Robert Plumpton, senior, to Sir William Plumpton

26 Robert Plumpton, senior, to Sir William Plumpton, 1 April [1477] (No.
     17, p. 160)

After all lowly & dew recomendations, I lowly recommend me vnto
your good mastershipp,^a certifieing your maistership I sent you by one
Wil: Atkinson a letter & the copie of the answerre of the priuie seale,
and a box with 6 peeces, 5 sealed & one vnsealed. And, Sir, the box
sealed for your maistershipp took me no more. First, they took me 7 &
2 filed together that were of one: the graunt of Stutvill^b and the peticion
thereon,¹ and they tooke away the petition, and soe I had but 5, whilk
I sent your mastershipp by the said William in the said box, sealed.
And if it were more so, and the letter deliuerd to you with the copie,
I desire you send word.

     As for your say, I haue sent you a peice of 2 yards and a halfe broad
by Grethum of York the first of Lent. As for the other peice, there is
none of lesse bredth then 2 yards, for if I could haue any I should haue
sent it with the other. And as for the cloth of my ladies, Hen: Cloughe
putt it to a sheremn to dight, and he sold the cloth and ran away, and
yett after, Hen: mett with him and gart him be sett in the countrie till
he founde [p. 161] sewerte to answer at the gild hall for the cloth. And
soe he hath sewed him till he had iudgment to recover, which cost him
large money. And when he shold deliuer it, he deliuered another peice,
but that Henry hapned to understand, after the recouery, wheare he
had sould it, and soe it is had againe and it is put to dyeing. And as
soune as it is readie I shall sendit by the carrier, for it [. . .]^c was Fryday
in the second week of Lent or it was gettin again.

     And as for suites in the kings bench again them in Brereton,² and in
the common place again Will: Pulleyne and his suites are in process,
and fro they be in exigent ye shall haue the exigent sent you as soun as it
will be sped. And for the day of appearence of Ailmer wife is mense
Paske,³ I shold haue sent you word or that, but that I had nott the
habeas corpus against John Esomock and Robart Galaway; and for to
see that we were nott beguiled by the day of returne & day of
appearance, be it my day, & soe I send you now the habeas corpora & a
coppie thereof, & you must desier the sheriffe to serue it,⁴ if so be that
ye agre not. And also, Sir, that ye will send word as soon as ye can, if
the principalls were deliuered not att York, and what way is had betwixt
you and them, and if there be any towne or hamlett in Craven that is
called Medilton,⁵ & that ye send word.

     And as for your cope, I have cheaped diuerse, and under a hundred
shillings I can by non that is ether of damaske or sattin with flowers of
gold; and I send you a peice of baudkin and another of impereal to se
whether ye will hafe of, and the price. And the bredth of it is elme
broade; 3 yards, besides the orffrey, will make a cope – to haue of
whilk it please you, ether to be made [?here] or there. And if ye will
haue it to be made here, it will stand ye to 6 marks or more, with the
orfrey and making, & that is the least that I can driue it to. [p. 162]
The orffrey 32s, the lining and making 8s, and as for a broderer, I can
find none that will come so farre, but any work that ye would haue, to
send hither and they will do it, and in no other wise they will as yett
grant me, but I shall that I may to gett one.

     Alsoe, Sir, I send your mastership the bill of the expenses and costs
that I haue made since I came hither, and please you to see it and
send money the next terme. All other thinges whilk ye will I do, and I
shall doe therein, that I ether may or can. I beseech your mastership
to recomend me lowly to my lady. And if I durst, Sir, the matter
betwixt my brother Robart and Mr Gascoines sister me think is so long
in makeing up, for in long tarrying comes mekell letting.⁶ And I beseech
the blessed Trinitie haue you in his continuall keeping. From London,
the fift day of Aprill.^d

Your servant in all              Robenett P.⁷

Endorsed (p. 160): To my most reuerent & worshippfull maister Sir
William Plompton knight be this deliuered

     ^a Marginal note: 17 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Stutavel deed.

     ^c is deleted.

     ^d Marginal note: Copied 12 January 1612, Tewsday.

     ¹ Undated grant to Nigel de Plumpton pro servicio suo et pro uno equo precio centum solidorum,
of part of the waste of the forest of Knaresborough, with licence to course the fox and
the hare throughout the forest – a right jealously guarded by subsequent generations of
the family, CB, 72; BL, Add. MS. 32, 113, f.6.

     ² Brearton, near Knaresborough.

     ³ 5 May.

     ⁴ The responsibility for getting his writ to the sheriff lay on the plaintiff, Hastings, 162.

     ⁵ Middleton, near Ilkley.

     ⁶ The contract for the marriage of Robert (later Sir Robert) Plumpton with Agnes,
sister of Sir William Gascoigne of Gawthorpe was signed 13 July 1477, Apps II, 37; III.

     ⁷ Robert Plumpton, of York (‘Robinet’), attorney, one of Sir William’s two illegitimate
sons, App. III.

LETTER XXVIII.

To my most reverent and worshippfull maister Sir William
Plompton, knight, be this delivered.

    After all lowly and dew recomendations, I lowly recommend me
unto your good maistership; certifieing your maistership I sent
you by one Wil. Atkinson a letter and the copie of the answerre
of the privie seale, and a box with 6 peeces, 5 sealed and one un-
sealed; and, Sir, the box sealed for your maistershipp took me no
more. First, they tooke me 7, and 2 filed together that were
of one, the granut of Stutvella and the peticion thereon; and they
tooke away the petition, and soe I had but 6, whilk I send your
mastershipp by the said William in the said box sealed; and if it
were so, and the letter delivered to you with the copie, I desire
you send word. As for your say, I have sent you a peice of 2
yards and a halfe broad by Grethum of York, the first of Lent.
As for the other peice, there is none of lesse bredth then 2 yards;
for if I could have any, I should have sent it with the other. And
as for the cloth of my ladies, Hen. Cloughe putt it to a shereman
to dight, and he sold the cloth and ran away; and yett after Hen:
mett with him, and gart him be sett in the Countre, till he founde
sewerte to answer at the Gildehall for the cloth. And soe he hath
sewed him till he had judgment to recover, which cost him large
money; and when he shold deliver it, he delivered another peice,
butt that Henry hapned to understand after the recovery wheare
he had sould it; and soe it is had againe and it is put to dyeing,
and as soune as it is readie, I shall send it by the carrier, for it
was fryday in the second week of Lent or it was gettin again. And
as for suites in the Kings bench again them in Brereton, and in
the Common place again Will. Pulleyne and his suertes, are in
proces; and fro they be in exigent, ye shall have the exigent sent
you, as soun as it will be sped. And for the day of appearaune of
Ailmer wyfe, is mense Paske;b so that she be here the morrow after
mense Paske. I shold have sent you word or that, but that I had
nott the habeas Corpus against John Esomock, and Robart Galaway,
and for to see that we were not beguiled by the day of returne and
day of appearance; be it my day. And soe I send you now
the habeas corpora and a coppie thereof, and you must desier
the sheriffe to serve it, yf so be that ye agre not. And also,
Sir, that ye will send words as soon as ye can. if the prin-
cipalls were delivered not att York, and what way is had
betwixt you and them, and if there be any towne or hamlett
in Craven that is called Medilton, and that ye sent word. And as
for your cope, I have cheaped diverse, and under a hundred
shillings I can by non, that is ether of damaske or sattin, with
flowers of gold; and I send you a peice of baudkin, and another of
impereal, to se whether ye will hafe of, and the price. And the
bredth of it is elme broade; 3 yards, besides the orffrey, will
make a cope: to have of whilk it please you, ether to be made . . .
or there. And if ye will have it to be made here, it will stand ye
to 6 marks or more, with the orfrey and makeing, and that is the
least that I can drive it to. The orffrey 32s., the lining and
making 8s., and as for a broderer, I can find none that will come
soe farre, but any work that ye would have, to send hither and
they will do it; and in no other wise they will as yett grant me,
but I shall that I may to gett one. Alsoe, Sir I send your mas-
tership the bill of the expences and costs that I have made since I
came hither, and please you to see it and send money the next
terme. All other thinges, whilk ye will I do, and I shall doe
therein that I ether may or can. I beseech your mastership
to recomend me lowly to my lady; and if I durst, Sir, the matter
betwixt my brother Robart and Mr. Gascoines sister,c me
think, is to long in makeing up, for in long tarriing comes mekell
letting. And I beseech the blessed Trinitie have you in his con-
tinual keeping. From London, the first day of Aprill.
                                                                Your servant in all,
        (1 April 1476.)                                                    ROBENETT P.d

        a For the grant of Stuteville, see Memoirs.

 b Mensa Paschae, the month or quinzaine of Easter, i. e. the eight days preceding
and the eight day following Easter day. It commenced 7 April in 1476, the year
this letter was written.

c The contract for the marriage of Robert Plumpton, only surviving legitimate son
of Sir William Plumpton, with Agnes, sister of William Gascoign of Gokethorp, esq.
was signet 13 July 17 Edw. IV. 1477, and serves to fix the date of this letter to the
month of April in the preceding year.

    d Robenett or Robert Plumpton was a bastard son of Sir William Plumpton, and
was usually distinguished from his legitimate younger brother by the epithet of senior.