single sheet
An Informacion of dyvers misdemeanors comytted and donn by Thomas Greene of Ly<...>Wyrely in the Countie of Stafford Tayler and to be proved before the Rig<..> Honorable and worshipfull her Maiesties Iustices of peace within the said Countie of Stafford as foloweth
...
Item the said greene mayntayned A lorde of myssrules ffoole in A pyde coote to make an vnsemelye Oracion <..> the Pulpitt at Norton aforesaid, where the said foole beynge reproved by the Curate for his Lewd attempte, the said greene quarreled with the said Curate, affyrmynge the same to be an auncient Custome, and that he woolde mayntayne the same, ffor he was parson there.
(signed) Iohn Deane Curatt. | (signed) Thomas Crychelowe. |
(signed) Roger Bromley. |
Item the said greene sithence his laste byndinge to the good behaveor hathe bynn a common haunter <..> Alehowses and hathe pleayde at cardes and tables aswell on sondeys and holydaies, as on <...> and also apon the xxvth daye of Iuly Last paste beynge boothe the sabaothe and the ffeest of St Iames thappostell the said Greene sate typplinge in an Alehowse the tyme of Evening <...> havinge A Tynker in his companye, whome he procured to singe many vngodlye songes tendinge to <...> wherein the said greene hathe farre greater delyte then in heringe the worde of God for h<...> greene hathe syldome or never bynn at his parishe churche sythence/
(signed) Iohn Deane Curatt | (signed) Thomas Crychelowe | (signed) Roger Bromley | (signed) Iohn Beckett |
(signed) William Crychelowe | (signed) Richard Shelton | (signed) Sampson Hyde | (signed) Thomas Cooke |
(signed) ffraunces ored<...> |
This list of complaints contains nine numbered allegations, each followed by a separate list of witnesses. All the witnesses' names are in the scribal hand except for that of John Deane, the curate, who signed his own name to the allegations involving him. The two charges that refer to performance-related misdemeanours on Greene’s part are transcribed here; the other allegations are that Greene: was a picker of quarrels, a maintainer of diverse actions and suits, and a haunter of alehouses; was a taker of bribes; was a buyer of actions and debts; had offered bribes to subvert the course of justice; had forced others to spend overmuch time and money defending suits and actions launched by Greene; [extract printed in text of two charges]; had boasted how his litigiousness aided him to sleep and eat better; and was a sower of debates and discord. Greene's claim to be parson of the parish of Norton seems highly unlikely.
Record title: Information Lodged against Thomas Greene, Tailor
Repository:
STRO
Shelfmark: Q/SR/26, item 1
Repository location: Stafford
Epiphany 1590–1; English; paper; single sheet; 405mm x 295mm; damaged at right edge resulting in loss of text; repaired and mounted on a sheet attached to guard stub and preserved within blue folder.