STAC 5/F17/6

From Waalt

Court of Star Chamber:

Anthony Felton v Thomas Poore & Gawin Hudspeth

Transcript: Dave King


Bill of Complaint:

on reverse: vener duodecimo decembris Anno xliij Elizabeth Regine Willm Mill


To the Quenes most excellent Ma[jestie]

In most humble wise complayninge sheweth unto your most excellent Ma[jestie] your highnes faithfull and obedient subiect Anthonie Felton of Newcastell uppon Tyne gent That whereas the right ho[norable] Henrie Earle of Northumberland is and by manie yeres paste by letters pattentes grannted from your highnes hath bin your Ma[jesties] Steward of your highnes mannor or Lordeshipp of Tynemouth in your highnes Countie of Northumberland By vertue whereof his Lo[rdship] by grannt under his hande and seale aboute fower yeres sithence constituted and appointed your Ma[jesties] said subiect his Lo[rdship's] deputie or understeward there So it is it maie please your most excellent Ma[jestie] That your saide subiect appointed a Court to be kept at the saide mannor in or aboute the [blank] daie of Marche laste paste and attended there for the execucon of the same Courte At w[hi]ch daie and place your subiect sittinge in the saide Court for the service of your Ma[jestie] one Thomas Poore gent, havinge conceaved great mallice againste your saide subiect for doinge his dutie as steward there in a cause w[hi]ch proceeded formerlie in suite before your highnes saide subiect as deputie steward at a former Court holden for the same mannor betwixte one [blank] and the same Poore came into the Court And then and there in verie Contemptuose and dissolute manner challenged your highnes saide subiect sayinge openlie before the suitors to the same Court and Jurors then assembled That your Ma[jesties] saide subiect had not don hym Justice and that your subiect was beholdinge unto hym But your subiect makinge answere he knew not how he was beholdinge to hym he thereuppon threatned your saide subiect That if he had hym out of that place he woulde [?trach?] hym and tell hym he was beholdinge unto hym w[i]th manie other quarrellinge and undiscreete speeches to the great disturbance of the service then in hande and the whole companie then assembled And accordinglie the same Poore at the same tyme after the Court ended did give out threatnynge speeches that he woulde be even w[i]th your saide subiect before he came home to Newcastle beinge six Myles distant from the saide Mannor of Tynemouth And the next daie followinge he beinge accompaned w[i]th one Gawin Hudspeth his servannt they beinge both weapned w[i]th swordes and daggers made enquirie for your Ma[jesties] saide subiect and understandinge that your saide subiect was gon over Newcastle bridge into Gateside w[i]th one Mr Wikecliff the saide Poore and Hudspeth his saide servannte followed after hym They the saide Poore and Hudspeth weapned as aforesaid meetinge your saide subiect retornynge homeward at a place called Gateside And then and there in an open streete seinge your saide subiect comynge towardes them the saide Poore and Hudspeth crossed the waie and came to your saide subiect beinge unweapned and thereuppon the same Poore in quarrellinge manner w[i]th his rydinge rodd gave your saide subiect diverse stroakes over the heade and offred to drawe his sworde purposinge to have comytted some greater outrage uppon your subiect as he had formerlie threatned had not certaine p[er]sones then preasente prevented hym therein In tender consideracon whereof And forasmuch as the saide mysdemeanor and outrage was comytted uppon your Ma[jesties] saide subiect in revenge of his dutie and service as deputie stewarde to your Ma[jestie] and w[i]thout anie cullor or of iust cause and to the greate discontentment of diverse of your Ma[jesties] good and lovinge subiects then assembled and to the evill example of others whereby they maie be encouraged to doe the like except some condigne punyshment maie be infflicted uppon the same offendors Maie it therefore please your highnes to grannt unto your saide subiect your Ma[jesties] most gracious writt of Subpena to be directed to the saide Thomas Poore and Gawin Hudspeth comanndinge them thereby at a certaine daie and under a certaine paine therein to be lymited p[er]sonallie to appeare before your highnes in your Ma[jesties] highe Courte of Starr Chamber then and there to answere to the premysses And further to stand to and abide such order therein as by your highnes shalbe thought meete And your saide subiect shall and will dailie praie to god for the preservacon of your highnes in all happynes longe to contynewe

Wrightington