The recently widowed Joan Brown lived in Stratford Langthorne, in a house large enough to have both a hall and a parlour. Widows with property were attractive marriage prospects, and in the summer of 1490 two men, William Calverley and William Case, sued her in the Consistory court, each presenting witnesses claiming to have been present when a binding contract of marriage was made between him and Joan Brown. Calverley’s suit came first, and Case’s was reactive; Joan Brown in her own examination supported Case’s suit. Clearly there were manoeuvres of some kind happening outside the courtroom, but unfortunately there’s no way for us to reconstruct them. The testimony does give some nice details about the social circumstances of such marriage negotiations and vows. One notable element in this, as in several other such cases, is the masculine character of these gatherings: the only woman present in both scenarios was Joan herself, at least according to the witnesses.
LMA, MS DL/C/A/001/MS09065, fols. 74v-76v
Testimony of James Sharp, 6 Jul. 1490
On behalf of William Calverley c. Joan Brown
6 July, AD 1490, before the lord Official in the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, in the presence of Master Richard Spencer.
James Sharp of Southwark [Surrey], parish of St. Olave, brewer, where he has lived for seven years, illiterate, of free condition, forty years old or thereabouts, as he says etc. Inducted as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Calverley for a month or so before last Easter, and Joan Brown from the Tuesday in last Easter week [13 Apr. 1490] inclusive. To the first and second articles of the libel, he says that on Tuesday in Easter week, in the afternoon, this witness was present in the hall of Joan’s dwelling-house at the sign of the Swan at Stratford Langthorne [Essex], together with William Calverley, Robert Sutton, Joan, and a certain smith whose name he does not know. After this witness and the said people had conversed and drunk, William and this witness and the others prepared to leave the house to go to London. Joan said to William that she would wait for him for a little while to talk with him, and William answered her that he knew well that she wanted to talk about having him as her husband, and Joan said yes, by her faith. And then William took Joan by her right hand and said to her, “I William take thee Joan to my wife, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” And she similarly said to him, “I Joan take thee William to my husband, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” And afterwards they drank together, and this witness, William, and Robert left. This witness deposes these things from his own hearing and sight. And otherwise he has nothing to depose concerning their contents. To the third article, he has nothing to depose concerning its contents. To the fourth article, he says that what he has said above is true, and concerning fame he has nothing to depose except from what he has heard from others.
Testimony of Robert Sutton, 6 Jul. 1490
Robert Sutton of the parish of St. Mary Magdalen in Southwark, where he has lived for five years, illiterate, of free condition, twenty-six years old, as he says. Inducted as a witness etc., he says that he saw and knew William Calverley from a little before the feast of Easter, and Joan Brown he first saw and knew on the Tuesday of last Easter week. To the first and second articles of the said libel, he says that on the day and at the place about which James testified, this witness heard Joan asking William whether he could find it in his heart to have her for his wife, and he answered yes. And conversely he asked her whether she would have him as her husband, and she answered yes, by her faith. Joan took William by the hand and said to him, “I Joan take thee William to my husband, by the faith of my body.” And William said to her, “I William take thee Joan to my wife, by the faith of my body.” And they unclasped [their hands] and kissed one another. And he says that these deeds were done in the same house, the parties standing in the hall near the end of the table there. This witness deposes these things from his own sight and hearing. And he says that the things he said above are true, and concerning the other articles in the libel he has nothing to depose.
Testimony of James Sharp, 19 Jul. 1490
The following examination was made 19 July A.D. 1490, by Master Thomas Shynkwyn, in his dwelling-house, in the presence of Master Richard Spencer
James Sharp re-examined on the interrogatories. To the first interrogatory, he says as he said above. To its other contents he responds negatively. To the second interrogatory, he says that the said William’s sister was wed to this witness, but he does not favour one party more than the other, nor does he care who has victory as long as justice is done. To its other contents, he responds negatively. To the third interrogatory, he says as he said above. And he says that after the meal, around one and two in the afternoon, the contract was begun as they stood near the end of the table in the hall. This witness wore a russet gown, and concerning the colour of the clothes of the parties and the others present, he does not recall. No one taught or instructed him in this case. And otherwise he has nothing to depose concerning its contents.
Testimony of Robert Sutton, 19 Jul. 1490
Robert Sutton. To the first interrogatory, he says that he is a tailor and otherwise he says as he said above. And to its other contents he responds negatively. To the second interrogatory, he says that he does not favour one party more than the other. To its other contents, he responds negatively. To the third interrogatory, he says as he said above, and the contract was begun after noon between the hours of one and two or thereabouts, as he recalls. Concerning the colour of the clothes of the parties and the others present, he does not recall. And no one instructed him, nor did anyone labour to him. And otherwise he has nothing to depose concerning its contents.
Response of Joan Brown, 18 Aug. 1490
Responses personally made by Joan Brown in the matrimonial cause moved against her by William Case, 18 August, before Master John Myllett, in the home of an honest man named Porter, fishmonger on Lambert’s Hill near Old Fish Street, in the city of London, in the presence of Master Richard Spencer etc.
Joan Brown sworn etc. on the positions etc. To the first and second positions, she says that on the Sunday after the feast of St. Gregory last past [14 Mar. 1490], this witness and William Case spoke together about contracting marriage. And at length, sitting by the fire in the parlour of her house,[1] William said to this witness, “Joan, may you find it in your heart to have me William to your wedded husband?” And this witness answered, “Yea, by my faith and by my troth.” And then William said, “And by my faith and by my troth, I may find it in mine heart to have you to my wife,” and he kissed this witness. And he wanted to call a man named Heyward, John Jurdan, Peter Brown, and other neighbours to bear witness to the aforesaid, which this witness forbade, because she did not want them to know that she had made a new vow so close to the death of her previous husband. And then the said William immediately called into that parlour certain men named Billok, Trullok, and another man whose name she does not know, who had been sitting at that time in the hall of her house. And he announced before them that he and this witness had contracted marriage together, before whom this witness and William again contracted marriage by the abovesaid words, and other words as mentioned in the third position. To the third position, she says that on the day and at the place specified, first William and she alone by the fire, and then soon after in front of the witnesses, both spoke the words as specified in that position. To the fourth position, she says as she said above, and she believes that the words specified in the position were spoken mutually between them. And otherwise she has nothing to depose concerning its contents. To the fifth position, she admits the fame alleged in the matter, and says that what is confessed by her is true.
Testimony of Richard Tryllok, 18 Aug. 1490
On behalf of William Case c. Joan Brown
18 August in the home of Porter, fishmonger
Richard Tryllok of the parish of Leyton [Essex], diocese of London, where he has lived from the time of his birth, illiterate, of free condition, forty years old, as he says. Inducted as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Case for two years, and Joan Brown for sixteen years. To the first, second, third, and fourth articles of the said libel, [he says] that on the Sunday in the middle of Lent last past [14 Mar. 1490], around three in the afternoon, he was present together with Richard Billok and a certain holy water clerk of Leyton, first in the hall and afterwards in the parlour of the said house, where and when first William asked her if she could find it in her heart to have him as her husband, and she answered yes, by her faith. Then William took her by the hand, and said to her, “I will have you to my wife, and I take you to my wife and forsake all others, by my faith and troth.” And she immediately said then and there, “And I take you to my husband, and I will have you to my husband, and forsake all others, and thereto I plight you my troth.” And they kissed one another, and this witness gave them a pennyworth of ale for good luck, because on that day he received from her from the debts of John Brown, her dead husband, ten shillings, and because of that he had come, ignorant of the said contract at the time he came to that house. He deposes these things from his own sight and hearing. To the fifth article, he says that those things he said above are true, and concerning the fame he has nothing to depose.
Testimony of John Litster, 18 Aug. 1490
John Litster, holy water clerk[2] of Leytonstone [Essex], where he has lived from the last feast of Easter, and before that time with Valentine Dunne of London, waxchandler, from the beginning of last Lent, literate, of free condition, thirty years old as he says. Inducted as a witness etc., he says that he first saw and knew William Case and Joan Brown on the day about which he will depose below. To the first, second, third, and fourth articles, he agrees with Richard Trillok examined above. To the fifth article, he says that what he said above is true, and concerning fame he has nothing to depose.
Testimony of Richard Billok, 18 Aug. 1490
Robert Billok of the parish of Leyton, where he has lived for a year and more, illiterate, of free condition, fifty-eight years old as he says. Inducted as a witness etc., he says that he has known William Case and Joan Brown for a year. To the first, second, third, and fourth articles of the libel, he agrees with the first witness examined above, except that he says that the said contract was made and begun on the Sunday following the feast of St. Gregory [14 Mar. 1490], about three in the afternoon. To the fifth article, he says that the things he deposed above are true and that public voice and fame circulated and circulate about them in the parish of Stratford Langthorne.
[1] According to previous witness James Sharp, Joan Brown lived in Stratford Langthorne, Essex.
[2] A layman who acted as parish clerk, assisting the parish priest in various duties.
Consistory 