Star Chamber Case: Hoby v. Eure

item 2, single membrane (2 October 1601) (Interrogatories on behalf of Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby)

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Item whether did you heer any of the said defendantes confesse and saye that at such time as they thought that the said plaintifes servantes weare at prayer or singing of a psalme in the plaintifes said howse when they the said defendantes weare in the plaintifes howse that they the said Defendantes or some of them did then sing a Catch or a song of prynce Arthure or some other song and which of them did you heare soe confesse and saie the same

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Item 3, mb 4 (2 October 1601) (Deposition of John Ferne, 48)

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To the fowertenth ffiftenth Sixtenth & seventeenth he cannot depose saveinge that about the moneth of Julye in the Interrogatorie mencioned this deponent did eyther by reporte or by a lettre showed vnto him by the Lord Archbushopp of yorke perceiue that the Archbishop had written lettres to the Lord Ewrie whereby he did something censure his lordship about some procedinges in the musters but the effect therof he doth not now remember nether doth he knowe whethour the paper shewed to this deponent at the time of his examinacion be a true coppie of any such lettre yea or no.

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Item 5, single membrane (Interrogatories on behalf the defendants, William Eure et al)

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Item did the said defendantes in quiett and civill manner come to the said Complainantes howse. what disorder did they there comytt who ther did the said defendantes or anye of them abvse the said Complainant or anye of his famelye if yea in what manner. did they so abvse them and what tyme whether the sam might or the daye followinge and vppon what occasion speake yor knowledge/.

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Item 4, mbs [1-2] (2 October 1601) (Answers of Robert Nettleton, aged 23 or thereabouts)

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Witnesses produced and examined on the parte & behallf of Willyam Ewrie esquier Richard Cholmeley Stephen Hutchinson Willyam Hillyard & George Smith defendantes to the bill of complainte of Sir Thomas Posthumus Hoby knight complainant by vertew of her Maiestes Commission out of her highnes Courte of Starrchamber directed to the Right honorable Thomas Lord Burgheley lord President of her Maiestes Counsell in the north Iohn Lord Bushopp of limericke, Sir Edward Stanhope knight Thomas Heskethe esquiere and Iohn Bennett doctor of the lawe ffower or three of them taken before Iohn Lord Bushopp of limericke Sir Edward Stanhope knight & Iohn Bennett doctor of ye lawe ye daie & yere aforesaid/

Roberte Nettleton of the age of Twentie three yeares or thereaboutes sworne and examined./

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To the third he saith that at such time as the said defendantes Sir Willyam Ewrie & others came at the time in the Intergatorie mencioned to his masters howse at Hacknes they metinge with this examinat asked how Sir Thomas & my lady did (for they had sent a footeman before three of fower howers to lett him knowe that they wolld come thither that night) he answered that his master was well but my lady was sicke they therevpon goinge in Sir Thomas mett them, and intertayned them as he hath hard presentely after they fell to cardes in the greate chamber which he thinkes they brought with them for he knoweth there vsed to be none in his masters howse At supper time his master kepinge them companie Mr. Stephen Hutchinson drancke a health vnto his Master and after that Sir Willyam Ewrie did drincke a health vnto his master and to my ladies health to whome he answered that if drincking wolld make my ladie well he colld finde in his harte to drincke himself druncke but otherwise since it wolld do her no good, and himself hurte he desired them to pardon him for he wolld drincke but his ordinarie After supper his Master went first to my ladie, and afterwardes to see ech of there lodginges prepared, then came to them againe and findinge them at plaie tolld them if they wolld repaire to there chambers they were fitt and he wolld bringe them to there lodginges, They desired him to beare with them for they wolld plaie awhile Then he tolld them that he wolld then bid them god night for that he wolld goe keepe my ladie Company beinge sicke and presentelie gaue order to his servauntes to goe to praiers in the hall which was vsually at other times said in the greate chamber morning & eveninge and gaue commaundement to his chamberlane to showe euery gentlemans man his masters lodginge which he did./ And saith further that when they were singinge of the psallme, and sayinge of praiers one Willyam Borne a retaynor of my lord Ewries, that dwelt nere hand there but came not to the howse in there company and two others of the defendantes men whome he knewe not stoode in the hall laughinge & makinge of a noise duringe the whole time of the praiers and the defendantes made a noise in the chamber ouer them, and some of the defendants beinge ouer the staires that leades doune into the hall made a noise with singinge of strange tunes which he is sure was not psallmes The next morninge breakefast beinge prepaired for them he & others did attende them, some of them druncke healthes one to another havinge beare & wine plentie served them, And master Richard Cholmeley fillinge his owne glasse so full as it runne ouer in the Rushes, one of his company tellinge him it was a sinne to spill drincke, he said it was but answeringe for it at the latter daie And Mr Willyam Hillyard somewhat before breakefast was done rose from the table & swore he wolld drincke no more healthes After Breakefast they made a great noise in the greate chamber with hallowinge & showtinge, my ladies chamber beinge verey neere it, Sir Thomas sente them worde yat if they wolld vse some other quieter excersise they sholld be wellcome, for that they did disease my ladie, Therupon it was answered they wolld but see my ladye & goe there waies, And soone after Sir Willyam Ewries man came to this Examinat and required him to tell my ladie that master Willyam Ewrie was desirous to see my ladye before he wente & then they wolld be gone/ Whereupon this examinat brought my ladies answere and deliuered it to the same man of Sir Willyam Ewries which was that she was not redie but as soone as she were she wolld sende him worde And after sent for this examinat and willed him to tell master Ewrie that she wolld be willinge to see him but not the rest of the Company becaus she was sicklie and kept her chamber To which master Ewrie answered By god thy master sendes me such scurvie messages as I care not for them I came not for his meate & his drincke but to see my ladye and therfor lett him send me worde what it lies him in and I will paie for it and will sett vpp hornes at his gate & be gone Whereupon he asked his fellow Iorden whether he were best to deliuer the message in thos termes or make it better, if he colld who answered that he were best to deliuer it as it was for truth, wolld neuer shame it self which he thereupon did in my ladies chamber and in her presence Whereto Sir Thomas willed him to answere master Ewrie that he wished him and his company to departe his howse and grounde quietlye, and when he was of his grounde if he sente him eyther that message or any other he wolld take it After this beinge deliuered to master Ewrie he beinge in a little chamber betwixt the dyninge chamber and my ladies, he said he came to see my ladie & wolld see her ere he wente, for they were stronge enough to keepe that chamber if there came xx^tie or xl^tie against them And Sir Willyam Ewrie lookinge out at a window, seinge Contrie men come towardes the howse said the Contrie was raised Whereunto Iarden answered him that they were contrie people that came to the towne about a commission that was appointed to be sitten on the daie. Sir Willyam replied that he and his company were stronge enoughe to keepe that little chamber against all the Contrie, and master Willyam Ewrie said he caired not for the Commission he wolld teare it. After this my lady was willinge to see master Willyam Ewrie who wished the rest of the defendantes to go forth of that roome into the dyninge chamber and his fellowe Iarden willing him to bollte the doore after them, becaus my lady wolld speake onely with master Ewrie, he offeringe so to do, all or most of the said defendantes did thrust the doore open vpon him and tooke holld of him & threw him against the table ende in the greate chamber beinge about two fathome in length and |

so they wente into that little chamber againe and wolld not afterwardes suffer him to bollt the doore, Wherevpon he goinge doune into the hall sawe all the defendantes come thorow the hall, and there George Smith one of the defendantes seinge a paire of stagges hornes nailed ouer the skrene swore, by godes harte, I wolld the stages hornes were as hard nailed or as hard fastned vpon Sir his head, as they were there, And therevpon the said George Smith went presentely forth and fetched his horse, havinge pulled vpp two stiles that passed thorow a courteyarde, that was newlie levelled, & loose earth, & trampled it crosse to & fro, gallopinge vpp & downe, to whome this examinat said it was not well done, for the grounde cost money before it came to that passe, he answered that he did it in despite, He saith further that he did see fower quarries of glasse broken in one windowe in his masters dyninge chamber, which was said to be done with throwinge of stones, by one of the said defendantes or some of there company but he knewe not who did it becaus he sawe it not done./

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