Thomas Duncalf's petition 1470s

Here's the text of Thomas's Petition to Edward IV not dated but between 1471 and 1483. This is a transcription faithful to the text. A "translation" in modern English is published in Dossier Vol 5 No 6 (February 2010).

To the Kynge oure all Sove[reig]n lord

Mekely besecheth yor olde true legem[a]n Thom[a]s DUNCALF of the counte palatyne of Chestre beyng yor s[er]vant of ye lawe fro ye fyrst Day of yor Regne wtin ye sayd counte palatyn unto the creacon of the hegh & myghty prince yor fyrst geton son Edwarde Erle of Chestre & sythyn hase byn wt hym in the same s[er]vys there One Elys P[re]stwyche of hulme wtin yor counte of Lancastre Squyer as evyll & as cruell a man as any is wtin yor sayd counte as all the cuntre knawes come oute of yor sayd counte wt force & armes in to Norbery wtin the sayd counte Palatyn wt xvj p[er]sons wt hym arayet in forme of werre by myght wt grete ordynans wt theym to brenne a wynde mylne yt of Thom[a]s HYDE in grete spyte & hurt of the sayd Thos then and there in riotous wyse sette fyre in the sayd mylne & y’ brende p[ar]cell of the sayd mylne & cornes beyng y’ wtin & bete the mylner & chast an oyr man oute of the sayd mylne into ye place of the sayd Thom[a]s Hyde or elles hade ye sayd mylne byn all brende ye weche was the grettess & most abhomynable offence yt ev[er] was don in ye sayd counte Palatyne sythyn my lord p[ri]nce was Erle and by cause yt yor sayd suppliant was s[er]vnt of the lawe to my lord P[ri]nce informet xij men of yt oryble offence wherof the sayd Elys wt those mysgydet men wt hym were indytet by the the suet of the sayd Thom[a]s Hyde & his frendes y’opon outelawet & the sayd Elys & Thom[a]s Hyde byn agreet of the sayd offence and by cause the p[ro]cesse of the indytement hase p[ro]cedette furth for my lord P[ri]nce as law wole the sayd Elys says ht is the suet of yr sayd suppliant wherfore he hase manasset & dose dayly & all those mysdoers yt were wt hym gretely yr sayd suppliant & in riatous wyse wt force and armes hase entret into a mese & xl acre of londe of yr sayd suppliant unlawfully in Hulme wtin yor sayd counte & yt all the cuntre knawes sayng yt & yor sayd suppliant remedye hym not in yt mat[ter] he shall have no londe y’ & yf he do he shall occupie ht pesiable hit is full hevy for yor sayd suppliant where as he was charget by my lord of Worcett’ & oyr of the councell of my lord P[ri]nce to se yt the maters of my lord P[ri]nce shuld go furth as law wole to have his londe takyn fro hym & so to be manasset dayly & wt oute yt hit be remedyet by yor heghnes ht shall be a hevy ensample to my lord P[ri]nce s[er]vants & the grettest hurt yt ev[er] was to ye sayd counte Palatyn for gyffying corage to hym & to such oyr mysdoers And also yf ht please yor heghnes to consydre how yt Bertlemew HOLCROFT & Margery Hco sustre late wyfe to Rychart MASSY of yor sayd counte of Lanc[aster] hath wt force & armes and wt greate myght in Riatous wise entret in to xxxj acre of londe of your sayd Suppliant in Bedforde & Penynton wtin yor sayd Counte where as yor sayd Suppliant suet an accon of trespas ayaynes Ralyn Holcroft fadr of the sayd Bertlemew whose heyre he is for pasturyng wt his bestes the herbes of yor sayd Suppliant in ye sayd xxxj acre of londe retornable at the session of Lanc[aster] the Wednesday in the fyrst weke of Lenton the xxj yere of Kyng Henre the Sixt in dede but not in ryght befor Wyllm AYSCOGH & his feloes & y’ was joynet yssue whey’ yt the sayd Ralyn dysseaset yor sayd suppliant of the sayd xxxj acre of lond or not the weche was contynnet unto the Monday next aftr the fest of the asu[m]ption of oure lady then next suying & fro thens contynnet unto the Wednesday in the ij weke of lenton then next suyng at the wech day the sayd p[ar]tyes & the jur[y] apperet & y’ ht was fonde by xij worthe men yt the sayd Ralyn dysseaset yor sayd Suppliant of ye sayd xxxj acre of londe & y’ opan jugement gevyn as in the Record at Lancastre more pleynely appereth And an oyr tyme before Sir Robt Harecourt one of yor justyce of the pease wtin yor sayd counte ht was fonde yt ye sayd Ralyn dysseaset yor sayd Suppliant of the sayd xxxj acre of londe and also an oyr time it was det[er]mynet by all ye lordes in the Sterre Chambre at Westmynstre for the p[ar]te of yor sayd Suppliant and dede no evydens have they none but yt ht lyes negh theym & in theyre strengh as all the cuntre knawes besechyng yor heghnes to dyrecte yor g[ra]ciose letters of p[ri]vy sealles one to the sayd Elys & an oyr to ye sayd Bertlemew & Margery to apere afor yor heghnes in Octab St Hillary next comyng to unsware of the p[re]myses yt have of theym opon the payne of CCls & y’ apon yt yor sayd Suppliant may be restoret to the sayd londes & ten’tes above reherset wt his costes & yssues & p’fettes takyn afor this tyme & yor sayd Suppliant shall p[r]ay to god for youe