Ref: EDC 5/1/7
Catalogue Entry:
EDC 5/1/7 Libel in defam. cause: Agnes Rosbothom v. Robert Haryson, both of Winwick pa. co. L. 12 Oct. 1535
Summary:
Agnes Rosbothom contra Robert Haryson
The plaintiff claimed that Haryson had told several people that she had spent the night with Richard Parr in Haryson’s house. Haryson’s defence was that he had never said so.
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 Canon Law, official of the lord archdeacon of Chester, or any other commissary of yours lawfully deputed in that behalf; the party of the honest woman Agnes Rosbothom of the parish of Winwick against Robert Haryson of the same parish, of Coventry and Lichfield diocese and the archdeaconry of Chester and of your jurisdiction, and against any other whomsoever lawfully intervening before you in judgement for […] says, alleges and propounds in these writings in law jointly, severally and in articles as follows:
m Firstly, the party of the said Agnes Rosbothom propounds and it is articled that there was and is a certain constitution of Canterbury province, concerning sentence of excommunication which begins ‘By authority of God, the Father almighty etc.’ rightly enacted and duly promulgated in which it is provided and established that all and singular subordinates and subjects of Canterbury province who for the sake of money, hatred or favour for any other cause whatsoever maliciously impute a crime to any person whereby he may be defamed among good and substantial persons whereby canonical purgation is awarded to him or he is harmed in some other manner were and are by culpability bound and tied ipso facto by the sentence […] of major excommunication promulgated in the said provincial constitution.
m Also, the said plaintiff propounds and it is articled that the aforesaid Robert Haryson was and is notoriously subordinate and subject to the said province of Canterbury and is taken and held as such, and openly, publicly and notoriously so known and reputed.
m Also, the same plaintiff propounds and it is articled that the aforesaid Robert Haryson, not ignorant of the premises, but heedless of the health of his soul, led by the counsel of a pernicious spirit, in the months of May, June, July, August or September, in one or another of the same months in the present and now current year of our Lord one thousand five hundred 35, within the said parish of Winwick, falsely, wickedly and maliciously and out of hatred defamed the aforesaid Agnes of and upon the crime of fornication and unchastity before serious and honest people and openly and publicly imputed the said crime to the same Agnes, namely by repeating and saying that a certain Richard Parr, in the absence of the said Robert Haryson, entered his house <…> on a certain night and slept in bed with the said Agnes through the night in the said house of the same Robert, asserting in addition that the said Richard Parr had indicated and reported to him, the same Robert, that he had entered his house in this way and slept with the same Agnes; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any of these points.
m Also, the plaintiff aforesaid propounds and it is articled that before this said defamation and the imputation of the said crime, the aforesaid Agnes has been and was a woman […] from that said crime, of good fame and unblemished reputation and held, taken, known and reputed for such and as such among her neighbours.
m Also, the said plaintiff propounds and it is articled that by occasion and reason of this defamation and of the imputation of the said crimes the reputation and good fame of the said Agnes Rosbothom are injured, burdened and blackened among her neighbours and also among good and substantial persons to the grave danger of the soul of Robert Haryson and to no small prejudice and damage to the said Agnes and the pernicious example of other Christian faithful, and he propounds as before.
m Also, that all and singular the premises were and are true, public, notorious, flagrant and public voice and fame were circulating of and upon the same, just as they are circulating at present, in the parish of Winwick and other neighbouring places.
Transcript
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[In dei nomine A]men Coram vobis venerabili viro Magistro Richardo Smyth in decretis baccallario Officiali domini Archidiaconi cestrie vestrove commissario
[in hac parte legitime dep]utato quocunque pars honeste mulieris Agnete Rosbothom parochie de Wynwhik contra et aduersus Robertum Haryson eiusdem parochie
[couentrensis et ]lichfeldensis diocesis ac Archidiaconatus cestrie et vestre Jurisdictionis ac contra quemcunque alium coram vobis in Judicio legitime intervenientem pro […]
[dicit] allegat et in hijs scriptis in Jure proponit coniunctim et diuisim atque articulatim pro ut sequitur
m In primis ponit et articulatur pars dicte Agnete Rosbothom Quod fuit et est quedam
constitucio provincie cantuarensis de sententia excommunicacionis que
incipit Auctoritate dei patris omnipotentis et cetera rite edita et debite promulgata In qua cavetur et habetur quod omnies et singuli cant’ provincie
subditi et subiecti qui gratia lucri odij vel fauoris seu alia quacunque de causa crimen alicui maliciose imponunt vnde infamatus sit [apud]
bonos et graues ut sic saltem purgacio canonica eidem indicatur vel alio modo grauetur fuerunt et sunt in maioris excommunicacionis sentencia […]
dicta constitucione provinciali lata ipso facto dampnabiliter involuti et innodati
m Item ponit et articulatur dicta pars actrix quod prefatus Robertus Haryson fuit et est dicte cant’ provincie et vestre Jurisdiccionis notorie s[ubditus]
[et] subiectus ac pro huiusmodi tentus habitus atque palam publice et notorie cognitus et reputatus
m Item ponit et articulatur eadem pars actrix quod prefatus Robertus Haryson premissorum non ignorus immo salutis anime sue immemor spiritu pern[icioso]
consilij ductus Mensibus Maij Junij Julij Augusti seu Septembris siue vno vel aliquo eorundem Mensium presenti et iam currenti anno domini
Millesimo quingentesimo xxxvto infra dictam parochiam de Wynwike prefatam Agnetem falso nequiter et maliciose atque ex odij fomite
de et super crimine fornicacionis et incontinentie coram grauibus et honestis diffamauit et dictum criminem eidem Agneti palam et publice
imposuit videlicet recitando et dicendo quod quidam Ricardus Parr in absentia dicti Roberti Haryson a domo sua intrauit <…> in dictam
domum eiusdem Roberti quadam nocte et concubuit in lecto cum dicta Agnete per illam noctem asserens insuper quod dictus Ricardus Parr sibi
eidem Roberto se ita intrasse domum suam et cum eadem Agnete concubuisse indicauerat et narrauerat et ponit coniunctim diuisim ac de quolibet
m Item ponit et articulatur pars actrix predicta quod ante huiusmodi diffamacionem et dicti criminis imposicionem prefata Agnes fuit et erat mulier […]
a dicto crimine bone fame et opinionis illese atque pro tali et ut talis inter vicinos suos tenta habita cognita et reputata
m Item ponit et articulatur dicta pars actrix quod occasione et pretextu huiusmodi diffamacionem et dicti criminis imposicionis opinio et bona fama d[icte]
Agnetis Rosbothom leduntur grauantur et denigrantur ac inter vicinos suos etiam bonos et graues attenuantur in anime dicti Roberti
Haryson graue periculum dicteque Agnetis preiudicium non modicum et grauamen ac aliorum christifidelium exemplum perniciosum et ponit ut supra
m Item quod omnia et singula premissa fuerunt et sunt vera publica notoria manifesta et famosa ac de et super eisdem in parochia de Wynwyke
predicta et locis alijs convicinis laborarunt et in presenti laborant publica vox et fama
Original Document
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Translation
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Whereupon, due proof being made, as required by law in this behalf, the party of the said Agnes Rosbothom prays that the aforesaid Robert Haryson, by occasion and reason of the premises, has ipso facto culpably sustained and incurred the said sentence of major excommunication in the manner as aforesaid as issued in the aforementioned constitution of the province, and that he is and was bound, enfolded and excommunicated by it, and should be publicly pronounced, decreed and declared for such and as such; and he, Robert, should be canonically corrected and punished for such excess of temerity, according to the due requirement of law: and will be condemned in the lawful costs incurred by the said Agnes reason of this suit and, having been condemned, will be canonically obliged and compelled to the real payment of the same by you 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 party of the said Agnes propounds the premises and prays that they are be 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. And the plaintiff aforesaid assets the right of amending, correcting and modifying this his libel at a suitable and appropriate time and place and for suitable and appropriate reason.
Transcript
[5/1/7 image 2]
Vnde facta fide in hac parte de Jure requisita petit pars dicte Agnetis Rosbothom prefatum Robertum Haryson premissorum occasione et pretextu
in dictam maiorem excommunicacionis setentiam in prelibatam constitucionem provincie modo quo prefertur latam ipso facto dampnabiliter incidisse et incurrisse
ac ea ligatum et involutum atque excommunicatum fuisse et esse atque pro tali et ut talis denunciandum publice debere pronunciari decerni et
declarari Ipsumque Robertum pro tanto sue temeritatis excessu iuxta Juris debitam exigentiam canonice corrigi et puniri A[tque]
in expensis legitimis per partem dicte Agnetis occasione huius litis factis et protestatur de faciendis condempnari condempnatumque ad
realem solucionem earundem canonice cogi et compelli per vos et vestram sententiam difinitiuam in hac parte ferendam domine
Judex antedicte Vlteriusque fieri statui et decerni in premissis et ea concernentibus quod Juris fuerit et racionis Premissa proponit et
fieri petit pars dicte Agnetis coniunctim et diuisim Non arctans se ad omnia et singula premissa probanda Sed quatenus probauerit in premissis
eatenus obtineat in petitis Juris beneficio in omnibus semper saluo vestrum officium in premissis domine Judex humiliter implorando
Et protestatur pars actrix predicta de emendando corrigendo et reformando hunc suum libellum pro loco tempore et causa congruis et oportunis
Original Document
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Translation
[5/1/7 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Rosbothom against Haryson
[in pencil in a different hand]
1535
/7
Transcript
[5/1/7 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Rosbothom contra Haryson
[in pencil in a different hand]
1535
/7
Original Document
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Translation
[5/1/7 image 4]
[Endorsement]
On the 7th day of the month of October in the year of our Lord above-written Brian presented the libel
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
[5/1/7 image 4]
[Endorsement]
vijo die mensis octobris Anno domini superscripto Brian dedit libellum
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
People
Agnes Rosbothom– plaintiff
Robert Haryson – defendant
Richard Parr – mentioned in the libel
Officials
Richard Smyth – official of the archdeacon of Chester