Thomas Betanson, priest, to Sir Robert Plumpton

43 Thomas Betanson, priest, to Sir Robert Plumpton, 15 February
     [1485/6] (No. 147, p. 90)

Sir, if it please your mastership, I haue made a letter vnto you afore
Christenmas of such tydings as I know, but I was deceyved, for I went^a
your mastership had had it to within this ij dayes, & so ye shall have
one other with it both. Sir, if yt please you, thes bene the tydings þat
I know. The kyng hat resumyde by the Parliament into his hands all
manner patayns, geftys, offyzs pat he dyd giffe from the ij day of August
vnto the iij day of January,¹ & ther be many of his houshold in yt
plesyde with yt. Also he hath resumyde all manner gyfts, patayns, offizs
þat war gevon from the xxiij yere of King Herrie the vjth, by King
Edward the iiijth, or by King Edward, his son, the vth, or by King
Richard the iijth into his hands.² Also it is in actte in the Parlament
þat all manner huntyng inparkes, chases, forest belonging to the kyng
is made felony. Also, Sir, the king purposyse northward hastyly after
the Parlament, & it is sayd he purposses to doe execution quickly ther
on such as hath offended agynst him. Sir, other tyding I know none as
yet. Sir, I besech you recomend me vnto both my gud ladis, & I send
them [p. 91]^b a pauper of the rosary of our Lady of Coleyn, & I have
regestered your name with both my ladis names, as þe pauper
expresses, & ye be acopled as brethern & sisters.³ Also, Sir, these lords
and gentlemen þat was attaynted, they gytt no grace, as yt is sayd. No
more, but I besech your mastership to be gud master vnto my father, &
I shalbe your bedman, with Gods grace, who keepe you euermore in
great ioy and felycyte. From London, in crastino St Valentin. Also, Sir,
the king will come with great company, as it is sayd, with x hundred
men in harnesse, & with him mo then v or six schore lords and knights.
Also the duke of Bedford⁴ goes into Wales to see þat country. Also it is
inactt þat all manner of profyres is mayd felony. Sir, oder tydings I
know none as yet, pat be certayne.

Your servant & bedman             Sir Tho: Betanson^c

Endorsed (p. 90): To his singular gud master Sir Robart Plompton kt
deliuer these

     ^a Probably a scribal error: Stapleton suggests weened, p. 263.

     ^b At the head of the page: 15 Feb: 1 of H.7. Followed by either 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6 of Hen.7 deleted.

     ^c Appended: Copied þe 20 of Apryll 1613.

     ¹ According to the Parliament Roll, 21 Aug. to 20 Jan.

     ² The Act of resumption put Henry in possession of all the crown lands held by Henry
VI on 2 Oct. 1455, RP, vi, 336–84.

     ³ According to Richmond the attitude of the gentry towards religious fraternities was
in reality somewhat superficial, ‘The English Gentry and Religion c.1500’, in C. Harper-
Bill (ed.), Religious Belief and Ecclesiastical Causes in Late Medieval England (1991), 137; Marjorie
K. McIntosh, ‘Local Change and Community Control in England, 1455–1500’, Huntington
Library Quarterly, xlix (1986), 236.

     ⁴ Jasper Tudor (d.1495), created duke of Bedford 27 Oct. 1485, GEC.

LETTER XI.

To his singuler gud master, Sir Robart Plompton, Kt. deliver these.

    Sir, if it please your mastership, I have made a letter unto you
afore Christenmas of such tydings as I know; but I was deceyved,
for I went your mastership had had it to within this ij dayes: and
so ye shall have one other with it both. Sir, if yt please you,
these beut the tydings that I know. The Kyng hat resumyde by
the Parlamentt into his hands all maner patayns, zeftys, offyzs,
that he dyd ziffe from the ij day of August unto the iij day of
January, and ther be many of his houshold in yt plesyde with yt.
Also he hath resumyde all maner gyfts, patayns, offezs, that was
geven from the xxiij (lege xxxiii) yere of King Herre the vjth, by
King Edward the iiijth, or by King Edward his son the vth, or by
King Richard the iijth, into his hands. a Also it is in actte in the
Parlament, that all maner huntyng in parkes, chases, forest be-
longing to the Kyng, is made felong.b Also, Sir, the Kyng pro-
posyth northward hastyly after the Parlament, and it is sayd he
purposses to doe execution quickly ther on such as have offended
agaynst him. Sir, other tydings I know none as yet. Sir, I be-
sech you recomend me unto both my gud Ladis, and I send them
a pauper of the Rosery of our Lady of Coleyn, and I have reges-
tered your name with both my Ladis names, as the pauper ex-
presses, and ye be acopled as brether and sisters. Also, Sir, these
lords and gentlemen that was attaynted, they gytt no grace, as yt
is sayd. No more, but I besech your mastership to be gud mas-
ter unto my father, and I shalbe your bedman, with Gods grace,
who keepe you evermore in great joy and felycyte. From Lon-
don, in crastino St. Valentin. Also, Sir, the King will come with
great company; as it is sayd, with x hundred men in harnesse,
and with him mo then v or six schore lords and knights. Also
the Duke of Bedford c goes into Wales to se that country. Also
it is in actt, that all maner of profycyes is mayd felong.d Sir,
oder tydings I know none as yet that be certayne.
                           Your servant and bedman, Sir THO. BETANSON.
        (15 Feb. 1486-6.)

    a The act of resumption of all patents, &c. from the xxxiiird year of Hen. VI. to
the iid of August 1 Hen. VII. is on the printed copy of the Rolls of Parliament; but its
extension to the iiid of January is not recorded.

    b This act is on the Statute Roll.

    c Jasper Tudor, created Duke of Bedford, 27 Oct. 1485.

    d In its present defective state this act is not found on the Parliamentary Roll.