Sir John Fastolf to Sir Thomas Howys and John Bocking

LETTER XXIV.

      To my Ryght trusty
      frende and s^runt S^r Thom’s
      p^rson of Castellcombe and
     John Bokkyng at Prynce
     Jnne yn Noruych or at
      Beklys.

RYGHT trusty and welbelevyd S^runt I grete you well And
     forasmoch as I undrestand that on monday next the oyer
and t^rminer shall be holden at Beklys and ye avysen to sende
yow a Certificat for cause of the forged quyt’unce by S^r John
Sypton whych wrytyng I scende you by the berer here of p’yng
you that ye solicit to my Councell that the said S^r John Sypton
be endited thereuppon. and that ye foryete not Ulueston
Andreus and the othyrs that forged a fals office to cast my
maner of Bradwell yn to the Kyngs hand.

     It’ I sende you a cop’ of Sibieton ple and quyt’unce forged to
grounde your bille by it. No more for haste but god kepe you
Wryt at london iiij day of December A^o xxix^o RR H vj.

     It’m S^r John Bukk p^rson of Stratford physshed my stankys at
Dedh’m and holp brake my damme destroyed my new mille and
was ayenst me allwey at Dedh’m to the damage of 20l. which
may be endyted allso. It’m he and John Cole hath by force this
yeer and othyr yeers take out off my waters at Dedh’m to the
nōbre of xxiiij Swannys and Signetts and I pray you thys be not
foryeted.

                                                                                 J. Fastolf.

      I have presented this Letter to the Reader, to shew him that the forging of Deeds,
Grants, &c. was a common offence many centuries ago; here it mentions an acquittance
as being forged, and likewise an office forgery, which would affect Sir John’s manor of
Bradwell.

      At the time here mentioned, forgery was an offence at common law only, and the pu-
nishment was usually fine and imprisonment; it is now an offence by divers statutes, and
the Person committing it is guilty of felony, without benefit of Clergy.

     Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

          3 by 12.

          Paper Mark,
      A Pairs of Sheers.
          Pl. XXI. N^o 5.

               London,
               Friday, 4th of December,
               1450. 29 H. VI.

           LETTER XXIV.

To my right trusty Friend and Servant, Sir Thomas (Howys)
     parson of Castlecombe, and John Bocking, at Prince’s Inn, in
     Norwich, or at Beccles.

RIGHT trusty and well beloved servant, I greet you well,
     and forasmuch as I understand that on Monday next the
oyer and terminer shall be holden at Beccles, and ye advise to
send you a certificate for cause of the forged quittance by Sir
John Sypton, which writing I send you by the bearer hereof,
praying you that ye solicit to my counsel that the said Sir John
Sypton be endicted thereupon, and that ye forget not Ulveston,
Andrews, and the others that forged a false office to cast my
manor of Bradwell into the King’s hand.

     Item, I send you a Copy of Sypton’s plea and quittance
forged to ground your bill by it.

     No more for haste, but God keep you, written at London,
the 4th day of December, in the 29th year of King Henry VI.

     Item, Sir John Buck, parson of Stratford, fished my stanks
at Dedham, and helped to break my dam, destroyed my new
mill, and was against me always at Dedham, to the damage of
20l. which may be endicted also.

     Item, he and John Cole hath by force this year, and other
years taken out of my waters at Dedham, to the number of 24
swans and cygnets. I pray you this be not forgotten.

                                                                             JOHN FASTOLF.

         I have presented this Letter to the Reader, to shew him that the forging of Deeds,
Grants, &c. was a common offence many centuries ago; here it mentions an acquittance
as being forged, and likewise an office forgery, which would affect Sir John’s manor of
Bradwell.

         At the time here mentioned, forgery was an offence at common law only, and the pu-
nishment was usually fine and imprisonment; it is now an offence by divers statutes, and
the Person committing it is guilty of felony, without benefit of Clergy.

     Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

      3 by 12.

          Paper Mark,
      A Pairs of Sheers.
          Pl. XXI. N^o 5.

               London,
               Friday, 4th of December,
               1450. 29 H. VI.

160

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS AND
JOHN BOCKING¹

To my ryght trusty frende and servaunt, Sir Thomas, Parson of
     Castellcombe, and John Bokkyng, at Prynce Inne yn Norwych,
     or at Beklys.

RYGHT trusty and welbelevyd servaunt, I grete you
     well. And forasmoch as I undrestand that on Mon-
     day next the oyer and terminer shall be holden at
Beklys, and ye avysen to sende yow a certificat for cause of the
forged quytaunce by Sir John Sypton, whych wrytyng I scende
you by the berer here of, prayng you that ye solicit to my
councell that the said Sir John Sypton be endited thereuppon,
and that ye foryete not Ulveston, Andreus, and the othyrs that
forged a fals office² to cast my maner of Bradwell yn to the
Kyngs hand.

     Item, I sende you a copie of Sibieton ple and quytaunce
forged to grounde your bille by it.

     No more for haste, but God kepe you. Wryt at London,
iiij. day of December, anno xxix^o regni Regis H. VI.

     Item, Sir John Bukk, Parson of Stratford, physshed my
stankys at Dedham, and holp brake my damme, destroyed
my new mille, and was ayenst me allwey at Dedham, to the
damage of 20l., which may be endyted allso.

     Item, he and John Cole hath by force this yeer, and othyr
yeers, take out off my waters at Dedham, to the nombre of
xxiiij. swannys and signetts, and I pray you thys be not
foryeted.                                                             J. FASTOLF.

              ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 102.]              ² See p. 188, Note 2.

1450
DEC. 4