| Description | Written mainly in one hand with additions in one or two other hands, drawing on records relating to Norfolk, Suffolk, Colchester, Bury St Edmunds, the Royal College of Saints Mary and Nicholas at Cambridge, and the personal and practice records of Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead, Suffolk (c1455-1535), speaker of the House of Commons in 1495, distinguished lawyer and royal servant, member of the legal committee of Privy Council 1526. The bulk of the dated documents are from the 1490s. One entry for 1515 is in one of the additional hands. The back fly leaf bears name of John Ryngsted, beside a rough pen and ink sketch of a ?woman wearing a partlet and ?French hood. The back inside cover has the name Edward Stube of ?Soothow (? Southoe, co Huntingdon) in hand of the main text Edward Stube was probably of a Norfolk family and practised as an attorney in Norfolk soon after 1500. This volume was apparently drawn up in Sir Robert Drury's life for him or by a confidential clerk in his service.
Contents:
f1- form of coroner's court and charge
f1v - blank
f2-5 - index
(ff1-5 an addition on smaller paper)
f5v - continuation of 7v; continued at 74 verse 'Be it knowen to all that heron looke / That Edward Stubbe
[John Waren',…. ght, interlined] is owner of this booke'
f6v-7v - continuation of f77v; continued at f5v
f8-23 - Modus observandi curiam cum leta sive visu franciplegii sequitur hoc modo
f24-30v - Treatise on pleading with some references to local courts
f30v-32v - Transcript of hundred of Colchester [12 Jan 1467] to illustrate pleading
f33-70 - 'What persons shulde bee justices of Peas' including (ff38-41) the charge. The text mostly in French, is an exposition of the status governing justices and is particularly full on labourers
f70-74 - Warrants in the name of Robert Drury as Suffolk JP', examples of dates are 1 May 1494, 9 July 1494, 1 June 1496, 1 Jan 1491. Also writs to JPs and bailiffs of Colchester. This section is in a hand similar to the matter after 76v and is inserted between the end of 'What persons should be JPs' and 'Cye commence'; the hand may be slightly later. In a significantly later hand is added (on f73v) a precept by Bartholomew Westby, baron of the exchequer, as a Middlesex JP, to the constable of the vill of Stratford at Bow capais William Sparke of Stratford carpenter ad respondendum to John Waren for leaving his service; 30 Aug [?1] H8
f75-76 - 'Cye commence la forme pur faire lez preceptes garauntes ou processe de peas, scilicet adeprimes il covient de somonet toutz maners dez officers nostre seigneur le roy deste devaunt lez justices al lez sessions generalz in tiell forme'; all in the name of Robert Drury. Ends: 'Et tielz choses oveque queux ilz serront chargez appiert devaunt in tricesimo tercio folio etc'.
f76v-77v - Suffolk precedents starting with an appeal at Melton gaol delivery, 1476' continued at f6v
f78-109 - Precedents of deeds and other instruments including: f78 charter in fee tail f81v - inserted - warrant of John earl of Oxford, steward of Bury liberty,
12 Jan 1493 f83v appointment by Robert Broughton and William Carew, knights of the shire for Suffolk in parliament 13 Jan 1489, with Mr Richard Skipton clerk of the petty bag, of 24 persons to be collectors of tenths and fifteenths in Suffolk, 10 Jul 1490 f84 marriage settlement WS gent and wife Mary (W later written out as William) with Ralph W who is to marry Ann daughter of W and M; PROPERTY IN Palgrave, Thorndon Stoke [Ash] and Wetheringsett [Suffolk]; conveyance to be devised by R[obert] D[rury] esq f87 arbitration by Richard Pigot and Roger Townesend sjts, John Hopton and James Hobart esqs; other parties Abs f90 petition for pardon for William Ingham of London gent
f93v supplication to the crown by TS concerning £193 8s 7d lent or spent at Calais f97 chancery petition by William Baret of Bury St Edmunds gent against Robert P with answer and replication f103 will of AB, 1 Jan 1490; to be buried at S[cottow?] next to father JS; sons John and E, wife Alice f104v grant of stewardship of Norfolk manors by provost of King's College to Richard S and Robert S his son £106 conditions on arbitration bond by PS and TW gents
f109v-118v - mandates and precepts from Colchester,
Henhow (Drury and Hobart) and Bury (Drury)
f118v-119 - apprenticeship of Margaret daughter off John Walters of London bowyer to John Brockden of Southwark gent and king's yeoman and wife Jane, shepster, 4 Oct 1533 and another in chancery hand, 1 Oct 1514
f119v-120v - Norfolk escheators' inquisitions, 1495
f120v - warrant by H7 for £100 reward to Robert Drury, speaker of the late parliament
f121v - coronation oath
f121v - petition for patent to Henry H[obart?] for freewarren and frankpledge at B, T and O. [Watermark (an anchor) resembling watermarks ordinarily referenced as Briquet 454-469, which have been identified as being used on paper produced from 1474 to 1512, mostly the 1480s and 1490s.
NOTE: f = folio, ff = folios, v = verso (2nd side or back of folio) |