Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton

6   Brian Rocliffe to Sir William Plumpton, 14 October [1462]       (No. 9, p.
     154)

In speciall my verray good maister,^a after due recomendations, my
maister the chief baron¹ comuned to my lord treasorer² of certaine
matters, and soe my lord opened that Thomas Beckwith was his awntes
son, and he would make him eshetour, saying that he loved you right
wele and would fayne an end were taken betwixt you and Beckwith,³
willing my said maister to take vpon him the rewle; and would undertake
Beckwith to be ruled by him, if he would take it upon him, who
disclosed this vnto me, nott certaine that ye would agree. And I
answered that I supposed ye would agree to all reason, enforming him
of the trewthe of the matter, to my cuning, after your information. Soe
that if such writing be had vnto you by the advize of your trewe in
reason, in reason it is to be agreed with reason, as my simplesse
seemeth, saueing your better advise.

     And, Sir, Beford hath spoken with me sayeing that the matter is
broken up in the default of Sir Harry that kept no tyme, and soe he
purposes to continue and take out his suite, whom with sobernesse I
entreate, affirming that ye will be here this tearme, and as long as I
may, but I haue noe grant of him. And Colt⁴ hath spoken to me for
the remainder of the money which ye should send with the bill of issues
and for costes. And Beford hath spoken with Plomptree⁵ for the other
obligation under sewertee, and soe in manner of a certante of payment;
but now it is deatt the lyeing att large. Thus matters remitted to your

said discretion, whom our Lord govern and haf in his keeping. Written
in hast in the Temple the fourtenth day of October.^b
Endorsed: Unto his reuerent maister Sir William Plompton knight in
hast

     ^a Marginal note. George Plompton, Sir William, refer ut supra.

     ^b Marginal note. Copies 10 December 1612.

     ¹ Richard Illingworth, lawyer, of Kirby Woodhouse, Notts, appointed 10 Sept. 1462;
knighted by 1466, CPR, 1461–67, 22, 198.

     ² John Tiptoft, 1st earl of Worcester (exec.1470), lord treasurer in April 1452 and again
in 1462 and 1470, J.S. Roskell, The Commons and Their Speakers in English Parliaments 1376–
1523 (Manchester, 1965), 248.

     ³ The quarrel arose out of the terms of a contract for the marriage of Sir William’s
daughter Elizabeth, and William, son of Thomas Beckwith of Clint. Thomas may have
been escheator for Yorkshire in Nov. 1462, as Stapleton states, but there is no record of
the appointment for that year, Index of Escheators for England and Wales (PRO, L and I,
supp. ser., lxxii), 189; 68; App. II, 17, 54.

     ⁴ Probably Thomas Colt (d.1467), a lawyer retained by the Duchy as apprentice 1452–
66 chamberlain of the Exechequer, App. III.

     ⁵ John Beford (or Bedford) and John Plumtree, citizens and fishmongers of London,
and merchants of the Staple of Calais, CCR, 1454–61, 15, 412.

LETTER. V.

Unto his reverent maister Sir William Plompton, knight, in hast.

    In speciall my verray good maister, after due recomendations;
my maister the Chief Barona comuned to my lord Treasorerb of
certaine matters, and soe my lord opened that Thomas Beckwithc
was his Awnte son, and he would make him eschetour; saying,
that he loved you right well and would fayne an end were taken
betwixt you and Beckwith, willing my said maister to take upon
him the rewle, and would undertake Beckwith to be ruled by him,
if he would take it upon him, who disclosed this unto me, nott
certaine that ye would agree. And I answered that I supposed ye
would agree to all reason, enforming him of the trewthe of the
matter to my cuning after your information; soe that if such
writing be had unto you by the advice of your trewe in reason, in
reason it is to be agreed with reason, as my simplesse seemeth,
saveing your better advise. And Sir, Beford hath spoken with me,
sayeing that the matter is broken up in the default of Sir Harry,
that kept no tyme, and soe he purposes to continue and take out
his suite, whom with soberness I entreate, affirming that ye will
be here this tearme, and as long as I may, but I have noe grant
of him. And Colt hath spoken to me for the remainder of the
money, which he should send with the Bill of issues and for costes.
And Beford hath spoken with Plomptree for the other obligation
under sewertee, and soe in manner of a certante of payment, but
now it is deatt the lyeing at large. Thus matters remitted to your
said discretion whom our lord govern and haf in his keeping.
Written in hast in the temple the fourtenth day of October.

    (14 Oct. anno circiter 1462.)    Your servant, BRYAN ROCLIF.

    a Richard Illingworth, made Chief Baron of the Exchequer 10 Sept. 2 Edw. IV. 1462.

    b John Earl of Worcester, Lord Tiptoft and Powis, was Lord Treasurer at this
period. He is stated to have married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Greyndour, of
which name of Greindour, or Graindorge, there was a family of some consequence in
Craven, whose heir-general was Nesfield of Flasby, a manor acquired by this match.
The intermarriage with the family of Beckwith may therefore have been on the part of
the wife's relatives; any how a near affinity seems to be indicated by this letter.

    c The Eschetour of the county of York, 2 Edw. IV. was Thomas Beckwith of Clint
in com. Ebor. esq. whose eldest son and heir apparent William had married Elizabeth
daughter of Sir William Plumpton before 26 Jan. 34 Hen. VI. 1455-6. At that date
Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Beckwith, who is stated in the pedigree of the family to
have been a coheir of Heslarton, was living, and lands in Hawnby, Filey and Muston
are named in the settlement upon the marriage of their son William Beckwith. By
the same deed Sir William Plumpton was bound to pay a certain sum by annual instal-
ments for his daughter's portion, and from a subsequent letter it would seem that xli,
parcel of this sum, had been kept back, probably on the ground of his daughter not
having issue male, it being one of the conditions of the bond that all payments should
thenceforth cease, upon her dying without having any such alive.    ( Chartul. No. 541.)