Richard Cholmley to Sir Robert Plumpton

111 Richard Cholmley¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton 16 June [1493] (No. 123,
       p. 74)

Right worshipfull Sir, after all due recomendations, please it you to
know I haue latly bene in the byshopryk of Durham, by the kings
comandement, for leveing of such arrerages and other dutyes as were
[. . .]^a due to the late byshop, decessed,² whose sole God pardon. And
then it was shewed vnto me by certayn frinds of Mr Alex Lees,³ and
also by his old servant Lawrence Canwick, who ye know, þat ye without
your duty belonging to þe sayed Mr Lee, wherwith all the kings
comyssioners and I marvelled þat ye wold, so doe. Whervpon, the sayd
Lawrence, with other his master frynds, wer in mynd & fully determyned
to haue made complaynt of you vnto the kings grace in þat behalfe; &
then, Sir, in avoyding of such inconuenients as myght have ensued to
you by reason of the same, & also for such speciall [p. 75] favour as I
owe vnto you, I caused them to surcease ther purposse vnto the tyme
I had wrytten to you & known your mynd in þat partie. Wherfore, Sir,
I pray you, according to the kings comandements, which I haue sene,
and also for your singuler wele, þat ye will see the <said> Lawrence
content of parte of the sayd duty at this tyme, & so to finde him
suffycyent suerty for the residue as ye & he an agre. And, Sir, if ye
endeuer not yourselfe for the accomplessment of þe premysses, I haue
promysed them to wryte to the kings grace for the contentation of the
same, which I wold be loth to doe.⁴ Sir, I doubt not so ye will deale
herin þat it shall not miscare. And, Sir, of your toward mynd herin, I
pray you if I may be answerd by my servant, this bearer, to whom, I
pray you, give credence. And I am yours. At Cotingham, the xvi day
of June.

Your owne Rich:     Coverley^b

Endorsed (p. 74): To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton kt at
Plompton

     ^a late deleted.

     ^b Appended: Copied þe 12 of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ As suggested by Stapleton, the subscription is a scribal error. The writer was Richard
Cholmley, of Braham Hall, near Plumpton, whose appointment as receiver and surveyor
of the temporalities of the see of Durham is dated 1 March 1493, CPR, 1485-94, 418;
Stapleton, v; App. III.

     ² John Sherwood, died 12 Jan.1493/4, HBC, 221.

     ³ Alexander Lye, instituted rector of Spofforth 25 Dec.1481, 45.

     ⁴ The warning had its effect, for Sir Robert paid his tithe 1 Feb.1494, CB, 770.

LETTER LXXVII.

To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton, kt. at Plompton.

    Right worshipfull Sir, after all due recomendations, please it
you to know, I have latly bene in the bishopryk of Durham, by
the Kings comandement, for leveing of such arrerages and other
dutyes, as were due to the late byshop decessed, whose soule God
pardon; and ther it was shewed unto me by certayn frinds of Mr.
Alex. Lees,a and also by his old servant, Lawrance Canwike, who
ye know, that ye without your dute belonging to the sayd Mr. Lee,
wherwith all the Kings comyssioners and I marvelled that ye
wold so doe. Wherupon the sayd Lorance, with other his master
frynds, were in mynd and fully determyned to have made complaynt
of you unto the Kings grace in that behalfe; and then, Sir, in
avoyding of such inconvenients as myght have ensued to you by
reason of the same, and also for such speciall favour as I owe
unto you, I caused them to surcease ther purposse unto the tyme
I had wrytten to you, and known your mynd in that partie. Wher-
fore, Sir, I pray you, according to the Kings comandement, which
I have sene, and also for your singuler wele, that ye will see the
said Larance content of parte of the sayd duty at this tyme, and so
to finde him a suffycyent suerty for the residue, as ye and he can
agre. And, Sir, if ye endever not yourselfe for the accomplesh-
ment of the premysses, I have promysed them to wryte to the Kings
grace for the contentation of the same, which I wold be loth to
doe. Sir, I doubt not, so ye will deale herin, that it shall not mis-
care; and, Sir, of your toward mynd herin I pray you that I may
be answered by my servant, this bearer, to whom I pray you give
credence. And I am yours. At Cotingham, the xvi day of June.
      (16 June 1493.)     York owne,         RICHARD COVERLEY. b

    a The fragment in Hearne, to which reference is made in note e, Letter X., after
mention of the warning given to Edward Iv. by the serjeant of his minstrels of the
project of his enemies to seize upon his person, when he was in the North in the
month of September, A.D. 1470, breaks off with this unfinished sentence; "And so-
deinly upon that came one Maister Alexander Lee a priest?" This personage was,
it seems, rector of Spofford in 1493, in which year, 12 Jan. 1492-3, died John Sher-
wood, Bishop of Durham. In the Coucher book is copied a receipt from Thomas Tay-
lor, chaplain, one of the factors of Master Alexander Lee, rector of the parish
church of Spoford, acknowledging payment by Sir Robert Plumpton, kt. of 26s. 8d.,
the whole sum of the tithes of Plumpton, and dated 1 Feb. 1493-4. (Chartul.
No. 770) It is therefore probable that he had some preferment in the diocese of Dur-
ham, which was the occasion of his non-residence.

    b I suspect that Coverley should be read Cholmley, and that the name is a mistakt
of the copyist in 1613. Richard Cholmley was in fact one of the guardians of the
bishoprick of Durham after the demise of Bishop Shirwood. his appointment bearing
date 11April, 8 Hen. VII. 1493. (See Surtees' Durham.)