STAC 5/D3/9

From Waalt

STAC 5/D3/9 - B Rn - 36 Eliz - Gloucestershire, Bristol - James Dankes v Christian Browne et Elizabeth uxor, William Granger STAC Dankes

To the Queens most excellent Majesty

In all humbleness complaineth showeth and enformeth unto your most excellent majesty your highness true loyal and faithful subject John Domynicke of the City of Bristol gent.

That whereas one Christofer Brown of the parish of Pen in your Highness county of Gloucester yeoman and Elizabeth and his wife, being of themselves most contemptuous and obstinate recusants and so addicted unto Papistry and to the sect of papists [ text hidden in a crease ] for their disobedience to your Majesty’s good and commendable laws for the reformation of that superstitious profession being prosecuted for the same have been since your majesty’s last free and general pardon not only received harboured and concealed by him the said Browne and his said wife in their house being a place far remote from any other house town village or highway where are they use massing and are their superstitious idolatories, but also have been by them the said Browne and his said wife from time to time since that time relieved maintained countenanced and so kept secretly in the said house That your Majesty’s officers endeavouring to apprehend the said malefactors and recusants have been by the said practice deceived of the apprehending of the said persons And he the said Christofer Browne hath given out in speech that he hath and will by like practise conceal and keep one hundred more like recusants from the penalty of your majesty’s laws And hath and doth from time to time very slyly and subtly absent and refrain himself his wife and family from receiving of the sacrament of the Lords supper as by the laws of god and your majesty it is in this your highness realm by all obedient loving and religious subjects used and received [ . . . ] and usually doth receive the same or that which he pretendeth to be the said sacrament by the hands of his wife in most profane and unchristianlike sort and his wife in like manner by the hands of himself He the said Browne giving forth in words that he will not receive the communion at any knave’s hands of them all meaning thereby the ministers of god’s word In which obstinate and wicked sort he hath continued by the space of this fourteen years now last past And he the said Christofer Browne so contemptuously abusing both the laws of god and your majesty. So it is that he the said Christofer Browne to express his like undutiful and contemptible thought of your majesty’s person crown and dignity as of the said divine ordinances of god and the good and commendable laws of your highness hath within [blank] years last past given forth in speech and in words most audaciously and arrogantly uttered that which your said subject with fear trembleth to repeat and are not to be endured much less to be affirmed and published by any who hath had but the least taste or feeling of the happy and peaceable governance of so excellent and gracious a prince

And further so it is if it may please your most excellent majesty that he the said Christofer Browne continually shewing his utter dislike and contempt of your highness dignity and authority being abouts one year now last past questioned with by one Mr Kitchin esquire a Justice of the Peace of your highness within the said County of the City of Bristol concerning one that had denied your highness supremacy the said Justice using words of dislike of him who had so denied the same saying he was a knave and a traitor, he the said Browne allowing and as far forth as he might (keeping himself without the compass of treason) confirming the said denial of your highness supremacy answered and said that he who had so denied the same was an honest man and that he knew him well. All which he justified and maintained against the said Justice which said Justice being sithence dead the said lewd demeanour of him the said Browne hath not been discovered and prosecuted until your said subject of late had understanding of the same

In tender consideration whereof may it please your most excellent majesty to grant unto your said subject your highness most gracious writ of Subpoena to be directed unto the said Christofer Browne and Elizabeth his wife, Commanding them thereby at a certain day and under a certain pain therein to be limited personally to appear before the Lords of your majesty’s most honourable council in your highness Court of Star Chamber then and there to answer the premises and further to stand to and abide such further order and direction herein as to the said right honourable lords shall be thought most to agree with justice and reformation of the said lewd abuses, And your said subject as nevertheless shall according to his bounden duty daily pray unto god for the preservation of your highness in peace and all happiness long to continue and reign over us.