STAC 5/N4/15
Court of Star Chamber:
Roger Raw, Governor & Assistants, Wardens & Fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of Newcastle upon Tyne v Amor Oxley, Thomas Warner, Cuthbert Ogle & Henry Blacklock of Morpeth
Transcript: Dave King - see also STAC 5/R35/7 for related Bill of Complaint & Answers.
Interrogatories:
Interogatories to be ministred unto Amor Oxleye Henrye Blacklocke Thomas Warn[er] & Cuthbte Ogle defts on the p[ar]te & behalfe of Roger Rawe Governour, The Assistentes wardens & fellowship of M[er]chantes adventurers of the Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne complainantes.
first. Whether is the Towne of Morpethe in the countie of Northumb[e]rlande a Towne encorporate by anie Charter or grannte from the Quenes Ma[jestie] that nowe is, or anie her noble p[ro]genitors yea or noe, and if yt be, how longe, & by whom hath the same bene encorporated./
(the following item much damaged) 2 Itm. Whether is it p[ro]hibited by anie p[ri]vilidge or custome ... ... w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpethe that on Mer[ket] ... ... ... ... buye or sell anie shepe skinns [or wolfels] ... ... ... ... Morpethe. And howe longe hath anie suche Custome ... ... or bene used their, and how knowe yow [the] same to be trewe
3 Itm. Whether have yow knowne or harde, that anie M[er]chantes of the Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne at anie tyme did buye, or offer, or go aboute to buye anie shepe skinns, or woollfells w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpethe And how manie M[er]chantes do yow know or remember to have so done:/
4 Itm. Whether doe yow knowe that one George Still of Newcastle aforesaide did aboute Marche in the xxxiiijth year of her Ma[jesties] Reigne buy of one James Richison one woollfell or shepeskinn in the said Towne of Morpethe yea or no, and whether were yow p[re]sente at the buying theirof yea or no./
5 Itm. Whether were their anie suche shepeskinne or skinns, then & their seazed or taken awaye from the said George Still & who did take the same from him by what Autho[rit]ie, for what cause, and by whose p[ro]curemente were the same taken./
6 Itm./ whether were yow p[re]sente at the takinge theirof, And if yow were, then to what end came yow thither what p[er]sons were in your companie, what weapons had yow, or those in your Companie, their aboute yow or them whether did yow anie waye incite assiste helpe or mainteine the said taker, And whether did yow, or anie in your companie utter or use anie wordes of threates towardes the said Still, or the said Richison, or one George Liddell then and their w[i]th him beinge, and whether did yow, or anie in your companie, offer anie other violence or anie blowes to the said Still or Liddell or either of them yea or no./
7 Itm. Whether did yow, or anie other then and their imprison, or offer to imprison in the Tolle boothe of the said Towne of Morpethe or elswhere wither the said George Still or the said Liddell, And if yow did, for what cause, and at whose p[ro]curem[en]te, was the same done./
8 Itm whether have yow at anie tyme heretofore knowne, or harde yt said, or notified unto yow, that the M[er]channtes of the Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne, have had Authoritie and libertie by her Ma[jesty] or her noble p[ro]genitors L[etters] patentes or otherwise to buy and p[ro]vide woollfells & shepeskinns of the growthe of the Countie of Northumb[erland] & in anie place w[i]thin the said Countie, w[hi]ch is not assigned to the Towne of Berwicke yea or no, And whether have the saide M[er]channtes anie suche grannte or p[ri]vilidge to your knowledge or as yow have heard yt reported./
Ch: Shafto
Deposition of Amor Oxley:
&c cap quint die Aprilis Ao RRne Eliz &c xxxv Sup Inter ex pte Rogeri Rawe et al quer ...
Amor Oxley of the Towne of Mo[rpeth] w[i]thin the County of Northumberland Merchant sworne &c
To the first In[terrogatory] this dep[onent] saith that the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth ys nott a Towne incorporatt by any Ch[arter] or grannt from the Q[ueen's] Ma[jestie] that nowe is or any her Ma[jesties] noble progenytors to the knoweledge or understanding of this deft Butt this dep[onent] saith that he doth verely thincke & likewise hath hard it affyrmed & reported by anncyent ... of the said Towne & those allso of good Creddytt that the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth is & have byn a towne encorporatt tyme out of mynde And this dep[onent] is the rather moved so to thinck for that during all this defts tyme & tyme wherof the memory of man is [not] to the Contrary as this dep[onent] hath Credib[ly] hard there have bene burgesses ... chosen by the townesmen of the s[ai]d Towne byn chosen from tyme to tyme to [?s...?] in the highe Court of p[ar]lyament ... the s[ai]d towne And more he saith nott to the Inter[ogatory]
To the second In[terrogatory] this dep[onent] saith that there nowe ys & as this deft hath Credibly hard tyme wherof the memory of man is not to the Contrary there hath byn a Custome used w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpeth That no Merchants of Newcastle shall buy any sheepe skynns or woollfelles w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpethe by retayle unles yt be of the Merchants of the s[ai]d Towne of Morpeth or of such as are ... w[i]thin the sayd towne. after such tyme as the same merchantes have bought them And this dep[onent] saith that [he hath] Credibly hard that noe Merchantes of the s[ai]d towne of Newcastle to have come have heretofore come unto the markett of the s[ai]d Towne of Morpeth & there have by retayle bought noe sheepe skynnes & that [?the...pp the?] Seriante at the ... of the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth for the tyme being or some other offycer w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne have seysed the s[ai]d sheepeskynnes so by the s[ai]d Merchanntes of the s[ai]d towne of Newcastle bought contrary to the s[ai]d Custome before menconed And further to the In[terrogatory] he saith he Cannott c[er]tenly depose
To the 3 In[terrogatory] this dep[onent] saith as to the second In[terrogatory] he hath said And more he sayth not to this In[terrogatory]
To the iiijth & vth In[terrogatories] this dep[onent] saith that George Still of Newcastle menconed in the s[ai]d Inter[rogatory] dyd about March in the xxxiiijth yeere of her Ma[jesties] Raigne as this dep[onent] was credibly informed buy of one James Rychison in the open markett of s[ai]d towne of Morpeth one woollfell or sheepeskynne and this deft saith that uppon notyce therof served to the then baylyeffes of the s[ai]d towne or to one of them the s[ai]d baylyffes ....... one of them dyd appoynte one Cuttbte Ogle he beinge then Seriannte at mace w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne to seyse the s[ai]d woollfell or sheepeskynne accord[ing] to the custome used w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne w[hi]ch the s[ai]d Seriannte dyd accordingly And theruppon the s[ai]d George Still dyd delyver the s[ai]d woollfell or sheepeskyn to the s[ai]d Seriannte And further or more to these In[terrogatories] this dep[onent] [saith] he Cannott depose saving he saith that he was not present att the buying of the s[ai]d woollfell or sheepeskyn before menconed
To the 6 In[terrogatory] this dep[onent] saith that he was present at the seysing of the s[ai]d sheepeskyn by the s[ai]d Seriannte as afores[ai]d this deft having occacon to be there about some buisines of his owne at the same tyme And this dep[onent] sayth that there were then in this defts Company of dyvers other markett Tho Redhead, Edw: Stawker & dyvers other people w[hi]ch were then allso about their buisynes in the s[ai]d markett whose names or nomber he Cannot sett downe not having any one wepon amongst them all to this defts knowledge neither did this deft in any way incyte assiste helpe or maynetyne the s[ai]d Seriannte as is supposed And this dep[onent] doth allso deny that he this dep[onent] or any other in his Company & ... dyd utter or use any wordes of threat towardes the s[ai]d Still or George Lyddell in the Inn[terrogatory] menconed Or that he this dep[onent] or any in his Company to his knowledge dyd offer any vyolence or blows to the s[ai]d Still or Lyddell or eyther of them as is supposed Butt after wardes this dep[onent] beinge making merrye in the howse of one Tho Warrener an Inne kep[er] w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth in C[om]pany of the s[ai]d Still & Lyddell there came thither unto them the said James Richson whome this dep[onent] dyd then verely take to be a Scott & not a denizen & in that respecte this dep[onent] dyd tell the s[ai]d Richs[on] had in this defts opyn[ion] recyved more favor w[i]thin that towne then was meete to be shewed to any sort as he was, this dep[onent] then verely ... ...ing that the s[ai]d Richs[on] had in truth byn a Scott ... ... ... ... ... was an [English] man as this dep[onent hath byn sythence informed
To the vijth Inn[terrogatory] this dep[onent deft saith that neyther he this dep[onent] nor any other to his knowledge dyd imprison or offer to ymprison in the tolle booth of the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth orels where eyther the s[ai]d George Still or the s[ai]d Lyddell for any cause whats[oe]ver
To the viijth Interr[ogatory] this deft saith he Cannott c[er]tenly depose of his owne knowledge or uppon the credible report of any other p[er]son or p[er]sons
Amor Oxley
Deposition of Henry Blacklock:
Henry Blaklok of the Towne of Morpeth w[i]thin the Countye of Northumberland Merchannt sworne saieth &c
To the first Int[errogatory] this dep[onent] saieth that he doth not knowe whether the towne of Morpeth in the Countye of Northumberlande [is] a towne incorporatt by anie Ch[arter] or grannt from the Q[ueen's] Ma[jestie] thatt nowe is or from any her noble progenitors or nott Butt this deft saith that during all this defts tyme & tyme out of mynde before as this deft hath hard the sayd towne of Morpethe hath byn reputed & taken to be a towne encorporatt And more he Cannott say to the Interr[ogatory]
To the second In[terrogatory] this deft saith that there is A custome used or had w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpeth that no merchantes of Newcastle or any other not being from w[i]thin the same towne of Morpeth shall by way of retayle buy any sheepeskynnes or woollfells w[i]thin the said Towne of Morpeth except it be of ... merchanntes there or of such as are free of some Companie w[i]thin the sayde towne of Morpethe And further to the Int[errogatory] this dep[onent] saith he Cannott c[er]tenly depose.
To the 3 Inn[terrogatory] this deft saith that he nev[er] knewe or hard that yt was lawfull for any of the Merchanntes of the towne of Newcastle uppon Tyne dyd att any tyme dyd buy or offer ... ... to buye by retayle any sheepe skynns or woollfelles w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth but whether they were then bought unles yt were of the merchanntes of the same towne or of such as are free of some Company w[i]thin the same towne or otherwise if they bought them in the markett of the s[ai]d towne by retayle they were then And saith thatt he hath hard that such Merchannts of Newcastle as have bought sheepeskynnes or woollfelles w[i]thin the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth by retayle (otherwise then as aforesaid) have had their skynnes seysed by the Seriannte or some other offycer for the tyme being w[i]thin the said Towne. And more he saieth nott to this Int[errogatory]
To the iiijth & vth Inn[terrogatories] this deft saith that he was not present when George Still of Newcastle afores[ai]d did buy any sheepeskinne of James Richson Nor when the s[ai]d sheepeskinne was seysed or taken from the s[ai]d Still Butt this dep[onent] saith that he hard thatt the s[ai]d George Still dyd about Marche in the xxxiiijth yeere of her Ma[jesties] Raigne buy one sheepskyn of the s[ai]d James Richson in the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth And that theruppon one Cuttbert Ogle gent S[er]iannte at the Mace w[i]thin the said Towne dyd by the appoyntm[ent] of the baylyeffes of the same Towne or by the appoyntm[ent] of one of them seyse or take the same sheepeskynne from the s[ai]d George Still And more he saith not to the s[ai]d In[terrogatory]
To the vjth Inn[terrogatory] this deft saith that he was not present at the taking or seysing of the sayd sheepeskyn Butt this deft saith that he dyd see the said sheepeskynne in the handes of the s[ai]d Seriannte in the [?stayers?] of the toll boothe of the s[ai]d Towne This deft being then accompanied w[i]th Tho Redhead, Tho Myllborne, Edw: Stawpor & dyvers other of the townesemen there all whose names or nomber he Cannott sett downe not having any one wepon amongst them all to this defts re[mem]brance And this deft doth deny that he dyd any waye incyte assist helpe or maynetyne the said Seriannte or that this dep[onent] or to his knowledge any other dyd utter or use any wordes of threates towardes the s[ai]d Still Richson & George Lyddell in the Int[errogatory] menconed or eyther of them as supposed neyther dyd this dep[onent] or any other in his Company offer any vyolence or blowes to the said Still or Lyddell or eyther of them as is allso supposed.
To the vijth Int[errogatory] this dep[onent] saith that neyther him this deft nor any other to his knowledge dyd imprison or offer to imprison in the tolle booth of the s[ai]d towne of Morpeth or els where eyther the s[ai]d George Still or the s[ai]d Lyddell as is supposed by the Inn[terrogatory]
To the viijth Inn[terrogatory] this deft saith he Cannott c[er]tenly depose eyther of his owne knowledge or uppon the Credible reporte of any other p[er]son or p[er]sons
Henrye Blayklock
