Thomas Betanson, priest, to Sir Robert Plumpton

42 Thomas Betanson, priest, to Sir Robert Plumpton, [13 December
     1485] (No. 148, p. 91)

Sir, if it please your mastership,^a on the Satterday after our Lady Day¹
the Parlament was prolonged vnto the xxvj day of January,² & then it
begineth again. Sir, my lord schanchler publyshed in the Parlament
house the same day þat the kings gud grace shall weede my Lady
Elizabeth, & so she is taken as quene, & þat [at] the marage ther shalbe
great iustying.³ Also, Sir, ther [be]^b divers lords & gentlemen attended
by the Parlament, which be these: & first, Richard, late duke of
Glouceter, John, duke of Norfolk, Thomas, earle of Surrey, Francis,
Lord Lovell, Watter, Lord Ferris, John, Lord Such; knights, Sir James
Hereryngton, Sir Robt Heryngton, Sir Richard Ritliff, Sir William
Barkley, Sir Robt Brakenbery, Sir Thomas Pilkynton, Sir Robt Myd-
leton; and squires, Walter Hopton, [p. 92] Wylliam Catisby, Roger
Wake, William Sapcott, Homfray Stafferd, Wylliam Clarke, Galfryd
Seryng <men>, Watter Watkin, herold of hermes, Rich: Revell of
Darbyshire, Thorns Pultor of Surrey, John Walste, John Kendall,
secretory, John Buke, John Ratte, William Brampton: the are atteinded
for certayne. Howbeit ther was many gentlemen agaynst it, but it wold
not be, for yt was the kings pleasure.⁴

     Sir, here is much spech þat we shall have aschip agayne, & walchmen;
& much spech is in the kyngs house & of his houshold men.⁵ Sir,
other tydings is none here as yett. Ther is much runyng [. . .]^c amongst
þe lords, but no man wett what it is. It is sayd yt is not wele amongst
them. Sir, I send your mastership a letter by Roger, Mr Mydeton
man. Sir, if ther be any newer things, your mastership shall have
word, if I can gitt it caryed from London. In die [Sent]^d Lucie Virgi[n].

Your Bedman                Sir Tho: Betanson^e

Endorsed (p. 91): To his speciall gud master Sir Robt Plompton kt deliuer
these letter

     ^a Marginal note: 1 H.7, 20 Decem.

     ^b MS to.

     ^c A word deleted.

     ^d MS Sep.

     ^e Appended: Copied þe 20 of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ 10 Dec. 1485. Parliament had assembled on 7 Nov., RP, vi, 276.

     ² Parliament was prorogued until 23 Jan. It did not reassemble, J.D. Mackie, The Earlier
Tudors 1485–1558 (Oxford, 1952), 65.

     ³ The marriage took place on 18 Jan.1485/6.

     ⁴ Crowland Chronicle Continuations, 195.

LETTER X.

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

    Sir, if it please your mastership, on the satterday after our Lady
day, a the Parlament was prolonged unto the xxvii day of January,
and then it begineth againe. Sir, my lord Schanchler publyshed in
the Parlament house the same day, that the Kings gud grace shall
weede my lady Elizabeth (and so she is taken as quene); and that
at the marage ther shalbe great justyng. b Also, Sir, ther be divers
lords and gentlemen attended by the Parlament, which be these;
and first, Richard late Duke of Glouceter, John Duke of Norfolk,
Thomas Erle of Surrey, Francis Lord Lovell, Walter Lord Ferres,
John Lord Such; knyghts, Sir James Heryngton, Sir Robert He-
ryngton, Sir Richard Charleton, Sir Richard Ritliff, Sir William
Barkley, Sir Robart Brakenbery, Sir Thomas Pilkynton, Sir
Robart Mydleton; esqueres, Walter Hopton, William Catisby,
Roger Wake, William Sapcott, Homfray Stafford, Wylliam
Clarke, Galfryd Seyngermen, Watter Watkyn, herold of hermes,
Richard Revell of Darbyshire, Thomas Pulter of Surrey, John
Walste, John Kendall secretory, John Buke, John Ratte, William
Brampton: the are attended for certayne. Howbeit, ther was
many gentlemen agaynst it, but it wold not be, for yt was the
Kings pleasure. Sir, here is much spech that we shall have aschip
agayne, and no man can say of whom; but they dem of Northern-
men and Walchmen. And much spech is in the Kyngs house and
of his householdmen. Sir, other tydings, is none here as yett.
Ther is much runyng amongst the lords, but no man wott what it
is; it is sayd yt is not well amongst them. Sir, I send your mas-
tership a letter by Roger, Mr. Mydleton' man. Sir, if ther be
any newer things, your mastership shall have word, if I can gett
it caryed from London. In die Sent Lucie Virgin.
                                            Your bedman, Sir THO. BETANSON.
        (13 Dec. 1485.)

a 10 Dec. 1 Hen. VII. 1485.

    b The roll of parliament for 1 Hen. VII. it is presumed, is defective, as no memoran-
dum of the prorogation, spoken of in this letter, is to be found in the printed copy;
but a petition of Margaret Agard, daughter and heir of Geffrey St. Germayn, refers
incidentally to its reassembling on the xxiii of January, which numerals we should
perhaps here read instead of xxvii. The Chancellor's notification of the King's mar-
riage is therefore unrecorded, and the date obtained from this letter becomes a valuable
acquisition to the historian.