This set of depositions all appear to point to the same set of facts, with some minor differences of memory as to what day the transactions took place: William Gilbert and Ellen Harrison exchanged vows of consent to marry before several men and (according to hearsay, at least) also on other occasions. The later steps of a full marriage – banns, a church solemnization – appear also to have been underway. Something obviously happened between winter 1494 and early June when these depositions were taken. The most obvious scenario is that Ellen backed out; a less obvious but still-possible scenario is a more sinister one, where these three witnesses’ statements were fabricated. In either case, the goal of this court case was to force Ellen Harrison, a woman with some property and possibly a widow, to acknowledge a marriage to William Gilbert. Though one of the deponents arguing in favour of Gilbert’s claim was one of her relatives, it was by no means unusual for a woman’s family to resort to the law courts as one of their tools to enforce her cooperation in their family strategies. Given that she herself seems to have produced no witnesses, she probably recognized the inevitable and did not dispute the case; this was not, however, an easy acquiescence, as she would have surrendered well before this stage if she had not been determined. Whether or not trustworthy, the witnesses’ evidence here discusses both the customary form of a marriage contract made in a domestic setting and the exchange of some interesting gifts between the two.
Testimony of John Gardiner, 6 Jun. 1494
LMA, MS DL/C/A/001/MS09065, fol. 199v-200r
6 June, by the lord Official in the church of St. Paul, in my, Richard Grome’s, presence
On behalf of Gilbert c. Harrison
John Gardiner of the parish of St. Dunstan in Fleet Street [St. Dunstan in the West], City of London, where he has lived for fourteen years, literate, of free condition, twenty-six years old as he says. Sworn as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Gilbert for six years and Ellen Harrison for five years. To the first and second articles, he says that on the first Sunday in Lent last past [16 Feb. 1494], this witness was present in Ellen’s dwelling house at Lambert [Lambeth] Hill in the City of London,[1] together with Geoffrey Walkden, John a Bekke, William Gilbert, and Ellen Harrison, and others whose name he does not know, when and where after many things were discussed between William and Ellen about contracting marriage, Ellen told this witness that she had previously contracted marriage with William. And this witness responded, because she was this witness’s kinswoman, that he wanted to know about this, and immediately William took Katherine by the hand and putting his hand into hers, he said “I William take thee Ellen to my wedded wife, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” And thus they unclasped their hands and then Ellen in a similar manner took William by his right hand and said in English, “I Ellen take thee William to my wedded husband, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” And otherwise he knows nothing to depose concerning their contents. To the third article, he says that its contents are true, and this he knows because their names were given to the holy water clerk of St. Clement without New Temple Bar [St. Clement Danes] to issue banns between them as he heard.[2] To the fourth article, he says that he knows nothing to depose concerning its contents. To the fifth article, he says that its contents are true. To the sixth article, he says that what he said above is true, and that public voice and fame circulated and circulate about it in the City of London.
Testimony of John Bekk, 6 Jun. 1494
LMA, MS DL/C/A/001/MS09065, fols. 200rv
John Bekk of the parish of St. Clement without New Temple Bar, where he has lived for eleven years, illiterate, of free condition, twenty years old as he says. Sworn as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Gilbert for seven years and Ellen Harrison for two years. To the first and second articles, he says that on a certain day falling between the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mary [2 Feb.] and the second Sunday of Lent [23 Feb. 1494], which day he cannot otherwise specify, this witness was present in Ellen’s dwelling house situated in Lambert Lane, together with John Gardiner, Geoffrey Walkden, Marion Dobson, William Gilbert, and Ellen Harrison, when and where after many things were discussed between William and Ellen about contracting marriage between them, William said to Ellen in English, “May ye find in your heart to have me to your husband?” And she responded, “Yea, by my faith.” And thus William took her by her right hand again, saying to her, “I William take thee Ellen to my wedded wife and thereto I plight thee my troth.” They unclasped their hands and then Ellen said similarly in English, “I Ellen take thee William to my wedded husband, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” And otherwise he knows nothing to depose. To the third article he says that its contents are true. To the fourth article he says that William gave Ellen six cushions with pelicans[3] on them, and as he believes she received them in name of marriage, and Ellen gave William a certain gilt lamb of God and a locket of gold with nails of gold[4], which he received gratefully in the name of marriage. To the fifth article, he says that its contents are true. To the sixth article, he says that what he said above is true, and that public voice and fame circulated and circulate about it in the parish of St. Clement.
Testimony of Geoffrey Walkden, 6 Jun. 1494
LMA, MS DL/C/A/001/MS09065, fols. 200v-201r
Geoffrey Walkden of the parish of St. Michael Cornhill, where he has lived for eight weeks, and before that time in the parish of St. Christopher [le Stocks] for half a year, and before that time in the said parish of St. Michael for eleven years, illiterate, of free condition, twenty-four years old as he says. Sworn as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Gilbert for a year and more and Ellen Harrison from the day about which he is about to depose below. To the first and second articles, he agrees with the previous witness examined above, except that he says that it was either on the Sunday before the first Sunday of Lent [9 Feb. 1494] or the first Sunday of Lent [16 Feb. 1494] that the words were spoken. To the third article, he says that its contents are true and that he knows this because she contracted again with William in the house of Henry Gardiner, her uncle, in the presence of this witness and others. To the fourth article, he says that he knows nothing to depose except what the said William has told him. To the fifth article, he says that its contents are true. To the sixth article, he says that what he said above is true and that public voice and fame circulated and circulate about it in the City of London.
[1] Lambert or Lambeth Hill was a street on the west side of the City, SSE of St Paul’s cathedral. Though a short street, it was divided amongst four different parishes (St Mary Somerset; St Mary Mounthaw; St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street, and St Peter Paul’s Wharf): see Lobel, “Parishes of London c1520, West Sheet,” Atlas of London c1520,Historic Towns Trust, volume III (https://www.historictownstrust.uk/towns/london).
[2] This must have been William Gilbert’s parish, as Ellen lived inside the city walls in one of the parishes named in the note above.
[3] Pelicans were symbols of Christ.
[4] The word in the manuscript is loculum, which might also mean reliquary, a container for relics. The nails were likely figuring the nails used at the crucifixion. Either way, this was a small religious object.
Consistory 