STAC 5/H70/13r
Les reportes del cases in Camera Stellata, 1593 to 1609 from the original ms. of John Hawarde edited by William Paley Baildon Published 1894 Pages 450-452
To the Quene's most excellent Matye.
Humblye complayninge sheweth vnto yor most excellentt
Matie yor Highnes' true, Faithffull and obedient Subiect, John
Hayward, of Clyffordes Inne, wthin the parishe of Saynt
Dunstones on the West, gentelman, That whereas yor Highnes
Subiect by Reason of some nessary [sic] and vrgent busynes
vupon the First daye of January now last past Repared to the
Towne of Maydestone in your Highnes' County of Kent, Beinge
Newyeres Daye, youer subiect passinge throwe the Towne one
Fonteone leading his gelding by hym, and tow gentelmen
Talking wth hym, Determyned not to staye in the Towne drawing
towardes Eaveninge, and to Followe one his Determynatt
affayres and Bussynes, and as he was passinge Forth of the
Towne in quiett and peceable manner, There happened one
Gabrell Warcope suddenly to Come vnto hym, They and as yett
vnknowne to yor subiectt. To Come into yor subiecte's Company,
who entered into many vayne and Friuelosse discourses wth yor
subiect, and in manner enfforsed yor subiect to answere to many
very ydle and Folishe questyons and demaundes. To th'ende as
hytt should seme to drawe yor subiect into some such Convenyent
place For his purposse as he expected, and passinge one in this
manner wth many Crosse and overthwart speaches to the end to
move yor Highnes' subiect to some ympatience distemperature
of mynde, But yor Highnes' subiect, perceavinge the dryfte and
determynatt purposse of the sayd Gabrill Warcopp to be to
quarrell, still suppressed hie Coller and contynewed hyme selff
wth in the Boundes of patience ; And in th'ende when the sayde
Warcopp had brought yor Highnes' subiect to his desyered place,
and had provided hym selff of such Company as he thought
Featt For his purpose, So hytt is, pleseth yor most Excelent
Matie that the sayd Gabrill Warcopp, assocyating to hym selff
Richard Reve, Thomas Reve, Katheryn Reve, Thomas Fylcott,
Anne Fylcott, Fraunces Bourne and John Bourne, and Dyuerse
others lyke Ryotours, Routors, and evell disposed persones To
the number of Twenty or thereaboutes, the Resydewe beinge as
yett to yor Highnes' subiect vnknowe, and being armed wth
swordes, dages, longe picle-staues, Forrest Bylles, wth such
warlick and vnlawffull weapons, aswell invasiue as defensyve,
one the sayd First daye of January nowe last past, att and in the
sayd Towne of Maydstone, did assembell them selues together,
and not haueing the Feare of god beffore their Eyes, ner [neither]
dewe Regard of yor Highnes' good and Comendable Lawes,
Statutes and Ordynaunces mayd and provyded against Ryottes,
Routes, vnlawfull assembles and such lyke misdemenures, nor
the punishment dewe For the same, yor Highnes' subiect then
and there being in gode's peace and yor highnes', they, the sayd
Gabrill Warcopp, [and the others], In and vppon yor highnes'
subiect did make an assault and hym did beate, hurt, wounde
and evell entreate, and hym did put in greate perill of his lyffe,
and yor highnes' subiect haueing a long whined Hauke of Great
vallewe vppon his Fist, They the sayd Gabrill Warcopp wth the
Resydewe of the sayd maleffactors in most Bucherly, and Ryetous
mannor the sayd Hauke, being one yor sayd subiect Fist, dyd
kyll, spoyle and Teare asunder, one lyme From another. And
the sayd Richard Reve, Thomas Reve, Thomas Fillcott, Anne
Fylcott, Fraunces Bourne and John Bourne, Crying maynely out,
" Downe wth hym, kyll hym & kyll hym." Wth wch wordes of
Incoredgment, the sayd Ryotors so Fiersly Followed yor subiect,
as he grevesly beaten, wounded and leaft for dead, to the greatt
losse, hinderaunce and indempnity of yor subiectes, and Contrary
to dyuerse yor highnes' good and Comendable Lawes and
statutes in thatt behalfe mayd and provyded ; In Tender Con-
sideration whereof and For somuch as Ryottes, Routes and
vnlawffull assembles, and such lyke misdemenures, so donne and
Comytted by the sayd Gabrill Warcopp, Richard Reve and
other the maleffactors and Ryotors afforesayd, are hateffull to god
and hurtffull to the Comen-wealth and nearely Repugnant to
dyuersse yor Highnes' good and wholesome Lawes, statutes and
ordynaunces mayd and provyded in thatt behalffe. The Presydent
and example whereof ys such and so perillowes, as yf spedy
Remedy and Refformation be not therein had, and seveare punish-
ment mynistred to the offendors accordingly, maye tends to the
decaye of Justis, to the subbernation and overthrowe of diuerse
yor Hignes' good and Comendable lawes and statutes, & to th'
encoraging and ymbolding of such lyke Riotous, wicked, & evell
disposed personis to attempt practice & put in vre the lyke, Hyt
maye thereffore plesse yor most excelent Matie, the premyses
Considered, to graunt vnto yor Highnes' subiect yor gratious
wryttes of Subpenas to be dyrected vnto the sayd Gabrill Warcopp
[and the others] & dyuerse others, To Commaund them and every
of them Thereby att a Certen daye and vnder a Certen
payne therein to be lymyted, personably to be and appeare
Beffore yor most excelent Matie in yor Highnes' Court of Star-
chamber, then and there to answere to the premyses and to stande
to and abide such further order & direction therein as to yor
Highnes' and yor Mates most ho: privie Counsell shalbe thought
meete. And yor said Subiect accordinge to his bounden duetie
shall daielye praie to god for the preservacion of yor most ex-
celent Matie longs to Rule & Rayne over vs.
Harris.
Indorsed : Martis, primo Februarii, Anno xxxix" Elizabeth
Regine [1597] ; Will'm Mill.
Warcopp, Eichard Rive and Thomas Rive put in a joint
defence; each of them ' saith that he is not guilty of the
rioutes, Routes & speeches mencioned in the said Bill, nor of
anie of them, nor of anie other the Misdemeanoures mencioned
in the same, determinable in this most honorable corte, in suche
sorte, mannr & forme as in ye said Bill of Complt is most
vntrewely surmised.'