II. Julian Herberd.—See pp. 33, 34

The following documents in the case of Julian Herberd v. William Paston are preserved in the Record Office among ‘Chancery, Parliamentary and Council Proceedings.’ The date, it will be seen, must be after 1432:—

Membrane 1

William Paston.

Sr Rauf, parson of Bronham, steward with my maister Cromwell.

Austinne Bange of Norwiche.

John Roppys with hem priour of the Abbey of Norwiche.

Rob’t Chapelleyn of Norwiche.

Rob’t Grygge of litel Plomstede in the cuntie of Norwiche.

Sr William, the vicaire of Seint Stephenes Chirche in Norwiche.

Membrane 2

Please it to youre moste hie and habundant grace to graunte un to youre pouere and continuel bedwoman Julian Herberd, that William Paston one of youre Juges of the cõe benche may come with alle his affinite and appere bifore youre hie and gracious presence with alle youre worthy and right wyse counsail, and that of youre hie goodnesse comaunde the seide William Paston to bringe bifore yow and to schewe alle the evidences and munimentes, whiche that the modere of youre seide pore bisechere schulde have yeve un to the seide William Paston state or to any man that had it bifore hym or eny man for here seide moder or eny of the seide blode, fro the tyme youre seide pore bisechere modere was borne un to this oure. For the seide William Paston knowleched bifore my lorde of Warewyk and youre Chaunceller of Inglonde, youre Tresorer, youre chef Juge of the Kynges benche, and afore other of yor sergeantz of lawe, beynge to gidere, how he radde diversez evidences of xix acres londe that schulde longe un to youre seide pore bisechere every yere vjs. viijd., so that sche wolde holde here plesed and content. Up on the whiche sche wolde nat holde here so agreed with oute youre gracious advis in this matere. Besechinge to youre hie and habundant grace, for oure right worthy and gracious Kynge youre fadere soule, and for oure right worthy and gracious quene youre moder soule, whos soules God of his grace assoille, that youre seide pore bisecher may have here evidences, so that here trewe right might be opinly knowen. For there ys twies so good behinde as the saide William Paston knowleched of the seide xix acres, and youre seide pore bisecher wol nat assent that he schulde take his otthe, laste he wol suere that he have nat here evidences. For it may nat be but he moste nedes have hem or summe of his, and that ys opinly knowen. That it like un to youre good Grace to considere this matere above wretyn, and thereuppon to graunte, that the seide William Paston with alle his affinite and youre seide bisecher may alle be bounden to yow in a simple obligacion in what somme that liketh youre hie wysdome, demene so that they may abide youre awarde, with the assent & consent of youre fulle wys and discrete councell and youre worthy and gracious jugement in this mater for the love of God and yn wey of charitee.

Membrane 3

TO OURE RIGHT GRACIOUS LORDE THE KYNGE

Please it to youre right high and gracious lordeshipe to considere the grete wronges that William Paston hath done to Julian Herberd, youre pore wydowe and continuell bedewoman, for with holdynge of diverses evidences and wrongefulle prisonmentes that he hath done to the seide Julian ayenst youre lawes, whiche been here under wretyn yn article wise, whiche the seide Julian bisechith un to youre moste hie and gracious lordeshipe oversee, and that remedie may be putte therynne by youre gracious hondes atte Reverence of God and in wey of charitee.

These been the wronges and extorcions done to Julian Herberd doughter and heir of Herry Herberd of lytel Plumstede yn the Counte of Norff. and Margarete his wyf, doughter and heir to William Palmere, sometyme of the seide Plumstede, by William Paston, and of othere by his assent.

Firste, there as the seide Margarete died sesid yn here demene as yn fee taille of a mesuage of xix. acres of londe with thappourtenance yn Plumstede, the whiche to the same Juliane schulde discende be right of heritage, as doughter and nexte heir of the seide Margarete. The whiche William Paston the seide Juliane of the seide mees and londes now be xl. wynter hath witholden, the whiche been yerly worth xxxs̃. and better, the sõme ys now owynge lxl̃i.

Memorandum, quod Juliana Herberd de Norwico, que fuit filia Margarete Palmere de Plumstede produxit Robertum Bresyngham et Johannem Colton, Cives Norwici, coram Willelmo Paston apud Norwicum in Camera sua ad recordandum coram eo et aliis circumstantibus quod Johannes Thornham optulit prefate Juliane pro tribus acris terre in campis de Plumstede predictis xls̃. pro jure suo hereditario, que tres acre jacent in placito inter dominum Johannem Thornham, petentem, et Robertum Grigge tenentem. Et prefatus Robertus Bresyngham et Johannes inquirebant per viciñ vill’ adjac̃, qui dixerunt quod Margareta Palmere, mater dicte Juliane fuit recta heres illius terre; Et quod post decessum ejusdem Margarete discendere debuisset prefate Juliane ut de feodo talliato. Et postea dictus Willelmus in presencia Radulphi Rectoris de Brunham, Johannis Roppys, Henrici Pye de Brixston, Thome Marchall et aliorum ibidem existencium publice legebat cartas et evidencias pertinentes dicte Juliane, et optulit eidem Juliane pro suo jure habendo etc., xijd., et postea xxd. Et eciam pro majore evidencia dicta Juliana produxit duodecim legales homines ville de Plumstede Magna et Parva coram Thoma Erpyngham milite, qui dixerunt quod prefata Margareta, mater dicte Juliane, fuit recta heres predictarum terrarum etc., et quod per totam patriam bene est cognitum quod prefata Juliana est recta heres ejusdem Margarete. Ac eciam alia vice predictus Willelmus optulit dicte Juliane pro jure suo xxs̃. in presencia Ricardi Gegge, Gentilman, sibi solvendos quandocunque vellet, prout idem clericus omni tempore recordare voluerit.

Also there as the seide Julian poursued ayenst the seide William atte a parlement holden atte Westminstre, and there the seide William did here arrest yn to the Countour of London, and there kepte here yn prisone to the seide parlement was ended thretnynge here to holde here there terme of here lyf, but yf sche wol relesse to hym here right and make acquitaunce generall.

Also the seide Paston, be nightes tyme bituene ix. or x. of the belle, did do bringe the seide Julian prisoner under warde to his ynne in Fletestrete, and there constreined here to seale a blanke chartre, yn whiche he dide write a relesse atte his owne devys, and sent here ayene to prisone, and there kepte here iij. daies, and sent ayene for here to hire the relesse radde, and profred for here right vj. marke.

Also the seide Paston, the Saturday nexte bifore the feste of Saint George, the vj. yere, etc., profred the seide Juliane in presence of the Chaunceller vj. marke yn playne court and iij. acres of the seide londe, and so moche ys the seide Juliane refused that profre, did arreste here newe in the seide Countoure and helde here there from the vij. day of Feverere, etc., and there wolde make here swere on a book or be bounde by obligacion never more to poursue here right.

Also the seide Paston atte Counsell holden atte Redynge the seide Juliane poursued to the lorde of Bedford, and he comaunded to write his lettres to the seide Paston chargynge hym to aggre with here, the seide Paston havynge knowleche that sche sewed for the lettres, made a false sugestion to the Chaunceller, wherby sche was by a sergeaunt of armes committed to Flete, and there beten, fetered and stokked, and so there holden by an hole yere, to that entent that no man schulde wete where sche was by come tille sche hadde be dede in prison. Of whiche false prisonment Sr Thomas Erpyngham poursued here deliveraunce, comaunded here to be atte the nexte Cessions to be justefied there, consideringe to here grete damage as well in here body as losse of goodes by so longe tyme continued, whiche prisonment the seide Julian wolde nat have hadde for xlli. beside alle other losse of goodes.

Also the seide Paston with holdeth alle the evidences to here seide right longinge, and wastynge the seide mesuage and londes in that he may.

Also the seide Paston kepte here iij. yere in the pitte withynne the Castell of Norwiche in grete meschef, in so moche that scho hadde nat but a pynte of mylke yn x. daies and x. nightes, and a ferthinge loffe, standinge under the jugement and ordenance of the Duke of Norffe now late passed to God.333.1

Also, the seide Paston scith hadde youre seide suppliant in prisone in the Kynges benche, and there sche lay xij. monthes and more in harde payne and distresse nye dede for colde hunger and thurste.

Item, the seide Paston dede to bringe here oute of the Roundehows yn to youre paleys and brought here afore youre chef Justice, and than the saide Paston comaunded certeines persones to bringe here to prisone to youre Benche, and badde atte his perille certeines persones to smyte the brayne oute of here hede for suynge of here right, and there beynge in grevouse prison durynge half yere and more fetered and cheined, suffringe colde, hunger, thurste, in pointe of deth, God and ye, gracious Kynge, helpe here to here right.

(Membranes 1 and 2 are sewn on to the face of membrane 3, one at the top, the other at the bottom.)

II. JULIAN HERBERD.—See pp. 33, 34.
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