Hawkesbury History
My thanks to Jill Martin, Hawkesbury
Local History Society for transcribing this Document from the National Archives
Jill also is the author of the Hawkesbury document Index.
PRO/STAC 3/1/50 Edward VI (1547-1553) year not identified.
see below this document for
translation and notes
To the Kyngs high maiestie
Lamentable complaynthe Unto yor highnese Nicholas Martyn and Wyllm. Bense wardens of the p段she Churche of hawksbury within yor countie of Gloucs. and havyng the custodye & keping of all the Godds & Cattells & other ornaments of the same p段she Churche to the use of p段ssheners of the seyde p段sshe that wher one Wyllm late abbott of the late dyssolvyd Monasterie of parshore within yor countie of Worcester was seasyd of & in the Manor and Lordshipp of hawksbury aforseid and the p痴onage of the same within the seid countie of Gloucester of the yerly rentt or value of ｣170 or therabouts in his Demeane as of Fee as in the right of his seid monasterie and being so seasid the seid Abbott & the covent of the same Monasterie by ther dede indentyd datyd the 23th daye of Septembr in the 23th yerre of the raygne of King henry the viii th Sealid with their covent Seale Dymisyd leasid & granntid unto Nicholas prowte & John longden proctors or Churche wardens of the seid p段she Church of hawksbury a howse calid the Church house together with one messuag with thappertenancs in hawksbury forseid To have & to hold the seid house & messuag with thappertenancs to the same proctors Church wardens & their assignes to the use & behoffe of the seid p段sshioners and so from p団trs to p団tors or from Church wardens to Church wardens of the seid church unto the end & time of 99 yerrs then next & imedyatly folowing after the date of the seid Indentur fully to be completyd & endyd yelding therfore yerly unto the seid abbott & Covent & to their Successors vii s to be paid yerlie at the feast of thannunciation of our lady and seint Michell tharchangell by even portions by reason wherof the seid prowtte & longden enteryd into the premisses and were peacebly possessyd therof & toke the profytts therof and occupied the seid howse calid the church howse to the use of the seid p段sshioners That is to sey suche corne & grayne as was Gevyn (=given) to the seid Church by the p段sshioners ther for the mayntennance of the seid Church & Relif of the pore, and also tymbre & other necessaries things for the Reperacions of the seid Church dydd lie in the seid howse savely to be kepte & savid ther, and not onlye that but for that the said p段she is very wyde some place dystant ii or iii myles frome the seid p段she Churche and usyally beryethe the deade bodies at the seid Church and often tymes when the people usythe to bring the deade bodyes to the seid Church & hath buryed the corse frends of the deade may usyth to geve bred chese & drink at the seid Church house and ther to relif the pore people of the same p段she, and also when it happenyd eny pore man in his olde age to be impotent & not able to geate his leving then the seid pore man had sucker in the seid Church howse & ther were relevid by the seid p段sshioners, and ever sythens the seid lease made the Church wardens yerly when they were owt of their offics and others chosyn Churche Wardens or proctors to assigne their lease to the Church wardens newly chosyn, and ever sythens the seid lease made which is 40 yerrs & more it hath thus contynued for a godly perpos & entent, So it is moste gracious Sovereigne that by the dissolucion of the seid monasterie the seid lordship came into thands (=the hands) & possession of yor Father Kyng henry viiith of most famous memory who Sufferid the Church wardens ther peceably & quietly to occupy & ingoye the same according to ther seid lease as long as the seid lordship remaynyd in his hands, and now the seid lordship is come into thands & posseion of one John Butler esquior who is a wilfull man and hath a great retynue of wilfull servants (?) and by color of them he fasyth & brusyth the Kings subiects ther in those parties that the like hath never byn seyn byfore this day, and if eny man sey eny thing contrary to his evell & parverse Doyngs
then he or his said servants thretneth to kyll them or to do them displeasure ans sithens the seid lordship came to thands & possession of the seid John Butler the sayde Jhon hathe attempted by manye wayes and meanes to putt yor Said oratours From their lawfull Interest of and in the said housse And to execute his wylfull mynde and entente therin Accompenyd withe Robte Compyer of hawksbury foreseid carpenter Wyllm forde of the same laborer John Smythe of Alderley in the same Countye mason John hobbes of Alderley foreseid laborer Thomas Bysshoppe of Great Badmynton mason John bruge of hawksburye foreseid laborer and Willm heler of Wyke in the Countye of Wiltes carpenter with dyvirse other yvell disposed persons to the number of xvi or ther abowte riottuosly assembled at hauksbury aforeseid the forwthe daye of Novembre last passed then and ther furnyshed with bylls swords and other weapons afensible in most riottous soule with force and Armes and ageynst yor peace and lawes, enterid into the seid house and the dores wyndowes bords in the flores and the walls of the same in most wilfull & riotnes sorte brake & pullid downe and caste owt suche Stuffe & goods as was in the seid house into the Strett and hathe of late transladid the seid house which was a dwelling house for the pore men of the seid p段she which were in decay to be relevyd ther and hath made therof a Stable and with force kepith the seid house Seyeng that if eny of the seid church wardens or p段sheners will come ther to enter into the same that he will kyll them or at the leste mayme them and so by suche force braggs & strength kepith the seid church house and will not suffer yor orators to enter into the seid howse contrary to all order of law & to the manyfeste wrong of yor seid orators and for as much as yor seid orators ar pore men inhabitants in the seid p段she and the seid John Butler is lord therof and greatly boren fryndyd & alyed within the seid shere yor pore orators ar not able to procure eny Indictaments of the seid riott and mysdemenor ne yet to trye with the seid John Butler by course of the comon lawe for the Recovary of the premisses and therfore by suche entre & kepyng with force ar lyke to loose ther Interest for ever of and in the premysses, yf yor grate favor and helpe be not shewid to yor pore Subiects in that behalf In Consideracion wherof yt may please yor hyghnes of yor aboundantt grace to granntt yor wryte of sub
penn to be directid unto the seid John Butler and thother Riotous persons above namyd Commanndyng them & eny of them by the same pon a certeyn daye and upon certeyn payn personally to appere before yor moste honerable Councell in yor high Court of yor Sterre Chammber then and ther to be compelled to annswer unto the premissis and ferder to be Injoyned to advoyd frome the possesion of the seid howse and to permytt & Suffer yor seid Subiectes quietly to possesse and enjoye to (?the) same and ferder that the seid John Butler and his servants maye be bounden to kepe the kings peace agenst yor seid subiects who hathe thretynyd to kyll them yf they do complayn. and yor por and obeydyent subiects according to their Dewtie shall dayly prey for yor highnes helthe and
this in the weye of Charytie.
End
PRO/STAC 3/1/50
Edward VI (1547-1553
) year not identified
The Grange or Church House
Hawkesbury now Church farm this is the building the document referring to the
first floor was used to care fore the sick and elderly and as a resting place
for travellers and locals from the extremes of the parish for instance as the
document says when a corpse has been brought for burial from afar. The building
pre reformation may well have been the Grange where the Abbott of Pershore or
his agents would be entertained on annual inspection tax collection visits a
joining it to the right was a malt house and the tall narrow building to the far
left was the kitchen.
Nicholas Martyn b.abt 1495-d,1551 was Thomas Stinchcombe
b,abt1549-d,1620 maternal grandfather he held Chawkley manor a sub manor of
Hawkesbury abt 1/2 mile from the church. William Bence was probably the father
of Valorie Bence who named his eldest son William and is associated with
Hawkesbury Common
[Document in the
National Archives transcribed by Jill Martin, Hawkesbury Local History Society]
To the Kyngs high maiestie (= majestie)
Lamentable complaynthe Unto yor highnese Nicholas Martyn
and Wyllm. Bense
wardens of the p段she Churche of hawksbury within yor countie of Gloucs. and
havyng the custodye & keping of all the Godds (=goods) & Cattells (=chattels) &
other ornaments of the same p段she Churche to the use of p段ssheners of the
seyde p段sshe that wher one
Wyllm late
abbott
of the late
dyssolvyd Monasterie of parshore within yor countie of Worcester was seasyd of &
in the Manor and Lordshipp of hawksbury aforseid and the p痴onage of the same
within the seid countie of Gloucester of the yerly rentt or value of ｣170 or
therabouts in his Demeane as of Fee as in the right of his seid monasterie and
being so seasid (=seized) the seid Abbott & the covent of the same Monasterie by
ther dede indentyd datyd the 23th daye of Septembr in the 23th yerre of the
raygne of King henry the viii th (i.e.1531) Sealid with their covent Seale
Dymisyd leasid & granntid unto Nicholas prowte &
John longden
proctors or Churche
wardens of the seid p段she Church of hawksbury a howse calid the Church house
together with one messuag with thappertenancs in hawksbury forseid To have & to
hold the seid house & messuag with thappertenancs to the same proctors Church
wardens & their assignes to the use & behoffe of the seid p段sshioners and so
from p団trs to p団tors or from Church wardens to Church wardens of the seid
church unto the end & time of 99 yerrs then next & imedyatly folowing after the
date of the seid Indentur fully to be completyd & endyd yelding therfore yerly
unto the seid abbott & Covent & to their Successors vii s to be paid yerlie at
the feast of thannunciation of our lady and seint Michell tharchangell by even
portions by reason wherof the seid prowtte & longden enteryd into the premisses
and were peacebly possessyd therof & toke (=took) the profytts therof and
occupied the seid howse calid the church howse to the use of the seid
p段sshioners That is to sey suche corne & grayne as was Gevyn (=given) to the
seid Church by the p段sshioners ther for the mayntennance of the seid Church &
Relif of the pore, and also tymbre & other necessaries things for the
Reperacions of the seid Church dydd lie in the seid howse savely to be kepte &
savid ther, and not onlye that but for that the said p段she is very wyde some
place dystant ii or iii myles frome the seid p段she Churche and usyally beryethe
the deade bodies at the seid Church and often tymes when the people usythe to
bring the deade bodyes to the seid Church & hath buryed the corse (=corpse)
frends of the deade may usyth to geve bred chese & drink at the seid Church
house
and ther to relif the pore people of the same p段she, and
also when it happenyd eny pore man in his olde age to be impotent & not able to
geate (=get) his leving then the seid pore man had sucker in the seid Church
howse & ther were relevid by the seid p段sshioners, and ever sythens (=since)
the seid lease made the Church wardens yerly when they were owt of their offics
and others chosyn Churche Wardens or proctors to assigne their lease to the
Church wardens newly chosyn, and ever sythens the seid lease made which is 40
yerrs & more it hath thus contynued for a godly perpos & entent, So it is moste
gracious Sovereigne that by the dissolucion of the seid monasterie the seid
lordship came into thands (=the hands) & possession of yor Father Kyng henry
viiith of most famous memory who Sufferid the Church wardens ther peceably &
quietly to occupy & ingoye (=enjoy) the same according to ther seid lease as
long as the seid lordship remaynyd in his hands, and now the seid lordship is
come into thands & posseion of one John Butler esquior who is a wilfull man and
hath a great retynue of wilfull servants (?) and by color (=means?) of them he
fasyth (?) & brusyth (?) the Kings subiects (=subjects) ther in those parties
that the like hath never byn seyn byfore this day, and if eny man sey eny thing
contrary to his evell & parverse Doyngs then he or his said servants (?)
thretneth to kyll them or to do them displeasure ans sithens the seid lordship
came to thands & possession of the seid John Butler the
sayde Jhon hathe attempted by manye wayes and meanes to putt yor Said oratours
From their lawfull Interest of and in the said housse And to execute his wylfull
mynde and entente therin Accompenyd withe Robte Compyer
of hawksbury foreseid carpenter Wyllm forde
of the same laborer John Smythe
of Alderley in the same Countye mason John hobbes
of Alderley foreseid laborer Thomas Bysshoppe
of Great Badmynton mason John bruge
of hawksburye foreseid laborer and Willm heler
of Wyke in the Countye of Wiltes carpenter with dyvirse
other yvell disposed persons to the number of xvi or ther abowte riottuosly
assembled at hauksbury aforeseid the forwthe daye of Novembre last passed then
and ther furnyshed with bylls swords and other weapons afensible in most
riottous soule with force and Armes and ageynst yor peace and lawes, enterid
into the seid house and the dores wyndowes bords in the flores and the walls of
the same in most wilfull & riotnes sorte brake & pullid downe and caste owt
suche Stuffe & goods as was in the seid house into the Strett and hathe of late
transladid (=translated = changed) the seid house which was a dwelling house for
the pore men of the seid p段she which were in decay to be relevyd ther and hath
made therof a Stable and with force kepith the seid house Seyeng that if eny of
the seid church wardens or p段sheners will come ther to enter into the same that
he will kyll them or at the leste mayme them and so by suche force braggs &
strength kepith the seid church house and will not suffer yor orators to enter
into the seid howse contrary to all order of law & to the manyfeste wrong of yor
seid orators and for as much as yor seid orators ar pore men inhabitants in the
seid p段she and the seid John Butler is lord therof and greatly boren (=born)
fryndyd (=befriended) & alyed (=allied) within the seid shere (=shire) yor pore
orators ar not able to procure eny Indictaments of the seid riott and mysdemenor
ne (=nay = nor) yet to trye with the seid John Butler by course of the comon
lawe for the Recovary of the premisses and therfore by suche entre & kepyng with
force ar lyke to loose ther Interest for ever of and in the premysses, yf yor
grate favor and helpe be not shewid to yor pore Subiects (=subjects) in that
behalf In Consideracion wherof yt may please yor hyghnes of yor aboundantt grace
to granntt yor wryte of sub penn(a) to be directid unto the seid John Butler and
thother Riotous persons above namyd Commanndyng them & eny of them by the same
pon a certeyn daye and upon certeyn payn personally to appere before yor moste
honerable Councell in yor high Court of yor Sterre Chammber then and ther to be
compelled to annswer unto the premissis (?) and ferder (=further) to be Injoyned
to advoyd frome the possesion of the seid howse and to permytt & Suffer yor seid
Subiectes quietly to possesse and enjoye to (?the) same and ferder that the seid
John Butler and his servants maye be bounden to kepe the kings peace agenst yor
seid subiects who hathe thretynyd to kyll them yf they do complayn. and yor por
and obeydyent subiects according to their Dewtie shall dayly prey for yor
highnes helthe and
this in the weye of Charytie.
End