Author Archives: shannonmcsheffrey

William Ely c. Master Richard Draper

In theory excommunication – expulsion from the community of the faithful – was a drastic measure in medieval Christianity. In late medieval England, however, it was most often used for relatively mild rather than terrible sins, particularly for the failure to obey summonses, orders, and sanctions issued by church courts. This may have dulled itsContinue reading “William Ely c. Master Richard Draper”

Master John Clavering c. Richard or John Swan

John Clavering, a parish priest with an M.A. degree from Oxford who bounced around from one lucrative parish to another (in 1493 he was both rector of Twickenham and vicar of Staines),[1] seems also to have dabbled in the retail of wine: when a man named Swan failed to pay him for some wine, despiteContinue reading “Master John Clavering c. Richard or John Swan”

Office c. Henry Newlond and Joan Gardyner

This was a disciplinary case: Henry Newlond and Joan Gardyner had gone ahead and formalized their marriage despite Henry having been strictly forbidden from entering into any marital contracts while another case against him was pending. There are some interesting aspects of his brief examination. First, it is odd that Newlond claimed not to knowContinue reading “Office c. Henry Newlond and Joan Gardyner”

Herbert Rowland c. Elizabeth Croft; Margaret Hordley c. Herbert Rowland

In this pair of related 1494 cases, first Herbert Rowland sued Elizabeth Croft to claim her as his wife and then Margaret Hordley sued Herbert Rowland to claim that he had previously married her. A conspiracy-minded person (i.e. me) might suspect that the second suit was a set-up, an attempt to rescue Elizabeth Croft, aContinue reading “Herbert Rowland c. Elizabeth Croft; Margaret Hordley c. Herbert Rowland”

Cecily Clerk c. William Huntingfeld

In 1494 a London woman named Cecily Clerk sued William Huntingfeld for defamation. Four men who came forth as witnesses detailed Huntingfeld’s campaign of harassment against Clerk conducted across a multitude of venues, stemming perhaps (as one witness suggested) from a quarrel between Huntingfeld and Cecily’s husband John over the election of ward officials. HuntingfeldContinue reading “Cecily Clerk c. William Huntingfeld”

Alice Brigge c. William Markis

This defamation case from the Essex parishes south of Colchester tells us a number of interesting things both about local-level dispute resolution and about sexual chastity and an unmarried woman’s reputation. At least according to the witnesses called to testify on Alice Brigge’s behalf, William Markis of Essex publicly accused her in the parish church,Continue reading “Alice Brigge c. William Markis”

Maude Bywel c. Elisabeth or Isabel Jeld

A husband and wife from Edmonton, Middlesex, testified in 1494 about a quarrel amongst women on the street outside their house. A physical altercation was followed by insulting words, and it was the words and their effect that were at issue here (as assaults were not in the Consistory court’s jurisdiction). LMA, MS DL/C/A/001/MS09065, fols.Continue reading “Maude Bywel c. Elisabeth or Isabel Jeld“

Elizabeth Pernell c. Elizabeth Pecoke

This is a somewhat curious case. It starts out straightforwardly with a witness saying that she heard the defendant, Elizabeth Pecoke, defaming the plaintiff, Elizabeth Pernell, with a rumour of sexual impropriety: Pecoke allegedly told the witness that Pecoke was being “kept” by a married man in the country. But there is only one witnessContinue reading “Elizabeth Pernell c. Elizabeth Pecoke”

John Fern c. Henry Heed

John Fern, a young man likely from South Mimms, Hertfordshire, came to London to apprentice himself to a citizen ironmonger, Henry Heed. The paternalistic relationship that should have developed between the master and apprentice evidently broke down and Heed publicly accused Fern at least twice of dishonesty (a highly damaging allegation for a young manContinue reading “John Fern c. Henry Heed”