Sir William Gascoigne to Sir Robert Plumpton

161 Sir William Gascoigne to Sir Robert Plumpton, [19 March
        1501/2]¹ (No. 72, p. 21)

Vncle Plompton, I recomannd me unto you as hartely as I can, shewing
you þat my lord Archbishop hath sent a letter to my cousin William,
your son, & a byll closed therin, which byll & letter I wold ye gaue
good heed to, & vnderstand whether it be kings comanndement or nay.
And also John Vavasour of Newton is departed to mercy of God sence
ye departed from home, & I haue inquered of the age of his son and
heire, which shalbe at ful age within a moneth, & then I am in a suerte
to haue the release of him. Also there is a mariage moved betwixt the
sone of Sir John Roklife and Jane Ughtred, sister to Henry Ughtred,²
and great labor haue they made to my lord of Northumberland for þe
same, which I have stoped, as yet, & thus þe sayd Sir John Rokclife,
Henry Ughtred, and Anthony³ draweth all one way; & I vnderstand
they will make more labor to my sayd lord hastely, for which cause I
will goe to Lekinfeld the next weke, where I shall know further herein
of my lords pleasure, which I know is your especiall good lord. And as
I can know further I shall send you wrytting shortly.

     And also, as I vnderstand, your aduersaries will lay a fine against
you,⁴ which fine is parcell of William Midletons evidence,^a & is the fine
of the house in Plompton pat was my vncle Ralfe Gascoygne.⁵ I pray
you to send me some good tydings as sonne as ye can, of your good
speed in your matters, which I besech Gode may be to his pleasure &
your comforth & myne; & thus our Lord kepe you. At Gaukthorpe, in
hast, the second Sunday in Lenten.

Your nephew     William Gascon^b

Endorsed: To my vncle Sir Robart Plompton kt be this byll deliuered in
hast

     ^a Marginal note: A fine of all of W. Midletons euidence in Plo. Raf. Gascoing.

     ^b Appended: This letter hath a seale. Copied the 13th day of March 1612.

     ¹ The dating of this letter presents a problem: the fine (note 4, below) was later
produced as evidence at the York assizes, Sept. 1502, suggesting a date prior to that
event, but the king’s precept to the archbishop was sent some time after the trial, 174,
175. A John Vavasour of Newton signed a release to Sir Robert’s son William in Aug.
1503, CB, 821; App. II, 64.

     ² Afterwards Sir Henry Ughtred of Kexby (d.1510). The marriage does not appear to
have taken place, Borthwick Inst., Prob. Reg., VIII, 333; 16, 58.

     ³ Anthony Ughtred, made banneret at the battle of the Spurs, Aug. 1513, G.R. Elton,
England under the Tudors (3rd edn., 1991), 73.

     ⁴ The fine was produced by John Vavasour JCP as clerk of assize, claiming that it
granted reversion of Sir William Plumpton’s Yorks estates to the heirs general, CB, 824;
Introd., p. 15; App. III.

     ⁵ 43.

LETTER CXLI.

To my uncle Sir Robart Plompton, kt. be thes byll delivered in hast.

    Uncle Plompton, I recomannd me unto you as hartely as I can,
shewing you that my lord Archbishop hath sent a letter to my
cousin William your son and a byll closed therin; which byll and
letter I wold ye gave good heed to, and understand whether it be
Kings comandement, or nay. And also John Vavasour of New-
ton is departed to mercy of God, sence ye departed from home,
and I have inquered of the age of his son and heire, which shalbe
at full age within a moneth, and then I am in a suerte to have the
release of him.^a Also there is a maraige moved betwyxt the sone
of Sir John Roklife and Jane Ughtred, syster to Henry Ughtred,^b
and great labour have they mae to my lord of Northumberland
for the same, which I have stoped as yet. And thus the sayd Sir
John Rokclife, Henry Ughtred, and Anthony^c drawth all one way;
and I understand they will make more labor to my sayd Lord
hastely, for which cause I will goe to Lekinfeld the next weke,
where I shall know further herein of my lords pleasure, which I know
is your especiall good Lord: and as I can know furthere, I shall
send you wrytting shortly. And also, as I understand, your ad-
versaries will lay a fine against you, which fine is parcell of Wil-
liam Midleton's evidence, and is the fine of the house in Plomp-
ton that was my uncle Ralfe Gascoygne.^d I pray you to send me
some good tydings, as sone as ye can, of your good speed in your
matters, which I besech Gude may be to his pleasure, and your
comforth and myne; and thus our Lord kepe you. At Gauk-
thorpe in hast, the second sunday in Lenten.

                                                Yore nephew,

    (19 Mar. 1502-3.)                              WILLIAM GASCON.

    ^a By deed, bearing date 6 Aug. 18 Hen. VII. 1503, John Vavasour of Newton, esq.
released to William Plompton, esq. all the right and title he had by reason of any feof-
ment made by Sir William Plompton, kt. grandfather of the said William, to his father
in Plompton, Folefote, Idill, Girsington, Braem, Stotheley, and Steton. (Chartul. No.
821.)

    ^b Henry Ughtred of Kexby, com. Ebor. esq. afterwards Sir Henry Ughtred, kt.

    ^c Anthony Ughtred, made Knight Banneret at the battle of Spurs.

    ^d See an account of the proceedings relating to this fine in the Memoirs.