Catalogue description Main Papers

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Francis Freeman, of Wilbye, in the county of Northampton: was arrested and imprisoned, for that (as he supposeth) he being constable had not been forward to levy the ship money; prays for protection from further legal proceedings and for compensation.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of John Clarke, prisoner in the Fleet, confesses his fault in arresting the Earl of Salisbury's servant; and prays for discharge.

1 December 1640 -- List of counsel assigned to the Earl of Strafford.

1 December 1640 -- Copy of preceding signed by the Lord Keeper Finch.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Sir Christopher Yelverton, Martin Lumley, and George Purefoy, late high sheriffs of Northamptonshire, Essex, and Berks, respectively; complain of proceedings against them for not levying ship money; pray for the opinion of the house and for protection.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Sir John Brooke, for redress against Sir Francis Leake, now Lord Deincourt, for nonpayment of a certain sum of money.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of merchants of London trading in French wines; complain that the customs officers having seized certain "sophisticated" wines refuse to test the same, pursuant to order of the committee for petitions.

Annexed:

1 Copy of order mentioned in preceding.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Sir Henry Fynes; has been deprived by the perjury of one Monck of an inheritance of great value in Berkshire, conveyed to petitioner by the late Earl of Berks; can obtain no redress at Common Law, in Chancery, or in the Star Chamber; prays for consideration from their Lordships.

Annexed:

1 Reasons for Sir Henry Fyne's petition.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Robert Lane that his cause may be heard and counsel assigned him.

Annexed:

1 Account of petitioner's claim to the manor of Walgrave, etc., in the county of Northampton.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Elizabeth Squire, divers times committed to prison and publicly whipped for trying to prove herself to be the wife of John Squire, Clerk, of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch; prays for consideration of her case.

1 December 1640 -- Petition of Robert Ramsey, imprisoned at the suit of Sir Thomas Walsingham, for nonpayment of certain sums of money due under a decree of the Exchequer Chamber, in a suit respecting the manor of West Deerham [Dereham], Norfolk; prays for review of his case.

2 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Baltrup, constable of the parish of Great St. Mary's, in Cambridge; complains that John Vesey, a messenger of His Majesty's Chamber, needlessly summoned him to appear before the High Commission Court, and unjustly extorted fees; prays for redress.

2 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Kent, vintner; for redress against Alderman Abell for unjustly levying duties on wines, and practising other extortions.

3 December 1640 -- Petition of the Earl of Strafford, touching the presence of some members of the House of Commons at the examination of his witnesses.

3 December 1640 -- Draft of the oath given to Mr. Attorney-General and Mr. Serjeant Glanville in the Earl of Stafford's case.

3 December 1640 -- Petition of Nathaniel Wickins, late servant to Mr Prynne, of Lincoln's Inn, but now a close prisoner in the White Lion, in Southwark prays for his enlargement in order that he may be the better able to agitate and demonstrate his grievances.

3 December 1640 -- Petition of Sir Thomas Cheeke; claims the barony of Fitzwalter against Sir Henry Mildmay; and prays for hearing of the case.

3 December 1640 -- Petition of Sarah Jerrom and Elizabeth Squire; detail the sufferings of the latter in attempting to prove herself the wife of John Squire, Vicar of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch; pray for redress.

3 December [1640] -- Draft order in the cause between North and Coninsby.

4 December 1640 -- Petition of the inhabitants within the several forests of this His Majesty's kingdom of England to complain that the limits of the forests have been enlarged and extended, and the liberties of the inhabitants violated; pray for redress.

5 December 1640 -- Copy of the resolutions of the Commons concerning the army.

5 December 1640 -- Answers of the Earl of Northumberland to interrogatories put to him as a witness in the Earl of Strafford's case.

Annexed:

1 Another paper of the Earl of Northumberland's answers.

7 December 1640 -- Certificate out of the records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury of the names of peers, their wives and widows, who, when desiring to act as executors and administrators, have taken their oath as other administrators and executors of inferior condition, from 1512 to 1640. Protestation upon honour.

7 December 1640 -- Notes of various orders of the committee for privileges, for the hearing of Mr Longuevile's petition, etc.

7 December 1640 -- Note of order respecting protestation by peers upon honour.

8 December 1640 -- Information of Peter Guynell against Mirth Waferer, parson of Compton, Surrey, for scandaling certain Lords.

8 December 1640 -- List of witnesses sworn in the Earl of Stamford's cause.

8 December 1640 -- Draft order for the safe custody of the Earl of Strafford. And draft order for discharge of Philip Bernardo.

8 December 1640 -- Petition of Robert Lord Brooke; prays for review of a decree of the Court of Requests, by which he is ordered to pay £5,000 to Sir Fulke Greville.

9 December 1640 -- Draft orders for discharge of Smith, Woolsey, and others, after they have made their submission to the Earl of Stamford.

9 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Jay, justice of the peace, residing in Rosemary Lane, Whitechapel: complains of Nathaniel Snape and William Gibbs, two of his neighbour justices, for discharging persons committed by him, and for combining with others to ruin him, because he endeavours to root out offenders.

Annexed:

1 Articles of complaint against Snape and Gibbs.

2 Further articles of complaint.

3 Petition of Richard Arnold and others complaining of petitioner Jay, and praying, for a hearing.

4 Order for hearing the matter.

5 Orders for attendance of witnesses for Jay.

6 List of witnesses for Arnold.

7 Further petition of Jay that his complaint may be heard first.

8 Copy of preceding.

9 December 1640 -- Petition of John Rodway, Wm. Newarke, and Walter Coles : petitioners were summoned before the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester for going to other parish churches to hear sermons, and not confessing their crime were excommunicated and imprisoned; pray for consideration of their case.

9 December 1640 -- The Lords warrant to Mr John Browne, Clerk of the Parliament, for searching the High Commission Office for books of orders.

10 December 1640 -- Questions put to the witnesses concerning the riot in Halstead church.

10 December 1640 -- List of committee appointed to consider preceding petition.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of inhabitants of Banbury against Mr John Howes, their vicar.

10 December 1640 -- List of committee appointed to consider the matter mentioned in preceding.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of Daniel Featly, Dr. in Divinity, for stay of proceedings in an action at law brought against petitioner by Andrew Kerwyn, pending their Lordships' consideration of the case.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Hampson, Esquire; claims certain eyots, islands, and osier plots, and the sole right of fishing in the Thames to the middle of the river, along the whole extent of the manor of Taplow, purchased by him; on the other hand the fishing is claimed under grant from the King, as part of His Majesty's fishing of Slogrove, and the eyots, etc. as part of the manor of Cookham, by Richard Powney bailiff of that manor.

Annexed:

1 Petition of Richard Powney in answer to preceding.

10 December 1640 -- Copy of order on petition of Thos. Hampson, for the Barons of the Exchequer, to give him all reasonable satisfaction.

10 December 1640 -- Draft of preceding.

10 December 1640 -- Two draft orders for the rehearing of the cause between Ralph Wingate and Elizabeth Bosse, and others.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of William Fearnall of the city of Chester, for hearing of his case lately referred to the Attorney-General.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Fludd; was committed to Newgate in 1629 for recusancy, is near 70 years of age, and lately much injured by falling down a flight of stairs; prays for release on giving caution to be forthcoming if required.

Annexed:

1 Surgeon's certificate of Fludd's condition.

10 December 1640 -- Petition of James de Con, John le Houg, and Gilley Rey, in the behalf of the poor French or Dutch church or congregation assembled in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire; pray for redress against Dr Farmery, calling himself the archbishop's commissary, who thrust upon them as their pastor one Cursoll, a Franciscan friar.

Annexed:

1 Copy of Dr Farmery's direction to the French and Dutch refugees to raise £300 for the consecration of their chapel, and for procurement of immunities.

10 December 1640 -- Copy of faculty from Richard [Bancroft], Archbishop of Canterbury, conferring the degree of Bachelor of Divinity upon John Gosling, his domestic chaplain.

10 December 1640 -- Copy of faculty from George [Abbott], Archbishop of Canterbury, to Samuel Purchas, M.A.

10 December 1640 -- Copy of faculty from George [Abbott], Archbishop of Canterbury, to John Hillyard, M.A.

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Oliver Clobery; prays that the case between him and Lewis Rigault, a question of merchants' accounts, referred in 1636 to certain merchants for decision, but afterwards to two masters of the Court of Chancery, may be referred back again to the same merchants.

Annexed:

1 Petition of Lewis Rigault, merchant stranger, that the suit may not be referred to the merchants, who are partial towards Clobery.

2 Brief of the case by Rigault (now in HL/PO/JO/10/4).

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Meredith Madey, minister and preacher of God's word in the Hospital of St Thomas, in Southwark, has been cheated by one Golcomb, thrust out of his place by the Archbishop of Canterbury, imprisoned in the Fleet by order of the Court of Common Pleas, suspended from preaching by the Bishop of London, and has endured other sufferings. Prays for relief.

Annexed:

1 Further account of petitioner's case.

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Henry Knolton against Matthew Francis, serjeant-at-arms, and justice of the peace for the county of Middlesex, respecting a lease of certain lands.

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Nicholas Pharye and Anne, his wife. Complain of violent assaults committed upon them by John Thatche and his wife, living in the same house with them in Long Acre, and of imprisonment in the Gatehouse; pray for redress.

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Robert Prior, parishioner, of St Michael's, Cambridge; prays for discharge of proceedings against him in the Bishop's Court for not coming up to the rail, lately made at St Michael's church, to receive the communion.

11 December 1640 -- Petition of Joseph Ashby, of Kissingbury [Kislingbury], in the county of Northampton. Complains of vexatious proceedings against him in the Star Chamber, for the supposed distraining of the goods of Gamaliel Holloway, clerk, parson of Kissingbury, towards a robbery charged upon the hundred for so much as was charged upon him; prays for production of warrant against him and for redress.

12 December 1640 -- List of witnesses against Poole and Howard, committed for a riot in Halstead church.

12 December 1640 -- Petition of Garrett Day for his discharge from prison.

12 December 1640 -- Petition of George Woodcock [to the House of Commons], that Richard Grinberie, a noted recusant, may be sent for to answer for his scandalous speeches against the King and the State.

12 December 1640 -- Petition of David Clark. Complains of imprisonment at York and Doncaster, and of seizure of cattle under his care, on a false charge of felony; prays for redress.

12 December 1640 -- Petition of Gerard Wright that the Lord Keeper may be ordered to pay £400 brought into the Court of Chancery, for his benefit, by Sir Henry Bedingfield, into hands of good security in order that petitioner may receive the interest thereof.

15 December 1640 -- Draft order for the enlargement of Robert Ramsay on bail, with leave to prosecute his suit against Sir Thomas Walsingham.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of Elizabeth Squire, imprisoned in the Fleet, Newgate, Bridewell, and Bedlam, and publicly whipped more than once for trying to prove herself the wife of John Squire: prays for consideration of her case, and for an order of maintenance.

Annexed:

1 Affidavit of petitioner respecting her marriage on the 20th of August 1612.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of Elizabeth Bosse and others in answer to the petition of Ralph Wingate and his wife, respecting certain proceedings in the Court of Requests relating to the estate of Henry Fitz Jeffrey, deceased.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of Wm Fearnall, of Chester, for protection from the persecutions of the butchers and others there, whose frauds on the revenue he has attempted to expose.

Annexed:

1 Particulars for proof in the case of Wm Fearnall.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of inhabitants of Duddington, in the county of Northampton. Duddington is part of the parish of Gretton, from which it is four miles distant. The vicar seldom comes to preach; the present curate, who is also curate at Tixover, is a drunkard, pray for removal of vicar and curate, or that petitioners may provide a preaching minister at their own charge.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of Robert, Earl of Lindsey; by an error of the clerk who drew up the the order of the committee for petitions in the case betwixt petitioner and the Earl of Lincoln, petitioner was directed to furnish copies of certain documents to his adversary: prays that the order may be reconsidered.

Annexed:

1 Order referred to in preceding.

15 December 1640 -- Petition of John Harryes, administrator to the executor of Sir Robert Oxenbridge, for redress against Wm Rolfe, a servant of Sir Robert, who having in his hands a sum of £4,500, proceeds of the of the sale of Sir Robert's property, applied it to his own use.

Annexed:

1 Petition of Wm Oxenbregge and Robert, his son; John Harris and others are bound to give account to petitioners of the personal estate of the late Sir Robert Oxenbregge, which they refuse to do, and having procured themselves protection as servants to some peers, walk up and down securely; pray for redress.

16 December 1640 -- Draft order that Anne James may proceed against Sir Edmond Sawyer for recovery of £500, due to her notwithstanding that he is under a protection royal.

Annexed:

1 Petition of Anne James, widow.

2 Copy of protection.

16 December 1640 -- Petition of the inhabitants and freeholders of Surfleet within Holland, in the county of Lincoln; complain of the enclosure of many acres of common land by Sir Edward Heron, under colour of a commission of sewers, and of vexatious proceedings against commoners; pray for redress.

16 December 1640 -- Copy of preceding.

16 December 1640 -- Petition of John Brooke, "Clerk of the Prick and Checqs for His Majesty's Navy Royal at Portsmouth."

16 December 1640 -- Draft order in the case of Thomas Hampson against Richard Powney, directing that the cause should be heard notwithstanding any injunction to the contrary at the next assizes for Bucks.

16 December 1640 -- Draft order in the case of Sir Robert Howard, imprisoned by order of the High Commission Court for notice to be given to the Commissioners of his petition, and for their attendance.

17 December 1640 -- Draft order of committee for abuses in imprisonments, etc. for Robert Dixon, prisoner in the Fleet, to be brought before them.

17 December 1640 -- Petition of Philip Lord Herbert, of Cardiff, and Penelope Viscountess Bayninge of Sudbury, his wife, and of Sir Thomas Glemham, Knight; the Viscountess Bayninge and Sir Thomas Glemham, being executors of the late Viscount Bayninge, of Sudbury, pray for hearing of their case (in order to avoid multiplicity of suits) against the Earl of Cleveland and his son Lord Wentworth, for recovery of certain sums of money lent to the said Earl, and secured by mortgage of his manors of Stepney and Hackney.

17 December 1640 -- Petition of Sir Edward Heron, Sir John Brooke, Sir Wm Killigrew, and Robert Long, for further time to answer the petition of Thomas Kirke.

17 December 1640 -- Draft order for reference of the case between Oliver Clobery and Lewis Rigault by the Master of the Rolls, to the same merchants to whom it was formerly referred.

17 December 1640 -- Petition of Francis Riddington, clerk; claims the living of Foston, in the county of Lincoln, under gift from the patron, against Wm. Crofte, who holds it under presentation from the King, upon pretence of simony; an action is now pending respecting the right to the living, but cannot be heard before the summer assizes; prays for a speedy decision of the case, and that the profits of the living may be sequestered meantime.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of John Blanch, of the Isle of Guernsey, plaintiff in various causes before the courts in that island, and also before the Privy Council, now a prisoner in the Fleet; prays for consideration of his case, and for relief.

Annexed:

1 Copy of order of the Privy Council in the case made upon report of the Solicitor-General Littleton and His Majesty's advocate, Dr Rives.

2 Petition of John Blanch to the Privy Council. Noted, with order of Council referring the case to Dr. Rives.

3 Report of Dr Rives.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Richard Arnold and others, of Whitechapel, St. Katherine's, Aldgate, and Stepney, against Thomas Jay, one of the justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex; pray for reference of their complaint against him to the Lord Chief Justice and Mr Justice Crooke or others, and for leave to proceed against him, notwithstanding that he pretends to hold a protection from Lord Huntingdon.

Annexed:

1 Articles exhibited against Thomas Jay accusing him of extorting unjust fees, and other excesses.

2 Affidavit of the truth of the said articles.

3 Further charges against Thomas Jay.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Wm Dudley for redress against Sir Robert Berkeley, for admitting Lord Wentworth, son of the Earl of Cleveland, to bail, when arrested for debt by petitioner.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Calibute Downing, pastor of the church of Hackney, that he may be instituted to the living of Hackney, the church being now void in law, in consequence of George Moore, the present parson, having taken another great benefice.

18 December 1640 -- Draft of "An Act for the naturalizing of David Goubard, merchant," born in Calais, in France.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Francis Paule and Anne, his wife, for leave to proceed at common law against the representatives of Sir George Paule (notwithstanding an injunction of the Court of Wards), for certain sums which Sir George had promised to settle upon them.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Francis Paule; holds a patent granting to him and John Oldbury the reversion of the offices of principal registrar to His Highness Commission for causes ecclesiastical and to the judges delegates, subject to the life interest of Sir George Paule, now deceased some six years; complains that Oldbury has been admitted to the said offices, and he himself kept out by the opposition of Sir John Lambe, Dean of the Arches; prays for redress.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Dame Rachell Paule. Francis Paule, who claims the offices of registrarship to the High Commissioners in causes ecclesiastical and delegates, is only trustee with John Oldbury, of the said offices, with regard to one moiety of the profits for the benefit of the said John Olbury, and of the other moiety for the benefit of her son, George Paule, on whose behalf she prays that counsel may be heard.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Edmund Scotten, of Wisbech, in the Isle of Ely; petitioner presented a petition to the Commons for relief against certain proceedings in the ecclesiastical courts instituted by William Gyles, vicar of the parishes of Elm and Emneth, a man of false doctrine and scandalous life, whom petitioner had accused of preaching and maintaining popery. Prays for an early day for hearing.

Annexed:

1 Copy of petition to the House of Commons mentioned in preceding.

18 December 1640 -- Petition of Thomas Wells, of Rowell, in the county of Northampton, a carpenter, for relief against vexatious proceedings in the Bishop of Peterborough's Court, and also in the High Commission Court, for matters of conscience, prosecuted, as he supposeth, by Sir John Lambe.

18 December 1640 -- Draft order that Edward Parrett pay £8 to Robert Pryor for costs of a suit in the ecclesiastical court of the Bishop of Ely, and that the suit be not further prosecuted.

Some documents may have been removed from this file to the Parchment Collection, the Large Parchments or the Parchment Main Papers. Where this has occurred it is noted in brackets in the descriptions above. Please see relevant entries in the Parchment Collection (HL/PO/JO/10/2), Large Parchments (HL/PO/JO/10/3) or Parchment Main Papers (HL/PO/JO/10/4) for further details.

See Journals of the House of Lords for the same date for entries relating to the laying of these papers.

Calendared in HMC 4th Report, pp 30-33