Thomas Strey to Sir Robert Plumpton

181 Thomas Strey¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton [1503]       (No. 120, p. 72)

Right worshipfull Sir, I recommend me vnto you. Sir, one John
Frobisher,² one of the coroners in the county of York, hath bene with
me & shewed me your wrytt of atteynt³ with a panell, whervpon ye
were well agreed at Yorke afore him & all his fellowes, as he seeth, and
at they should send the writ to me to returne in ther names because
they were not expart in making ther returne, because it is somewhat
diffuse, & because of this your wrytting. And þat ye [. . .] the impanell
is not [p. 73]^a good and indyferent for you, I haue not medled, nor will
not, at the disire of the croners, without your assent. And so they haue
determyned enough themselves to send the sayd John Frobisher, in all
ther names, to put in the same writt. And therfore I will advise you, if
ye will labour the kings grace herin, to make all the speed you can,
and tery not for any other cause, for this matter towches you nere. I
can not intreet the sayd Frobisher to keep the wryt in his hands, but
to put it in at the day, as he & all his fellowes wer agred for his & ther
honestyes & truth in this matter; for they haue warned the panell iurie
and this other partie to kepe ther day at London, according to the
wrytt. And therefore without ye be at London afore, & geit some
comandement from the kings grace to the said coroners to kepe the
sayd wrytt in ther hands, or els to amend the returne; & this must be
done & labored with affect. And therfore I will advise you to make you
ready to ryde on Munday next at the furdest, for els ye will come
behind. And thus far ye well, & God giue you as gud speed in this
matter as I wold haue my selfe. From Doncastre, this Sunday.

By yours     T. Strey^b

Endorsed (p. 72): To the right worshipfull Sir Robart Plompton knight
be thes deliuered

     ^a Between pp. 72 and 73, a fragment. Noverint universis per presentes, me, Wilhelmum
Ryther, recepisse de domina Johanna Grastock, executrice Willelmi Garcoin, militis ? 10
marcas, unde 6 marcas a domino Willelmo Ryther, patre meo, ac 4 marcas a dicta
Johanna, 8 April 7 Hen.7.

     ^b Appended: Copied the 12 Aprill 1623.

     ¹ Attorney, of Clement?s Inn. One of the two regular clerks of assize for the northern
circuit, he was known to be favourable to Sir Robert and was displaced temporarily by
John Vavasour, senior assize judge for the midlands, Ives, CL, 21, 312; Introd., p. 15.

     ² Of Altofts, near Doncaster (d.1543). He may have been the grandfather of Martin
Frobisher, Pollard, Reign of Henry VII, ii, 142; Test. Ebor., vi, 164; J.W. Walker (ed.), Yorkshire
Pedigrees (3 vols, Harleian Society, xciv?xcvi, 1942?4), i, 188.

     ³ A process for the examination and possible reversal of the verdict of the York assize
jury, which was discontinued, but on Sir Robert?s obtaining royal protection as a knight
of the body precepts were sent to the sheriff of Yorks and others forbidding the serving
of writs, precepts or other writings upon Sir Robert as knight of the body, or upon his
servants, WYASL, Acc. 1731/9 M-17.

                                         LETTER CXLVI

      To the right worhsipfull Sir Robart Plompton, knight, be this
delivered.

    Right worshipfull Sir, I recomend me unto you. Sir, one John
Frobiser, one of the Coroners in the country of York, hath bene
with me and shewed me your wrytt of atteynt with a panell, ^a
whereupon ye were well agreed at Yorke afore him and all his fel-
lowes, as he seeth; and at they should send the writ to me to re-
turne in ther names, because they were not expart in making ther
returne, because it is somewhat diffuse, and because of this your
wryttyng : and that ye (omission) and the Impanall is not good and
indifferent for you, I have not medled, nor will not, at the desire of
the Croners, without your assent. And so they have determyned
enough themselves to send the sayd John Frobiser, in all ther
names, to put in the same writt; and therfore I will advise you,
if ye will labour the Kings grace herin, to make all the speed ye
can, and tery not for any other cause, for this matter towches you
nere. I cannot intreat the sayd Frobiser to keep the wryt in his
hands, but to put it in at the day, as he and all his fellows were
agred for his and ther honestyes and truth in this matter; for
they have warned the panell Jurie, and the other partie, to kepe
ther day at London, according to the wrytt. And therefore, with-
out ye be at London afore, and geit some comandement from the
Kings grace to the sayd Coroners to kepe the sayd wrytt in ther
hands, or els to amend the returne, and this must be done and
labored with affect; and therfore, I will advise you to make you
ready to ryde on Munday next at the furdest, for els ye will
come behind. And thus far ye well, and God give you as gud
speed in this matter, as I wold have my selfe. From Doncastre, ^b
this Sunday.                                             By yours,

    (Anno 1503.)                                                    T. STREY.

        ^a This was a writ of attaint to examine the judgment given by the jurors at the Assize,
in order to its being reversed; but it was discontinued, and Sir Robert Plumpton had
a precept "To Our trusty and welbeloved Sir William Conyers, Sheriffe of our county
of Yorke, &c. that hee serve noe writs, precepte or other writeings upon Sir Robert
Plumpton Knight of our body or his servants," and another to Sir Christopher Ward
and Sir William Calverley, Knts. "that William Plompton, son and heir of Sir Robert,
peacably inioy te Lordship of Plumpton and Idle and the rents," &c. Dat. Colly
Weston, 16 July. (Towneley MS.) Sir William Conyers was Sheriff of Yorkshire
in 1503.

^b John Frobiser resided at Doncaster. See an account of the family in Hunter's
South Yorkshire.