Ref: EDC 5/1575/4

Catalogue Entry:

EDC 5/1575/4 BOWDON Urian Bowdon c William Charlton and Ellen wife of Robert Lether saying that Urian had committed adultery with Katherine Leigh – libel.

Summary:

Urian Bowdon contra William Charlton and Ellen Lether.

Urian claimed that both defendants had wrongly accused him of committing adultery with Katherine Leighe, wife of John Leighe the younger, of Altrincham, with a rather specific allegation.

Year

1575

Type of Cause:

Defamation – sexual slander

Cause Papers:

Libel

Libel (image 1)

Original Document

Click to view fullscreen

Translation

[1575/4 image 1]

In the name of God, Amen; before you, William, by divine permission bishop of Chester, or your commissary general or other judge whomsoever competent in this regard, the party of the honest man, Urian Bowdon, of the parish of Bowdon of Chester diocese and of your jurisdiction against William Chorlton and Ellen, wife of Robert Lether, of the parish aforesaid of your Chester diocese and jurisdiction, and against any other person whomsoever lawfully intervening before you in judgement for the same, by way of complaint and complaining to you in this behalf says, alleges and propounds in these writings in law jointly, severally and in articles as follows:

1          Firstly, that all and singular subordinates and subjects of this realm of England who speak, utter, assert, express or declare abuse, disparagements or opprobrious, disparaging, scandalous or defamatory words of any person 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 defamatory words in future; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.

2          Also, that the said William Chorlton and Ellen Lether not being ignorant of the premises but forgetful of the welfare of their souls, being induced, as it is believed, by an evil spirit, seriously and grievously defamed the said Urian Bowdon, previously in no way defamed, in the months of March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January and February, namely in the year of our Lord 15[..], or in any of those months whatsoever, in one or other of them, affirming openly and publicly ‘that the plaintiff Vrian bowdon had committed adulterie or fornicacion with Katherine leighe the wiffe of John leighe of Altrincham the younger’ namelyWilliam Chorlton one of the defendantes hath openlie reported that Vrian bowdon the plaintiff had carnall copulacion with the said Katherine leighe and Japed[1] her in a chaire in her husbandes howse’ and similarlyEllena lether the other defendant hath spoken and reported the said woordes by the plaintiff’ namely ‘Ellen lether hath reported that Vrian bowdon Japed Katherine leighe the wief of John leighe of Altrincham the younger in a chaire in her husbandes howse’ these defamatory words or other defamatory words similar to these and importing the same effect, the defendant said of the plaintiff, and either party said of the plaintiff, as will become clear and appear by lawful proofs in the event of this suit, and he propounds as above.

3          Also, that by occasion and reason of this defamation of crimes and reproaches and the utterance, assertion and declaration of the aforesaid defamatory words the standing and good fame of the said Urian Bowdon are injured, blackened and diminished and the said Urian Bowdon was and is

[1] Jape – to have sexual intercourse.

Transcript

[1575/4 image 1]

 In dei nomine amen coram vobis Willelmo permissione divina
Cestrensi Episcopo vestroue  Commissario generali seu alio Judice in hac parte
competenti quocunque Pars honesti viri Urian bowdon
parochie de bowdon Cestrensis diocesis et vestre Jurisdiccionis contra et aduersus Willelmum Chorlton et Ellenam vxorem Roberti lether parochie predicte vestre
Cestrensis diocesis et Jurisdiccionis ac contra quemcunque alium coram vobis
pro eisdem in iudicio legitime interuenientem per viam querele et
vobis in hac parte querelando dicit allegat et in hijs scriptis
in iure proponit coniunctim diuisim atque articulatim provt sequitur

1          Imprimis Quod omnies et singuli huius regni Anglie subditi et
subiecti qui convitia vituperia verbaue opprobriosa vili-
pendiosa scandalosa  [vel] diffamatoria ad alicuis bone fame
lesionem seu denigr[ationem] sonantia vel tendentia contra bonos
mores de aliquo [dicunt em]ittunt asserunt proferunt se[u]
predicant fuerunt [et sunt] Canonice Corrigendi et puni[endi]
Et vt ab huiusmodi [convitijs vitu]perijs et verbis diffam[atorijs]
desistant et [se penitus abst]ineant in futurum Cogendi [et]
compellandi E[t ponit coniunctim d]iuisim et de quolibet

 2          Item Quod d[icti Willelmus Chor]lton et Ellena lether p[remiss]-
orum non ignari immo [animarum suarum s]alutis immemores spritu vt Cred[itur]
maligno ducti dictum [Ur]ianum Bowdon prius minime diff[amatum]
mensibus Martij Apri[lis M]aij Junij Julij Augusti septembris oc[tobris]
Novembris decembris Januarij et Februarij videlicet in anno domini 15[..]
eorumve mensium quolibet vno siue aliquo graviter et
enormiter diffamauerunt affirmando palam et publice that the pla[intiff]
Vrian bowdon had committed adulterie or fornicacion with
Katherine leighe the wiffe of John leighe of Altrincham the
younger videlicet William Chorlton one of the defendantes hath openlie reported
that Vrian bowdon the plaintiff had carnall copulacion with the
said Katherine leighe and Japed her in a chaire in her
husbandes howse et similiter Ellena lether the other defendant
hath spoken and reported the said woordes by the plaintiff
videlicet Ellen lether hath reported that Vrian bowdon
Japed Katherine leighe the wief of John leighe of
Altrincham the younger in a chaire in her husbandes howse
hec verba diffamatoria seu alia verba diffamatoria
hijs similia et eundem effectum importantia pars rea dixit
de parte actrice et vtraque pars dixit de parte actrice provt in eventu
huius litis per probaciones legitimas liquebit et apparebit et ponit
vt supra

 3          Item Quod occatione et pretextu huiusmodi diffamacionis criminum et
conviciorum ac verborum diffamatoriorum predictorum emissionem assertionem et  predicacionem status et bona fama dicti Vria[ni] Bowdon leduntur
denigrantur et attenuantur dictusque Vri[anus] fuit et est in

Libel (image 2)

Original Document

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Translation

[1575/4 image 2]

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 he 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 Urian Bowdon by reason of the premises; and he propounds jointly, severally and concerning any part thereof.

4          Also, that the said Urian Bowdon, before this defamation and the utterance, assertion and declaration of the defamatory words and until then, 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 as above.

5          Also, that the said William Chorlton and Ellen Lether were and are of the parish of [Bowdon] of your Chester diocese and for that reason subordinate and subject to your jurisdiction; and he propounds as above.

6          Also, that it was and is on the part and behalf of the said Urian Bowdon that complaint is rightly and lawfully made to you, lord judge, and to your Chester consistory court; and he propounds as above.

Also, that all and singular the premises were and are true, public, notorious, manifest and equally well known and public voice and fame were and are circulating regarding and concerning this in the parish of Bowdon and in other parishes neighbouring and surrounding the same.

Whereupon, due proof being made as required by law in this regard, the party of the said Urian Bowdon prays that right and justice may be done and administered to him in all and singular the premises and that it should be decided that the said William Chorlton and Ellen Lether will be corrected and punished for the imputation of the above-said crimes and for the pronouncing and declaration of these aforesaid scandalous and defamatory words according to the due requirement of law, and that they will be punished with effect etc.; and also that they will be condemned in the lawful costs incurred on the part of the said Urian Bowdon in that behalf, and he protests those to be incurred, and having been condemned, that they will be canonically obliged and compelled to the due and real payment of the same by you and  your definitive sentence, lord judge aforesaid etc; humbly imploring your office in the premises, lord judge aforesaid.

Transcript

[1575/4 image 2]

nonnullis laboribus et expensis ac alias et aliunde mulipliciter fatigatus
vexatus grauatus oneratus et perturbatus ac apud et inter bonos
et graues minoris reputacionis et fauoris bonique et graves
adhibuerunt et dederunt adhibentque et dant in presenti eidem
Vriano Bowdon minorem fidem atque fauorem pretextu
premissorum Et ponit Coniunctim Diuisim et de quolibet

4          Item Quod dictus Vrianus <bowdon> ante huiusmodi diffamacionem et verborum diffamatoriorum emissionem assertionem et predicacionem et vsque ad ea
fuit vir bone fame opinionis illese et conuersacionis
honeste ac apud et inter bonos [et] graues prius minime
diffamatus et ponit [vt] supra

5          Item Quod dicti W[illelmus Chorl]ton et Ellena lether fue[runt]
et sunt parochie de [Bowdon] vestre Cestrensis diocesis et eo [pretextu]
vestre Jurisdiccionis subd[iti et subiecti] et ponit vt supra

6          Item Quod fu[it et est ex par]te et per partem dicti Vria[ni]
Bowdon ad vos [dominum Judic]em et ad Curiam vestram
Cestrensem  rite et l[egitime que]relatum et ponit vt supra

Item Quod premissa omnia  et singula fuerunt et sunt vera pu[blica]
notoria manifesta pariter et famosa atque de et super huiusmodi
in parochia de bowdon et in alijs parochijs eidem convicinis et circumvicinis
laborarunt et laborant publica vox et fama

Vnde facta
fide de iure in hac parte requisita petit pars dicti Vriani bowdon
Jus et iusticiam sibi in premissis omnibus et singulis fieri
et ministrari Ac dicti Willelmum Chorlton et Ellenam
lether pro supradictorum criminum imposicione et huiusmodi verborum
scandalosorum et diffamatoriorum prolacione et predicacione predictis iuxta
iuris debitam exigentiam corrigendos et puniendos fore
debere decerni et cum effectu puniri et cetera Necnon in
expensis legitimis per partem dicti Vriani bowdon in hac parte
factis et protestatur de fiendis condempnari et condemnatos ad
debitam et realem solucionem earundem Canonice Cogi et
compelli per vos et vestram Sententiam diffinitiuam domine
Judex antedicte et cetera vestrum officium in premissis domine Judex
antedicte humiliter Implorando

Libel (image 3)

Original Document

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Translation

[1575/4 image 3]

[Endorsement]

[…] Bowdon against William Chorlton and Ellen Lether, wife of Robert Lether, in a cause of defamation exhibited in the year of our Lord 1575.

[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]

Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved

Transcript

[1575/4 image 3]

[Endorsement]

[…] Bowdon contra et aduersus Willelmum Chorlton et Ellenam lether vxorem Roberti lether in causa diffamationis exhibitus Anno domini 1575

[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]

Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved

People

Urian Bowdon– plaintiff

William Chorlton – defendant

Katherine Leighe – named in the libel

Ellen Lether  – defendant

 

 

 

 

Officials

William Downham 

Subjects

Defamatory words

 

Places

Bowdon