1

SHILLINGFORD TO HIS FELLOWS

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LONDON, 2 NOV. 1447

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4    Worthy Sires, as yn the other letter &c. y grete yow well
5alle. Yn the whiche letter y wrote to yow that y hadde a dey to

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6appere before the lordis for oure mater the Fridey next ther after;
7and for as moche as my lord Chaunceller bade the Justyse to dyner
8ayenst that same day for oure mater, seyyng that he sholde have a
9dys of salt fisshe; y hiryng this, y didde as me thoght aughte to be
10done, and by avys of the Justise and of oure counseill, and sende
11thider that day ij. stately pikerellis and ij. stately tenchis, for the
12whiche my lord Chaunceller cowde right grete thankys and made
13right moche therof hardely; for hit came yn gode seson, for my
14lordis the Duke of Bokyngham, the Markis of Southfolke and other,
15Bysshoppis divers dyned with my lord Chaunceller that dey. But
16as touchyng the laboure and spede of oure mater that day, hit was
17by my seide lorde ajorned over yn to the morun Saterdey for these
18causis that a grete disputacion was be fore my lorde yn his chapell
19at Lambeth for prechyng of Bysshoppis. And the seide lordis that
20same Friday were there at diner. And the Justise came not there
21that day; but the same Friday after mete y was with the Justise by
22longe tyme and yn gode leisure to comyne of oure mater. Y fynde
23hym a gode man and well willed yn oure right, and like to have the
24grete rule of the mater, as yn the other letter. And he bade me
25move of some gode meene to ende the mater. Y seide ayen, savyng
26his commaundement, y cowde no skyll theryn ne to speke ne move
27of menys, ne hit was not my part so to do; for hit wolde seme if y
28so didde, that y hadde doute of oure right, where y have right none,
29but we woll dwelle and abide thereapoun and go no ferther; but
30if eny man wolde move of eny meene, hit was my part to hire and
31so to reporte, &c. But furthermore y seide that fro ij. thyngis w^t
32oure gode will we wolde never departe; that the churche and cimitere,
33as that they calle synt Stevyn is fe, is parcel of the cite and
34ever hath be and shall be; and that we have a vyw and alle that
35to belongeth, and they right none, ne never hadde ne shall have but

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36ever w^t ynne the jurisdiccion and under the correccion and punysshment
37of the cite, &c. He seide that they claymed a viw and that
38they hadde used moche thyng, &c. and he seide hit was aunsion demene.
39And y seide nay, and proved hit by Domesday, and so were
40on grete argamentes by longe tyme, to longe to write: all hit was to
41tempte me w^t laghynge chere. Y seide they hadde no more but
42sympell Court Baron, if they so hadde. He seide that every man
43myght have of his awne tenantis and aske no man no leve, &c. Y
44seide how sholde they have more; they have no olde grauntis of
45kynges, ne clayme none allowance yn Eyere, ne instrument to do
46punysshement of that that longethe to a lete. He seide hit was a fe
47called of olde tyme. Y seide yee, as suche fees as beth ther on
48towne, and reherced hym of vij. and that alle were parcell of the
49cite: and among other y rehersed hym of Seynt Nicholas fe. He
50seide lete the Bisshoppis fe be as Seynt Nicholas fe is. Y seide, if
51hit pleased hym, nay, hit myght not be so; for Seynt Nicholas fe, y
52called Haroldis fe, is graunt of olde kyngis and confirmaciouns, &c.
53He seide the Bisshop hadde the same. Y seide nay that I never
54knyw ne sigh, and if that they so hadde, lete hit be shewed and
55but hit be answered hit sholde ende the mater. Then he moved of
56divers menys and abstynance of arestis. Y seide when the last grete
57debate was of the suburbis w^t oute Este yeate, of whiche debate he
58was cause of an ende by a recompence, atte ende of whiche mater
59hit was desired for to have an abstynance, but none y graunted but
60under this fourme, that the Maier that tyme beyng, and every man
61that hadde be Maier and like to be Maier, promysed on his feith to
62forbere of arestis on the Churche for certyn ouris, alle that they
63myght godely, and sithenes hadde they no cause resonable to complaine;
64and y seide this was a grete thynge as me thoght. He seide
65nay for that that sholde be attis tyme sholde be do by writynge for
66a perpetual pees. Then he asked of me of this mene; if we wolde
67absteyne us and forbere of arrestis of alle men of habite servantis
68familiars knawed without any fraude generally. Y seide, if hit

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69pleased hym, nay; for hit was better the last terme before this, that
70we sholde forbere of arrestis but yn tyme of doyng of divine servys
71of men of habite, servantis familiars and theire Baillyffs knawed, &c.
72and of alle other as on Sent Paull is Chirche at London. He seide hit
73was soth, and asked ayen if we wold forbere and absteyne and be recompensed
74therfor, and we to have the viw and alle that longeth therto
75generally, as well on the fe as, &c. and so to make arrestis w^t ynne the
76fe, as y conceved hym, and to forbere alle other arrestis w^t ynne his
77tenementis of the seide fe and to be recompensed &c. and the Bisshop
78to have his courtis of his awne tenantis and to holde plees of gretter
79somme thenne Court Baron xl s. and spake of xl marke. Apon
80this mene he stiked faste, and thoghte hit was resonable and ever
81asked of me divers tymes what y wolde seye therto, all as y conceve
82to tempte me, and to concente to a mene, &c. and then y seide "My
83lorde, if hit please you, ye shall have me exscused to answere," &c.
84for thogh me thoght that hit were a mene resonable y dar not sey
85yee, thogh y have power, for the mater toucheth a grete comminalte
86as well as me, and so that y dar not seye yn to tyme that y have
87spoke w^t my felowship at home: and y seide, "My lorde, for as moche
88as y conceve right well that this mater, if hit ende attis tyme, hit is
89like to ende by a mene, hit is my part to hire and to reporte, &c. but
90be the mene never so resonable to conclude with yow, thogh y have
91power ynogh, y beseche yow of youre gode lordship to have me
92exscused therof yn to tyme y have be at home with my felowship,
93or of tham here with me vj. or vij. for other wyse woll y never conclude
94with my gode will," &c. He seide ayen, "Ye didde theron as
95right a wise man," and so departyd, &c. The morun Saterday y
96came to Westminster to kepe my day as hit is aboveseid. Y spake
97with my lorde Chaunceller. He adjorned hit over yn to Soneday,
98and afterward fro Soneday yn to Moneday; for the Justises dyned
99with the Maier of London that Sonday. The Moneday y maier,

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100Bluet, Hody, Dourissh, Germyn and Speere with me come to Lambeth
101to my lord, and ther was at that day atte dyner with my lord
102the ij. chif justises, and so we appered before them; and for oure
103party advers Kys, Hengston, More, Wode and Wolston. My lord
104hym self furst moved the mater to the Chif Justises, so that the Chif
105Justise seide the mater stondeth thus: that as to the compleyntis of
106the Bisshop Deane and Chapitre, hit is answered, repplyed and rejoyned,
107and as moche do therynne as may be do; and as touchynge
108the compleyntes of the maier and comminalte, the whiche them
109semeth grevous, beth not yet answered, and them semeth, &c. My
110lord Chauncellor therwith sodenly went right to the justises bothen,
111and called to hym Nicholas Ayssheton at that tyme beynge there,
112and leide theire iiij. heddis negh to gedder and comyned to geder
113right privyly a grete while, and alle as y conceve and as hit proved
114afterwardis that the answeris to oure articulis not to be spoke of.
115After that my lorde toke his cheire and the justises sate with hym,
116and bothe parties with theire consell kneled before. My lord asked
117how we last departed and therapoun stomped a grete while. My
118lord asked the bokis. He seide that his were on Kent is warde. He
119asked of oure party advers theire bokis: they wolde be knawe of
120none yn no wyse. And y mayer, seide yes, with moche more
121therto, &c. and how my lordis commaundement was at London, and
122aggrementis at home yn the chaptry hous, that oure articulis
123sholde be answered or we proceded any ferder, y praynge my lorde
124that so, &c. My lord was loth therto and the justises bothe. My
125lorde seide furste merily of Vaspasianus. And y seide that that
126was no mater of oure compleyntis, but y putte yn to prive what the
127cite was of olde tyme; and then my lord seide some what strangely
128and sharpely that oure articulis many were maters of noyse and
129desclaunder, and forto answere them hit wolde be cause of more

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130grucchynge and yvell wyll. And y seide, "Yf eny suche be, lete tham
131be leide apart, and tho that beth substancialle grete and grevous to
132us, and somme cause and begynnyng of alle this debate, lete tham
133be so answered:" and y reherced iij. yn especiall, oone of the Dyme,
134another of the feloun that toke the bysshoppis fe, and afterwarde of
135the churche, and the coroners ylette, &c. and of the toure on the
136bisshoppis gardyn, &c. The chif justise seyde as tochynge the articulis
137of bothe parties, that there were maters amendis to be made to
138ayther party, and that were longe to do, and that hit myght be don
139as well after as before, and that he hadde sey somme of oure articulis
140ij. in especiall, oone of the Deme, another of the feloun aboveseide;
141and seide that us semed that they were grevous to us. Whereapoun
142my lord spake of the bokis to us ayen; and y seide that my
143bokis were alle redy. And my lord bade to leye ham forth; and so
144we didde the articulis. They were but litell y radde ne take kepe
145to. Thenne as touchyng the deme, Hengston seide that he wolde
146right well that the deme were payed with us, as hit aughte to be,
147and hath be of olde tyme; but we didde not so, but sette hit and
148called none of the bysshoppis tenantis to us. Y saide nay, and
149made a longe rehersall therof fro kyng Edwardis tyme ynto this dey,
150how and under what fourme hit was don of olde tyme, how sithenes,
151and how now, and how late they sette with ynne tham self, and
152kept the mony and yet kepeth, and that sholde be well y proved.
153My lorde seide that as touchynge the settynge we were alle most
154accordyd theryn. Then seide Hengston lightly as touchynge settynge
155and kepyng of the mony of the deme, hit shall be sone answered;
156he menyng of Upton is tyme y wote right well, as y seide
157to yow at home. Y seyde to Hengston as lightly ayen, "As sone
158hit sholde be repplied and truly with the grace of god." Then my
159lord asked furste of that other party if they hadde full auctorite and
160power and wolde consente to menys: and they seide anone with

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161gode wille, yee for theire part. My lorde asked of me, Maier, if
162we wolde the same. Y seide as touchyng the power we hadde sufficiant
163and y nogh; as touchyng to menys, y bisoghte hym of his
164lordship that y myght go apart to comyne with my felowship and
165oure conseill there at that tyme; and so y didde, and yeaf an answere.
166Hody hadde the wordis of power as above; and as touchyng
167the menys with this condicion that oure articulis were answered,
168that we wolde aggre to suche menys as they lordis wolde rule us to.
169Then hit was no more at that tyme but the articulis most be answered;
170and as loth as they were to answere, and hadde no bokis
171as hit is abovesayde. Then they aggreed ham to bryng yn the answere
172the morun. Y seide they hadde seide dyvers tymes that
173they hadde olde charters, evidences, and munymentis to ende the
174mater; and y seide if they so hadde to bryng ham yn, and but they
175were answered to ende, &c. Hengston seide moche and strongely
176because y seide they hadde suche charters. Y seide yee, and avowed
177hit well they seide so. He seide that they hadde olde recordis, &c.
178and y saide as above. Hengston honged sore to have a lete and a
179grete courte, and y traversed hym ever, and seide to hym moche
180thynge, and yn especiall that they never hadde instrument, and
181reherced what that belongeth to a lete. Hengston seide but litell
182therto, but made wyse as thogh hit were yes; but Wode seide that
183they hadde olde wrytinge to have hit, and spake no more at all that
184tyme. Hengston seide openly that Radeford and he hadde communicacion
185at home of this mater, and were well negh accorded; and
186my lord seide, "Wolde god hit hadde be so," and yet "Wolde hit
187were so, for oure discharge." Y, Mayer, seide y knywe well and was
188spoke to of suche a communicacion; but what the privyte and the
189menyng was y myghte not knowe, and yf y hadde hit sholde have
190be never the werce but the better; and so we departed, stondyng a

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191fer fro my lorde, and he asked wyne and sende me his awne cuppe
192and to no moo. Y wende right to my lord ayen before them alle,
193and spake with my lorde prively a grete whiles of divers maters, and
194among other of thys blynde entrety that Hengston spake of, y seyynge
195to my lorde verily that this blynde entrety growith of my
196lorde of Excetre as y supposed. Wherfor and for as moche as
197Hengston seide yn his presence that Radeforde and he were negh
198accorded: y bysoghte my lorde, as me thoght his part was, and to
199ende the mater the rather to knowe of the communicacion, &c. My
200lorde seide y moved hym right well and sholde have goddis blessyng
201and his, and seide he wolde do so, &c. and so we toke oure leve and
202departed fro my lord and my lordis alle. My lord at this tyme
203didde me moche worsship, and openly yn the communicacion aboveseyde
204commended me for my gode rule at home, and yn especiall for
205the grete favo^r that y have do to men of the churche, hongyng this
206debate; and furthermore he of his awne mocion yn the communicacion
207aboveseid spake openly of the letter that he send home to the
208bysshop by me, seiyng these wordes, "Maier, apon the communicacion
209that y hadde with yow here y send home a letter by yow to
210my brother of Excetre, the whiche y hoped sholde have do moche
211gode and cause of spede the rather ende of the mater." Y seide,
212"My lorde, that is true, and y have do my due diligent part therto,
213after youre commaundement by my trauthe." Y seyde more to Kys
214these wordis, "Kis, ye seide to me at home that y didde and seide
215moche thynge more there then my lorddis commaundement was,
216sey ye here be fore my lorde what hit was; and y truste to God and
217my lorde is gode lordship that my lord will avowe me on alle thyng
218that y didde and seide." My lorde sate stille a while, and Kys
219knelyng spake never a word, and thus passed over. Hengston
220among the maters abovesayd seyde moche more than is above writyn
221as touchyng the towre that stont on the bysshoppis gardyn, seiyng
222that that towre stode upon the bisshoppis grounde, and the bisshop

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223sum tyme hadde his prison yn that towre, and that we repaired hit
224never, as is write on oure articulis: atte last hit was seide by their
225party that parcell of the towre stode upon the bisshoppis grounde as
226hit appereth openly there; they menyng by a wall and kernellis
227stondynge withoute the towre and thiknys of the towne walle, toward
228the bisshoppis gardyn and annexed to the towre and towne
229wallis, &c.
230    The morun tuysday al Halwyn yeven y receyved the answeris to
231oure articulis at Westminster of the whiche y sende yow a true copy,
232yn the whiche articulis as hit appereth they have spatte out the
233uttmyst and worste venym that they cowde seye or thynke by me;
234y blessed be God hit is nother felony, ne treson, ne grete trespas,
235and thogh hit hadde be, so they wolde have don, and werce yf they
236cowde: but as for trawthe of the mater that tocheth me, meny
237worthy man stondeth on the same cas and have do moche werce
238than ever y didde, thogh that be to me none exscuse. As touchyng
239the grete venym that they menyth of my lyvyng, y may and purpose
240be at my purge, as y may right well apon my sawle of alle
241wymmen alyve excepte oone, and of hire righte a grete while; therfor
242y take right noght by and sey sadly si recte vivas, &c. and am right
243mery and fare right well, ever thankyng God and myn awne purse.
244And y liyng on my bedde atte writyng of this right yerly, myryly
245syngyng a myry song, and that ys this, Come no more at oure hous,
246come, come, come. Y woll not dye nor for sorowe ne for anger,
247but be myry and fare right well, while y have mony; but that ys
248and like to be scarce with me, considerynge the bisynesse and coste
249that y have hadde: and like to have: and yet y hadde with me xx li.
250and more by my trauthe; wherof of trauthe not right moche y spende
251yet, but like &c. Constre ye what ye will. Item, Thomas Montagew sholde sende me xj li. and odde mony as he wote well and
252can telle yowe: and y supposed that John Germyn sholde have
253broght to me all most x li. all this of myne awne gode; wherof

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254cometh to me no peny. Wherfor y sende home to yow attis tyme
255William Hampton, berer of this writyng, for this cause most specially
256that ye, how that ever ye do, sende me xx li. yn hast, as
257ye wolle the spede of youre mater and welfare of the cite, y not
258shamed but pleased attis tyme; and that ye faill yn no wyse, mervaillyng
259moche, for as moche as y departed fro yow with oute eny
260mony of youris, that ye ne hadde sende to me sithenesse some mony
261by Germyn, Kyrton, or some other man, &c.
262    Forthermore as tochyng the seide answeris, y pray yow that they
263be well redely avysely and distinctely over radde and the substance
264of them right well understonde, and most speciall the furste articule,
265the whiche ys most and right harde to answere, and that oure
266Recorder have knoweliche of all thyng that y have write home yf
267he be here as y suppose attis tyme, and but yf he be, to sende home
268to hym in hast; so that y have youre conceyt witte and entente to
269repplye to the seide answeris, and to the furste most specyally,
270whiche is derke to my conceyte as yet; but y truste to God hit shall
271be right well with youre gode enformacion and helpe therto: to
272whiche entent y sende yow a rolle yn the whiche is conteyned
273copies of Domus Dey, copy of Eyris, of charters and other thynges
274that is necessary to be seye yn makyng of thes repplicacions. Y can
275no more attis tyme, but y pray you to be not wery to over rede hire
276and se all the writyng that y have sende home to yow attis tyme;
277and yf ye be, no mervaill thogh y be wery, &c. and God be w^t yow.
278y-writen at London yn alle Sawlyn day afore day yn hast. Item, y
279pray you to sende me the blak rolle whiche shall be delyvered to
280yow by Thomas Montegow, by William Hampton berer of this writyng,
281the which is a man true ynogh as y truste and suppose and
282hath borwys for his office, lete them be pryvy to, yf yow, that hit is
283to be do.
286