Robert Plumpton and others to Sir Robert Plumpton

154 Robert Plumpton and others to Sir Robert Plumpton, [1501]    (No. 159,
     p. 101)

[p. 102] After most lowly & all due recomendations, we lowly recomend
us vnto your good mastership, certyfying you þat as fare as we can
vnderstand or know, John Rocliffe & John Sotell¹ ar come to Knyreston
Place,² & ther purpose to tary & abyde to such tyme as they thinke
tyme convenient for to enter into your liflods in this country, & toke
distor;³ & we have bene at dyverse places of your liflods & finds your
tenants well disposed toward you, & [. . .]^a sithen the most part of
gentlemen in this country, & especyally þe Eyres, so þat ye wold come
yourselfe & be sene amongst [. . .]^b your tenants & frynds, the which
were to them a singler pleasure & comforth, & to yourselfe a great
strength; & to bring with you not ouer the number of xx horse at þe
most, & such as may have your aduise & counsell to take derection,
the which may be to the suerty of your lyflod & tenants; & if ye can
gett Master Mydleton⁴ & bryng him with you, or Richard Grene,⁵ or
some other, & come to Hassop, for we haue deseuered us & some
departed tham; & with the grace of Jesu, & ye come betwixt this &
Tuesday, þat all things shalbe to your harts comforth in tyme to come.
But Sir, they haue bene here diuerse tymes doing for your wele &
pleasure, & thinkes ye will or dar not put you in iopartie for your
owne. For & ye come they will put them in deuer to do any thing þat
may be to the well of your liflod & tenants; &, Sir, bryng with you
money convenient for your expenses, for as yet [blank] here be now
rent teyned. Now ouer to you at this tyme, who the holy Trenety haue
you in his keping.

By your servant     Robinit Plompton with other moe^c

Endorsed (p. 201): To our right worshipfull master Sir Robart Plompton
kt be this letter deliuered in hast

     ^a since deleted.

     ^b them deleted.

     ^c Appended: Copied the 25 of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ Sir John Sotehill, husband of Elizabeth Plumpton, having died in 1494 the writers
are in error. The legal estate was by now vested in Robert Bubwith and Richard Burgh,
Kirby, NH, xxv, 117; 120; App. II, 58.

     ² Kinston Place, home of the Babingtons, Stapleton, 156n; 157.

     ³ The tenants of lands in contention were in an unenviable position, cf. Gairdner (ed.),
The Paston Letters, nos 485–7, 579, 587.

     ⁴ The lawyer Thomas Middleton, 14, 132; App. III.

     ⁵ 51.

LETTER CXXIII.

To our right woshipful master, Sir Robart Plompton, kt. be this
letter delyvered in hast.

    After most lowly and all due recomendations, we lowly reco-
mend us unto your good mastership; certyfying you, that as fare
as we can junderstand or know, John Rocliffe and John Sothell^a
ar come to Kynreston place,b and ther purpose to tary and abyde,
to such tyme as they thinke tyme convenient for to enter into
your liflods in this country, and take distor (distress). And we
have bene at dyverse places of your liflods, and finds your tenants
well disposed toward you; and sithen, the most part of gentlemen
in this country, and especyally the Eyres, so that ye wold come
yourselfe and be sene amongst your tenants and frynds, the which
were to them a singler pleasure and comforth, and to yourselfea
great strength. And to bring with you not over the number of
xx horse at the most, and such as may have your advise and coun-
sell to take derection, the which may be to the suerty of your
lyflod and tenants. And if ye can gett master Mydleton, bryng
him with you, or Richard Grene, or some other, and come to
Hassop, for we have desevered us, and some departed tham. And
with the grace of Jesu, and ye come betwixt this and tuesday,
that all things shalbe to your harts comforth in tyme to come.
But, Sir, they have bene here diverse tymes, doing for your wele
and pleasure, and thinkes ye will, or dar, not put you in jopartie
for your owne; for and ye come, they will put them in dever to
do any thing that may be to the wele of your liflod and tenants.
And, Sir, bryng with you money convenient for your expenses,
for as yet . . . . here be now (noe) rent teyned. Now (noe) over
to you at this tyme, who the holy Trenety have you in his keping.

                                          By your servant,

(Anno 1501)                             ROBINIT PLOMPTON, with other moe.

    ^a Sir John Sotehill, the husband of Dame Elizabeth Sotehill, was at this time de-
ceased, and his name is here improperly introduced through the inadvertence of the
writers. Master Anthony Clifford was, it seems, the attorney for Dame Elizabeth
Sotehill in these matters, but the legal estate and right of entry had vested in Robert
Bubwith, clerk, and Richard Burrow, chaplain, by conveyance from Richard Fawberge
or Fulbarne, the survibing feoffee of the original settlement, alleged to have been made
by Sir William Plumpton, Kt. in the fourth year of the reign of Edward IV. (see
Letter XCV. note^a.)

    ^b Kinston place, ancienty Cheniston, in the parish of Radcliff-upon-Soar, com.
Nott. was at this time a seat of the Babingtons; "and a very fair house they had
there," says Thoroton.