Parsonage of Oxnead

943

PARSONAGE OF OXNEAD¹

      MEMORANDUM.—The day that the lapse went out,
          which is such day vj. monethes as the seid parson
          died, was on Tewesday, Our Lady Day, the Nativite,
the viij^te day of Septembre last past, anno xviij^o.

     The day of vj. monethes affter Our seide Lady Day, the
Nativite was on Seint Mathes Day² the Apostell, laast past,
whiche was the xxiiij. day of Februare, and so I deme eyther
the Bisshoppe of Norwiche hath presented or els it is in the
gifft of my Lord Cardinall³ nowe. Inquere this mater, for the
Bisshoppe of Norwich lythe in London, and shall doo till Our
Ladys Day this Lenton, as it is said here.

     My moder delivered Sir William Holle his presentacion
the xiij. day of August, anno xviij^o, which was nere a monethe
or the day of the vj. monethes went out and past. Wherfore
the Bisshoppe ought to present my moders clarke. Neverthe-
lesse the Bisshoppys officeres aunsware this sayng, that if
sondry persones deliver ij. sondrye presentacions for to diverse
clarkes to the Bisshoppes officers for one benefice, that then
the seid partyes shuld sue to the Bisshop at ther cost to have
out an inquerre to inquere de vero patrono, sayng forther more,
that if they sue nat out this inquerre with affect, and that the
lapse fall, than it is lefull for the Bisshop to present, and it
is told me that the lawe is this, that the Bisshoppe, be his
office with out any sute of the parties, shall call an inquerre
afore hym to inquere de vero patrono, and he shall assign them
a day to bryng in a verdett, and he shall warne bothe partyes
to be ther at, and he shall amytte his clarke that is founde
patron.

     Yet the Bisshopp useth nat to do this, but there as bothe
partyes that present are myghty [and wher as he thynketh it
were a jopardy to hym]¹ to sue the Bisshoppe if he did them
any wrong, and wher as ther is a doubtable mater; but in this
case the prest that troubleth my moder is but a simple felowe,
and he is appostata, for he was somtyme a White Frere, and of
simple repetacyon, and of litill substans, as my moder can tell,
wherfore Bisshoppys use nat in suche litill casys to take so
streyte an inquerre, and specyally wher as one hath contynued
patron with out interupcion so long as my moder hath done,
for she hath contynued more than 1. wynter; wherfore I pray
yow shewe my cousyn Lovell this bill, and fynde some meanes
to intrete the Bisshopp by the meane of James Hobard,² which
is grete with the Bisshopp, and is nowe Reder of Lyncoln Inne
this Lent. And late my lady speke to James Hobard in the
mater. If it please my moder ther is a prest callde Sir ———³
which is thought by the tenauntes of Oxned a metely man to
be parson ther; the most thyng that I dowte, bicause Sir
William Holle, whom my moder presented, is ronne away,
and if the Bisshop will nat present my moders clarke in her
title, than I wold that the labour myght be made to the
Bisshopp, that he myght present my moders clarke, suche on
as shoe will name, in his one title.

     Ric. Lee, like as ze may understand be this writing, where
as I understod that the Bisshopp myght have kept the benefice
but vj. monethes after the patrons vj. monethes war worn out,
now I understand the contrary, for I understand he may kepe
it a twelmo[nethe] and a day ...................... [several lines lost]
......................

     Also, if ze knew any yong preste in London that setteth
billis upon Powlys dorr per aventure wold be glad to have it,
and woll be glad also to serve my lady and my moder for it
for a season, I can no more say but purvay a mean to the
Bisshopp, that som mon may be put in by my moders title.

     ...................... of the consistore in Norwich, and he hath
a broder in the Tower, is master of the Mynt under Brice,
called Bartilmew Rede, and a nother broder is a goold smyth
dwellyng in the Chepe Side called ——¹ Reede. And he is
eyther loged with on of these, his breder, or els at the Jorge
in Lumbard Strete, or els at the Cok and the Bell at Billinges
gate, a brue hous, for the sei[d] gold smyth hath maried a
bruewyf, and kepeth the brue hous, (?) and he can good skylle
to helpe in this mater of the benefice of Oxned.

     Also, Ric. Lee, who so ever shalbe [presented to the]
benefice of Oxned, he muste tell hym, I must pay xiiij. marc
to the frutes, and ther for shall he have [da]yes of payment to
pay a marc azey[n] if he d[o] gete hym frendschip. And also,
Richard, at the makyng of this letter I mend (?) to have ben
sure (?) ...................... and now I in na ......................
for if it please my moder, me thynke it was well done, Sir
William Storor had ......................

[The rest unintelligible.]

     ¹ [Add. Charter 17,251, B.M.] It is sufficiently evident that the date of this
paper must be later than the 24th February, 1479. It appears to be a set of
memoranda or instructions by William Paston, addressed to his servant Richard
Lee. The MS. is a small roll of paper very mutilated and partly illegible from the
effect of damp.

     ² St. Matthias’ Day (not St. Matthew’s) is meant.

     ³ Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury.

     ¹ Crossed out in MS.

     ² Afterwards Attorney-General to Henry VII. He was Reader of Lincoln’s Inn
in Lent, 18 Edward IV.

     ³ Blank in MS.

     ¹ Blank in original.

1479

1479

1479