Chronicle of the Grey friars of London/Henricus Septimus Rex

by John Gough Nichols

Henricus Septimus Rex.

And the erle of Richmond was crownyd kynge, and was callyd Henre the Seventh, the xxx. day of October; and abowte Candelmas marryd kynge Edwardes eldest dougter. And this yere in September dyde Thomas Hylle [the mayor], and for hyme was chosyn William Stocker, and he dyde the third day after and thane was chosyn John Warde, and he occopyed tyll Myhylmas.

Pio. A^o. Thys yere was a gret dethe and hasty, callyd swettyng sykenes. And the crosse in Chepe new made. And a grete taske and a disme grauntyd. And a bushylle of bay salte at iijs. iiij^d.

ij^o. A^o. Thys yere the qwene was crownyd. And the erle of Lyncolne and the lord Lovell and one Martyn Swarte a stranger all ware slayne in a felde that they made agaynst the kynge at Newarke.

iij^o. A^o. Thys yere prince Arture was borne at Wenchester. And this yere the kynge went un to Bullen.

iiij^o.A^o. Thys yere the kynge sent many knyghttes in to Bretayne with the number of vij. M^l. men to defende the two ladys that ware ayeres to the lond. And the erle of Nortumberlond slayne in the North. And the cape of mayntenans browte from Rome.

v^o. A^o. Thys yere Cryppylle gate was new made. And Edmond Franke and others put to deth.

vj^o. A^o. Thys yere sir Robert Chamberlyne lorde be-heddyd.

And in June the kynges ij^de sone was borne at Grynwyche, and namyd Henry. And the condyd at Graschurch begonne and new made.

vij^o. A^o. Thys yere in September the kynge went to Callys with a grete armé agaynst France, but the pece was made with-owte battelle. And the qwenys moder dicessyd. And the lovers^[1] sett up on the yelde halle of London.

viij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a rysynge of yonge men agaynst the stelyard. And whett at vj^d. a bushelle.

x^o. A^o. Thys yere was beheddyd sir William Stanle lorde chamberlyne, sir Robert Ratcleffe, sir Simonde Momforde, and William Daukus;^[2] and lorde Fewalter be-heddyd at Callys. And this yere whyt herynge was solde at iij^s. iiij^d. the barrelle. And lorde Monforde sone and many others that londyd in the downes to the number of viij. score that came from one Perkyne Warbyke callynge hymselfe kynge Edward sone.

xij^o. A^o. Thys yere the commons of Cornwall arose to the number of xxx. M^l., and the lorde Audle cheffe captayne, and one Flammoke and a smythe that was callyd Myhyll Joseffe; and they came to Blackheth and made a felde agaynst the kynge and lost it. The captayns tane and put to excecucione. Thys felde was in June on sent Bothols day. And in August after one Perkyne Warbyke, callyng^[3] hym selfe the second sone of kynge Edwarde the iiij^th, londyd in Cornewalle; and he was persewyd of sartayne lordes, but he flede to Bewdley senttuary, and by apoyntment came to the kynge, and so remaynyd followynge the corte.

xiij^o. A^o. Thys yere in December the wedercoke, crosse, and the bowle of Powlles stepulle was tane downe and all newe made, and in May after solemply hallowyd and sett up agayne. And this same yere in August was the second provinciall chapter of the Freer minores in London. And there beganne the Observanttes, and came with the kynges letters and commandment for sertayne placis, and so beganne with Newcastelle, Cauntorbery, and Sowthamtone.

And the kynges loggyne at Shene burnyd. Perkyn Warbyke sett on a skaffold in Chepe.

xiiij^o. A^o. Thys yere the xxij. daye of February was borne at Grenwyche the third sone of kynge Henry the Seventh, namyd Edmonde duke of Somerset.

xv^o. A^o. Thys yere in November Perkyne Warbyke was convicte of tresone and draune from the tower of London to Tyborne, and there hongyd and be-heddyd; and the same tyme was juggyd to dye for tresone the erle of Warwyke sone to the duke of Clarans be fore rehersyd, wyche erle had bene kepte in the tower from the age of xj. yere un to the ende of xiiij. yere after, and the xxviij^th. day of November was beheddyd at the towre hyll. And the same daye was grete flooddes, wynddes, thunder, lytnynges, wyche dyd moche harme and hurte in dyvers placys and countres in Ynglonde.

And the viij. daye of May nexte after the kynge and the qwene went to Callys, and thether came the duke of Burgone and spake with the kynge^[4] in sent Peters church withowte the towne the space of seven oweres with moche honor and solas, and so departyd. And the xiiij. day of June after the kynge and qwene came home agayne. Thys was in the yere of our Lord xv C. And the same monyth in December descessid the kynges thurde sonne Edmonde, and was burryd at Westminster. And the same yere dyde the archbyshoppe of Yorke,^[5] the byshoppe of Norwyche,^[6] and the byshoppe of Elye.^[7] And in September followynge dyscessyd the the byshoppe of Cauntorbery, Morton, cardnalle and chaunceler of Ynglond. And this yere was brent a palmer. And a grete pestelens thorrow all Ynglonde and a grete d [earth.]

xvj^o. A^o. Thys yere the kynge byldyd new hys maner of Shene, and changed the name and namyd it Richemonde, and he byldyd new his place called Baynystcastell^[8] in London, and repayryd hys place at Grenewyche, with moche newe byldynge there and in dyvers places.

xvij^o. A^o. Thys yere was send in to Ynglonde the kynge of Spaynyes thurde daughter, namyd Kateryne, to be marryd to the prince Arture, and she londyd at Plummothe the viij. day of October, and res[eved] in to lond in the most ryall wyse the xij. day of November than fryday. And the sonday followynge maryd at sent Powlles churche. And a halpas made of tymber from the west dore to the qwere dore of twelve foote brode and four fotte of hyghte. And in the myddes of the same marryd. And the fest holden in the byshoppe of Londones palles. And the day of hare reseving in to lond was made many reche pagenttes; furst at the bregge, at the condyd in Graschestret, the condet in Cornelle, standarde in Cheppe, the crosse new gylted, at the lyttyll condyd, and at Powlles west dore, ronnynge wyne, rede claret and wythe, and alle the day of the marrage. And at the same maryge the kynge made fifty-seven knyghttes. And the iij^de day after alle the corte removyd unto Westmyster by watter. And the mayer wyth alle the crafttes wyth them in barges, with trompettes, shalmes, and taberttes in the best maner; and there the kynge helde ryall justes, turnayes, and bankettes six dayes after. And thene returnyd to Rychemonde. And the same daye ther the mayer helde hys fest at the yelde halle.

And the same yere in November came to the kynge a nobyll imbassator owte of Scotland for to trete of maryage betwene the Scottyche kynge and our kynges eldest dowgter namyd Margarete, wyche was acordyd on sent Powlles evyn the conversion. And the second sonday of lent^[9] after was sir Edmonde de la Poole was pronuncyd acursed opynly wyth boke, belle, and candell, at Powlles crose at the sermonde before none. And in Ester weke nexte after dyscecyd the prince Arture at Ludlow, and burryd at Worceter. And this yere the Gray freeres changed their abbyttes in to whytte gray apone sent Georges day, thene beynge sattorday the prime in the yere of our lorde M^lcccccij.^[10] And sir James Tyrryll and sir John Wyndham be-hedyd.^[11] Thys yere the qwene Elizabeth dyde^[12] at the towre, and burryd at Westmyster. Item this yere a gret imbassetor came from the kynge of Romans. And the Gray freeres chaungyd their habbetts from London rossette unto whytt gray.^[13]

xviij^o. A^o. Thys yere was the gret jubele at Powlles.

xix^o. A^o. Thys yere Margarete that was the kynges daughter was marryd unto the kynge of Scottes. And that same yere in March was a grete frost and snowe, and many grete fyeres in London in dyvers places, as at the brigge, Austyn freeres, sent Martyns grante,^[14] and Buttoll w[harf?] And a gret fray in Cheppe, [wherein] lordes and knyttes toke partes.

xxj^o. A^o. Thys yere the xv. day of January at twelve of cloke at none rose soche a tempest of wynde tyll it was twelve at mydnyth, that it blew downe tres and tyles of howsys, and that same nyght it blewe downe the weddercoke of Powlles stepulle the lengthe of the ende of Powlles church unto the syne of the blacke egylle; at that tyme was lowe howses of bokebynderes wher nowe is the scole of Powles. And that same nyght was the duke of Burgone that was callyd Phyllype with hys lady and many shepes of hys, the wyche intendyd to a gone into Spayne to a bene crownyd kynge, but by tempest ware drevyne to Porchemoth havyne, and soo the kynge send many of the nobyll lordes and states of the realme both sperituall and temporall to reseve hym and all hys pepull, and soo browte them to London; and there the kynge nobylly reseved them and made them grete chere and soo departyd them home agayne. And that same yere at that tyme was soch a sore snowe and a frost that men myght goo with carttes over the Temse and horse, and it lastyd tylle after candelmas. And then it was agreed betwene the kynge and the duke of Burgone that Edmond de la Poole shulde be send home agayne, and so he was.

xxij^o. A^o. This yere was chosyn [sheriff] by the citte one Jonson a goldesmythe, and he made hys fest; but within iij. dayes he was dyschargyd at the commandment of the kynge, and William Fitzwilliam chosyn, and so kepte owte alle the hole yere, and the other toke soche a thowthe that he dyde. Item the bakeres howse in Warwyke lane burnyd. And twelve herynges a j^d. And a gally burnyd at Hamton.

xxiij^o. A^o. Thys yere was many aldermen put in to the tower, and sir William Capell put to warde in the shreffes howse. And this yere the mayer was reseved with procession on sent Frances daye with the aldermen as founders,^[15] and soo contynewyd long after.

And the lady Mary the kynges dowter made sewre to the kynge of Castelle.

xxiiij^o. A^o. Thys yere the xxij^o. day of Aprill dyde kynge Henry the vijth at Richemonde, and browth to London over the brygge and soo to Powlles the furst nyght, and the nexte day to Westmyster nobylly and there buryd.

1. louvres.
2. Read Dawbeney.
3. MS. callyd.
4. See a full narrative of this interview in the Appendix to the Chronicle of Calais, p. 49.
5. Thomas Scott, alias Rotherham.
6. Thomas Jane, or Jaun.
7. John Alcock.
8. Baynard's Castle.
9. Fahyan mentions this "upon the first sonday of Lent" in the next year.
10. "Also aboute thys tyme the Gray fryers were compelled to take theyr old habit russet as the shepe doth dye it."—Fabyan.
11. On the vj. day of May on Tower hill, says Fabyan: they were partisans of Sir Ed. mund de la Pole.
12. On the 11th Feb. 1502–3.
13. The four last lines are an addition to the original MS.; whence occurs this repetition.
14. St. Martin's le Grand. Fabyan gives the respective dates of these fires.
15. At Grey Friars.