William Bell, citizen of York. Bell William King and Parliament. The petitioner asks...

Petitioners

William Bell, citizen of York.

Name(s)

Bell, William

Addressees

King and Parliament.

Nature of request

The petitioner asks that certain bonds by statute merchant were made in fear of his life and should be cancelled, and he seeks compensation for money he has already paid to certain persons for fear of his life, and an order that he may safely return to his house in the city of York. He shows that Whixley, Agland, Pomifreit, Golding, Cotingham, and the most part of the commons of the city of York at their procurement, after the memorable and dreadful rising of the commons of Kent and Essex, accused the petitioner that he was assistant to John de Guisborough in the prosecution made to the king of various insults made to them in the time that he was mayor of the city. By colour of this and without cause or due process of the law, they encroached upon the royal power and took and imprisoned the petitioner and many other worthy men of the city until they should pay various great sums of money; some £100, others 100 marks, and each was to make a bond under a statute merchant that none of them would ever proceed against Whixley etc., in any way, and the petitioner was committed to the prison in the city on Thursday in Corpus Christi and detained there for nine days, and threatened that he pay Whixley 10 marks, and further that he make a statute merchant in £40 to Graa, Berden, Selby, Ampilford, Cotingham and Benetson, that he would never proceed against Whixley etc., and he refused to make the aforesaid payment or bond etc. Then, by Cotingham and others of his coven, he was taken from the prison and dragged away (just like the king's chancellor and treasurer), and for fear of his life paid 10 marks and by subtle malice they made the bond in Hull to Graa etc., and when he brought the said statute, Whixley detained him against his will without any default on the said statute. By reason of a petition made in the present parliament to bring all bonds etc., made during this dreadful time of uprising by anyone in fear of his life, Whixley and the others accused the petitioner that such petition was made at his suit and others of his coven, and they have laid traps for him, to take and kill or imprison him etc., and for fear of his life he cannot return to his house in the city.

Nature of endorsement

[None]

Places mentioned

York

Kent

Essex

Kingston upon Hull, [East Riding of Yorkshire].

People mentioned

Simon de Whixley (Quixley), Mayor of York

William Agland, lately Bailiff of York

William Pomifreit, lately Bailliff of York

William Golding, lately Bailiff of York

John de Cotingham, Sadler

John de Guisborough, lately Mayor of York

Thomas Graa

John de Berden

William de Selby

Robert Ampilford

John Benetson

Richard Santon, Chamberlain of York Guildhall

John Thornton, Chamberlain of York Guildhall

John Gunnelay, Chamberlain of York Guildhall.

For transcript, see no.5 of PRO 31/7/108

For another related petition see SC 8/103/5140