Archive:STAC 8/304/17

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Parties

• Eustace Whitney of Pontvaen, Herefordshire, Gent.

Transcription

To the Kinges moste Excellent Maiestie

In most humble mann(er) sheweth and informeth unto yo(u)r highnes yo(u)r true and faithfull subiect Ewstance Whitney of Pontvayne in the county of Hereforde gentleman That in the Towne of the Haye in yo(u)r highnes County of Brecon here hath bene keapt for diverse yeres paste and yet ys used to be keapt a common Markett weekely upon the Monndayes and Thursdayes throughout the yere And three severall fayres there alsoe keapt in every yere in the severall monethes of May August and September. And that the said marketts and Fayres have bene unlawfully enchroched and keapt as aforesaid w(i)thout any Rightfull warrant or com(m)encement And that unto the same Merketts and Fayres (for that the said Towne of the Haye ys scytuate in the nearest borders of the said County of Brecon, Confynninge upon the severall countyes of Hereford afore said and Radnor) have contynually Resorted and dayly doe resort All manner of Lewde dissolut and disordered persons as notorious theives, Fellons, drunkards, Rogues, vagabondes, and others such like, both men and weomen there abydinge ydlely from one markett daye unto another, spendinge and consumeinge what the have or can any wayes gett in all ryotous and vylions kinde of lyeinge w(i)thout any punishment or correction for the same, But are rather thereunto encouraged and therein uphoulden by suche as take upon them to be officers there to the greate offence annoyance and hinderance of all yo(u)r highnes true and faithfull subiects, dwellinge in or nere and repayringe unto the said Towne, upon the markett dayes and ffayres aforesaid, and to the manifest corruption and increase of Evill course and conversation of sondry the nowe inhabytants of the said Towne of the Haye w(hi)ch of late are growne to be of the like disposition and quallities, as the said disordered persons are themselves by these moste dangerous lewde Examples, allowed and protected as aforesaid, but espeacyally favoured and permytted there, by and through the meanes of one John Thomas Gwatkin whoe usurpeth and assinneth to himselfe the name and tytle of Bayliffe of the said Towne, beinge altogether a man most partiall towardes offendors, a notorious com(m)on drunckard and every way knowne to be of bad behaviour and worse Consyence. And whereas heretofore long since there was sett up and made in the said towne of the Haye a buildinge or howse of sixe Romes at the propper charges of the inhabytantes of the said Towne and others of the neighbours of the countrey there abouts for a markett howse: to stande in and under w(i)th theire Corne grayne victualls and Com(m)odities Freely and w(i)thout payinge any thinge therefore for all those w(hi)ch from tyme to tyme did bringe any suche thinges thither to be uttered and soulde at the said Marketts and Fayres Nowe he the afore said John Thomas Gwatkin for his owne pryvate gayne sake dothe Farme and sett oute unto one David Morris & to certayne other p(er)sons (to yo(u)r highnes said subiect unknowne) all the Roomes of the said howse at and for the yerely Rente of sixe poundes thirteene shillinges fowre pence or there abouts and the same Rent unlawfully and extorciously taketh keapeth and converteth unto his owne sole use and benefytt contrary to the true purpose and good meaninge of all those p(er)sons at whose charges the same Marketthowse was formerly Evected, as aforesaid In soe muchas yo(u)r Ma(ies)ties subiects Repayringe unto the same Marketts and Fayres, have beene inforced a longe tyme and still are Compelled att and duringe the said Marketts and Fayres to stande and abyde w(i)th theire Corne grayne victuas goods and wares w(hi)ch they bringe thither to utter and sell as aforesaid, in the open streete altogether w(i)thout sucker or shelter, for or against the weather be the same then and there never soe fowle wett or otherwise unseasonable: And yet Neverthelesse he the said John Thomas Gwatkin by him selfe and his servants, by his appointments doth and doe contynually every markett daye and Fayre wrongefully exacte extort and take towle? of all man(n)er of Corne grayne goodes and wares from all yo(u)r ma(ies)ties faythfull and loyall subiects, havinge thither brought the same to be soulde and uttered and besydes extorteth and taken in money by like wronge, of and from every suche p(er)son for suche theire standinge in the open streete only as aforesaid, of some a penny of other some two pence, and of other some threepence a peace and more a greate deale of some others w(hi)ch he tearmeth by the name of p__hinge pence beinge in deede no other than extortion money neyther

In progress, the following lines still remain to be transcribed:

doth the said Bayliffe of the Haye
yo(u)r said subiecte
comytted there
and officers of the same Towne,
suffer, those fellons to departe awaye
ad his said
nowe at large
Baylief of the said
and did take a corporall othe in that
before beinge butt a meane seriant only in the said towne 
of the said towne
w(i)thout any due
soe great a value
there untill they shall
made them to 
or had demurred
but his owne
after their owne Rates and prises
of the same in the said
the bushell wherew(i)th the said
conteyninge more than the 
ap Hugh beinge notoriously detected and knowne 
receaved?
very quiet honest man
John Thomas Gwatkin
and answere his
William Clement
up and downe the said house
Clement to the said William Lewys his howse
and shame, from the said
Baylif Gwatkin, did utterly refuse to take any
on the said Clements
two or thee of his neighbours
Baylif Gwatkin did suffer to escape and passe awaye, w(i)thout any
Hughe to be a very thiefe and to be
any his goods or wares in the said towne
Gwatkin in Regarde of great mallice and grudge w(i)th the said Baylief did beare unto
Haye
and twenteth day of October last
did use
malte conteyninge aboute ten
to be grownde, and the same malte and bagge doth still
likewise
the Haye, and one John Thomas the younger, sonne of the said Baylief Gwatkin
Haye and then and there sore wounded him to the
evill intreat the said Watkin Jenkins, and did pull and drawe him by the hayre of the head
Jenkin did upon iuste occasion
Lloyde of the said Towne
recover against
and keapt to his owne use
unto him
thereof and that yf hee did paye
upon Maye daye next then after followinge and not before
the said Towne of the Haye
that he was goeinge
made by the said Stephens & belonginge unto the said Syble Lloyd
Gwatkin had
vyolent hand upon the said Edmond Bevan Goughe,
Haye and did
Justice of the peace of and for the said county of Brecon w(hi)ch Justices of peace
Goughe and Will(ia)m Lewys
the aforesaid Edmond Bevan
wronges
& other the mysdemeanor
all and ever of them Respectively have and
therefore please yo(u)r Ma(ies)tie
payne therein to by lymitted
Councell shalbe 

This document was obtained from The British National Archives by Adrian Benjamin Burke, Esq. and transcribed by Tim Doyle