STAC 5/R39/28

Court of Star Chamber:

Nicholas Ridley of Willymonntes Wyke [Willimoteswick, Haltwhistle parish], Northumberland v George Makepeace; George Barrowe the elder of Nafferton, Northumberland; George Barrowe the younger and Christopher Barrowe

Transcript: Dave King

Bill of complaint:

[date tbc, 23 Eliz]

To the Quenes most excellent Ma[jesty]

In his most humble wise compleynynge sheweth unto your most excellent highnes your trewe faithfull and obedient Subiect Nicholas Ridleye of Willymonntes Wyke in the countye of Northumberland Esquier That wher one George Barrowe thelder of Nafferton in the said county of Northumberland Yeoman beinge possessed of and in one messuage howse or tenement w[i]th divers lands tenements and hereditaments w[i]th ther appurten[a]nces to the said messuage howse or tenement belonginge or app[er]teynynge scituat lyeinge and beinge in a certen village called the Woods in the county aforsaid nere adioynyng [unto] the borders of Scotland as ten[a]nt at will unto one Alexander Ridley gent and Willm Ridley gent for and duringe ther lyves the revercon therof belongynge unto your said Subiect w[hi]ch said messuage howse or tenement was by casualtie of fier consumed and burnt downe abowt the xijth daye of marche in the xxijth yeare of your most excellent Ma[jestie] wherupon the said George Barrowe thelder did abowt one yeare & halfe or ther abowtes now last past exhibit his Bill of compleint unto your most excellent highnes before your Ma[jesties] most honorable counsell established in the north p[ar]tes verye untrewlye furnishinge in the same that the said howse messuage or tenement was burnt downe by the said Alexander Ridley Willm Ridley als Hawcop and one John Lidell by the procurement and comanndement of your said Subiect unto w[hi]ch bill of compleint your said Subiect Alexander Ridley Willm Ridley and John Lidell beinge called by ordinary proces awarded from your Ma[jesties] said counsell made ther answeres and the said Alexander Ridleye Willm Ridley and John Lidell upon ther othes did flatly [?deny?] that they or any of them did burne or were [?procureres?] to burne the said howse messuage or tenement and your said Subiect likewise upon his othe did deny that he procured or comannded them or any of them to burne the said messuage tenement or howse and so beinge growne to a p[er]fect issue & the said cause receivinge a hearinge before your highnes said counsell the said George Barrowe thelder then laboringe to prove the said cause did the viijth day of September in the xxijth yeare of your most excellent Ma[jestie] produce divers & sondry witnesses to be sworne & depose in the said cause at w[hi]ch tyme so it is if it may please your most excellent Ma[jestie] that the said George Barrowe thelder beinge a very lewd wicked & naughty p[er]son not regardinge your Ma[jesties] lawes & statutes established for the ponishem[en]t of wilfull & corrupt p[er]iurie & such as shold procure the same did of a very malicion to mynde & sett purpose confederate him selfe w[i]th one George Makepeace Christofer Barrowe & George Barrowe the younger beinge also very lewd & wicked p[er]sons and conspiringe togither to worke both some displeasure & discredit towardes your said Subiect they the said George Makepeace Christofer Barrowe & George Barrowe the yonger did by the sinister meanes procurem[en]t p[er]swacon & instigacon of the said George Barrowe thelder p[re]ferre them selves to be deposed for profe of the said cause on the p[ar]te and behalfe of the said George Barrowe thelder before your highnes said counsell at w[hi]ch tyme the said George Makepeace not havinge the feare of God before his eies did the day and tyme aforsaid beinge examyned upon the xvth interrogatory then & ther unto him mynystred depose and upon his othe affirme in maner & forme followinge viz that the said defendts imediately after ther comynge from Yorke that is to say on or abowt the xijth day of marche last past by the comanndement & procurement of the said Nicholas Ridley did enter upon the ground of the said complt in the night of the same day w[i]th gonne powder sett fier upon the howses peales & barnes of the said compleyn[an]t and burnt & consumed w[i]th that fier all the plts goodes quicke & dead that were in the said howses peales & barnes and w[i]th moche ado & great p[er]ill did the wyfe sonne and daughter in lawe and the rest of the said plts folkes escape owt of the same fier w[i]th ther lyves many of them being sore burnt upon ther faces and other p[ar]tes and when the contry rose up to quenche the fier they durst not come at it for feare of the gonne powder least ther had bene some of the waynes of the gone powder remaynynge in w[hi]ch his deposicon so made he was most wilfully wittingly and corruptly by the procurement of the said George Barrowe thelder p[er]iured and the said Christofer Barrowe beinge likewise examyned upon the said xvjth interrogatory then and ther unto him ministred did upon his othe sweare and depose in maner and forme followynge viz this examynate saieth as is before deposed by his cotestes George Makepeace & this examinate saieth that he beinge then in his said fathers howse when it was so sett on fier was so sore burnt w[i]th fier that for the space of thre weeks next after he could not go abroad abowt his necessary busynes and yet was xiiijten daies before this examynate could se his face was so very sore burnt and bolne or swolne in w[hi]ch his deposicon he was also most wickedly falsly and untrewly p[ro]cured by the procurement of the said George Barrowe thelder and the said George Barrowe the younger beinge also the day and tyme aforsaid examyned upon the xvjth interrogatory then & ther unto him mynistred did upon his othe sweare and depose in maner and forme followinge viz this examynate saieth as is before deposed by his cotestes George Makepeace wherin aswell he was by the meanes and procurement of the said George Barrowe thelder most corruptly wilfully & wittingly p[ro]cured as they the said George Makepeace and Christofer Barrowe in ther former deposicons aforsaid for in truth aswell the said Alexander Ridley and Willm Ridley as the said John Lidell were in the tyme and very instant when the said howse was by them supposed to be burned at the then dwellynge howse of the said Nicholas Ridley now compleyn[an]t at Willymonnteswyke aforsaid and were neither procured nor moved to do any such act by your said Subiect and besides your said Subiect was at the tyme and very instant of the said howses burnynge at the howse of one Robert Greames besides Carlile abowt his necessary affaiers and busynes and was neither p[ar]tie nor p[ri]vie to the same yet that notw[i]thstandinge [at] such tyme as the said sute afterwardes did receive a hearinge before your highnes said counsell in the northe p[ar]tes it was upon the hearinge of the same by reason of the said false and untrewe testymony and deposicons by your highnes said counsell ordered and decreed that your said Subiect Alexander Ridley Willm Ridley and John Lidell shold pay unto the said George Barrowe thelder the some of threscore poundes and above the payment wherof wilbe to the great hurt & hinderance of your said Subiect besides the notable discredit that he receiveth therby In consideracon wherof and for that the said p[er]iuries subornacon and procurement of p[er]iurie may be severely ponished in the said offendors to the terror of such others as shall any more attempt to put the like shamefull practises and p[er]iuries in ure may it please your most excellent ma[jestie] to grannt unto your said Subiect your ma[jesties] most gracious severall writts of Subpena to be directed to the said George Makepeace George Barrowe thelder George Barrowe the younger and Christofer Barrowe comanndinge them by the same at a certen day and under a certen payne therin to be conteyned and lymyted p[er]sonally to appeare before your most excellent highnes in your High Court of Sterre Chamber then and ther to answere to the p[re]misses and to abide such further order and direction in the same as to your Ma[jesties] most honorable counsell shalbe thought to accord w[i]th right equity and good conscience and your said Subiect shall accordinge to his most bounden dutie dayly pray for your most excellent highnes longe to rule and happely to reigne over us &c

Yelvarton R...er