Category Archives: Breach of Faith: Debt

In February 1487, John Palmer sued Christopher Manser over unpaid debts. The witnesses both testify that sometime during the first three weeks of Lent (February or early March) 1486 they heard Manser acknowledging that he owed money to Palmer and swearing an oath to repay a specific amount in the next two weeks. He presumablyContinue reading “John Palmer c. Christopher Manser”

John Manyngham, a priest, sued Edmund Caryngton after Caryngton failed (or so Manyngham alleged) to repay 20 shillings the priest had given him as a loan. As a debtor took an oath to repay the creditor, this kind of case could come into the church court as a breach of faith. Manyngham produced four witnessesContinue reading “Sir John Manyngham c. Edmund Caryngton”

This seems a straightforward debt case: William Plumbe sued Richard Reynold over a two-year-old loan of ten shillings that Reynold had only partially repaid. It is worthy of note, however, that the witnesses’ evidence is vague on the central legal issue: debts could be pursued in a church court because failure to pay was aContinue reading “William Plumbe c. Richard Reynold”