Sir Richard Tunstall to Sir Robert Plumpton

56 Sir Richard Tunstall to Sir Robert Plumpton, [?1487] (No. 117, p. 71)

Right worshipfull cousin, I recomend me vnto you. And for as much
as it is shewed to me þat ye doe make a pretence and claime to a man
called William Wroes, dwelling within thoner of Pomfret, wher I am
officer, premyssing þat he should be your bond man, wherin I haue
sent his evydence of his manumission,² given by one of your ancestors
called Sir Robart Plompton, with dyverse other wryttings þat byndes
the sayd Sir Robart & his heires vnder a certayne payne which is
expressed in ther sayd wrytinges, þat ther shall neuer no pretence nor
clame be made by them, nor none of ther heires, for þe sayd bonde,
but euermore perpetually to be at lyberty. Wherfore, cousin, inasmuch
as the sayd William is dwelling within the honour wher I am officer, I
nether can nor may see þat he be wronged, if it may lye in me to
amend it. Therfore I will & pray you þat if ye intend to make any such
pretence & clame, then þat ye wold send to me some of your counsell,
so þat I may vnderstand wherby ye pretend your tytle; & if your tytle
be good, ye shall haue such answere as of reason ye shalbe content
with. I pray þat I may haue an answere in wrytting from you of these
premysses.

Your cousin            Richard Tunstall

Endorsed: To my right worshipfull cousin Sir Robart Plompton knyght

     ¹ Sir Richard Tunstall, of Thurland was granted the stewardship of Pontefract for life
12 Sept.1486, Somerville, 514; 71, 45; App. III.

     ² Manumissions provided landowners with ‘an irregular but not inconsiderable income’,
e.g. on the estates of Edward, 3rd duke of Buckingham (d.1521) concealed bondmen were
diligently sought out. A power of attorney granted by Sir William 10 April 1439 includes
’nativi et sequelae’, C. Rawcliffe, The Staffords, Earls of Stafford and Dukes of Buckingham,
1394–1521 (Cambridge, 1978), 60–1; K.B. McFarlane, The Nobility of Later Medieval England
(Oxford, 1972), 224–6; Eric Acheson, A Gentry Community: Leicestershire in the Fifteenth Century,
c.1422–c.1485 (Cambridge, 1992), 56; App. II, 9; 98, 164.

LETTER XVII.

To my right worshipfull cousin, Sir Robart Plompton, knyght.

    Right Worshipfull Cousin, I recomend me unto you; and for-
asmuch as it is shewed to me, that ye doe make a pretence and
clame to a man, called William Wroes, dwelling within thoner
of Pomfret, wher I am officer, premyssing that he should be your
bondman; wherin I have sent his evydence of his manumisson,
given by one of your ancestors, called Sir Robart Plompton with
dyverse other wryttings, that byns the said Sir Robart and his
heires under a certain payne, which is expressed in ther sayd
wrytings, that ther shall never no pretence, nor clame, be made
by them, nor none of ther heires, for the said bonde, but evermore
perpetually to be at lyberty. Wherfore, Cousin, insomuch as the
sayd William is dwelling within the honour, wher I am officer, I
nether can, nor may, see that he be wronged, if it may lye in me to
amend it; therfor I will and pray you, that if ye intend to make
any such pretence and clame, then that ye wold send to me some
of your counsell, so that I may understand wherby ye pretend
your tytle, and if your tytle be good, ye shall have such answere,
as of reason ye shalbe content with. I pray that I may have an
answere in wrytting from you of these premysses.
                                   Your Cousin,            RICHARD TUNSTALL.