Session at Maidstone, 23rd September, 1600

General Session of the Peace at Maidstone on Tuesday before Michaelmas, 23rd September, 1600, before Thomas Fludd, John Leveson and Thomas Waller, knights, and William Sedley, Sampson Lennard, John Richers, George Ryvers, George Chowne, Martin Barnham, Thomas Robarts, Nicholas Gilbourne, Lawrence Wasshington, Zacharius Scott and Samuel Boys, esquires, and others.

Precept of venire facias to the sheriff, Roger Twisden, esq............. returned.............. defaulters' fines assessed at 16s. Certain of the constables Richard Raynes, George Charlton, John Wood, Henry Allen, John Moller, Thomas Jefferey, John Carpenter, Thomas Dan, Francis Cornewell, gent., Robert Austen, John Quilton, Richard Stanford, Roger Humfrey, James Kynge, Thomas Burton and Thomas Risbye, present

1 John Mercer of Hawkhurst, yeoman, on the 12th September, 1600, broke and entered a field of William Pix of Hawkhurst called Pole Field in Hawkhurst and dug a ditch two perches in length and one and a half feet wide.

Writ of venire facias for him to appear at the next general session at Canterbury on the Tuesday next after Epiphany [7th January, 1600/1] to answer. On which day he does not come, the sheriff returned nichil habet, therefore writ of capias to have him at the next general session at Maidstone to be held on Tuesday next after the close of Easter [21st April, 1601] to answer.

[In margin] John Mercer appeared in court on 13th January, 1600/1. Fined 2s. in court.

2 John Austen of Horsmonden, yeoman, on 22nd July, 1600, at Horsmonden, ploughed up the highway extending two perches in length and two perches in width.

[In margin] His fine assessed in court at 6d.

[All items (except 14, 16-21) followed by the words Therefore as above

3 As John Rychers, esquire, one of the justices of the peace, issued a warrant to Jeremy Fleete of Yalding, yeoman, constable of Twyford hundred, for the arrest of John Baker of Yalding, labourer, and for his custody in Maidstone gaol, which warrant on the last day of February, 1600, at Yalding was delivered to the said Jeremy and executed by him. Later, on the same day he allowed John Baker to escape from custody.

4 William Bottle of Stockbury since 1st April to 20th September, 1600, has without authority kept "a comon typlinge house" and sold "ale" and "beere".

5 Thomas Huggett of Horsmonden, clothier, constable of the hundred of Brenchley, on 29th April, 1600, arrested at Horsmonden an unknown man who was begging and wandering and allowed him to go free.

6 Gabrield Harper of Headcorn, carpenter, on 10th September, 1600, at Headcorn, assaulted William Swaffer of Headcorn, carpenter, with a long staff worth 2d. badly wounding the said William.

7 Since Sir Michael Sondes and Richard [? Sondes], esquire, justices of the peace, Sir Michael being one of the Quorum, on 18th August, 1600, at Throwleigh issued a warrant to the sheriff of the county, the bailiff or bailiffs of Cranbrook Hundred, or the constable or constables of the same or their deputies or borsholders, for the arrest of Edward Blashenden of Frittenden, husbandman, and for his custody in Maidstone gaol until he has found sureties for the performance of a sentence returned in the ecclesiastical courts before George Newman, doctor of laws, Official of the Archdeacon of Canterbury in a suit for tithes prosecuted for William Webbe, gent., against the said Edward. The warrant was delivered at Frittenden on 14th September, 1600, to Tristram Cowper, deputy bailiff for the Hundred of Cranbrook, and on 15th September the said Tristram, by virtue of the warrant, arrested the said Edward at Biddenden and wished to take him from there to the gaol, whereupon Edward Blashenden, named in the warrant, at Biddenden, assaulted Tristram Cowper, wounded him, and resisted the execution of the warrant.