Ref: EDC 5/1/11
Catalogue Entry:
EDC 5/1/11 Libel in defam. cause: Francis Holford v. Philip Holford of Lower Peover. 1541.
Summary:
Francis Holford contra Phillip Holford
Francis Holford was the nephew of Philip Holford, and grandson of Margery Holford. It is possible that the insult which gave rise to this cause stemmed from a family feud about Margery’s property following her death. If Francis had been illegitimate, as alleged, it could have adversely affected his right to inherit property from his grandmother.
Original Document
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Translation
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In the name of God, Amen: before you, venerable Master Richard Smyth, Bachelor of Law, by the authority of the most illustrious Prince in Christ and our master, Henry the eighth, by the grace of God King of England and France, Defender of the Faith and Lord of Ireland and on earth under […] supreme head of the church, lawfully appointed official, or any other judge competent in that behalf; the party of the honest man Francis Holford against Phillip Holford or the parish or chapelry of Lower Peover of the archdeaconry of Chester of Coventry and Lichfield diocese and of your jurisdiction, and against any other whomsoever lawfully intervening before you in judgement for the same says, alleges and propounds in these writings in law jointly, severally and in articles as follows:
Firstly, he propounds and it is articled that all and singular persons who speak, express, utter or […] abuse or disparagements or calumnious, injurious, disparaging, contumelious words of any man to the defamation […] sounding or tending to the injury or diminution of the good fame of any person, against good morals […] were and are to be canonically punished and from these abuses, disparagements, calumnies, injuries, outrages and […] are to be obliged and compelled to desist; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
Also, that the aforesaid Phillip Holford […] the said Francis Holford, previously in no way defamed among good and serious people, of and upon the crimes set out below in the months of April, May or June in the present and current one thousand five hundred and forty first year of our Lord, or in any of those months whatsoever or in one […] he expressed, spoke, uttered and declared the following scandalous, disparaging, calumnious, injurious, reproachful, insulting or abusive […] in places and houses within the said parish of Peover and other adjacent as follows in the common tongue thus saying and calling and […] ‘That my neviewe Francis is but a bastard and that my brother John and his mother Katerine wer neuer married’ as will become clear and more fully appear in the outcome of this suit through honest and trustworthy witnesses, or at least by other defamatory words […] and importing the same effect; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
Also, that the aforesaid Francis Holford was born about 23 or 22 years ago in the house of a certain Robert Holford, gentleman, while he lived […] Margery Holford, the wife of the aforesaid Robert, and she has been and was his grandmother, his godmother, without ever exhibiting any impediment […] from the time of his youth without indicating anything except that the aforesaid Francis has been and was born and bred from a lawful union […] commonly called, held, known and reputed; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
Transcript
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[In dei nom]ine Amen Coram vobis venerabili viro Magistro Richardo Smyth in Jure baccallario Auctoritate Illustrissimi in Christo
[principis] et domini nostri Henrici octaui dei gracia Anglie et Francie Regis fidei defensoris ac domini Hibernie et in terris sub
[…] ecclesie capitis supremi Officio legitime fulcito seu alio Judice in hac parte competenti quocunque Pars honesti
[viri Franci]sci Holford contra et aduersus Philippum Holford parochie siue capelle de pevor Inferior Archidiaconatus cestrie Couentrensis et lichfeldensis [diocesis]
[et vestre Jur]isdiccionis ac contra quemcunque alium coram vobis in Judicio legitime intervenientem pro eodem dicit allegat et in hijs scriptis
[in Jure prop]onit coniunctim et diuisim atque articulatim prout sequitur
[Inprimis ponit et articulatur] quod omnes et singuli qui convicia vituperia verba ve calumpniosa Iniuriosa vilipendiosa contumeliosa ad infamiam
[…] lesionem seu diminucionem bone fame sonancia vel tendencia contra bonos mores de
aliquo dicunt proferunt emittunt seu
[… fu]erunt et sunt canonice puniendi et ut ab huiusmodi convicijs vituperijs calumpniosis Iniuriosis contumeliosis ac
[…] desistant cogendi et compellendi et ponit coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
[Item quod] prefatus Philippus holford dictum Franciscum Holford de et super criminibus infrascriptis apud bonos et graues per prius minime
[diffamatum] mensibus Aprilis Maij seu Junij presenti et currenti anno domini
Millesimo quingentesimo xljo eorundem ve mensibus quolibet siue vno
[… sc]andalosa vilipendiosa calumpniosa Iniuriosa vituperiosa contumeliosa seu conviciosa sequentia protulit dixit emisit et predicant
[…] locis et domibus infra dictam parochiam de pevor locis que alijs adiacentis prout in vulgari sequitur sic dicendo vocitando et
[…] That my neviewe Francis is but a bastard and that my brother John and his mother Katerine wer neuer
[married pro]ut in eventu huius litis per probos et fidedignos testes liquidabitur et plene apparebit seu saltem per alia verba diffamatoria
[…] et eundem effectum importancia et ponit coniunctim diuisim et de quolibet
[Item quod] prefatus Franciscus Holford circiter xxiij seu xxij annos elapsis natus fuit in domo cuiusdam Roberti Holford dum vixit generosi
[…] Margeria holford vxor predicti Roberti ac eius Aua fuit et erat eius commater nullo semper et omnino impedimento
[…] temporis Iuvento adhibito siue ostenso nisi quod predictus Franciscus fuit et erat ex legitimo coitu procretus et genitus
[…] communiter dictus tentus cognitus et reputatus et ponit coniunctim et diuisim et de quolibet
Original Document
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Translation
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Also, that by occasion and reason of this defamation and the aforesaid imposition of crime, and the aforesaid utterance and declaration of the words, the standing and good fame of the said Francis are injured and also he and his reputation are burdened, blackened and diminished and he, Francis, was and is at no little trouble and expense and otherwise and elsewhere wearied, vexed, burdened, oppressed and perturbed in many different ways, and among and between good and substantial people he is of less reputation and favour and good and substantial people have ascribed and given, and ascribe and give, less trust and favour to the same Francis by reason of the premises; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
Also, that before the utterance and assertion of these defamatory and abusive insulting, scandalous and calumnious words, and until them, the aforesaid Francis was a man of good fame, 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.
Also, that the aforesaid Phillip Holford was and is of the parish or chapelry of Lower Peover of the archdeaconry of Chester of Coventry and Lichfield diocese and notoriously subordinate and subject to your jurisdiction, and he is had, held and openly, publicly and notoriously known and reputed; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.
Also, that all and singular the premises were and are true, public, notorious, flagrant and well-known public voice and fame were circulating of and upon the same, just as they are circulating at present, in the parish of Peover and other neighbouring parishes and places.
Whereupon, due proof being made, as is required […] upon all and singular of which matters the libelling party aforesaid prays for right and justice effectively in all and singular the premises […] that aforesaid Phillip has culpably sustained and incurred the sentence of excommunication by reason of the premises and that he will be excommunicated […] denouncing him should be pronounced, decreed and declared as such and for such, and on account of his imposition and assertion should be punished in this respect according to the due requirement of law, and that he, Phillip, will be obliged and compelled that he will desist from these disparagements, abuses, […] scandals, vilifications and dishonours and these injurious, defamatory words;
and will be condemned in the lawful costs incurred by the aforesaid Francis Holford in this matter, and he protests those to be incurred, reason of this suit and, having been condemned, will be canonically obliged and compelled to the real payment of the same by you and your passing your definitive sentence in that behalf, lord judge aforesaid; and furthermore that what may be of law and reason in the premises and matters concerning them may be done, established and decreed; the plaintiff […] propounds the premises and prays that they are done jointly and severally, not obliging himself to prove all and singular the premises, but so far as he has proved in the premises thus far may he obtain in the petitions, always reserving the benefit of law in all things, humbly imploring your office in the premises, lord judge.
Transcript
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[Item quod] occasione et pretextu huiusmodi diffamacionis ac criminis predicti imposicionis prefatorum que verborum prolacionis et emissionis staus
[et bona] fama dicti Francisci leduntur Necnon ipse et eius opinio grauantur denigrantur et attenuantur Ipseque Franciscus fuit et est in
[nonnullis] laboribus et expensis ac alias et aliunde mulipliciter fatigatus vexatus oneratus grauatus et perturbatus ac apud et inter
[bonos et] graues minoris reputacionis bonique et graues adhibuerunt et dederunt adhibentque et dant eidem Franciscuo minorem
[fidem at]que fauorem pretextu premissorum et ponit coniunctim et diuisim et de quolibet
[Item quod pre]fatus Francsicus ante huiusmodi diffamacioniorum et conviciorum verborum contumeliosorum scandalosorum et calimpnosorium
[…] assercionem et predicacionem predictum et vsque ad eas fuit vir bone fame opinionis illese et conuersacionis honeste ac
[apud et in]ter bonos et graues pro prius minime diffamatus et ponit coniunctim et diuisim et de quolibet
[Item quod prefa]tus Philippus holford fuit et est parochie siue capelle de pevor inferior Archidiaconatus Cestrie Couentrensis et lichfeldensis diocesis et vestre
[Jurisdiccioni] notorie subditus et subiectus ac pro tali et ut talis habitus tentus ac palam publice et notorie cognitus et reputatus et ponit
[coniunctim] et diuisim et de quolibet
[Item q]uod premissa omnia et singula fuerunt et sunt vera publica notoria manifesta et famosa ac de et super omnibus et singulis in dicta
[parochia de] pevor alijs que parochiis et locis adiacentis laborarunt prout in presenti laborant publica vox et fama
Vnde facta fide que requisitur
[…] super quibus omnibus et singulis pars libellans predicta petit Jus et Justiciam sibi in premissis omnibus et singulis effectualiter
[…] predictum Philippum in excommunicacionis sententiam dampnabiliter incedisse et incurrisse premissorum pretextu atque excommunicatum fuisse
[…] pro tali et ut talem denunciandum fore debere pronunciari decerni et declarari ac pro imposicionem et assercionem suis
[iuxta] Juris debitam exigentiam in hac parte puniendum fore decerni et debite puniri ac ipsum Philippum ab huiusmodi vituperijs convicijs
[…] scandalosis vilipendosis et inhonestis Iniuriosisque verbis difamatorijs desistat cogi et compelli Necnon in expensis
[legitimis per par]tem predicti Francisci holford in hac parte factis et protestatur de faciendis insuper condempnari ac condempnatum ad
[realem] solucionem earundem canonice cogi et compelli per vos et vestram sententiam diffinitiuam in hac parte ferendam domine Judex antedicte
[Vlterius]que fieri statui et decerni in premissis et ea concernentibus quod Juris fuerit et racionis Premissa proponit et fieri petit pars actrix
[…] coniunctim et diuisim Non arctans se ad omnia et singula premissa probanda Sed quatenus probauerit <in premissis eatenus obtineat> in petitis Juris beneficio
[in omnibu]s semper saluo vestrum officium in premissis domine Judex humiliter implorando
Original Document
Click to view fullscreen
Translation
[5/1/11 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Libel Holford against Holford in a cause of defamation.
[in pencil in a different hand]
1541
/11
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
[5/1/11 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Libellus Holford contra Holford in causa diffamationis
[in pencil in a different hand]
1541
/11
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
People
Francis Holford – plaintiff
Phillip Holford – defendant
John Holford – mentioned in the libel
Katherine Holford – mentioned in the libel
Margery Holford – mentioned in the libel
Robert Holford – mentioned in the libel
Officials
Notes