Early Medieval Books, Chronicle of Gregory 1450

1st May 1450. Ande at his passynge ovyr the see warde he was mette with by-twyne Dovyr and Calys by dyvers schyppys, of the whyche was here Admyralle Nycholas of the Towre; and yn that shyppe soo beyng in the see they smote of his hedde of the fore said Duke of Sowthefolke (age 53), and they caste bothe body and his hedde in to the see. And aftyr that it was takyn uppe and brought unto the towne of Dovyr [Map], and aftyr from thens brought unto Wynkylfylde [Map] in Sowthefolke, and there it is i-buryde; whos name was Syr Wylliam Pole.

April 1450. Ande aftyr that the comyns of Kent a rosse with certayne othyr schyrys, and they chesse them a captayne, the whyche captayne compellyd alle the gentellys to a-rysse why the hem. Ande at the ende of the Parlyment they come whythe a grete might and a strong oste unto the Blackehethe [Map], be syde Grene wyche, the nomber of xlvj M [46000]; and there they made a fylde, dykyd and stakyde welle a-bowt, as it ben in the londe of warre, save only they kept ordyr among them, for als goode was Jacke Robyn as John at the Noke, for alle were as hyghe as pygysfete, unto the tyme that they shulde common and speke with suche statys and massyngerys as were sende unto hem; thenne they put alle her pouer unto the man that namyd him captayne of alle her oste. And there they a-bode certayne days too the comyng of the King (age 28) fro the Parlymentte at Leyceter. Ande thenne the kyng send unto the captayne dyvers lordys bothe spyrytualle and temporalle, to wytte and to have knowleche of that grette assembelynge and gaderyng of that grete a[n]d mysavysyd feleschyppe. The captayne of them sendyng worde agayne unto the King, that it was for the wele of him our sovereign lorde, and of alle the realme, and for to dystrye the traytours beyng a-boute hym, whythe othyr dyvers poyntys that they wolde see that it were in schorte tyme a-mendyde. Uppon whyche answere that the kyng, a thedyr sent by his lordys, dyd make a crye in the kyngys name of Engelonde that alle the kyngys lege men of Engelonde shulde a-voyde the fylde. And a-pon the nyght aftyr they were alle voydyd and a-goo.

June 1450. The morne aftyr, the King (age 28) rode armyd at alle pecys from Syn Johnys be-syde Clerkynwelle [Map] thoroughe London; and whythe him the moste party of temporalle lordys of this londe of Engelond in there a beste raye. Aftyr that they were every lord whythe his retenowe, to the nombyr of x M [10000] personys, redy as they alle shulde have gon to batayle in to any londe of Crystyn-dome, whythe bendys a-bove her harnys that every lord schulde be knowe from othyr.

7th June 1450. And yn the fowarde, as they wolde have folowyde the captayne, was slayn Syr Umfray Stafforde (age 50) and Wylliam Stafford (age 30), squyer, one the mannylste man of alle this realme of Engelonde, whythe many moo othyr of mene personys at Sevenocke [Map], in Kentt, in her oute ragyng fro her oste of our sovereign lordys the kyng, Harry the vj te. And the kyng (age 28) loggyd that nyght at Grenewyche [Map], and son aftyr every lord whythe his retynewe rood home in to her contraye. [Note. The date sometimes given as the 8th June 1450 and 18th June 1850]

1st July 1450. Ande aftyr that, uppon the first day of Juylle, the same captayne come agayne, as the Kenttysche men said, but it was a-nothyr that namyd hymselfe the captayne, and he come to the Blacke Hethe [Map]. And uppon the morowe he come whythe a grette hoste yn to Sowtheworke [Map], and at the Whythe Herte he toke his loggynge.

2nd July 1450. And a-pon the morowe, that was the Fryday, a gayn evyn, they smote a sondyr the ropys of the draught brygge and faught sore a manly, and many a man was mortheryde and kylde in that conflycte, I wot not what [to] a name it for the multytude of ryffe raffe. And thenne they enteryde in to the cytte of London as men that hadde ben halfe be-syde her wytte; and in that furynys they wente, as they said, for the common wele of the realme of Ingelonde, evyn strayght unto a marchaunte is place i-namyd Phylyppe Malpas of London. Yf it were trewe as they surmysyd aftyr ther doyng, I remytte me to ynke and pauper - Deus scit et ego non [God knows and I am not]. But welle I wote that every ylle begynnynge moste comynly hathe an ylle endyng, and every goode begynnyng hathe the wery goode endyng. Proverbium: - Felix principium finem facit esse beatum [A happy beginning makes an end happy]. And that Phylyppe Malpas was aldyrman, and they spoylydhym ande bare a-way moche goode of hys, and in specyalle moche mony, bothe of sylvyr and golde, the valowe of a notabylle som, and in specyalle of marchaundys, as of tynne, woode, madyr, and alym, whythe grette quantyte of wollyn clothe and many ryche jewellys, why the othyr notabylle stuffe of fedyr beddys, beddyng, napery, and many a ryche clothe of arys, to the vale we of a notabylle some - nescio, set Deus omnia scit [I don't know, but God knows all things].

3rd July 1450. Ande in the evenynge they went why the her sympylle captayne to his loggynge; botte a certayne of his sympylle and rude mayny a-bode there alle the nyght, weny[n]ge to them that they hadde wytte and wysdome for to have gydyde or put in gydyng alle Ingelonde, alsosone at they hadde gote the cytte of London by a mysse happe of cuttynge of ij sory cordys that no we be alteryde, and made ij strong schynys of yryn unto the draught brygge of London. But they hadde othyr men with hem, as welle of London as of there owne party. And by them of on parte and of that othyr parte they lefte noo thyng unsoffethe, a and they serchyd alle that nyght.

4th July 1450. Ande in the morne he come yn a-gayne, that sory and sympylle and rebellyus captayne why the his mayny; that was Satyrday, and it was also a Synt Martyn is day¹, the dedycacyon of Synt Martynys in the Vyntry [Map], the iiij day of Juylle. And thenne dyvers questys were i-sompnyd at the Gylhalle [Map]; and ther Robert Home beynge alderman was a-restyde and brought in to Newegate. And that same day Wylliam Crowemere (age 34), squyer, and Scheryffe of Kentt, was be-heddyde in the fylde whythe out Algate at the mylys ende be-syde Clopton is Place. And a nothyr man that was namyde John Bayle was be-heddyd at the Whytte Chapylle. And the same day aftyr-non was be-heddyd in Cheppe a-fore the Standard [Map], Syr Jamys Fynes (age 55), beyng that tyme the lord Saye and Grrette Treserer of Ingelonde, the whyche was brought oute of the Toure of London [Map] unto the Gylde Halle [Map], and there of dyvers tresons he was exampnyd, of whyche he knowlachyd of the dethe of that notabylle and famos prynce the Duke of Glouceter. And thenne they brought him unto the Standard in Cheppe [Map], and there he ressayvyd his jewys and his dethe. And so forthe alle the iij [3] heddys that day smetyn of were sette uppon the Brygge of London [Map], and the ij othyr heddys takyn downe that stode a-pon the London Brygge by-fore. And at the comyng of the camptayne yn to Sowtheworke, he lete smyte of the hedde of a strong theff that was namyd Haywardyn.

Note 1. The Translation of St. Martin of Tours.

5th July 1450. And uppon the morowe the Sonday at hyghe mas tyme a lette to be heddyd a man of Hampton, a squyer, the whyche was namyd Thomas Mayne. And that same evyn Londyn dyd a rysse and cam out uppon them at x [of] a the belle, beyng that tyme her captaynys the goode olde lorde Schalys (age 53) and Mathewe Goughe. Ande from that tyme unto the morowe viij of belle they were ever fyghtynge uppon London Brygge [Map], ande many a man was slayne and caste in Temys, harnys, body, and alle; and monge the presse was slayne Mathewe Goughe and John Sutton aldyrman. And the same nyght, a-non aftyr mydnyght, the Captayneof Kentte dyde fyre the draught brygge of London; and be-fore that tyme he breke bothe Kyngys Bynche [Map] ande the Marchelsy [Map], and lete out alle the presoners that were yn them.

6th July 1450. And uppon the morowe by tymys came my lord the Cardynalle of Yorke (age 70), and my Lord of Cauntyrbury, and the Byschoppe of Winchester (age 52), and they tretyde by twyne the Lord Schalys (age 53) and that captayne, that the sore conflycte and skarmasche was sessyde, ande gaffe the captayne and his mayne a generalle chartoure for him and for alle his company in his name, callyng him selfe John Mortymere, and thoroughe that mene they were i-voydyde the moste partye. And the vj day aftyr that, the Satyr-daye at evyn 3 the iij heddys were takyn downe of London Brygge, that is to say, the Lord Say (deceased) is hedde, Crowmers (deceased), and the Bayleyes, and the othyr ij [2] heddys sette uppe a-yenne that stode a-pon London Brygge be-fore, and the body whythe hedde were i-burydde at the Gray Fryers at London.

12th July 1450. And uppon the xij day of Juylle, the year a-fore said, the said camptayne was cryde and proclaymyd traytoure, by the name of John Cade, in dyvers placys of London, and also in Sowtheworke, whythe many moo, that what man might or wolde bryng the said John Cade to the kyng, qwyke or dede, shulde have of the King a thousande marke. Also who som evyr might brynge or wolde brynge any of his chyffe counsellourys, or of afynyte, that kept any state or rewle or governansse undyr the sayd fals captayne John Cade, he schulde have to his rewarde of the King v. c. [500] marke. And that day was that fals traytoure the Captayne of Kentte i-take and slayne in the Welde in the countre of Sowsex, and uppon the morowe he was brought in a.earre alle nakyd, and at the Herte in Sowetheworke there the carre was made stonde sty lie, the wife of the howse might se him yf it were the same man or no that was namyd the Captayne of Kente, for he was loggyd whythe yn her howse in his pevys tyme of his mys rewylie and rysynge. And thenne he was hadde in to the Kyngys Bynche [Map], and there he lay from Monday at evyn unto the Thursseday nexte folowynge at evyn; and whythe yn the Kings Benehe [Map] the said captayne was be-heddyde and quarteryde; and the same day i-d[r]awe a-pon a hyrdylle in pecys whythe the hedde by-twyne his breste from the Kyngys Benehe thoroughe out Sowthewerke, and thenne ovyr Londyn Brygge, and thenne thoroughe London unto Newegate, and thenne his hedde was takyn and sette uppon London Brygge.

29th June 1450. And the same year was the Byschoppe of Sawlysbury (age 55) slayne at Edyngton, a myle out of the towne, a-pon a hyghe hylle; it was the xiiij day of June, and alle his goode mevabylle was departyde to every man dwellynge there that any of his lyflode laye; for bothe oxsyn, sheppe, hors, swyne, carte, plowe, corne, hay, tymbyr, strawe, harnys in castellys of hys, clothynge for his owne body, bokys, chalys, and alle that longyd to any manyr of hys, and the very ledde that coveryd the howsys and wodys wer fylde downe in some placys, but not in every place, but in som, as at Shyrbone in Dorsette schyre. And the men that toke a-pon them alle this mys rewle, whenne they undyrstode that it was wronge that they hadde done bothe to hym, and in specyalle unto the King, they a-non wente thoroughe out alle the towne of Shyrborne an toke to every man, woman, and chylde that was above xij year age and iij chore, every che of them hadde vj d; and they madde them to swere to be trewe ande holde to gedyr, by cause yf the King wolde have take any execucyon a-pon it he moste have take it a-pon e alle the hoole schyre and contrays there that his lyflode was. And for cause here of the King gaffe a generalle pardon to alle maner men.

23rd September 1450. Ande that same year was slayne Tresham, the man of lawe, that was Speker of the Parlymentt, and his son [Thomas Tresham (age 30)] was soore woundyde in Northehampton schyre. And by the King and his counselle a Parlyment was ordaynyde to be-gyn on Syn Leonarde is day nexte folowynge. In the mene tyme many strange and woundyrfulle bylle were sete in dyvers placys, some at the kyngys owne chambyr doore at Westemyster, in his palysse, and some at the halle dore at Westemyster, ande some at Poulys chyrche dore, and in many othyr dyvers placys of London.

1450. Ande at Rochester [Map] ix [11] men were be-heddyd at that same tyme, and her heddys were sende unto London by the kyngys commaundement, and sette uppon London Brygge [Map] alle at one tyme; and xij [12] heddys at a nothyr tyme were brought unto London at a sette uppe undyr the same forme, as hys^a was commaundyd by the kyng. Men calle it in Kente the Harvyste of Hedys. Will^b

Note a. So in MS.

Note b. The Christian name "Will." is added by a somewhat later hand. The date " 1451 " is also added in the margin in a hand decidedly more modern.