f [1] (20 February)
Thomas Hellyar of Aldermaston in the County of Berkshire Gardiner and Minstrell examined by the Right Honourable Sir francis Windebank knight his Maiestes Principall secretary of state saith
That he this Examinat
comming into the yard of Edward Parsons of
Aldermaston aforesaid and there meeting
with the said Parsons he told this
Examinat That now his Roguish
Profession might goe forward againe, and then this
examinat answered God blesse
them that are the cause of it, and then asked the
said Parsons who it was the cause
thereof, and the said Parsons replyed, that he
thought it was that Vnsanctified Rascall the Bishop of
Canterbury.
And then this Examinat
falling into further discourse with the
said Parsons asked him what he thought of
the
Dr Bowles the Bishop of Rochester, and then
Parsons replyed, Hang him he is a sott. And this
examinat further saith that he
went to Bradfield to the
Bishop of Rochester's house about a weeke
after Christmas to
acquaint him with this busines but the
Bishop was not then at home. All this,
this examinat wilbe ready to
despose if he
be therevnto called.
(signed) The Marke of
<...>
Thomas Hellyar.
The case continues on f [2] but is concerned only with Hellyar's testimony in the charge of the defamation of the character of the bishop of Rochester brought against Parsons. The controversy arose as a result of the re-issuing of the Book of Sports by Charles I on 18 October 1633. John Bowle, bishop of Rochester, 'was prompt to commend the 1633 reissue of the Book of Sports, and suspended clergy who would not read it' (ODNB). Despite the opinion so strongly expressed by Parsons that William Laud, newly appointed archbishop of Canterbury, had been behind the reissuing of the tract, Laud 'later protested that he had not moved this initiative' (ODNB).
Record title: Examination of Thomas Hellyar, Gardener and Minstrel
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: SP 16/260
Repository location: Kew
20 February 1633/4; English; paper; bifolium; 350mm x 195mm; repaired; originally folded twice. Now mounted on a stub, stamped 159–60, and bound together with other State Paper documents; bound in grey paper boards with blue cloth corners and spine; red paper lacquered patch glued on spine with title stamped in gold: 'DOMESTIC CHARLES i 1633 FEBRUARY.'