Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I [a machine- readable transcription]

Paston family. Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I [a machine- readable transcription]
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PETITION TO THE CHANCELLOR 1450

Vn-to the right reuerent fadir in God and my right gracioux lord the Cardinal Archebisshop of York, Prymat and Chanceller of Inglond. Besecheth mekely John Paston that, where Robert Hungerford, knyght, Lord Molens, and Alianore his wyff late with force and strength and grete multitude of riottous peple, to þe noumbre of a thousand persones and mo, gadered by th' excitacion and procuryng of John Heydon a-yenst the Kyngges pees, in riotous maner enterd vp-on your seid besecher and othir

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enfeoffed to his vse in the manoir of Gresham, with þ' appurtenauncez in þe shire of Norffolk; whiche riotous peple brake, dispoiled, and drew doun the place of your seid besecher in the seid toun and drafe out his wiff and seruauntes there beyng, and ryfled, took, and bare awey alle the goodes and catalx that your seid besecher and his seruauntes hadde there to þe value of cc li. and more, and the seid manoir after þe seid riottous entré kept with strong hande in manere of werre, as weel ayenst your seid besecher and his feffees as ayenst oon of þe Kyngges justicez of his pees in þe seid shire that come thedir to execute þe statutes ordeigned and prouyded ayenst suche forcible entrees and kepyng of possessions with force, as it appiereth by recorde of þe seid justice certifyed in-to þe Chauncerie; and yet þe seid Lord Molens the same manoir kepith with force and strengthe ayenst þe fourme of þe seid statutes; please it your reuerent fadirhood and gracioux lordship, these premisses considered, to graunte on-to your seid besecher, for his feffees by hym to be named, a special assise ayenst þe seid Lord Molens, Alianore, and John Heidon, and othir to be named by your seid besecher, and also an oyer and determyner ayenst þe seid Lord Molens, John Heidon, and othir of the seid riotous peple in like fourme to be named, to enquere, here, and determyn all trespaces, extorcions, riottes, forcible entrees, mayntenaunces, champarties, embraceries, offenses, and mesprisions by hem or ony of hem doen; als weel atte sute of our souereign lord þe Kyng as of your seid besecher and his seid feffees and euery of hem, or of ony othir of þe Kyngges lieges. Atte reuer[en]ce of God and in weye of charité.