Crippells v. Lambe

mb 2 (13 June) (Bill of complaint)

To the Kinges moste excellente Maiesty

<..>umbly complayning sheweth vnto your highnes your poore & obedient Subiectes William Criple<.> and Margarett his wife of Burton vpon Trent in the County of Stafford That whereas your said subiectes vpon or about the Twelfte day of December ‸⸢°last past°⸣ was a tweluemonth att ‸⸢°in the fiftenthe yeare of your highnesse reigne there at the towne of°⸣ Leicester lawfully and according to the eccles ecclesiastical lawes and Cannons of the church of England ‸⸢in the open Churche ther⸣ married together and therby became lawfull man and wife and for there more convenient dwelling & place of abode, in their ordinary course and trade of life and mutuall cohabitacion together did vpon or about the twenteith day of ffebruary next followinge come vnto Burton vpon Trent afforesaid and there did farme and take a dwellinghouse for them your said subiectes to dwell and inhabite in intending to liue there together as man and wife and Labour and take paynes in their vocacion and calling as they ought to doe Nevertheles so itt is Maie it please your excellent Maiesty that one Edward Lambe of Burton vpon Trent afforesaid maligning your said subiectes quiet estate vpon some private grudge and displeasure without any iust cause by him conceyved against your said subiectes did in the begining of March was a tweluemonth ‸⸢°in the fifteenth yeare of your highnesse reigne°⸣ soone after your said subiectes commyng to dwell and r<..>ide there vnlawfully and malitiously conspire and plott with diverse other persons hereafter named and other vnknowne persons whose names when they shalbe knowne your subiectes pray to incert into this ther Bill how to trouble molest disquiet and most vnciuilly abuse your said subiectes in ther quiett and pe<.>ceable estate and course of life being but strangers newly come as afforesaid to dwell in the said towne ‸⸢°of Burton vpon Trent°⸣ And hee the said Edward Lambe and the said other confederates much coveting by any meanes how vnlawfull and indirect soever to incense stirr vpp & incite all such persons as they could or in any sorte perswade or moue thervnto to commoune & confederate in any vnlawfull assemblies routes or riottes against your said Subiectes and their quiet and peaceable estate of life which hee the said Lambe and the said other conspirators thought they might better doe and effect vnder colour of his the said Lambes office in the said towne of Burton ‸⸢vpon Trent⸣ which hee the said Lambe then bore there hee being then and constable of the said towne And therfore by one Consent amongst them hadd resolved and did make him the said Lambe there the Ringleader and conductor in their then intended riotous and barbarous exploite which hee the said Lambe without regarding his othe formerly taken duly and iustly to execute the office of a constable vndertooke to doe And according to such their wicked and unlawfull confederacy and practise vpon or neare about the eight day of march last was a tweluemonth ‸⸢°in the fiftenth yeare of your Maiesties reigne he°⸣ the said Lambe as the Ringleader of the rest ‸⸢&⸣ accompanied with one Iohn Sharpe ‸⸢°weaver°⸣ Richard ‸⸢ward⸣ Iohn Knight °Edward° Hawkes Robert Hinckes Richard Muglinson Iohn Stamford Ieremy Lowe Edward Dekyn Richard Walker Iohn Hodgeson Henry Astle William Sleigtham °Edward Budworth° William Crosby Richard Hoggere Iohn Clarke and diverse others vnknowne persons to the number of thirty persons more or there aboutes whose names when they shallbe bee knowne your subiectes humbly pray to incerte into this their said Bill whome hee the said constable audaciously and bouldly charged in your Highnes name to goe with & aide him and his said abouenamed company in his and there intended doinges did riotously, malitiously and vnlawfully assemble themselues together in the night tyme of the said eight day of March being Sonday at Burton vpon Trent afforesaid & beinge then & there so assembled together They the said Edward Lambe Iohn Sharpe °weaver° Richard ward Iohn Knight °Edward° Hawkes Robert Hinckes Richard Mugeinson Iohn Stamford and Ieremy Lowe Edward Dakyn Richard Walker Iohn Hodgson Henry Astle William Sleigtham ‸⸢°Edwarde Budworth°⸣ William Crosby Richard Hoggere & Iohn Clarke and diuerse others vnknowne persons to the number of thirty persons more or there aboutes whose names when they shall<.> bee knowne your subiectes humbly pray to incerte into this their saide Bill whome hee the said constable audaciously and bouldly charged in your highnes name to goe with & aide him and his said abouenamed company in his and theire intended doinges did riotously malitiously and unlawfully assemble themselues together in the night tyme of the said eight day of March being Sonday at Burton vpon Trent aforesaid & being then & there so assembled together They the said Edward Lambe Iohn Sharpe °weaver° Richard Ward Iohn Knight °Edward° Hawkes Robert Hynckes Richard Maglinson Iohn Stamford and Ieremy Lowe. Edward Dakyn Richard Walker Iohn Hodgson Henry Astle William Sleigtham ‸⸢°Edward Budworth°⸣ William Crosby Richard Hogg & Iohn Clarke and the said other vnknowne persons by & according to their said vnlawfull mutuall combynacion & confederacy and in execucion thereof and by the wicked procurement animating & incouraging one of them another in their outragious and bould attempt did come and repaire to your subiectes said dwellinghous in Burton vpon Trent afforesaid and being come thither in or aboutes Nyne or Tenne of the clock in the night tyme of the said daye many of them being disguised and all of them armed with long pikes staves daggers swordes pitchforkes halbertes and other engines and weapons aswell invasive as defensiue in moste routous riotous and war lick manner and with greate violence and force ‸⸢did⸣ suddenly breake open the doore of your said subiectes house your said subiectes being then as the tyme of the night required in bedd together and having so donne did in like riotous barbarous & cruell manner suddenly enter into the said house into the chamber where your said subiectes were in bedd together and your said subiectes being sore terrified with their said sudden and vnexpected violence demaunded the cause and reason thereof which said riotous persons afforesaid answered that they came to fynde a knaue and a whore in bedd ‸⸢°together°⸣ wickedly and malitiously calling your said subiectes knaue and whore saying they were not married nor man and wife but, knaue and whore and diverse other vnneighbourlye slanderous wordes to that effecte And therewith also they ly the said riotous persons ‸⸢then and there⸣ without any more adoe forcibly & barberously & in very riotous and vnlawfull manner drew your said subiectes out of their said beddes and also out of their said house not suffereing them scarcely to putt on their clothes from which their said vnlawfull and vnchristian doinges they the said riotous persons would in no wise desist notwithstanding that your said subiectes constantly and truly then affirmed that they were lawfully married in Leicester afforesaid being but sixteene myles or thereaboutes distant from Burton vpon Trent afforesaid and therefore desired the said Edward Lambe being Cunstable of the said towne and pretending himselfe as chiefe ruler and Guide of the said riotous Rout and company and that all the rest shold & wold bee att his commaundment that hee would bee pleased to lett them your said subiectes alone for that tyme and that if hee or any of his company doubted of your said subiectes marriage that then hee your said subiect william Criple would forthwith goe to Leicester ‸⸢°and°⸣ leave his wife behynde him and bring a certificate of their marriage which to yeild vnto ‸⸢°he°⸣ the said Lambe and all the ‸⸢°said°⸣ other persons absolutely refused and then agayne your said Subiectes desired the said Lambe being Constable ‸⸢°as afforesaid°⸣ that your highnes peace might bee kept and no violence don to your said subiectes and that hee for that end would take them to his house and keepe them both as prisoners there till such tyme as they procured a certificate of there marriage from the minister who married them at Leicester afforesaid and in the meane tyme they offerred presently to putt tenne poundes in ready money into the said Constables handes as a pledge to bee forfetted to him or to the vse of the said towne of Burton vpon Trent if they did not in shorte tyme procure suche certificate as is afforesaid Nevertheles this their your said Subiectes quiett and peaceable desires and offeres afforesaid prevailed not with such the said riotous persons abouenamed but they the rather preparing themselues in barbarous and cruell manner to abuse your said subiectes and to doe some horrible greiuiuous and shamfull acte vpon them according to their said former plottes and combynacion had ⸢<...>⸣ thirsted and still desired to accomplishe did not thus cease but drew your said subiectes in moste cruell and outrageous manner hayling and dragging them from their said dwelling house alonge the streetes of the said towne ‸⸢°of Burton vpon Trent°⸣ with greate noyce and with ringinge of Cow Bells Basons Candle stickes fryingpanns and with the sounde of a drumme crying allowd A whore and a knaue A whore °a whore &c° and other disgracefull and slanderous wordes and casting Tourts and mier of the Streetes vpon your said subiectes And thus continuing raised therin a greate vproare & tumult to the number of foure hundreth persons or nere thereaboutes And in most vnciuill and inhumane manner did att last the same night lead & drawe your said subiectes about the said streetes vnto the stockes being att the markett crosse of the said towne of Burton vpon Trent, distant halfe a myle from your said subiectes said house in the said towne and having ⸢so⸣ brought your said subiectes to the said stockes did imprison your said subiectes then therin & kept & deteyned them therin for the space of twoe houres & more together during all which tyme the said riotous persons moste shamfully & cruelly abused your said subiectes & exclamed & cried out at the ⸢said⸣ markett crosse & markett place of the said towne ‸⸢°of Burton vpon Trent°⸣ A whore A whore & a theefe a knaue & a theefe in the stockes & likewise then & their also did in Moste vndecent & shamfull manner cast dirte vpon your said subiectes being so imprisoned and pissed on their heades & after their said imprisonment in the said stockes by the space of twoe houres or theraboutes they the said riotous persons drew your said subiectes moste sauagely & wickedly by the feete their heades lying vpon the grownde throughe the dirty channells of the said streetes by the space of an houre together and then hauing in such like wicked and beastely sorte abused and dragged your said subiectes aboute the streetes they the said confederates & conspirators lefte your said subiectes lying in the said streetes all alone who were so amased and hurte by this ‸⸢the⸣ riotous persons cruelty afforesaid that they could not raise themselues vpp from the grownde along time together till att last they were by the helpe of some better disposed persons in very pitty helped & gott to their said dwellinghouse againe who comyng to there said house founde much of their houshold stuffe and other goodes taken away out of their said house by some vnknowne persons during the tyme of such their absence & likewise founde a chiste broken and opened in ther said house & five powndes or theraboutes in money & a greate parte of the houshold goodes which was therein like wise dispersed & gone By reason of which outrages & iniurious & disgracefull doinges your subiectes are vtterly vndone and are obliged to forsake & leaue their said dwellinghouse house and abode to the damage of your said subiectes of twoe hundreth ‸⸢pownds⸣ att the least Intender consideracion whereof & forasmuch as all that said confederaces conspiraces plottes routes riottes vnlawfull assemblies & other the misdemeanours & offences afforesaid ‸⸢whiche were comitted and done <....> your highnesse <............> & <..........> and⸣ bee not only against your highnes most gracous Lawes & statutes but against the rule of all good & civill governement & are also of moste dangerous consequence to the evill example of others if they bee not in their begininges prevented May itt therefore please your highnes to grante vnto your said Subiectes your Highnes most gracious seuerall writtes of Subpena to bee directed to them the said Edward Lambe Iohn Sharpe ‸⸢°Weauer°⸣ Richard Ward Iohn Knight George Hawkes Robert Hawkes Richard Muglinson Iohn Stanford Ieremy Lowe Iohn Ha<..>ersley Iohn R<..........> Richard Dakon Richard Walker Iohn Hodgeson Henry Astle Edward Budworth William Sleigtham Richard Hogg Iohn Clarke William Crosby commaunding them & every of them & every other person whose names shalbe incerted herein and discouered therby att a certayne day and vnder a certeyne payne to them to be comitted personally to appeare in your maiesties highe Courte of Starrchamber then & there to answer the premisses & to stande to & abide such further Trial & direccion therein as to your Maiesty & the right honourable the lordes of your maiesties most honourable prevy counsell shall seeme to bee moste agreeable to lawe & iustice.

(signed) <...>