The person here celebrated, under the name of Syr Charles Bawdin, was probably Sir Baldewyn Fulford, Knt. a zealous Lancastrian, who was executed at Bristol in the latter end of 1461, the first year of Edward the Fourth.  He was attainted, with many others, in the general act of Attainder, 1 Edw.  IV. but he seems to have been executed under a special commission for the trial of treasons, &c. within the town of Bristol.  The fragment of the old chronicle, published by Hearne at the end of Sprotti Chronica, p. 289, says only; “Item the same yere (1 Edw.  IV.) was takin Sir Baldewine Fulford and behedid att Bristow.”  But the matter is more fully stated in the act which passed in 7 Edw.  IV. for the restitution in blood and estate of Thomas Fulford, Knt. eldest son of Baldewyn Fulford, late of Fulford, in the county of Devonshire, Knt. Rot.  Pat. 8 Edw.  IV. p. 1, m. 13.  The preamble of this act, after stating the attainder by the act 1 Edw.  IV. goes on thus:  “And also the said Baldewyn, the said first yere of your noble reign, at Bristowe in the shere of Bristowe, before Henry Erle of Essex William Hastyngs of Hastyngs Knt.  Richard Chock William Canyng Maire of the said towne of Bristowe and Thomas Yong, by force of your letters patentes to theym and other directe to here and determine all treesons &c. doon withyn the said towne of Bristowe before the vth day of September the first yere of your said reign, was atteynt of dyvers tresons by him doon ayenst your Highnes &c.”  If the commission sate soon after the vth of September, as is most probable, King Edward might very possibly be at Bristol at the time of Sir Baldewyn’s execution; for, in the interval between his coronation and the parliament which met in November, he made a progress (as the Continuator of Stowe informs us, p. 416.) by the South coast into the West, and was (among other places) at Bristol.  Indeed there is a circumstance which might lead us to believe, that he was actually a spectator of the execution from the minster-window, as described in the poem.  In an old accompt of the Procurators of St. Ewin’s church, which was then the minster, from xx March in the 1 Edward IV. to 1 April in the year next ensuing, is the following article, according to a copy made by Mr. Catcott from the original book.

  Item for washynge the church payven ageyns } iiij d. ob. 
  Kynge Edward 4th is comynge. }

  AELLA, a tragycal enterlude. p. 65

This Poem, with the Epistle, Letter, and Entroductionne, is printed from a folio MS. furnished by Mr. Catcott, in the beginning of which he has written, “Chatterton’s transcript. 1769.”  The whole transcript is of Chatterton’s hand-writing.

  GODDWYN, a Tragedie. p. 173

This Fragment is printed from the MS. mentioned above, p. xv. in Chatterton’s hand-writing.

  ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS. p. 196