Richard Plumpton, priest, to Sir Robert Plumpton

157 Richard Plumpton, priest,¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton [27 June 1501]     (No.
     145, p. 87)

[p. 88] In my most humble wyse,^a Sir, I recomend me vnto you & to
my lady. Also, Sir, it is so, according to your wrytting þat ye send me
by Robart Smyth, I sent a letter in your name to William Rossell,² &
he sent me a copie of the inpanell that Rocliffe & Suttell intend shall
passe agaynst you for the manner of Kenalton & the towne also,³
which inpanell the sayd William Rossell had of þe under schereffe of
Nottingham, & he gave him therfore ijs; which inpanell is so [. . .]^b
favourable mayd, so I vnderstand by dyvers of your frynds now of layt,
wylbe great hurt to your worship, & [. . .]^c except the great mercy of
God & great labor & cost.⁴ Also, Sir, I have spoken with the baylay of
Byngham vapentake, & he will [. . .]^d <owe> you as mekell fauour as
is in him doo, for hes master Beron⁵ servant, & his name is Ednund
Mylnes; & so I vnderstand by him his master wold doe also, if he were
labord.

     Sir, I have teryed at Kenalton this Satterday for the cause I cannot
haue my money þat I should haue had of him,⁶ & my horse wold bere
me no further; & this Satterday I haue bought another horse of Robart
Towyll of Nottyngham, for which I haue payd him v nobles, of which
sume Thomas Haym of Kenalton hath lent me for your sake & my
ladys xxs, which I have promysed in your name shalbe payd vnto him
agayne, with the grace of God. Sir, I send vnto you a copie of þe
inpanell that William Rossell sent vnto me, & all these þat is at þe end
of the names ar hundrythars, as I vnderstand by the baylife of the
waypentake of Byngham & other of your frynds and lovers; [p. 89] &
also, Sir, Robart Smyth xxs & John Roger xs hath lent me xxxs for
your sake and <my ladyes>. As for John Wellemett hath payd me iiijli.
As for William Tusell⁷ hath maryed Mr Beron syster; & as I vnderstand,
Mr Berron may cause him & other of the inpannel. Therfore I thinke,
by my simple advice, þat ye caused Mr Beron to be spoken withall, for
if I myght haue had space I shold haue labored him in that matter.
Sir, Thomas Babington⁸ & a lerned man called William Wyneswold⁹ is
greatest laboures agaynst you in this matter, as is shewed me by your
lovers; & as for Richard Trumyll, he is houshold servant vnto Sir Henry
Wyllowby;¹⁰ & thus I betake you to the keping of the holy Trenete.
From Kenalton, the Sunday next after Natyvytie of St John Baptest.

      By your beadman & servant     Sir Richard Plompton prest^e

Endorsed (p. 87): To my worshipfull master Sir Robart Plompton knight
be these deliuered

     ^a Marginal note: 16 Hen.7, Sunday after the 4 of June.

     ^b favorabell deleted.

     ^c profett deleted.

     ^d have deleted.

     ^e Appended: Copied the 19 of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ Son of Sir Wm. Plumpton’s younger brother Godfrey and his wife Alice Wintringham,
whose sister became Sir William’s second wife. Richard’s will was proved 15 March 1524,
Francis Collins (ed.), Wills and Administrations for the Knaresborough Court Rolls, i (SS, civ,
1902), 18.

     ² Perhaps a younger brother of John Rossall of Radcliffe, Notts, Sir Thomas Babington’s
brother-in-law, Wright, 211; Stapleton, 159n.

     ³ 120; App. I, 6.

     ⁴ The writ decies tantum was the remedy against jurors who accepted bribes, but the
most effective way of influencing a jury was through the influence of some great lord:
Plumpton had failed to secure Shrewsbury’s protection, and Northumberland lacked
influence at court, Hastings, 220–22; 156.

     ⁵ Sir Nicholas Byron, of Over Colwick, Notts may have been a kinsman of Sir Robert
through his wife Alice Botiller, a great-great granddaughter of Sir William Plumpton
(exec.1405), whose daughter Alice married Sir John Botiller, of Warrington, Roskell,
Knights, 18, 152–5; Payling, 166; Bennett, Bosworth, 112.

     ⁶ Sir Robert leased Kinoulton in 1486, App. II, 50.
     ⁷ William Turvile, of West Leke, Notts, Wright, 243.

     ⁸ Of the Inner Temple, son and heir of Sir John Babington, of Kinston, Notts (d.1485).
Recorder of Nottingham 1492 to his death in 1519; feoffee of Elizabeth de la Pole, 1492,
Wright, 204, 211, 243; Collectanea, viii, 324; S.T. Bindoff (ed.), The House of Commons 1509–
1558 (4 vols History of Parliament Trust, 1982), i, 356.

     ⁹ William Wymondeswold, of Southwell (d.1520), lawyer and member of Sir Henry
Willoughby’s household, Visitation of Notts, 114; A. Cameron, ‘Sir Henry Willoughby of
Wollaton’, Transactions of the Thoroton Society, lxxiv (1970), 17.

LETTER CXXVI.

To my worshipfull master, Sir Robart Plompton, knyght, be
these delivered.

    In my most humble wyse, Sir, I recomend me unto you and to
my lady. Also, Sir, it is so, according to your wrytting that ye
send me by Robart Smyth, I sent a letter in your name to Wil-
liam Rossell,^a and he sent me a copie of the Inpanell that Ro-
cliffe and Suttell intends shall passe agaynst you for your maner
of Kenalton and the towne also,^b which Inpanell the sayd Wil-
liam Rossell had of the underschereffe of Nottingham, and he gave
him therfore IIs; which Inpanell is so favourable mayd, as I un-
derstand by dyvers of your frynds now of layt, wylbe great hurt
to your worship, except the great mercy of God, and great labor
and cost. Also, Sir, I have spoken with the baylay of Byngham
Vapentake, and he will owe you as mekell fovour, as is in him to
doo, for hes master Beron^c servant, and his name is Edmund
Mylnes; and so I understand by him, his master wold doe also,
if he were labored. Sir, I have teryed at Kenalton this satterday,
for because I cannot have my money that I should have had of
him, and my horse wold bere me no further; and this satterday I
have bought another horse of Robart Towyll of Nottyngham, for
which I have payd him v nobles, of which sume Thomas Haym
of Kenalton hath lent me for your sake and my ladis xxs, which I
have promysed in your name shalbe payd unto him agayne, with
the grace of God. Sir, I send unto you a copie of the Inpanell
that William Rossell sent unto me, and all these that is at the
end of the names ar Hundrythars, as I understand by the baylife of
the waypentake of Byngham, and other of your frynds and lovers.
And also, Sir, Robart Smyth (xx^s) and John Reger (X^s) hath lent
me xxxs for your sake and my ladyes. As for John Willemett,^d
hath payd me iiij^li. As for William Tufell,^e hat maryed Mr.
Beron sister; and as I understand, Mr. Berron may cause him
and other of the Inpanell. Therfore I thinke, by my simple ad-
vice, that ye caused Mr. Beron to be spoken withall, for if I myght
have had space, I shold have labored him in that matter. Sir
Thomas Babington,^f and a lerned man, called William Wynes-
wold, is greatest labourers agaynst you in this matter, as is shewed
me by your lovers. And as for Richard Trumyll, he is houshold
servant unto Sir Henry Wyllowby;^g and thus I betake you to
the keping of the holy Trenete. From Kenalton, the sunday next
after Natyvytie of St. John Baptest.

By your Beadman and servant,
(27 June 1501.)                                  SIR RICHAND PLOMPTON, Prest.

^a William Rossell, a younger brother of John Rossell of Ratcliff, com. Nott. esq.

    ^b This suit had been brought in the names of Robert Bubwith and Richard Burgh,
clerks, against Sir Robert Plumpton, kt. for the recovery of the manor of Kinalton,
com. Nott. and was tried before John Vavasor, Justice of Common Pleas, and John
Fisher, Serjeant, Justices pro hoc vice, at Nottingham, at the Lammas Assizes, in the
year 1501, when the verdict passed for the Claimants. Whereupon Sir John Rocliff
and Margaret his wife, and Elizabeth Sotehill, widow, demised the said manor to Sir
Richard Empson, kt. for the term of his life, who, besides this reward for his mainte-
nance, further procured, about 20 Hen. VII. 1504, his daughter to be married to the
heir of Dame Elizabeth Sotehill.

    ^c Sir Nicholas Byron of Colwick, com. Nott. kt. obiit 13 Jan. 19 Hen. VII. 1503-4.

    ^d By an indenture made 24 July, 10 Hen. VII. 1495. Sir Robert Plumpton leased
the manor of Kenalton, "from the feast of the Invencion of Holy cros, called St.
Elline day, next coming unto the end of ix yeares," to John Willymot for 22li yearly
rent. The latter was to furnish to Sir Robert Plumpton meat and drink for his ser-
vants, and provender for twenty horses, for the space of your days, twice in the year,
and if he abode for a longer space, then to pay three farthings for horse litter and hay
for a day and night, and 1?d. for going at grass in the summer time for a week. Sir
Robert and his servants were also to occupy the hall, chambers, bakehouse, brew-
house, kitchen, and stable belonging to the said manor, at his coming there, and in his
absence the said John to occupy the hall and the chambers at the over-end of the hall,
with all other houses of office; the tenant was moreover to find meat and drink for the
stewards and receivers of Sir Robert Plumpton coming on business. (Chartul. No.
778.)

    ^e William Turvile of West Leke, com. Nott. esq.

    ^f Sir Thomas Babington of Kinston, com. Nott. kt.

    ^g Sir Henry Willoughby of Wollaton, com. Nott. knight banneret.