Sir Richard Bingham to Sir William Plumpton

5   Sir Richard Bingham to Sir William Plumpton, 8 January [1461/2]        (No.
     14, p. 158; CB 619)

Right worshypfull and reverent coussin, after dew and hartyly rec-
ommendations, be the advise of my master, Sir John Markam, chiefe
iustice,¹ I comonde with Henry Pearpointe, esquire, for the variance
that is betwixt you and him,² and he is agred, if it please you, to put
all things that is in variance betwixt you and him in the said Sir John
and me,³ and if ye will doe the same, we, for the ease of you both and
the rest of the contry, will take the matter vpon us, and we will apoynt
you bothe, and apoynte you to be at Notinggam vpon the Mondey
next after Law Sunday next coming, at euen, you to be lodgd theare
vpon the Long Raw in the Satterday market, at your pleasure, and the
said Henry against St Mary Kirke; and every of you not to excede xij
persons, and ye and every of your persons to be single arrayd, and in
noe other forme; and the place of metting for you and vs to be at St
Petter Kirke. And if this please you, I trust to God the matter in
variance betwixt you and him shall take good conclusion. And therfore
how ye will agre in this matter I pray you send word in writing to my
son, Richard Bingham, that he may let my master, Sir John Markam,
Henry Perpoint, and mee haue knowledg of your disposition in the
said matter. The day of your trety shall bee at Notingham upon the
Tewsday next after Law Sunday betimes, and my said master and I
shal so behaue us [p. 159] betwixt you that yf you both wil bee ruled
by reason, ye shall both bee wel eased, with the grace of God, which
keep you euer. Written at Midlton the eight day of January.^a

                       Your poor cosin          Rich: Bingham knight

Endorsed (p. 158): To my right honnorable and reverant coussin Sir
William Plompton knight

     ^a Marginal note: 14 letter. Variance betwene Perpoint and Plompton, month other.

     ¹ Sir John Markham, CJKB 1461–9.

     ² In the 1450s the Plumptons were in dispute with the Pierpoints, of Holme Pierpoint,
Notts, over land in Mansfield Woodhouse. Whilst process was pending in the courts Sir
William Plumpton’s brother-in-law and steward, John Greene of Newby, murdered Henry
Pierpoint on 21 July 1457, and was in turn murdered at Pannal, near Harrogate, by
Henry’s brother John. Crown proceedings against those involved were supplemented by
appeals of homicide by Henry’s widow, Thomasin, and John Greene’s nephew and heir,
Richard Greene. A previous attempt at arbitration had failed, S.J. Payling, Political Society
in Lancastrian England (Oxford, 1991), 200–1; App. III.

     ³ Sir Richard Bingham, JKB. His award was given 21 May 1463, Apps II, 22; III.

LETTER III.

To my right honnorable and reverant Coussin Sir William Plomp-
ton, knight.a

    Right worshipfull and reverent Coussin, after dew and hartyly
recommendations,?Be the advise of my master, Sir John Markam,
Chiefe Justice,b I comonde with Henry Pearpointe Esquirec for
the variance that is betwixt you and him, and he is agred, if it
please you, to put all thing that is in variance betwixt you and him
in the said Sir John and me; and if ye will doe the same, we for
the ease of you both and the rest of the contry will take the mat-
ter upon us, and we will apoynt you both; and apoynte you to be
at Notinggam upon the Mondey next after Law Sunday next
coming at even, you to be lodgd theare, upon the long Raw in the
satterday market, at your pleasure, and the said Henry against St.
Mary Kirke; and every of you not to excede xij persons, and ye
and every of your persons to be single arrayd, and in noe other
forme, and the place of metting for you and us to be at St. Petter
kirke ; and if this please you, I trust to God the matter in vari-
ance betwixt you and him shall take good conclusion : and ther-
fore how ye will agre in this matter I pray you send word in wri-
ting to my son Richard Bingham, that he may let my master Sir
John Markam, Henry Perpoint, and mee have knowledg of your
dispotition in the said matter. The day of your trety shal bee at
Notingham upon the tewsday next after Low Sunday betimes,
and my said master and I shal so behave us betwix you, that yf
you both wil bee reuled by reason, ye shal both bee wel eased,
with the grace of God, which keep you ever. Written at Midlton,
the eight day of January.

Your poor Cosin,    

    (8 Jan. 1461-2.)            RICH. BINGHAM, knight.d

    a The nature of the variance spoken of in this letter may be collected from the evi-
dences in the Plumpton coucher book. A writ of appeal had, it seems, been brought
by " Thomasyn, late the wife of Henry Perpoint, sometyme of Holme, esquire,"
(whose son this Henry was) against "Robert Grene, late of Plompton beside Knares-
burgh, in the county of York, gent." of the death of the "said Henry Perpoint, some-
tyme her husband, in the shire of Nottingham;" and, on the other hand, a counter-
writ had been sued by "Richard grene, of Plompton, nevewe and heir of John
Grene, late of Plompton," (which John was brother-in-law to Sir William Plump-
ton, and serving as his steward) against "John Perpoint, late of Rodmathwaite,
in the county of Nottingham, gent. and others," of the death of his "said uncle
John Grene, in the shire of York." These homicides had been committed in an
affray on Papplewick-moor in Nottinghamshire 35 Hen. VI.: and 10 Feb. 37 Hen.
VI. 1458-9, the same parties had agreed to abide by the award of Sir John Mel-
ton, knight, John Stanop, esq. and Richard Elingworth, counsellor, arbitrators
chosen on the side of Perpoint, and of Sir William Vernon, knight, William Babing-
ton, esq. and Richard Neel, counsellor, on the side of Plumpton, with John Viscount
Beaumont for umpire. The civil dissensions probaly prevented the final settlement
of the variance at that time. Then came the proposal contained in this letter of Sir
Richard Bingham, but which was not acceded to, as the final award was subsequently
made pursuant to a bond dated 24 May, 2 Edw. IV. It is in the sole name of
Richard Bingham, "one of the King's Justices of the bench," and bears date "on
Friday on the morne after the ascension of our lord," 28 May, 1462. (chartul.
No. 552.)

b Sir John Markham, made chief justice of the King's Bench, 1 Edw. IV. removed
8 Edw. IV.

    c Henry Pierpont of Holme Pierrepont, esq. son of Henry Pierpont, esq. and Tho-
masyn, daughter of Sir John Melton, knight.

    d Sir Richard Bingham, knight, a justice of the King's Bench and the writer of this
letter, was of Middleton, com. Derb. and agreeably to the custom of the time, calls
Sir William Plumpton his cousin, inasmuch as his son Richard Bingham, junior,
who is named in the letter, had married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Rempston,
knight, uncle by the half-blood to Sir William Plumpton.