Chronicle of the Grey friars of London/Henricus Sextus Rex

by John Gough Nichols

HENRICUS SEXTUS REX.

and hys sonne Henry the vj^th beganne his rayne.

P^io. A^o. Thys yere Newgate was new made by master Richard Wyttyngtone, and he dyde the same yere.

ij^o. A^o.Thys yere the xxij. day of Februarij was draune and hongyd and behedyd and qwarterd Mortymer for treson. And this yere the prince of Portyngale came in to Englonde.

iij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a grete debate betweene the cardnalle of Wenchester and the duke of Glosater and the citte of London.

And this yere came v. gallys to London with marchandes.

v^o. A^o. Thys yere was one hongyd, heddyd, and qwarterde at Tyborne Segewyke.

vj^o. A^o. Thys yere was the concelle of Redynge. And this yere dyde Thomas duke of Exceter. This yere was Wylle Wawe hongyd at Tyborne.

viij^o. A^o. Thys yere the kynge was crownyd. And Jake Stawe was hongyd and qwarterd.^[1] And this yere was a grete stronge fyer at Banyscatell^[2] the xvij. day of October that brent a grete parte, and dyd moche harme. And this yere dyde the good erle [of] Salsburry Sir Thomas Mountagew at Orlians in France.

x^o. A^o. And this yere was ane herytyke brent at towre hylle the xxiiij. day of Janivare. And in the morrow after there was a grete battelle in Smythfelde betwene Upton and John Downe; and whan they had fowth longe, the kynge toke up the matter and gave them grace. And Thomas Bagley viker of Mundene^[3] in Essex was dysgradyd and brent in Smythfelde. And this yere^[4] the kynge was crownyd the xvj. day of December in Paries solemply, and the ix. day of Februarij he came to Dover, and the xxj. daye of the same monythe he came to London, and there was worchippfully reseved of the cittesens in whytt gownes and redde whoddes.

xj^o. A^o. Thys yere was the grete cowncell at Baselle, and many lowlers dystroyd in Pruce.^[5] And this yere John duke of Bedforde and the regent of France came to Callys be-fore Ester; and the morrow after there ware sodiers arestyd and prisond, and in the Ester weke the duke rode toward Picardy in Tyrwyne. And thene the byshoppe of Tyrwyne weddyd the duke and the erle of sent Powlys dowghter to-gether; and then they came to Callys, and on sent Barnardes day iiij. sodiers ware be-heddyd and a C & x. of the other sodiers ware exiled.^[6] And on mydsomer evyn the duke with hys wyffe came to London.

xij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a grete pestelens, and a grete frost. And the duke of Bedford dyde, and lyth at Rome.^[7] And this yere abowte wytsontyde the lowlers of Prage ware dystrowyd, soo that in two battelles there ware slayne xx. M^l. with their captayns, and there was tane one master Pers clarke, and another Englych herytyke, enimys to alle holy churche.

xiij^o. A^o. Thys yere in harvest was the cowncelle in Arays that pesse shulde be reformyd be-twene Yngland and France, and there ware lordes both spiritualle and temporalle. And thether came the cardnalle of the Holy Crosse, and asoyllyd the duke of Burgone for the othe that he made un to the kynge of Ynglonde unwyttynge unto the pope, for he had layd sege un to Callys and he faylyd of hys purpose.

xiiij^o. A^o. Thys yere the towne of Depe was tane by the Armenobis^[8] on Halhalon evyn. And the towne of Harflete lost for defaute of good kepynge. And the duke of Burgane a fore sayd layed sege un to Callys the xxix. day of Jule.

xv^o. A^o. Thys yere sanke a parte of London brygge with two arches. And quene Jane^[9] dyde.

xvj^o. A^o. Thys yere brake owte of the kynges jayle of Newgatte Owyn by the helpe of hys prest, and wondyd hys keper, who had prevyly weddyd qwene Katerne.^[10] And also this yere felle downe another parte of London brygge.

xvij^o. A^o. Thys yere the erle of Warwyke dyde at Roane, the last day of Aprill. And this yere the comyn strompettes that ware takene in London ware raye hoddes. And this yere a bushylle of whette was at forty pence.

xviij^o. A^o. Thys yere the cardnalle of Wenchester with other lordes came homeward frome Callys to London, that had bene in France to make a pes. And this yere ware dyvers men of Kent drawe and hongyd for tresone agayne the kynge and the church.

And sir John erle of Huntyngtone came thys yere from Guyen in to Ynglond. And this yere the duke of Yorke was made regent of France. And sir Richard Wyche and hys clarke ware burnyd. And this yere was a grete debate arose betwene Fletstrete and the howsys of corte.

xix^o. A^o. Thys yere was put to deth master Roger Bolyngbroke.^[11] And a stryffe in the yelde halle for chesynge of the mayer, by the crafte of the taylors.

xx^o. A^o. Thys yere Alionor Cobhame conspyryd the kynges deth by the concell of master Roger clarke and nigromancer, the wyche Alionore was put by the kynge and hys justys to perpetuall prisone; and on sent Arkynwoldes evyne she went a fote to Powlles in blacke, with a taper in hare hande, lede betwene two knyghttes. And in the same wyse on the morrow she went unto crystcherche.^[12]

xxj^o. A^o. Thys yere the lorde Talbot came in to Ynglond and was made erle of Shrowsbery and amyralle of the see. And sir Christofor Talbot was falsely slayne at Callys.

xxij^o. A^o. Thys yere the byshoppe of Bathe^[13] was made chanceler of Englond and archebychopp of Canterbery. And the lord Fanoppe dyde this yere, and is burryd in hys chappell that he made in the freeres precheres.^[14]

xxiij^o. A^o. Thys yere on Candelmas evyne was gret thunder and tempest, that Powlles stepulle on the sowth-west syde mervelusly was sett a fyer, and the stepull of Kyngstone up Temse brent, and many men slayne. And qwene Margaret was crownyd. And the parlament that yere at Byrry.

xxv^o. A^o. Thys yere was a fyghtynge in Smythfelde betwene ane armerar of fletstret and his servant for worddes ayenst the kynge wherof hys servant apelyd hym; and the servant slew the master in the felde. And this yere the duke of Gloceter dyde at Byrry in the parlament tyme there. And this yere John Chalons sqwere, sonne of Roberte Chalons knyght of Ynglond, fowth in France with the lorde Boyles brother, and John Chalons slew hym in the felde. And thys yere was juggyd to be drawne, hungyd, but they ware but drawne, Chamberlyn, Myddyltone, Artoys, Herberd, and Nedeham; but whane they ware drawne they had ther pardone all and their lyffes.

xxvj^o. A^o. Thys yere the kynge made two dukes, of Norfolke and Suffoke. And this yere the watter of the Temse by excesse of floode the monday in Ester weke came and incresid on the londe unto Populer, and drownyd many howsys and feldes and medowes, and moche of the parich of Stepney, and at Raynham and other places in Essex.

xxvij^o. A^o. Thys yere was another dere yere, and ane erthqwake.

xxviij^o. A^o. Thys yere Normandy was lost. And this yere came Jake Cade of Kent, and made hym selfe a captayne with a gret multytude of pepulle unto Blackehethe, and there abode seven dayes contynually unto that the kynge with his lordes that lay that tyme at sent Johns in Smythfelde and in divers placis came rydynge thurgh London toward Grenewich; and thene Jake Cade fledde and removyd fro thens toward Tunbrych, Maydstone, and Senoke. And there hys men beheddyd a sqwere callyd Stanlaw. And in that contre there was sir Humfry Stafford knyght and William Stafford sqwere, with certayne men of armes, slayne. And in that mene tyme came a captayne of Essex with hys men and enterd in to the felde, and that same tyme was Horne the alderman arestyd. And the satterday the iij^de day of July the captayne rode thorrow London to Powlles and to Newgate, and soo forthe to Myle ende. And there was be-heddyd one Cromer of Kent and one Baylly of Colchester, and at the standerd in Cheppe was sir Roger Fench be-heddyd, and at the Whyt harte in Southwarke one Hawaydyne of sent Martyns was be-heddyd; and Malpas of London drewe the cheynne of London brygge, and there was a gret battelle made by nyght agaynst the towne, and many men slayne and drownyd. And sarteyn aldermen of London was there slayne, and the prisoneres of the kynges bench and marchelsay delyveryd owte by Jake Cades commandement. And afterward he was slaine in Kent.

xxix^o. A^o. Thys yere was Gwyene lost, and the erle of Shrowysbery slayne at Burdos.

xxx^o. A^o. Thys yere the duke of Yorke sette hys felde at Brent hethe in Kent.

xxxj^o. A^o. Thys yere the lorddes servanttes made a fray at the wrestlynge place.

xxxij^o. A^o. Thys yere the mayer lefte rydynge to Westmyster, and went be watter.

xxxiij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a felde at sent Albons betwene the kynge and the duke of Yorke.

xxxv^o. A^o. Thys yere the lorde Egremond brake owte of Newgate, and had a hors redy and rode a way and one of the jaylers with hym. And in the ende of this same yere came the Frenchmen and other enmyes, and spoylyd and robbyd the good porte of Sandwych, and slewe moche pepulle; for they came sodenly to Sandwych in the mornynge when men ware a bede, and serched every house, and alle the plate, riches, golde, sylver, and othere merchandys and gooddes of valewe they sheppyd it into theire sheppes and went smotly a way with all.

xxxvj^o. A^o. Thys yere the xxvij. day of November, that tyme was sonday, Pecoke that was byshoppe of Chechester stode at Powlles crosse, wych was apeched of dyvers poynttes of eryses, and there he abjuryd and revokyd them in the prechenynge tyme in the presens of the byshoppe of Cauntorbury, the byshoppe of London, and byshoppe of Durhame, and other prelattes. And also there in the prechenge tyme ware many bokes of eryses of hys makynge, that cost moche gooddes, damnyd and brent be fore hys face. And doctor William Gooddard the elder,^[15] that was provinciall of the Greyfreeres, apechyd hym of hys erysys. And this same yere was the ryall syght and wache of men of armes in London that ever was sene, of a gret number of clene ownest men goynge owte of Newgate, and soe up Holborne and downe Chauncery lanne and thorow Fletstret and in at Ludgate and thorow Temstret, and soo to the tower of London, and soe forthe home agayne.

xxxvij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a felde at Ludlow, and at Blore hethe, and a fraye betwene men of the kynges howse and men of lawe.

xxxviij^o. A^o. Thys yere was another felde at sent Albons, and the felde at Northamtone, and at Wakefelde, and at Mortymers crosse, anno M^lccccxvj.

xxxix^o. A^o. Thys yere was a felde be syde Yorke, and kynge Henry put downe, and the ducke of Yorke eldest sonne toke up one hym the crowne, and was callyd Edwarde the iiij^th. And at this felde was slayne xxxij M^l. men.

1. This clause of the MS. is erased by the hand of John Stowe, who has written the words "at Westmystar" instead.
2. Baynard's castle, in the city of London.
3. Manuden: see Newcourt's Repert. ii. 403.
4. day in MS.
5. Lollards in Prussia.
6. Compare this with the account of the duke's proceedings at Calais in Chron. of London, (Nicolas,) p. 120. The names of those beheaded were John Maddeleye, John Lunday, Thomas Palmere, and Thomas Talbot.
7. Read Rouen.
8. Armeniacs, the forces of the comte of Armagnac.
9. Read Katharine.
10. See the very curious passage on this incident in Chron. of London (Nicolas).
11. "A man expert in nygromancy" (Fabyan), and one of the councillors of Alianor Cobham, duchess of Gloucester, as mentioned in the next year.
12. The priory at Aldgate.
13. John Stafford.
14. Sir John Cornwall, K.G. who had married Elizabeth duchess of Exeter, sister to king Henry IV. His chantry chapel was at the Black friars in London.
15. His tomb was in the choir of the Grey Friars' church—"venerabilis pater et frater Willelmus Goddard, doctor egregius, et ordinis fratrum minorum in Anglia minister benemeritus; qui obiit 30^o die mensis Octobris A° dni 1437." Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, vol. v. p. 277.