Ref: EDC 5/1580/12
Catalogue Entry:
EDC 5 1580. 12. MANCHESTER Robert Riding c Ralph Shalcrosse for saying he was a naughty man of his body – libel.
Summary:
Ralph Shalcrosse contra Robert Ridinges
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/12 image 1]
In the name of God, Amen; before you, worshipful Master Robert Leche, Doctor of Laws, lawfully deputed official principal of the Chester consistory court, or any other judge whomsoever competent in this regard, the party of the distinguished Ralph Shalcrosse of the parish of Manchester of Chester archdeaconry against Robert Ridinges of the parish and archdeaconry aforesaid and against any other person or persons 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 in articles as follows:
1 Firstly, namely that all and singular subordinates and subjects of this realm of England who utter, assert or declare abuse, disparagements or opprobrious, scandalous or defamatory words tending or sounding to the injury or denigration of the good fame of any person with malicious intent and against public morals, were and are to be canonically and according to the due requirement of law in that behalf corrected and punished; and he propounds as before.
2 Also, that notwithstanding the premises the aforesaid Robert Ridings, not being ignorant of the premises but knowing well enough, in the months of April and May in the year of our Lord 1580, now current, within the parish of Manchester aforesaid, with malicious intent and against public morals seriously and grievously defamed the aforesaid Ralph Shalcrosse, previously in no way defamed, of and concerning the crimes written below and he uttered, spoke and published some abusive, scandalous and defamatory words openly and publicly against the aforesaid Ralph and especially the following English words namely ‘Thou art or he is, meaninge the said Rafe Shalcrosse a naughtie[1] man of thy bodie & hast had […] dealing with […]’
[1] Promiscuous or immoral in this context.
Transcript
[1580/12 image 1]
In dei nomine Amen Coram vobis venerabili viro magistro Roberto leche legum
doctore Curie Consistorialis Cestrensis officiali principali legitime deputato aut
alio Judice in hac parte competenti quocunque Pars discreti
viri Radulphi Shalcrosse parochie de Mancestr’ Archidiaconatus
Cestrensis contra et aduersus Robertum Ridinges parochie et
Archidiaconatus predictis ac contra quemcunque alium seu quoscunque
alios 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
articulatim prout sequitur
1 Inprimis videlicet Quod omnes et singuli huius Regni Anglie
Subditi et subiecti qui Convitia vituperia verbaue
opprobriosa scandalosa seu diffamatoria ad alicuis
bone fame lesionem seu denigracionem tendentia seu
sonantia animo malicioso ac contra bonos mores proferunt
asserunt seu predicant, fuerunt et sunt canonice
ac iuxta Juris in ea parte Exigentiam corrigendi et
puniendi Et ponit vt supra
2 Item Quod premissis non obstantibus prefatus Robertus Ridinges
premissorum non ignarus imo satis sciolus predictum Radulphum
Shalcrosse de et super Criminibus infrascriptis prius
minime diffamatum mensibus Aprilis et Maij Anno domini
1580 iam currenti infra parochiam de mancestr’ predict’
animo malicioso ac contra bonos mores grauiter et
enormiter diffamaui, nonnullaque verba convitiosa
scandalosa seu diffamatoria contra prefatum Radulphum
palam et publice protulit dixit et promulgauit ac
presertim verba Anglice sequentia videlicet Thou
art or he is, meaninge the said Rafe Sh[alcrosse]
a naughtie man of thy bodie & hast had […]
dealinge with […]
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/12 image 2]
3 Also, that the aforesaid Ralph Shalcrosse, before the utterance of these defamatory words and until then, was a man of good fame, unblemished reputation and honest conversation and for such and as such openly, publicly and notoriously commonly called, held, considered, named and reputed among his acquaintances and neighbours; and he propounds as before.
4 Also that by reason and occasion of the utterance of these words the standing and good fame of the said Ralph are diminished, injured and harmed and the same Ralph was and is of less esteem after the utterance of these words than before; and he propounds as before.
5 Also, that the aforesaid Robert Ridings was and is of the parish of Manchester of the archdeaconry of Chester and notoriously subordinate and subject to your jurisdiction; and he propounds as before.
6 Also, all and singular the premises were and are true, public, notorious, manifest and equally well known and public voice and fame were circulating regarding and concerning the same, just as they are circulating at present.
Whereupon, due proof being made as required by law in this regard, the party of the aforesaid Ralph Shalcrosse prays that right and justice may effectively be done and administered to him in all and singular the premises and anything whatsoever concerning them and that that the said Robert Ridings will be punished according to the demands of the law in that regard on account of his reckless excess in pronouncing the defamatory words aforesaid; and also that he will be condemned in the costs incurred and to be incurred on behalf of the plaintiff in this cause by you and your definitive sentence or final decree; and otherwise, that what will have been of right and reason in the premises may be done, established and decreed; this party propounds the premises and prays that they are done jointly and severally, not obliging himself to proving all and singular the premises, nor to the burden of superfluous proof, concerning […]
Transcript
[1580/12 image 2]
3 Item Quod predictus Radulphus Shalcrosse ante huiusmodi verborum
diffamatoriorum prolacionem et vsque ad ea fuit vir bone fame
opinionis illese et conuersacionis honeste proque tali et
vt talis inter notos et vicinos suos communiter dictus tentus
habitus nominatus et reputatatus palam publice et notorie Et
ponit vt supra
4 Item Quod pretextu et occacione prolacionis huiusmodi verborum status
et bona fama dicti Radulphi attenuanter leduntur et
gravantur fuitque et est idem Radulphus minoris
Estimacionis citra huiusmodi verborum prolacionem quam ante
Et ponit vt supra
5 Item Quod predictus Robertus Ridinges fuit et est parochie de
Mancestr’Archidiaconatus Cestrie vestreque Jurisdiccioni notorie
subditus et subiectus Et ponit vt supra
6 Item Quod premissa omnia et singula fuerunt et sunt vera
publica notoria manifesta pariter et famosa Et quod de et
super eisdem laborarunt prout in presenti laborant publica
vox et fama
Vnde facta fide de et super premissis
de Jure requisita petit pars predicti Radulphi Shalcrosse
Jus et Justiciam sibi in premissis omnibus et singulis ac
ea concernentibus quibuscunque fieri et ministrari cum
effectu dictumque Robertum Ridinges propter suum
temerarium excessus verba diffamatoria predicta proferenda
iuxta Juris in ea parte Exigentia puniri atque in Expensis
ex parte agentis in huiusmodi causa factis et fiendis condemnari
per vos et vestram Sententiam diffinitiuam siue finale decretum
Ceteraque fieri statui et decerni quod Juris fuerit
et Rationis Premissa proponit et fieri petit pars
ista Coniunctim et diuisim Non arctans se ad omnia et singula
premissa probanda nec ad onus superflue probacionis de […]
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/12 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Libel offered on behalf of Ralph Shalcrosse against Robert Ridinges in a cause of defamation, 1580
[in pencil in a different hand]
Manchester
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
[1580/12 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Libellus ex parte
Radulphi Shalcrosse
contra Robertus
Ridinges in causa
diffamacionis oblatus
1580
[in pencil in a different hand]
Manchester
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved