STAC 5/H35/24

Court of Star Chamber:

Reynold Heron of Chipchase in the Countie of Northumberland gent And Margery Heron Widdowe late wife of John Heron Esquier deceased Mother of the said Rey[nold] And Margarett Heron of Chepchase aforesaid sister unto the said Reynold v Roger Wooderington John Erington Randale Fenwicke Raphe Wooderington John Heron John Erington Edward Dod Cutbert Hunter Allexander Robson Willm Charlton Henry Wooderinge Gilbert Todcastle Rowland Dod Thomas Merion Robert Miller Henry Lyle George Thelway Walter Grame & James Ridley

Transcript: Dave King

Bill of Complaint:

dated on reverse: ...mo Quinto Maij [an]no xliij Elizabeth Regine Willm Mill R octal hillar

To the Queens most excellent Ma[jestie]

In most humble wise Complaineinge sheweth to your highnes your faithfull and obedient subiect Reynold Heron of Chipchase in the Countie of Northumberland gent And Margery Heron Widdowe late wife of John Heron Esquier deceased Mother of the said Rey[nold] And Margarett Heron of Chepchase aforesaid sister unto the said Reynold That wheras Twoe of your saied subiectes namely the said Margery Heron and Reynold Heron the one and Twenty day of January last past were Lawfullie possessed as of theire owne proper goodes and Chattells of and in Twenty Thraves of Wheate in the sheifes not beinge threshed worth ten poundes Twenty Thraves of Rye worth eight pound, Forty Thraves of Bigge otherwise Called Barley worth Five poundes, And Forty Thraves of Oates worth (Five poundes) All the said Corne and graine then peaceablie standinge and beinge ynred and stacked by your ma[jesties] said subiectes Margery and Reynold Heron in the stackeyard or garth parcell of the Tenement of one John Heron gent [at] Birtley Hall in the said Countie of Northumberland, And wheras also your said Subectes the xxith day of January aforesaid were likwise lawfullie and peaceably possessed as of their owne prop[er] good and Chattells of and in Twenty Thraves of Wheat worth (ten poundes Twenty Thraves of Rye worth (eight poundes) Forty Thraves of Bigge otherwise Called Barley worth (Five poundes) and Forty Thraves of Oates worth (Five poundes) All w[hi]ch said Corne and graine and Thraves of Corne and graine of wheate Rye Bigge als Barley and Oates last menconed were then also peaceably standinge and beinge ynred and stacked by your ma[jesties] said subiectes Margery and Reynold Heron in the garth or stackeyard p[ar]cell of the Tenement of one John Robson at Byrtley in the said Countye of Northumberland

And where your Ma[jesties] said subiectes Margery and Reynold Heron the xxjth day of January last past were likewise lawfullie possessed as of theire owne proper goodes and Chattells of and in Forty Thraves of Corne Called Bigg als Barley to the valewe [blank] then standinge and beinge ynred in the garth or stackyard p[ar]cell of the Tenement of one John Elwood in Chipchase aforesaid theire servant and of and in Fifteene Quarters of Corne Called Bigge als Barley to the valewe of (six poundes) w[hi]ch said Corne was then also lyeinge and beinge in the bearne p[ar]cell of the dwellinge howse of your said subiectes at Chipchase aforesaid and was then lately threshed not beinge winnowed nor purgede from the Chaffe therof

And wheras moreov[er] your ma[jesties] said subiect Margaret Heron the said xxixth day of January last past was lawfull[y] possessed as of her owne prop[er] goodes and Chattells of and in one Cowe price Three poundes and tenn shillinges then standinge and being at the dwellinge Howse of your said Orators in Chipchase aforesaid

So it is and it may please your most excellent ma[jestie] That one Roger Wooderington late of Dilstone in your ma[jesties] said County of Northumberland gent Conceavinge great displeasure and bearinge inward malice against your said subiect Reynold Heron And he the said Roger Wooderington to effect and putt the same in execution as much as in him was He the said Roger conspired Confederated and agreed w[i]th Certaine p[er]sonnes under named beinge all of them his neare freindes servanntes or Followers vizt Raphe Wooderinge John Errington Randle Fenwicke Walter Grame James Rydley Cuthbert Hunter and w[i]th them the said Roger vehementlye p[er]swaded to Ayde and assist him therin

By whose unlawfull p[er]swations provocations and procurementes they the said Raphe Wooderington John Errington, Randle Fenwicke Walter Grayme James Ridley & Cuthbert Hunter w[i]th dyvers others as yet unknowne to the nomber of Sixteene armed and p[ro]vided themselves w[i]th Guns Pistolls Lannces swordes and daggers & w[i]th sundry other weapons in very warlike riottous & outragious Manner the said one and twentyth of Januarie last past in the night season forceably and riatously entred into the said stackyard or garth & barne of the said John Heron at Birtlye Hall aforesaid & likewise into the stackyard & barne of the said John Robson at Birtlye aforesaid And then very riottously and forceably did take all the Corne and thraves of Corne before heere in this Complaynt menconed to be ynred & stacked in the said stackyardes and barnes and in either of them and then and thear did riatously cast the one half therof into a barne parcell of the said Tenement of the said John Heron and the other half therof into a Barne parcell of the said Tenement of the said John Robson and in the said Barnes did forthwith the same xxjth of January threshe out and winnowe the said Corne and then presently sent and Carryed away a great p[ar]te therof from thence to M...oynborne in the said Countye whear most of the said Riatous persons did then Inhabitt to the use of the said Roger Wooderington or of some of themselves as they and the said Roger had before that agreed uppon of w[hi]ch Riotouse behaviour and misdemeanor by the s... persons aforesaid soe done and Comytted as is aforesaid your said subiect Margery Heron being enformed & being a woman of very ould age and aunt unto the said Roger Wooderington & being allso very sickely and not able to travell notwithstanding before the Corne was carryed away resorted w[i]th [two or] three of her ordynary s[er]vantes attending on her to the said Riatous persons then being at Birtley Hall aforesaid still contynuing in their said Rioutes & force & w[i]th their weapons as aforesaid and then requested to keepe your ma[jesties] peace and to desist from ther said unlawfull misdemeanor wherupp[on] they grewe the more outraged and drewe theire swordes and also bended peeces Called Petternailes or Dagges and gave your said subiect very evill & crewell speeches and did riatously assault your said subiectes servantes then & thear in her presence saying that they wo[uld] [c]arry away all the said Corne to such places as they thought fitt wherto your said subiect then saying that she would seek for present remydie against the said Riatous persons and to restrayne them in their misdemeanors aforesaid by the ayde of the Justices of the peace of the said Countye the said Riatous persons sent fourth a messenger in great hast to signifye the same to the said Roger Wooderington and that they weare like to bee hyndred by some Course of Justice in bringing & taking away the said Corne

And therupon the said Rog[er] Wooderington to manifest his malice and evill will against your said subiect made the more expedition to execute his intended evill against them & then he the said Roger in the next morning following That is to say the two and twentyth day of the said moneth of Jann[uary] last past accompanyed [with the] ... Raph Wooderington & w[i]th one Randulph Fenwicke John Errington George Thirlway & John Heron oth[er]wise called John Heron the bastard in like riatous & forceable Manner being armed and provided as is aforesaid. Resorted agayne to the two barnes above menconed & then and there procured provided and Comannded divers and sundry other like riatous persons to the nomber of ... whose names (as yett) are unknowne to your said subiect to threshe out and wynnow all the [said] corne that was then left and to prepare yt speedylie in readynes to bee carryed from thence which they the said persons unknowne did and performed accordinglye

in which meane tyme the said xxijth day of Januarye he the said Roger Wooderington armed [him]self on horse backe w[i]th a lannce in his hand and he and the rest of the said last named ... ... ... Raph Wooderington Randulph Fenwicke John Errington George Thirlow & John Heron w[i]th hym being allso armed and prepared [with] Guns Pistolls Lannces staves and such other like weapons as well offensive as defensive Resorted and came in Riatous outragious and forceable Manner to your said subiectes their dwelling house at Chipchase aforesaid, your said Subiectes being then w[i]th their [hou]sehould and famylie in the peace of god and your highnes sitting at their dynner in their said house at Chipchase aforesaid And then and theare in most outragious riatous & disordered Manner the said Roger Wooderington & the said Raph Wooderington John Erington Randulph Fenwicke George Thirlowe & John Heron the bastard prannced and pricked their horses up and downe in the Inner Courte of the said house and likewise Marched up and downe in the Utter Courte therof w[i]th their Lannces and other weapons tossing and shaking them at your said subiectes to affright and terrifye them and in most outragious Riatous and violent Manner brake in peeces & thrust up the hall windowes of your said subiectes house in the Ynner Courte therof w[i]th their Lannces and other weapons by reason of which sodayne violent & outragious misdemeanor of the said Riatous p[er]sons your said subiectes and all their servantes and famylie were stricken into most deepe and sodayne feare ymagyning they had byn Scottes that came to Murder them and ransacke their house & therfore they retyred and gott themselves into the strongest places of the said house to worke their owne securytie and to save their lives, which the said riatous persons perceiving & looking in at the windowes which before they had violently broken [d]owne and seing the tables in the said house furnished w[i]th meate your said subiectes and their said famylie having ben then at dynners & fledd from the same for the Cause aforesaid they scornfully derided and mocked your said subiectes and perceiving that they missed of their purpose which was to doe some great mischeife to your said subiectes or some of them or to some of theire ... or to worke some other wicked and mischevous practice against them) they brake forth into ...full termes of wrath using plenty of reprochfull and mena[cing] threates against your said subiectes to the great dread and terror of your said subiectes and theire family saying if they could ... caught these ... ... yawestealers viz horstealers meaning by your said subiectes they woulde have Canvassed and beaten them soundly and the said Ryot[ous] p[er]sons p[er]ceaving a stranger namely one Willm [?Evanes?] gent to be then in the hall of your subiectes said howse who had the day before ben at Birtley Hall in Company w[i]th your said subiect Margery Heron as aforesaid They in most oprobrious mann[er] Reviled him and asked him wh... his fellowes were meaning by your said subiectes and theire servantes bidding him and them Come out then yf they durst and after these and many other such like speaches the said Roger Woodering affirmed that seeing the taking awaie of your said Subiectes Corne at Birtley and at Birtley Hall aforesaid did greete your said subiectes they meaning himselfe and the said Ryotous p[er]sons would l... tooke and Carry awaie all the Corne w[hi]ch your said Subiectes then hadd at Chipchase being your said subiectes Mancon howse or in any theire Barnes or other places there either threshed or unthreshen

And then the said Roger Wooderington departing from your said Subiectes howse of Chipchace aforesaid sent all the said Ryotous p[er]sons thenc to the Barnes of the saide John Heron and John Robson aforesaid and from thenc in Ryotous manner carried awaie w[i]th them all the saide Corne and grayne and the whole remayne ... w[hi]ch was in the stacke yarde and Barnes of the said John Heron of Byrtley and John Robson, And w[hi]ch the said Ryotous p[er]sons hadd so caused to be threshed purged and winnowed as is aforesaid

But the said Roger Wooderington not thus satisfyed nor Contented p...ing upon his strength and on the assistance of the saide Ryotous p[er]sons aforenamed and of others of like disposicon w[i]th whome hee hadd Contr...led greate kindnes and Intending to doe some further displeasure and disgrace to your said Subiectes the said Roger Wooderington Conspired and Consulted to and w[i]th John Errington of Mickle Swinborne and Randall Fenwicke Raphe Wooderington John Heron the Bastarde and others whose names are yett unknowne to your Subiectes and w[i]th them the saide Roger p[er]swaded and agreed to doe so... ... harme and displeasure to your said subiect, and thereupon afterwardes that is to say in and upon the xxixth day of the said moneth of January in the saide Three and Fortith yeere of your highnes Reigne by the direccon Comanndem[en]t pro...ent set[ting] on and procurem[en]t of the said Raiph Wooderington John Errington of Mickle Swinborne John Errington of Bewkley John Heron of Swinborne Edward Dodd Cuthberte Hunter Alexander Robson Willm Charleton and one Henry Wooderington of Little Swinborne Gilberte Tedcastle and Rowland Dodd Thomas Meriam Robte Miller Henry Lyle and div[er]s other p[er]sons unkn[ow]ne to your said Subiectes to the nomber of Thirty p[er]sons or more armed and furnished w[i]th gunes Speares Ste[el]e Capps bowes and Arrowes and other like offensive and deffensive weapons came to the dwelling howse of your said Subiectes at Ch[ipc]hase aforesaid and in very forceable and Riotous manner entred into the Barne of your said Subiecte there, in w[hi]ch said Barne the said Riotous p[er]sons fynding two of your said Subiectes servantes namely Robte Reade and Thomas Oliver threshing of your said subiectes Co[rne] for your said subiectes use did Riotously assault beate and wounde them and thrust them out of the said Barne threatn[ing] and offring to bynde them w[i]th theire heeles under a horse Belly and to Carry them awaie w[i]th them the saide Riotous p[er]sons,

And further [the] said Ryotous p[er]sons namely the said Roger Wooderington and John Errington Randle Fenwicke Raph Wooderington John Errington of Bewkley John Heron Cutbert Hunter Edwarde Dodd Allexander Robson Willm Charleton Henry Wooderington of Litle [S]winborne Gilberte Tedcastle Rowland Dodd Thomas Meriam Robte Miller Henry Lyle, fynding then and there in the said Barnes a greate heape of Bigg als Barley being your said Subiectes goodes whereof your highnes said subiectes were then join[tly] and lawfully possessed to the quantity of Six quarters of Corne w[hi]ch they had then before for theire necessary ... and provision Caused to bee Threshed and hadd the same lying in the Chaffe, they the said Ryotous p[er]sons ryotously and forcibly tooke the same Corne and forceably winnowed it in the p[re]sence of your said Subiectes, and the saide Margery one of [your] said Subiectes forbiding them so to doe, and demannding by whatt Aucthority they did soe, they would not give her any answere, but w[i]th menacing threates and vyolence thrust her away and bid her away or that otherwise they would send he[r] awaie in the divells name,

And the said Riotous p[er]sons seeing the saide Reynold Heron in his said howse did then and there Ryotously assaulte him and shoote theire gunes and Arrowes at him w[i]th intent and purpose to have slaine him and so Ryotously b...ing and Compassing aboute the said howse of your said Subiectes and there yardes, and barne, w[i]th greate number of men in Armes manacing to beate wounde and Slay your said Subiectes or theire servantes yf they should come to hinder theire saide doo... And after they hadd winnowed and dressed the same Corne they the said Ryotous p[er]sons last before named forceably and Ryotously measured upp the same and did putt it into Sackes, and by force carried it awaie on horsebackes and Converted the same to theire or some of theire owne uses, And they did then and there also (w[i]thout any lawfull Interest right or tytle) forceably and Ryotously take one Cowe being the Goodes of your said Subiecte Margarett Heron and did lade her into the said Barne and did there by force w[i]thholde the said Cowe during the tyme that the said Corne was in winnowing for the space of Foure howers together, w[hi]ch the said Margarett seeing in some sorte resisted after a weake mann[er] for w[hi]ch cause only the said Ryotous p[er]sons then and there Riotously did beate and strike the said Margarett Heron and thrust her awaie from them saying that shee should have noe Cowe nor any thing there and did then also most Ryotously and grevously stryke beate & wounde one Agnes Strawes (a mayde servant of your said Subiect Margery Heron) downe to the grounde where shee being downe they the said Ryotous p[er]sons did so b...h and Spurne her w[i]th theire Feete on the harte and Breste that shee lay as deade for the space of an hower together, and more,

And also the said Ryotous p[er]sons namely the said Roger Wooderington John Errington Randle Fenwicke Raphe Wooderington John Errington John Heron Cuthberte Hunter Edwarde Dodd Allexander Robson William Charlton Henry Wooderington of Little Swinborne Gilbert Todcastle Rowland Dodd Thomas Merian Robte Miller Henry Lyle and div[er]s other p[er]sons as yett unknowne to your said Subiectes, did Ryotously forcably enter into one hay howse p[ar]cell of your said Subiectes dwelling howse and tooke the hay w[hi]ch they there founde and gave the same to theire horses and wasted trodd downe and d[e]stroyed the same, for w[hi]ch misdemeanors one John Nichollson servante also of your said Subiecte Margery Heron fynding some fault, and desyring the said Ryotous p[er]sons to dyciste from the same, that is to say Roger Wooderington John Errington Randle Fenwicke John Errington John Hearne Edwarde Dodd Cuthberte Hunter Alexander Robson Willm Charlton Henry Wooderington of Little Swindon Gilberte Toddcastell Rowland Dodd Thomas Merian Robte Miller Henry Lyle and div[er]s other p[er]sons as yett unknowne then and there Ryotously and forcibly assaulted the said John Nichollson and w[i]th Swordes and daggers gave him div[er]s and sundry greevous and mortall woundes of w[hi]ch hee languished div[er]s daies togither in greate dispare of his lief, For w[hi]ch Causes and for asmush as the said Ryottes Rowtes unlawfull assemblyes and misdemeanors aforesaid are altogether against your ma[jesties] Lawes and Statutes and tend to the great overthrow of your said subiectes and to the [ev]ill example and encouragm[en]t of all other p[er]sons of evill demeanor if Condigne punishm[en]t accordinge to the Qualitie of those greate and hainous misdemeanors be not severly putt in execution against the said offenders It may therfore please your most excellent Ma[jestie] the p[re]misses Considered to grannt unto your said subiectes your gratious sev[er]all writtes of Subpena to be directed to the said Roger Wooderington John Erington Randale Fenwicke Raphe Wooderington John Heron John Erington Edward Dod Cutbert Hunter Allexander Robson Willm Charlton Henry Wooderinge Gilbert Todcastle Rowland Dod Thomas Merion Robert Miller Henry Lyle George Thelway Walter Grame James Ridley Comanndinge them and ev[er]y of them therby at a Certaine day and under a Certaine payne therin to be limitted parsonally to appeare before your highnes Councell in your ma[jesties] highe Court of Stare Chamber then and there to answeare to the premisses and to stand to such order herin as to your highnes said Councell shalbe thought fitt, and your said subiectes shall daily praye that your gratious Ma[jestie] may longe and happily Governe