STAC 5/C2/4

From Waalt

STAC 5/C2/4 - Richard Carryngton of Swayton in co Lincoln clerk and vicar of Threekygham see STAC Carrington

Transcribed by Helen Good

To the Queen’s most excellent Majesty Lamentably complaining sheweth unto your most excellent majesty your majesty's true and faithful subject Richard Carrington of Swayton in your majesty's County of Lincoln clerk and vicar of the town of Threekygham. That whereas by the laws and statutes of this your majesty's realm it is specially provided against riotous and disordered assemblies and meetings together to do unlawful and desperate acts and severe punishments by the same appointed to be inflicted upon the offenders therein and that no person nor persons should dare by sudden outrages to put any of your subjects in terror or fear. So if it may it please your most excellent majesty That one Henry Thompson of Edenham in your majesty's said County of Lincoln clerk being a man much observed for incontinent life unhonestly drawing to his lust the daughter of a gentleman with whom he sojourned practising physick and surgery not being thereunto in any sort licenced in which his practice by his unskillfulness a lewd woman being with child and would have covered her fault taking medicines of him for that end was delivered to the great peril of her life and loss of her burden, and the said Thompson did likewise of late of mere malice without any just cause challenge the said Richard Carrington clerk now vicar of the parish of Threekyngham aforesaid being a man of the age of three score years and having but one leg to fight or combat with him for the said vicarage of Threekyngham and the said Henry Thompson to satisfy his former malice and to persist in his lewdness combining himself with one John Bull of Jernham in the said County clerk being a man divers times heretofore detected and indicted for hunting in parks and killing of deer against whom also the good behaviour hath been divers times granted and is yet continued, Simon Pepper of Edenham aforesaid blacksmith of the same town husbandman and William Thompson of Edenham aforesaid labourer not having any regard of your majesty’s laws and statutes as aforesaid made and provided nor fearing the penalties therein contained, the eight and twenty day of June last past in the night time riotously and in most disordered manner themselves assembled together next the parish church of Threekyngham aforesaid being weaponed and having long pike staves gavelocks of iron hammers chiselles and other instruments and engines and being so unlawfully arrayed and assembled as aforesaid by cunning devices did then and there with force enter in the chancel door of the said parish church of Threekyngham in riotous and disordered manner with the said gavelockes of iron hammers chellylls and other instruments which they brought to that purpose brake open the same being locked and not therewith satisfied the more to terrify your majesty's subjects being then quietly resting in their beds in the said night time before the rising of the sun did ring the bells there in such confused and disordered manner that your majesty's subjects the inhabitants of the said town of Treekyngham being much amazed and afrighted with their sudden ringing did forth with in great fear doubting the town had been on fire, did rise and repair to the said church where they found the said malefactors and riotous persons persisting in their said enterprises until that by the constable and others your majesty's officers and inhabitants of the said town they were stayed your subject and others the said inhabitants verily thinking that some great mischief of fire or some other worse accident had been happened. In tender consideration of which premises and forasmuch as such riotous assemblies in the night time and the riotous breaking into the church which ought to be free from such disorders and the said riotous and untimely ringing of bells whereby your subjects were put in fear, and matters directly against your majesty's laws and statutes of this your realm and against the peace and good tranquility thereof, and for that the said causes are matters most fit to be heard and examined in your majesty's court of Star Chamber where the said offenders may receive there condign punishment for the same to the end that offenders herein may not be animated to attempt the like. May it therefore please your majesty of your accustomed clemency unto your majesty's subjects to award your highness most gracious process of subpoena to be directed forth of your majesty's said court of Star Chamber unto the said Henry Thompson John Bull Simon Pepper and William Thompson commanding them and every of them thereby at a certain time and under a certain pain therein to be limited personally to appear before your majesty and your highness council in your majesty's said court then and there to answer the said premises and further to be ordered for the same as to your Majesty’s said council shall seem good. And your majesty's said subject as in duty he is most bounden shall duly pray for your majesty long and prosperous reign over us your loving subjects.

The sole Answer of Henry Tomson clerk one of the defendants to the sclanderous and railing Bill of Complaint of Richard Carrington clerk complainant

The said defendant saith That the Bill of Complaint against him and others therein named exhibited is most false and sclanderous not framed or devised by the said Carrington therein named Complainant as this defendant is verily persuaded But set forth and ymagined by some other who dareth presume to use the name of the said Richard Carrington, and of set purpose and will hath feigned the said Carrington herein Complainant only to vex and trouble this defendant what any use case or good ground of suit And this default also That as he taketh it the said Carrington being a minister either will not or dareth not ascribe unto himself the name and title of the vicar of Threkingham, being thereunto never inducted as he knoweth as his Conscience that this defendant is. Neither is this defendant (as he is informed) bounden to make any Answer at all unto the said Bill contained nothing else but vile untruths and apparent sclanders as in and by the said Bill of Complaint are suggested and alleged which said suggestions if they were true as they are not yet were they not fit to be retained in this most honourable court But examinable either at the Common Law or in the spiritual and ecclesiastical Court as this defendant is also en . . . . Nevertheless if that by the order and Course of his most honorable Court he this defendant shall be compelled to make any other Answer, Then for full and perfect Answer to so much of their said malicious Bill of Complaint as any way concerneth him this defendant he saith, That as to all and every the Riottes Rowtes and other the misdemeanors there in mentioned and most unjustly laid unto this defendants charge in and by the said Bill of Complaint he is not thereof in any sort guilty. And as to the sclanderous charging of the defendant with Incontinence of life and unlawfully practizing of Physick and Surgery This defendant sayeth. That indeed some envious person having conceived an inveterate grudge and canckerd malice against this defendant without any just cause caused this defendant long sythence most wrongfully to be called into question for and about such lewd matters. But saith for both the one and the other the Laws of the Realm have clearly aquited him with more Credit (he hopeth) then hath redounded to such his adversaries as . . . . so in . . . nously exercized their malice upon him. And whereas this defendant is so untruly charged with Incontinency by the complainant or in his name at the least wise. This defendant saith That if the said Carrington himself hath done it That he in modesty and for the ministry sake might well have forborn such kind of sclandering this defendant. As well for that the Law hath discharged this defendant (as aforesaid) of such misdemeanors, As also for that the said Carrington is a man, who for his own lewd life and ungodly courses of long time led hath bin and daily is observed for Incontinency, Brawling and quarrelling noted and known to be a common disturber of his neighbours with unjust suits and frivolous actions, a man unlearned, a common Alehouse haunter and a frequenter of brothel houses and infamous places. Together or with other undecent, and unbeseeming pranckes, not usually found amongst Ministers. Without that that this defendant did at any time challenge him the said Richard Carrington to fight or combat with him the said Carrington, as in the said Bill of Complaint is most falsely surmised. And without that also That this defendant combineth himself with the said John Bull, Simon Pepper and William Tomson in the Bill named did in contempt of her Majesties Lawes at any time riotously and in disordered manner assemble themselves together and with unlawful weapons did with force enter the Chancel Door of the parish Church of Threkingham or broke open the same door or rung the Bells in the night Season in confused and disordered manner or in any other sort or manner as might or did affright or amaze the Inhabitants of the said town of Threkingham as in and by the said Bill of Complaint is most untruly surmised and alleged. And without that, that any other matter or thing in the said sclanderous & vexatious Bill of Complaint [combined?] any way concerning him this defendant material or effectual to be answered unto confessed and avoided [. . . ] or demised to the now knowledge of this defendants is true in such sort manner and form as in the said Bill of Complaint is set forth and alleged. All which matters this defendant is and will be ready to aver, justify, maintained and prove as this most honorable Court shall award. And most humbly prayeth to be dismissed with his reasonable Costs and charges by him in this behalf most wrongfully sustained.

The joint and several answers of John Bull clerk and Simon Pepper two of the defendants to the sclanderous and most untrue Bill of Complaint of Richard Carrington clerk complainant

The said defendants sayen and either of them for himself severally saith That the Bill of Complaint against them and others therein [contained] exhibited unto this most honorable Court is not only most false and scandalous but also framed and imagined of malice and evil will of purpose to put them these defendants to unnecessary charges in the Law and wrongful vexation without any just cause or good ground of suit. And yet not devised by the Compainant himself as they these defendants do verily persuade themselves Because these defendants say That there hath never bin any manner of dealing between them these defendants and the said Carrington thereby to give either cause or colour of complaint against them, or either of them, Neither is the said Carrington (as these Defendants conceive of him) so malicious as to plot or practice any such unjust and causeless vexation against these defendants or either of them, who, to their remembrance never offended him. But think rather that some other malicious person which worketh under hand and will not be seen in the matter, doth only use, or rather abuse the name of the said Richard Carrington in this behalf who for that he is a clergyman these defendants nor either of them can, or will be induced to wrong him so much as once to imagine that this unjust vexation of them and others the defendants in the Bill likewise named is the act of the said Carrington. But if it fall out to be so proved then these defendant further sayen That they are much deceived and do hope that they shall and will discharge and acquit themselves of the sclaunderous untruths therein comprised and most wrongfully laid to their several charges who now credit then the same Carrington shall gain thereby in the end And for that that the whole matter in the Bill mentioned wherewith each of these two defendants are so undeservedly charged is so manifest false they verily think, that they these defendant are not bounden to make any Answer thereunto: Nevertheless if that the orders of this most honorable Court will compel them to make any further Answer unto the said Bill of Complaint Then for full Answer and perfect Demonstration and setting forth of the truth to such points of the said Bill of Complaint as do any way concern them these defendants or either of them. They sayeth And first the said John Bull for his part saith That as touching the Riottes Rowtes and such like misdemeanors in the Bill mentioned and amongst other things in the Bill contained most sclaunderously and to his charge That he is not thereof in any sort guilty. But he the said John Bull doth not deny but that it is true indeed That once he the said John hath bin indicted for hunting in parks and killing of Deer as in and by the said Bill of Complaint is alleged But saith that he never hunted in any pack or packs as the Complainant in the Bill named nor in any such place nor in such manner perform as the common report is of the said Carrington That is to say in Alehouses brothel houses and all other disordered and mischiveous places: Where if he fortuneth at any time to find out any any bad vile or lewdly disposed persons men or women. It is commonly said of him That of such he maketh his game & hunteth them with cupp and kann, and such otherlike Alehouses [Engius?] unbefitting a Minister. Which this defendant scarcely knowing the man will hard believe it. And this defendant also saith, That for his own part and for his said hunting in parks and for such his killing of Deer, It is now long sythence that he this defendant so offended. And for the same his said Offence saith That he hath bin brought to his answer And that the Laws of this Land have clearly aquited and discharged him thereof and that therefore he might not now to be called into question again for these matters being not examinable in this honorable Court. And as to that that the Complainant chargeth him this defendant to be a man that hath bin bound to the good behavior That this defendant confesseth to be true also, and saith that the cause why he this defendant was bound to the good behavior was not for any misbehavior But only for that that he said Henry Tomson one other of the defendants in the Bill named being lawfully presented by the Queens most excellent majesty that now is unto the vicarage of Threkingham in the Bill mentioned as was to have bin thereunto lawfully and rightfully inducted, according to the tenor of the said presentation and special choice of him this defendant (being his very friend) to to induct him which this defendant performing accordingly as well and lawfully he is persuaded he might, he this defendant was by the Complainants friends (as now he perceiveth) bound to the good behavior for so doing which the complainants said friends if they had but looked into his own bad behavior might well ynough have forborn to do, very well knowing this defendants behaviour to have bin better at all times than his the said Complainant as he this defendant hopeth he shall be hable to prove unto this most honorable Court. And the said Simon Pepper one other of the Defendants for his for his part sayeth . . . . [two lines] . . . . the misdemeanors in the Bill mentioned and thereby most sclanderously laid to his charge That he is not thereof or of any of them Guilty, either in such sort manner and form as the same are laid unto his charge, or in any other manner and form whatsoever other than that he this defendant saith that he was part and in company with the said Henry Tomson John Bull his co-respondent and William Tomson in the Bill also named when he the said John Bull went with the said Henry Tomson to induct him lawfully as aforesaid into the said Church of Threkingham and and did in quiet and peaceable manner induct him and have possession of the said Church unto the said Henry Tomson present the very true lawfull vicar thereof and therunto lawfully presented by the Queens Majesty as aforesaid for any thing known to the defendant to the contrary which was done in the night season as the Complainant . . . . [five lines] . . . . most humbly prayeth to be dismissed out of this honourable Court with their reasonable costs and charges, by them most wrongfully sustained.