The present Volume owes its existence to the casual discovery, among the transcripts by Stowe in the British Museum¹, of the Chronicle of Calais, formed, or at least once possessed, by Richard Turpyn, a " burgess there." This appeared to be a fragment which, in a brief compass, contained so much historical information previously unpublished, that I was desirous to recommend it to the patronage of the Camden Society, a suggestion which at once received the approval of the Council.

As it was found, on a further search, that the manuscript stores of the British Museum contained many other papers illustrative of the events commemorated in Turpyn's chronicle, equally unpublished, it was then determined to extend its somewhat scanty dimensions by appending such documents as might contribute to elucidate the history of the town and marches of Calais, during the same period.

Much less has been hitherto published on the history of our continental Borders than on the history of our Borders next Scotland ; although the latter retained their frontier state not quite half a century later than the former. Indeed, with the exception of a brief memoir in the second series of Sir Henry Ellis's Original Letters, the present Editor is not aware of any historical notice of Calais whilst in the possession of the English. It is, therefore, with some confidence as well in the importance as in the novelty of the subject, that he presents this volume to the members of the Camden Society.

At the same time he is fully conscious that a collection of this extent can comprise but a small portion of what should constitute a complete History of the English Border towards France : a work more suited to occupy several future volumes of the Royal publication of State Papers, — the continuation of which, in the substantial and accurate form so well commenced (with reference to the affairs of Cardinal Wolsey's administration, those of Scotland, and those of Ireland), must be desired by every student of English History.

In forming the present series of papers, the Editor soon found that it was necessary to assign several boundarymarks within which it should be confined. It would have been easy to have filled several such volumes with the contemporary letters of ambassadors and other persons employed either in a diplomatic or military capacity in France. The documents which have been admitted will be found to apply either to the same occurrences which are noticed in Turpyn's Chronicle, or immediately to the history of Calais, and both, with a few supplementary papers of the latter kind, within the period to which the chronicle itself belongs.

It is remarkable that Turpyn's Chronicle extends to the same year, in which the existing register of the Privy Council for the reign of Henry VIII. commences², and from that source the subsequent administration of Calais may be traced with some minuteness, and dates assigned to other existing documents with far less difficulty than the Editor has experienced in the present work.

In like manner, considerable materials for the earlier history of Calais may be gleaned from the Rolls of Parliament³, which terminate in the year 1503. Thus the collection made in these pages furnishes the memorials of a period hitherto less provided than others.

During the seventeen years which elapsed between the year 1540 and the final loss of Calais by the English, there are large materials for its history in the papers of George lord Cobham, who was deputy of the town and marches from 1544 to 1550, and which exist among the Harleian MSS⁴. The papers of one of his predecessors, lord Lisle, which were seized in 1540, form nineteen volumes, which are preserved in the State Paper Office⁵, whilst a few of them are scattered in the volumes of Cottonian MSS.

There is one year of the period included in the present collection^ namely that of King Henry's campaign to Therouenne and Tournay, the documents respecting which have been altogether reserved. This course was adopted, at once to keep the volume within its proposed limits, and also in consequence of the existence of two contemporary journals of the events of that campaign, which it was thought might hereafter be available for a volume correspondent to the present.

A single exception has been made, in favour of a document of a very remarkable character, belonging indeed rather to private than public history, but the private history of some of the most important personages of their day. To this has been applied the title of " secret history of Margaret, duchess of Savoy, and Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk ;" for secret it was at the time, and secret it has remained, until its present development⁶.

Note 1. MS. Harl. 542.

Note 2. See Proceedings, &c. of the Privy Council, edited by Sir N. H. Nicolas, vol. vii. p. ii.

Note 3. See the Index, fol. 1832, pp. 111—115.

Note 4. Nos. 283 and 284.

Note 5. Some interesting extracts from the Lisle correspondence have been recently made by Miss M. A. E. Wood, now Mrs. Green, in her valuable collection of " Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies." It is to the same lady that the Editor has acknowledged his obligations in his note on the queen of France's marriage to the duke of Suffolk, in p. 17.

Note 6. This discovery appeared to the Editor sufficiently important to be brought before the Historical section of the British Archaeological Institute on its congress at Winchester in the year 1845 ; and he had then the honour of reading a paper on the subject at one of the general meetings held in St. John's rooms.

My attention was first directed to the mysterious and enigmatical nature of this document by Mr. E. G. Ballard, and to the same gentleman I have to acknowledge my obligations for searching out, as well as transcribing, most of the other materials of this volume.

I shall only add, in this place, a few biographical notices of Richard Turpyn, the supposed author of the Chronicle of Calais.

He was the grandson of John Turpyn, whose father Nicholas was of Whitchester, in Northumberland ; which John by marriage with Elizabeth Kinnesman, heiress of the Paynells and Gobions of Knaptoft in Leicestershire, became possessed of that manor, and left issue his son and heir William Turpyn esquire, who died Sept. 1, 1523. Richard Turpyn, of Calais, was the fifth and youngest son of William¹.

I little suspected, until some time after this volume had been in the press, that Turpyn's Chronicle had already placed his name in the memorials of Bale², and all the sequel of literary biographers³. Such, however, proves to be the case ; though we collect but Httle from them all. Anthony a Wood claims him as a scholar of Oxford, but adds that he was taken thence before he was honoured with a degree.

Note 1. Pedigree in Nichols's Leicestershire, iv. 225, as corrected by Mr. Townsend (see note in p. xvi. hereafter).

Note 2. "Ricardus Tui'pyn, ex honesta quadam Anglorum familia natus, et Caleti sub rege Henrico octavo miUtiam exercens, Anglice congessit Sui temporis Chronicon, Lib. i. obiitque Caleti circa annum a Christi nativitate 1541, in D. Nicolai templo illic sepultus." Balaei Scriptores, fol. Basil. 1359, part ii. p. 103. (In the Hist, of Leicestershire, iv. 217, the hke reference is erroneously made to Pitsaeus, who does not notice Turpyn.)

Note 3. Fuller's account of Turpyn, in his "Worthies of England," under Leicestershire, is as follows : "Richard Turpin was born at Knaptoft in this county, very lately (if not still) in the possession of that antient family, and was one of the gentlemen of the English garrison of Calis in France in the reign of king Henry the Eighth. Such soldiers generally in time of war had too much, in time of peace too little work, to employ themselves therein. Commendable therefore the industry of this Richard, who spent his spare hours in writing of a Chronicle of his Time. He dyed anno Domini 1541, in the thirty-fifth year of the aforesaid king's reign. (Weever's Funerall Monuments, p. 682.) This I observe the rather, that the reader may not run with me on the rock of the same mistake, who in my apprehension confounded him with Richard Turpin the herauld, first Blewmantle and then created Windsor, in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth." The reference to Weever is misplaced, as it did not belong (as was not unnaturally imagined by the printer) to the record of Turpyn's death, but to the catalogue of the Heralds which Weever has given in his work. The error of the " thirty^^A year " was made by miscopying Burton (History of Leicestershire), who has it consistently, if not correctly, " 1541. 33 Hen. VIII"

He introduced into employment at Calais a second Richard Turpyn, who was afterwards a member of the College of Arms. In the family pedigree the herald has been placed as nephew of the chronicler, and as a younger son of John Turpyn of Knaptoft¹; but another authority² declares him to have been still more nearly related to the former. " He was son of Richard Turpyn, burgess of Calis, gent, by Margaret, daughter of John de Mount, de Guisnes. (MS. penes P. le Neve, Norroy.)"

Note 1. In the copy of Nichols's Leicestershire in the College of Arms, the late Francis Townsend, esq. Windsor herald, has drawn his pen through the name of Richard Turpyn the herald, thus apparently adopting the statement of Le Neve mentioned in the next page. Mr. Townsend has also in the same place made the following corrections : £or sir William Turpin, died 1525, read William Turpyn esquire, died 1523; the death of John, for "June 18, 1530," in 1528-9 (without altering the month) ; his son William, born Sept. 30, 1527, not Sept. 1, 1529 ; the effects of George were administered to by his widow, Frances, 17 Aug. 1583. To these memoranda it may be added that the will of William Turpyn, 1584, is recorded in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, in 8 Wathan, and that of John, 1582, in 29 Rawe. The main authority for the Turpyn pedigree is not the Leicestershire Visitation of 1619, but Vincent's Leicester, 217. In 2 H. 5 (Coll. Arm.) f. 94 b. is the following record of a crest granted to the family : "The armes and crest of George Turpyn of Knaptoft, in the countye of Leycester, esquyer : he bereth geules, on a bende silver thre lyon's heddes rasy sable, langued and oreilled geules ; upon his helme on a torse asure and golde, A grype standyng ung pie levant golde, the forparte dropped geules, beked and armed sable, manteled geules, dobled silver : yeven the said crest by me, Thomas Hawley, alias Clarencieulx, the first daye of Aprill, in the vjth yere of the reigne of owr soverayne lorde kyng Edward the syxte." There were two marriages between the family of Turpyn and that of Docwra, the lord prior of St. John's (often mentioned in the present volume), the particulars of which will be found in Collectanea Topogr. et Genealogica, 1840, vol. vi. p. 90.

Note 2. Memorandum in Anstis's MS. Lives of the Heralds, in the College of Arms, vol. ii. p. 628. verso.

19 Apr 1566. By patent dated the 25th Jan. 1565, he [Richard Turpin] was promoted to be Windsor Herald, and so created on Maundy Thursday the 19th of April following. Some years after, being in pecuniary difficulties, he was suspended from receiving the profits of his office because he owed certain sums to his successor Bluemantle and to York herald, but he was restored by the Earl Marshal on the 19th July, 1570, having previously presented the following petition to his grace, — how long before does not appear, for it is undated :

To the right honorable the duke of Norffolkes grace.

Shevveth unto your good grace your poor oratour Richard Turpyn, alias Wyndsor heraulde of arms, so it is, gracious honorable lord. That, whereas your saide oratour was a pursuyvant of armes in Caleys, at the losse therof, and there dwelled and inhabyted, his wages beinge ther above xU'. by the yere, and his londes above c. markes by the yere, as also his goods, plate, and moveables, and others esteemed above and better than uhi^li. so that by mysfortune of the saide losse of Caleys [he] was spoyled of londes, goodes, and wages, as also havinge ther another ofFyce of the Queues Majestie called by the name of Clarke of the Victuals, and their havinge the victuallinge, lodginge of all the workemen Shevveth unto your good grace your poor oratour Richard Turpyn, alias Wyndsor heraulde of arms, so it is, gracious honorable lord. That, whereas your saide oratour was a pursuyvant of armes in Caleys, at the losse therof, and there dwelled and inhabyted, his wages beinge ther above xU'. by the yere, and his londes above c. markes by the yere, as also his goods, plate, and moveables, and others esteemed above and better than uhi^li. so that by mysfortune of the saide losse of Caleys [he] was spoyled of londes, goodes, and wages, as also havinge ther another ofFyce of the Queues Majestie called by the name of Clarke of the Victuals, and their havinge the victuallinge, lodginge of all the workemen Shevveth unto your good grace your poor oratour Richard Turpyn, alias Wyndsor heraulde of arms, so it is, gracious honorable lord. That, whereas your saide oratour was a pursuyvant of armes in Caleys, at the losse therof, and there dwelled and inhabyted, his wages beinge ther above xU'. by the yere, and his londes above c. markes by the yere, as also his goods, plate, and moveables, and others esteemed above and better than uhi^li. so that by mysfortune of the saide losse of Caleys [he] was spoyled of londes, goodes, and wages, as also havinge ther another ofFyce of the Queues Majestie called by the name of Clarke of the Victuals, and their havinge the victuallinge, lodginge of all the workemen by that meanes now at this present 1 am greatly indebted, to ray utter undoyenge, oneles that your honorable lordshipp wyll and comaunde my company the kings andheraulds of amies that I may enjoie all such larges, comodities, and proffyts as shall growe to me by vertue of my saide offyce, I beinge an herauld of armes, seinge that I have not offended the prince, nor no part of your grace's comandements and decrees set forth by your grace, nor being no droncard, dycer, nor carder, no ruffyan, nor no spot of vylonny. I trust none of my companye can stayne me. Howbeit certain of my company hath dysbarred me of all my droytes and comodytees dew to me by my sayde servyce, which I have served by the space of this xx^i yeres in my saide call, and hath not received one penny out of the saide ofFyce syns the first of Aprill last past, so that, most honorable Lord, I have ben fayne to laye to gage all my rayment and my wyffes, with all suche poore stuff as I had. Furthermore I have served as paynfuUy and as daungerously as ony in the sayde offyce hath done, for ther hath ben no service thes xxiiijt' yeres past done beyonde the seas but lyghtly I have been at them, and I trust I am as well able to serve as any other are in the sayde offyce, and that wyll I stande to their judgementts, as also my good lord of Warwycke wyll testifie, with others, of my honest and paynfull service lately done with the sayde lord of Warwyck in Newhaven in Normandye, when ther I served under his lordship. Therefore, honorable lord, for so moche as I have loste all my londes and goodes which I was well able to lyve in Caleys before the losse thereof, and now a poore man, and not able to lyve oneless your good lordship do comaunde the saide companye the kings and heraulds of arms that I may receive all suche dewties and droicts as shall growe, with all other comodities, as all other the heraulds hathe, and so by that means I trust in God, with your good lordship's favour, shortely to come to some end with my credytors, that I am indebted unto, and to be at lyberty, and so yerely to paye unto them a portition of my saide proffitts, as shall growe unto me. And your saide poore oratour, accordinge to his bounden dewtie, shall dayly praye to God for your noble grace in moche felicitie, with th'increase of the same, long to contenewe.

The hundred horsemen under the retinue of Sir John Wallop, of the which the Monthly Wages of

Two peticapitaines, at 2s. the piece by the day £5 12s.

Two gyttorne-bearers, at 12d. a piece by the day 56s.

The rest of the said horsemen, being in nomber 96, at piece by the day £100 12s.

Four captaines, at 4s. a piece by the day £22 8s.

Six soldiers, one trumme, and one fyfe, to every of them fac^t. 32 men at 6d. the day £22 8s.

Four peticapitaines, at 2s. the piece by the day £11 4s.

Two souldiers, to every of them, fac^t. 8 persons at 6d. the day. £5 12s.

Four standard-bearers, at 12d. the piece by the day £5 12s.

One soldier to every of them, at 6d. the day 56s.

The surveyor, at 4d. the day £5 12s.

Anthony Rous, at 4s. by the daie £4 12s.

Six persons appointed to Anthony Rous, at 6d. by the day a piece £4 4s.

Summa totalis £196.

The castle of Guisnes was a post of the greatest importance, situated immediately on the French frontier; and its custody was conferred on persons of the first distinction. The title they bore was that of (the king's) lieutenant, but they were also sometimes styled captain.

Sir James Tyrrell was "capitaine" of Guisnes in 1489 (see note in p. 2).

Sir Nicholas Vaux was lieutenant of Guisnes in the year 1513 (see p. 12). The document which now follows contains the conditions upon which the office was conferred upon him.

Sir William Fitzwilliam was lieutenant of Guisnes in 1524.

William Lord Sandys was "captain" of Guisnes in 1527.

Sir John Wallop, K.G. held this office in 1541 (see the preceding page), and he died possessed of it in 1551 (see p. 211).

Sir Andrew Dudley, K.G. was his successor.

22 Jul 1543. The Journeys and Viogies of the King's Majesty's army, and the feats by the same achieved and done.

The whole host departed out of Calais upun Sunday the twenty-second day of Julye, at iiij of the clok at afternone, and campid the same night without the walles of the towne in the feldes. Uppon the Monday the xxiij day of Jully, in the morninge, they wente towardes Sir John Wallope (age 53) meeting them, and so marched to Lanerton, beinge within the French palle ; and there mete with the lord Greay, capitayne of Hames castill, and ther birnt Lanerton, with the nomber of iij c. howses, and Campfer with Finies mylle, otherwise called a castill ; and after the abbey of Bewliew, and so went to Finies towne that night, and ther camped. And upon Tewisday, the marshall the same morninge went with sertayne gentillemen and other soldeardes unto iij pilles¹ called Ratton, Abrilton, and Rensam, and the same birnt also, and birnt dyvers vilages, and certayne howses in Mergison, and within iij milles compase of Bolloigne. The said army marchid forward unto the abbey of Lyquies, six mylles from Fynies, spoylinge and birning all the way they wente, untill they came unto the abbey aforesaid, to the which they came at ij of the cloke at afternone ; and the said abbey was imediately delyvered up unto them, wherein was xij Frenchmen, and a monke called doctor Driw, which afterwardes folowid the clarkes, being bond with bondes. And upon Wediiisday the xxv day of Julye, they campid that night, to the intent that the cheyfteayne before his departure wolde se the said abbey as well bernte, as also the walles razed downe to the hard grownde with gonpowder, which was donne. And upon the same daye ther came to us two thowsande fotemen of Burgonyones and ij thowsande of horsmen.

And upon Thursday, the xxvj day of Jully, the said army departed from Lysquies and marchid unto the vilage and castill of Awlkinges, and ther campid, and ther lay all night, and ther were two laromes.

And upon Friday, the xxvij of July, departinge from thence, bernte the towne and the castill, and the castill was razed downe at Whitsontide laste paste by the Burgonyones ; and so departinge razed downe the great tower that was standing with gonpowder, and all the reaste burnt to peeces. And so marchid the said day from thence to Hawlinge, two mylles from Sante Homers, and ther lay Saturday the xxviij day of Jully.

Upon Sonday, the xxix day, from Hawlinge to Otingall, ij mylles from Twrwin, and ther did the northern men, with other of the kinges men, ridde vmder the walles of Twrwin, and skirmyshed with the Frenchmen, and one Dasser killed one of the Frenchmen's horse with his bowe, and hurte was donne on bothe parties. And after our comynge into the

campe, om* cheiftayne seat up to the capteayiie of Torwin a letter, requiringe him that vj men of armes, beinge gentillmen, might runne with six gentillmen of our army for life and dethe ; to the which answere was made in the morninge, that he wolde sende vj gentillmen of armes to runne, and X gentillmen armid to keepe them compayney, at ix of the cloke. Upon that ther was sertayne appoynted to furnishe them to do that enterprise, which wher of ower partie master Charrlles Hawward, master Peter Carew, master Henry Markham, master Shelley of Calleyes, master Callverley, and master Hall. And of ther parte was like nomber of gentilmen, which ech other met \\'ithout the towne at the hower appoynted, and ther ranne one with another two coursies and brake ther staves valiantly. And ther was hurte on ower partie master Calverley, and he brake ij speres on him that hurt him in the hed to the deathe. and master Markham did hurt one of the gentillmen also. And the same tyme ther wher iij browght from Boloigne by a trumpet to the campe, and ther delyvered. After this donne the army marchid forward toward an olde castill called Lyvters, beinge distroyed by the Frenchmen, which is within two legies of Turwin, wher the army camped Monday the xxx'" July, all the day, and upon Tewsday the xxxj'' of July the said army marchid from the said campe of Livters to the cam[p]e of Alwines, one myle from Ayre, and ther we had ij laromes, and lay ther all that night ; and upon Wedinsday, the first of Auguste, the said army marchid from thence to the campe adjoyninge unto the castill of Erewyn next unto Rusher, and ther laye alle night. And upon Thursday the seconde day of August the said army marchid from thence unto the campe of Varkingnowghe a niylle from EtwajTie, and ther lay Friday and Saturdaye all daye. And upon the same Saturday afternoone came into the campe the countes of Pavoy, basse dowghter

(Here the MS. abruptly breaks off.)

Note 1. piles or fortified towers.