Ref: EDC 5/17/4
Catalogue Entry:
Libel in defam. cause: Isabel wife of Ralph Holden of Duckworth v. Roger Rusheton. “Thow arte an arrant hore And Thow haddest a chylde before thow were maryed.” 10 – ? – 1556.
Summary:
Isabelle Holden, wife of Ralph Holden, esquire, of Duckworth contra Roger Rishton.
Isabelle claimed that Roger had called her an ‘Arrant hore’ and claimed that she had had a child before she was married. She also claimed that he said to her ‘ Thow hast lost all thy frendes Thow haddest wyth thyne Arse’.
Original Document
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Translation
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In the name of God, Amen; before you, worshipful Master John Hanson, Master of Arts, archdeacon of Richmond, and also guardian of the spiritualities and commissary lawfully deputed to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the diocese of Chester, the episcopal see now being vacant, by the authority of the right reverend father, Nicholas, by divine permission, lord archbishop of York, primate, metropolitan and chancellor of England and legate of the apostolic see or any other judge whomsoever competent in this regard; the party of the gentlewoman Isabelle Holden, wife of Ralph Holden, esquire, of Duckworth in the parish of Church of Chester diocese against Roger Rishton, gentleman, of the said parish and diocese and of your jurisdiction and against any other whomsoever lawfully intervening before you in judgement for the same by way of complaint and complaining to you in this behalf states, alleges and propounds in these writings in law jointly, severally and in articles as follows:
1 Firstly, he propounds and articles that all and singular persons who speak, utter, assert, express or declare abuse, disparagements or calumnious, opprobrious, disparaging, contumelious, scandalous or defamatory words of any man or woman against public morals, sounding or tending to the injury or denigration of the good fame of any person, were and are to be canonically corrected and punished and are to be obliged and compelled to desist and to completely abstain from these abuses, disparagements and other defamatory words in future; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
2 Also, that the said Roger Rishton, not being ignorant of the premises but rather heedless of the salvation of his soul, being induced, as it is believed, by an evil spirit, seriously and grievously defamed the said Isabelle Holden, previously in no way defamed, of and upon the crimes of adultery and unchastity on Thursday next before the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary last, namely on the eighth day of the month of August in the one thousand five hundred and fifty fifth year of our Lord, in the place called Duckworth More in the parish of Church, uttering these following defamatory words to the same Isabelle in English and saying of her ‘ Thow arte an Arrant[1] hore And Thow haddest A chylde before thow were maryed’ and in addition he said to the same Isabelle ‘ Thow hast lost all thy frendes Thow haddest wyth thyne Arse’ or other disparaging and scandalous words similar to these and importing the same effect, as will become clear and appear by lawful proofs in the event of this suit, and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
3 Also, that by occasion and reason of this defamation, crimes and reproaches and the expressing, utterance, assertion and declaration of the aforesaid words the standing and good fame of the said Isabelle Holden, wife of Ralph Holden, are impaired, injured, blackened and
[1] Arrant – notorious or unmitgated.
Transcript
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In dei Nomine amen Coram vobis venerabili viro magistro Johanne
Hanson artium magistro Archidiacono Richemundie necnon custode spiritualitatis
et ad exercendum Jurisdiccionem ecclesiasticam infra diocesem Cestrensem sede episcopali
ibidem vacante auctoritate Reverendi patris et domini domini Nicholai permissione divina
ebor’archiepiscopi Anglie primatis metropolitani et cancellarij Apostoliceque
Sedis Legatis Commissario legitime deputato seu alio iudice in hac parte competenti quocunque
pars generose mulieris Isabelle holden vxoris Radulphi holden
{Pars generose mulieris Isabelle holden vxoris Radulphi holden}
de Duckeworth parochie de Churche Armigeri cestrensis diocesis contra
et aduersus Rogerum Rusheton generosum dicte parochie et diocesis ac vestre
Jurisdicionis ac contra quemcunque alium coram vobis pro eodem in Judicio
legitime Interuenientem per viam querele et vobis in hac parte
querelando dicit allegat et in hijs scriptis in Jure proponit
Coniunctim et diuisim atque articulatim provt Sequitur
1 Inprimis ponit et articulatur Quod omnes et singuli qui
convicia vituperia verbave Calumpniosa obprobriosa vilipendiosa
contumeliosa scandalosa seu diffamatoria ad alicuis bone fame
lesionem seu denigracionem sonantia vel tendentia contra bonos mores de
aliquo seu aliqua dicunt emittunt asserunt proferunt seu predicant
fuerunt et sunt Canonice Corrigendi et puniendi ac vt ab huiusmodi
convicijs vituperijs et alijs verbis diffamatorijs desistant et se
penitus abstineant in futurum Cogendi et Compellendi Et
ponit Coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
2 Item Quod dictus Rogerus Rusheton premissorum non ignarus
immo anime sue salutis immemor spritu vt creditur maligno ductus
dictam Isabellam holden proprius minime diffamatam die
Jouis proximo ante festum Assumptionis beate marie virginis vltimo
videlicet octauo die mensis Augusti Anno domini millesimo quingentisimo
quinquagesimo quinto de et super criminibus adulterij et Incontinentie
in loco vocato Duckworth more in parochie de church grauiter
et enormiter diffamauit proferendo hec verba diffamatoria
in Anglicis sequentia eidem Isabelle et de eadem dicendo Thow
arte an Arrant hore And Thow haddest A chylde before thow
were maryed Et insuper dixit eidem Isabelle Thow hast
lost all thy frendes Thow haddest wyth thyne Arse seu alia
verba vituperiosa et scandalosa hijs similia et eundem effectum
importantia provt per probationes legitimas in eventu huius litis
liquedabitur et apparebit Et ponit coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
3 Item Quod occatione et pretextu huiusmodi diffamationis criminiumque
et conviciorum imposicionem prefatorumque verborum prolationem emissionem
Assertionem et predicationem status et bona fama dicte Isabelle
holden vxoris Radulphi holden Leduntur grauantur denigrantur
Original Document
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Translation
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diminished and the same Isabelle Holden was and is at no little trouble and expense and otherwise and elsewhere wearied, vexed, oppressed, burdened and perturbed in many different ways, and among and between good and substantial people she is of less reputation and favour and good and substantial people have ascribed and given, and at present ascribe and give, less trust and favour to the same Isabelle Holden by reason of the premises; and he propounds, jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
4 Also, that the said Isabelle Holden, before this defamation and crimes and reproaches and the expressing, utterance, assertion and declaration of the defamatory words aforesaid and until then, was a woman of good name, unblemished reputation and honest conversation, and previously in no way defamed among and between good and substantial people; and he propounds, jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
5 Also, that the said Roger Rishton was and is of the parish of Church of Chester diocese and notoriously subordinate and subject to your jurisdiction; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
6 Also, that it was and is on the part and behalf of the said Isabelle Holden that complaint is rightly and lawfully made to you, lord judge aforesaid, and to your Chester consistory court; and he propounds as above.
7 Also, that all and singular the premises were and are true, public, notorious, manifest and equally well known in the parish of Church and in other parishes and public places neighbouring and surrounding the same public voice and fame were and are at present circulating regarding and concerning this.
Whereupon, due proof being made as required by law in this regard, the party of the said Isabelle Holden prays that right and a complement of justice may be done and administered to her in all and singular the premises and that it is decreed that the aforesaid Roger Rishton should be corrected and punished for the imputation of the above-said crimes and for the pronouncing and declaration of these aforesaid words according to the due requirement of law, and that he will be punished with effect and is to be obliged and compelled to desist and to completely abstain from these disparagements, abuse and defamatory words in future; and also that he will be condemned in the lawful costs incurred on the part of the said Isabelle Holden in that behalf, and he protests those to be incurred, and having been condemned, that he will be duly obliged and compelled to the real payment of the same by you passing your definitive sentence in that behalf, lord judge aforesaid; and otherwise, that what will have been of right and reason in the premises and anything whatsoever concerning them may be done, established and decreed,
Transcript
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et attenuantur Ipsaque Isabella Holden fuit et est in nonnullis
laboribus et expensis ac alias et aliunde mulipliciter fatigata
[…] { Ac apud et inter bonos et}
vexata grauata onerata et perturbata <Ac apud et inter bonos et>
graues minoris reputacionis et fauoris bonique et graves adhibuerunt
et dederunt adhibentque et dant in presenti eidem Isabelle holden
minorem fidem atque fauorem pretextu premissorum et ponit Coniunctim
diuisim et de quolibet
4 Item Quod dicta Isabelle Holden ante huiusmodi diffamationem
ac criminium et Conviciorum ac verborum diffamatororium predictorum
prolationem emissionem assertionem et predicationem et vsque ad ea fuit mulier
bone fame opinionis illese et Conversationis honeste Ac apud
et inter bonos et graues pro prius minime diffamata Et ponit
Coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
5 Item Quod dictus Rogerus Rysheton fuit et est parochie de Church Cestrensis
diocesis Et vestre Jurisdiccionis notorie subditus et subiectus Et
ponit Coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
6 Item Quod fuit et est ex parte at per partem dicte Isabelle holden
ad vos dominum Judicem antedictum et ad Curiam vestram
Consistorialem Cestrensem rite et legitime querelatum Et ponit vt supra
7 Item Quod premissa omnia et singula fuerunt et sunt vera publica
notoria manifesta pariter et famosa Atque de et super huiusmodi in parochia
de Church et in alijs parochiis et locis publicis eidem Convicinis
et Circumvicinis Laborarunt et in presenti Laborant publica vox
et fama
Vnde facta fide de Jure in hac parte requisita petit
pars dicte Isabelle holden Jus et Justicie complementum sibi
in premissis omnibus et singulis fieri et ministrari Ac predictum
Rogerum Rusheton pro supradictorum criminium imposicione et huiusmodi
verborum prolacionem et predicacionem predictorum iuxta Juris debitam
exigentiam corrigendum et puniendum fore debere decerni et cum effectu
puniri Et vt ab huiusmodi convicijs vituperijs et verbis diffamatorijs
desistat et se penitus abstineat infuturum Cogi et Compelli
Necnon in expensis legitimis per partem dicte Isabelle Holden in hac parte
factis et protestatur de fiendis Condempnari Ac Condemnatum
ad Realem solucionem earundem debite Cogi et Compelli
per vos et vestram sententiam diffinitiuam in hac parte ferendam
domine Judex antedicte. Vlteriusque fieri statui et
decerni in premissis et ea concernentibus quibuscunque quod Juris
fuerit et Rationis Premissa proponit et fieri petit
Original Document
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Translation
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the party of the said Isabelle Holden propounds the premises and prays that they are done jointly and severally, not binding himself to prove all and singular the premises, nor to the burden of a superfluous proof, against which he protests, but so far as he shall prove in the premises so much may he obtain of the petitions, always reserving the benefit of law in all things, humbly imploring your office in the premises, distinguished judge aforesaid.
Transcript
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pars dicte Isabelle Holden Coniunctim et Diuisim Non Arctans se ad
omnia et singula premissa probanda nec ad onus superflue probationis de quo
protestatur Sed quatenus probauerit in premissis eatenus obtineat
in petitis Juris beneficio in omnibus semper saluo Vestrum officium in
premissis Judex egregie Antedicte humiliter implorando
Original Document
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Translation
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[Endorsement]
Libel of Isabelle Holden against Roger Rishton in a cause of defamation, exhibited on the tenth of […] 1556
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
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[Endorsement]
[Libellus Isabelle] holden [contra] Rogerum Rysheton in causa diffamationis exhibitus xo […] 1556
[in later hand] /4
[in later hand] /4
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
People
Isabelle Holden – plaintiff
Ralph Holden – husband of plaintiff
Roger Rishton – defendant
Officials
Notes
This cause arose in the course of a long-running dispute stemming from the alleged removal by Roger Rishton of turves belonging to Isabelle Holden.
A subsequent defamation cause was brought by Isabelle against Roger Rishton’s wife, Helen, and another by Helen against Isabelle. The decisions of the court seem to have gone in Isabelle’s favour in all these causes and both Roger and Helen appealed to the archbishop’s court at York. Further suits were brought directly at York.
The appeals are held at the Borthwick Institute in York under references TRANS.CP.1557/1 and TRANS.CP.1557/2. There are also some papers generated by these appeals available online at https://www.dhi.ac.uk/causepapers/index.jsp
The references are CP.H.3926, which is a complaint by Helen Rishton against the officials at Chester and Isabelle Holden’s reply. CP.G.693 is Helen Rishton’s libel in the defamation cause against Isabelle Holden; Isabelle’s personal answers to the points of the libel; interrogatories to be administered to Helen’s witnesses on Isabelle’s behalf; two sets of depositions on the libel and interrogatories. CP.G.648 is the libel and depositions in a cause brought by Isabelle Holden at York against Roger Rishton for a physical assault on her in church and for preventing the serving of a citation; Roger Rishton’s personal response; interrogatories to be administered to Isabelle’s witnesses on Roger’s behalf and depositions on the libel and interrogatories. CP.G.648A is Isabelle Holden’s exceptions against Helen Rishton’s witnesses in her defamation cause at CP.G.693 and depositions of Isabelle’s witnesses upon her exceptions.
This is an example of how bitter (and costly) a dispute between neighbours could become once the Consistory Courts were involved.