. a [bend] ent. 6 [escalops] or, (Foljambe); paled with it,
an [inescocheon] ent. 9 martletts in orle, g." Dodsworth appears to have either over-
looked the escallops on the fusells, the distinguishing charge in the coat of Plumpton,
or they had become imperceptible from lapse of time.

    ^f Sir Richard Plumpton, chaplain, is probably here intended.

    ^g Cross week was Rogation week, and the cross days the three days, Monday, Tues-
day and Wednesday before the feast of Ascension, or Holy Thursday.

    ^h This letter was in a tattered state when copied by Sir Edward Plumpton, 21 April
1613. The two sentences here printed as a postscript are written in the margin of the
page of the MS. and at the foot of the letter is added, "much is omitted becaus it is
riven."

    ⁱ John Yaxley and Thomas Frowyk, serjeants, called 10 Sept. 1496. Richard Brook,
counsellor, called serjeant 10 Nov. 1511. The following is a copy of Serjeant Yaxley's
retainer, (Chartul. No. 802,) "This bill intended at London the 16 day of July, the
16 yeare of the reigne of King Henry the 7th winesseth that John Yaxley, Sergent at
the Law, shall be at the next Assises to be holden at York, Nottin, and Derb. if they be
holden and kept, and their to be of council with Sir Robert Plompton, knight, such
assises and actions as the said Sir Robert shall require the said John Yaxley, for the
which premisses, as well for his costs and his labour, John Pulan, Gentlman, bindeth
him by thease presents to content and pay to the said John Yaxley 40 marks* sterling
at the feast of the Nativetie of our Lady next coming, or within eight days next follow-
ing, with 5li paid aforehand, parcell of paiment of the said 40 marcks. Provided alway
that if the said John Yaxley have knowledg and warning only to cum to Nott. and
Derby, then the said John Yaxley is agread by these presents to take onely xvli besides
the said 5li aforesaid. Provided alwaies that if the said John Yaxley have knowledg
and warning to take no labor in this matter, then he to reteine and hold the said 5li
rasaived for his good will and labor. In witnesse herof the said John Yaxley, seriant,
to the part of this indenture remaining with the said John Pulan have put his seale the
day and yeare abovewritten. Provided also that the said Sir Robert Plompton shall
beare the charges of the said John Yaxley, as well at York as Nottingham and Derby,
and also to content and pay the said money to the sayd John Yaxley comed to the said
Assises att Nott. Derb. and York.

    "(Copied the 5 of October1627, having a seal.)                         JOHN YAXLEY."

*26li.13s. 4d.