owing to the fact that Sir Roger was “a worshipfull
man of the said libertie & of great myghte havyng many
Riottous personez aboute hym” When the little
cavalcade of mounted men and servants reached Roxby
they found that Sir Roger Hastings had left for Scarborough.
He describes the procedure of the Cholmley party in
a most picturesque fashion, stating that within an
hour after the delivery of the Privy Seal they “came
Ryottously with the nowmbre of xii persons, with bowis
arrowes longe sperys in maner and furme of warre.”
In another place he details their armour and arms
saying that they were arrayed with “Cures (cuirass)
Corsettes (armour for the body) Brygendyns, Jakkys,
Salettis (a light helmet), Speris, Bowes, Arrowes,
Sourdis, byllys and Launcegays, (a small lance) with
other maner of wepyns defencive.” As Sir
Roger and his wife rode towards Scarborough they met
“Sir Rauf Ivers, which in Curtes (courteous)
maner then departed.” When he was thought
to be on the road homewards to Roxby, however, Sir
Ralph Evers was accused of having laid “in a
wayte to have murderyd” Sir Roger Hastings at
Brompton, for at that place Evers and eight of his
servants came upon Sir Roger’s men who were
being sent ahead to discover the ambush that they had
reason to fear. When Sir Ralph found that the
men who reached Brompton were only servants and messengers,
he was accused of having said to them “ye false
hurson Kaytyffes, I shall lerne you curtesy and to
knowe a gentilman.” Thereupon Sir Ralph
“set his arowe in his bowe, seying these wordes,
’And your Master were here I wolde stoppe hym
the wey.’” When they reached Snainton
twenty persons issued from the house of “one
Averey Shymney, servant to the seid Sir Rauf ... arrayed
with bowys bent, arrowis, billis and Gleyvis.”
There is also a complaint against some of the servants
of Sir Ralph Evers who were held responsible for “an
assaute and Fraye made upon my lady Hastynges.”
Thomas Thirlwall, on being examined, said that “my
lady came rydyng that ways with vi horses with hir,
and oone of hir servantz thet rode afore, had a male
[a portmanteau] behynd hym, and with a bowe in his
hand bent, and that the said servant rode soo nygh
hym th[at] the male touched hym and he bade hym ryde
forther and asked, why his bow was bent, and he said
that was mater to hym, and the sayd deponent with I^d
knyff [in another place it is called a dagger] which
he had in his hand cut the bow string, bicause he
rode soo nygh hym with horse that he had almost stroken
hym downe; And forther he deposith that my lady light
downe from hir horse hirself and said that, ‘and
she liffed, she would be avenged’; and thereupon
Ric: Brampton came to hir and said, ’Madame
be not afferd, for here shall noo man trouble you
nee yours.’”