STAC 5/C15/17

From Waalt

Court of Star Chamber:

Bill of Complaint, Anne Clarke, widow v William Clarke and Clement Colmer 27 Eliz

Transcript: Dave King


To the Quenes most excellent maiestie:

In moste humble manner compleyninge showeth unto your sayd maiestie your humble and poore supplyant Anne Clarke of Morpeth in the countie of Northumberland wydowe late wyef of Robart Clarke of Morpeth afforesayd and the sole administratrix as your supplyant thinketh of the goods chattells and debts of the same Robart Clarke. That whereas the same Robart Clarke was at the daye of his death lawfully possessed as of his owne p[ro]per goods and chattells (amongest other things) of in and upon the some of one hundreth and twenty pounds of lawfull Englyshe money conteyned in one bagg w[i]th[in?] [?one?] cubbard in his dwellinge house at Morpeth afforesayd and he so beinge thereof possessed about two yeares since died thereof possessed intestate By and after whose deathe the said some of one hundreth and twentie pounds did remayne and come in and to the hands Custodie and possession of your supplyant and she so beinge thereof possessed did upon specyall truste and confydence w[hi]ch [?she then?] had and [?reposed?] in one Willm Clarke brother of the same Robart intreate him the same Willm Clarke your sayd supplyant beinge then sickly and evill disposed of her p[er]son to [?... .he?] same money and afterwards to lye the same safely up againe in the same cubbard wheare he found yt the w[hi]ch he the same Willm Clarke then seamed willinge to p[er]forme howbeyt [?so y. ...?] gracyous soveraigne ladie that the same Willm then p[er]cyvinge your supplyant to be sick upon her bed he telled the sane over and after very fraudulently and secretly did convey the same [?awaie?] and the same converted to his owne use and ever since did and as yet doth deteyne and kepeth the same frome your supplyant although she [?have?] in very [?frequent?] order [?requested?] him the same Willm Clarke dyvers and sundry tymes to redeliver the same or to make her satisfaccon and recompens therefore since w[hi]ch tyme the administracon of all the goods [?chattells?] creditts and debts of your supplyant her sayd husband was by Clement Colmer comissary generall to the right reverend father in god John Bushopp of Durham and his ordinary ... the countie of Northumberland lawfully comytted unto your sayd supplyant as by the letters of administracon by him granted redy to be showed in this honourable court more at la[rge] yt maye appeare By vertew whereof your sayd supplyant toke upon her the administracon thereof accordingly And thereupon did cause the same Willm Clarke to be a.......ed at the Cittie of Durham for the same wrong and Iniury so to her done and him had and kept in the [?Ja....d?] there by reason that he was not able to put in sufficient sewertyes to ...yver the same accont untill at length that the same Willm Clarke p[ro]cured one Mr Lawsonne to become his sewertie and bayle And by reason thereof beinge at libertie he then ..... practyse howe to delyver himself out of the dannger of the lawes for the some wrongfull takinge awaye of your supplyant sayd money by shiftes sleights and undew meanes and so ..... purpose he [?confederated?] himself w[i]th the same Clement Colmar then and yet comissary generall to the sayd reverend father in god John Bushoppe of Durham in [?those?] p[ar]tes whoe had before that ty.. .... afforesayd comytted the administracon of all the same Robart Clarke his goods and chattells to your supplyant accordingly as by the lawes and statutes of this realme he ought to ... and yet that notwithstandinge afterwards he the sayd Clement Colmer by the [?..ules?] undewe meanes and p[ro]curement made to him by the same Willm Clarke by a conspiracye had be...... them the same Willm Clarke and the same Clement Colmer to Cosin and defeate your supplyant of the same six score pounds and of all recompence for the same did very unlawfully [?contrary?] to the dewtie of a Judge in spirituall and ecclysiasticall matters to the end to defraud your poore oratrix of the same sixscore pounds a second tyme comytt the administracon of the same Intes[tates] goods and chattells unto the same Willm Clarke against all right and contrary to equytie and good conscience and also contrary to your ma[jes]ties most whollesome lawes of this realme ........by they the same Willm Clarke and Clement Colmer have fraudulently set the same Willm Clarke free from the same duty and have cosened and frustrated your supplyant of and ... ... benifytt w[hi]ch your supplyant might have had by the lawes of this realme by reason of the same wrongfull and Iniurious takinge awaye from her of the same one hundreth and twenty pounds ... ... and meane and have practysed thereby to coson and defraud your supplyant of the same some of one hundreth and twenty pounds The w[hi]ch confederacie and lewde practyse is both to the great ... ...shinge and undoinge of your poore supplyant beinge a pore wydowe and to the p[er]illous example of others such lyke wilfull offenders and evill disposed p[er]sons yf the same should remaine un..... In tender consyderacon whereof and forasmuch as the same mysdemeoners of the same Clement Colmer whoe is an offycer to administer Justice equally accordinge to the lawes [and statutes] of this realme to all your ma[jes]ties subiects and by the sinister p...ment of the same Wm Clarke .... yet neverthelesse abused the same magistracy to the oppression of your suppl[yan]t ..... and that w[i]th .... of a Judgement or Judiciall ... in the lawe ... w[hi]ch tendeth very [hinnously?] in contempt and derogation of the [?crowne?] and dignitie of this realme That therefore y.. ... please your ma[jes]tie of your accoustomed goodnesse to grant and award to your sayd supplyant your ma[jes]ties most gracyous wrytt of subpens to be directed to the sayd Willm Clarke and [Cle]ment Colmer thereby to comand them and eyther of them to be ...... appeare before your ma[jes]ties most honorable p[ri]vie Counsell in your [?graces?] high court of Starr Chamber at [a] [certa]yne daye and under a certayne payne therein to be lymitted then and there to annswer the p[re]misses and to stand to such further order and to suffer such condigne punishement of .... honorable sayd p[ri]vie counsell shall be thought convenient and dewe. And your supplyant shall accordinge to her most bounden dewtie praye unto the almightie for the long ..... of your most gracyous and happie reigne over us./

[?Tyneald?] Rokebye: