Catalogue description BRAMSTON PAPERS

Papers of Sir John Bramston (1577-1654), Chief-Justice of the King's Bench, 1633-52 (ff.1-104), with a few papers of Sir John Bramston, the younger (1611-1700), 1664-79 (ff.105-15)

Receipt by Elizabeth Stepkin to John Bramston, Serjeant-at-Law, for a set of buttons, a silver bowl, and a nutmeg pot tipped with silver and gilt bequeathed to her by her father John Stepkin, 1 March 1633 (f.1).

Letter of compliments from Cambridge University to Sir John Bramston, '7o antecalendas Maii' [1635]. Latin. Broken seal (f.2). Also a copy (f.4).

Letter from Sir Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1640), Lord-Deputy of Ireland, and members of the Council, to the same, from Dublin Castle, 22 September 1635, requiring him to answer a petition from James Spottiswood, Bishop of Clogher, against Lady Elizabeth Bramston concerning lands in county Fermanagh. Seal. Not in Letters and dispatches (f.6).

Letter from Cambridge University to the same, 18 December 1635, on behalf of Magister Scargell. Latin. Seal (f.8).

Letter from John Bramhall, Bishop of Derry [later (1661) Archbishop of Armagh], to the same, from Dublin, 4 March 1636, concerning the renewal of a lease from James Spottiswood, Bishop of Clogher, to Lady Bramston and the unusual circumstances in Ulster when it was first granted. Seal (f.10).

Letter from the Privy Council to the same, from Hampton Court, 4 June 1636, requiring him to examine John Hodges for certain words spoken (f.12).

Letter from Thomas Coventry, Lord Coventry (1st Baron Coventry), Lord-Keeper, to the same, from Hampton Court, 19 June 1636, stating that the king approves the judges' resolution on writs of habeas corpus (f.14).

Letter from the Privy Council to the same, from Hampton Court, 21 June 1636, requiring that John Hodges be tried at the next assizes in Somerset (f.16).

Letter from the same to the same and Sir George Croke, Judges of Assize for Norfolk, from Oatlands, 12 September 1636, asking for a list of four persons suitable to be appointed high-sheriff for the counties of Cambridge and Huntingdon. Seal (f.18).

Letter from Sa: Mayart to Elizabeth Bramston, wife of Sir J. Bramston, from Dublin, 23 September 1636, about the delivery of a confidential letter. Seal (f.20).

Letter from the Privy Council to Sir John Bramston, from Windsor, 3 October 1636, suspending a proclamation issued on July 9th concerning abuses by weavers and combers in falsifying the manufacture of woollen cloths, requiring him to report on the true state of affairs, and to submit names of any clothiers who refuse to set the poor to work or to pay reasonable wages (f.22).

Letter from Sa: Mayart to the same, from Dublin, 29 November 1636, reporting discussions with the Bishops of Derry and Clogher concerning renewal of a lease by the latter. Seal (f.23).

Opinion of the judges on the legality of Ship Money, 7 February 1637. Copy (f.25).

Letter from - Willoughby to Sir John Bramston, from Dublin, 26 February 1637, about the value of lands leased from the Bishop of Clogher (f.27).

Letter from John Bramhall, Bishop of Derry [later (1661) Archbishop of Armagh], to the same, from Dublin, 7 June 1637, on terms arranged with tenants of the Bishop of Clogher's lease. Seal (f.29).

Letter from Sir Thomas Barrington to the same, from Hatfield Broad Oak, 13 September 1637, proposing as custos rotulorum that the assizes be held at Chelmsford. Seal (f.31).

Letter from the Master and Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge, to the same, from Jesus College, 25 October 1637, concerning the settlement of a dispute. Latin. Seal (f.33).

Order by the Star Chamber for Sir John Bramston to report on a petition by David Waterhouse, gent., against Sir Arthur Ingram the elder, knight (courtier), concerning a claim in Chancery for part payment by the latter for lands at Halifax, Yorks., 27 April 1638. Copy (f.35).

Warrant to the Warden of the Fleet prison to keep Alexander Jennings in prison for scandalous speeches against the government, 4 May 1638. 'Concordat. cum registro. Edw. Nicholas'. Copy (f.37).

Information by Thomas Browning, B.A., aged 22, taken before Jeremy Browning and Thomas Clerk, bailiffs of Maldon, Essex, Robert Aylett and Euseby Wright, J.P.s, reporting seditious words in a sermon in St. Mary's church, Maldon, by Enoch Grey (minister), 30 July 1638 (f.39).

'Articles against Mr. [Enoch] Gray of Gracechurch, London', [1638] (f.41).

Report by John Michaelson, parson of Chelmsford, of a conversation with - if Burroughes, a minister of the diocese of Norwich lately suspended for non-conformity (accused of seditions words), at Little Leighs, Essex, in the Earl of Warwick's garden, concerning the Covenant, the power of the magistrate, and the right of rebellion, 5 August 1638 (f.42).

Letter from Sir Francis Windebank, Joint-Secretary of State, to Sir John Bramston, from Drury Lane, 10 January 1639, inquiring about one captain Allen who had done good service in the discovery of notorious malefactors and highway robbers. Seal (f.44).

Commission under the great seal to Lionel Edgar of Grays Inn, gent., and Lawrence Coldham, gent., to search the records of the Exchequer and King's Bench to discover abuses by Robert Henley and Samuel Wightwicke in the discharge of their duties as clerks for the enrolment of pleas, 17 October 1639. Copy (f.46).

Order by the Privy Council that James Pontie, a Scot, curate of Dunmore Priory, Essex, give bond to William Maynard, Lord Maynard, one of the Lords Lieutenants of Essex, to make a profession against, the Covenant, with instructions for the Lord Chief Justice to make further examination, 17 April 1640. Copy (f.48).

Letter from the Privy Council to Sir John Bramston, from Whitehall, 5 June 1640, for the further examination of Margaret Grigg for treasonable speeches 'of a very high and dangerous nature' (f.50).

Examination of Margaret Grigg, wife of Robert Grigg, taken before Sir John Bramston, 6 June 1640 (f.52).

Articles of impeachment of Sir John Bramston, [21 December 1640] (ff.54-5).

Letter from Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, to Sir John Bramston, from Whitehall, 20 April 1641, asking his opinion whether words uttered by one Pratt, a shoemaker of Southampton, are treasonable (f.58).

Letter from Henry Millbanke to the same, from Astrop Rothing, 24 August 1641, seeking redress against one Stoakes, who obtained bonds from him, and threatening to petition Parliament and 'declare such a passage in it which I beleeve your Lordship would be very loath it should come to light' (f.60).

Letter from Sir George Croke (judge), Justice of the King's Bench, to the same, from Waterstock, 3 November 1641, stating that he has informed members of Parliament about the judges' discussions concerning Ship Money. Enclosed (f.64) is a statement by Sir Richard Hutton, judge, on the king's request to the judges and an account of their discussion (f.62).

Letter from Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, to the same, from Holborn, 2 December 1641, requesting sentence in a case between John Rose and Joseph Hawes in the King's Bench suspended by a prohibition. Seal (f.66).

Letter from Sir Edward Nicholas, Secretary of State, to the same, from Whitehall, 29 December 1641, urging the king's wish that seditious persons be prosecuted speedily. Seal (f.68).

Letter from the same to the same, from Westminster, 30 December 1641, sending information and the king's wish that an unnamed person be prosecuted if there is evidence of sedition. Seal (f.70).

Information by Henry Durham, Anthony Frewen, and William Marshall, taken before Sir John Bramston, of seditious words uttered by one Tutty after preaching at St. Mary's parish church, Somerset, 30 December 1641 (f.72).

Information by John Clerke, rector of St. Ethelburgha, London, of seditious words uttered by Enoch Grey in the same church, 30 December 1641 (f.74).

Examination of Enoch Grey, lecturer of Gracechurch, London, 1 January 1642 (f.76).

Information by several witnesses that Henry Pryme, of Coleman Street, London, uttered treasonable words in the parish church of St. Martin, Chipping Ongar, when he was brought to lecture 'by certain sectaries without any consent of the Bp. or Parson', 4 January 1642 (f.78).

Information by George Whippe, of London, haberdasher, taken before Sir John Bramston, of seditious words in St. Ethelburgha's church, 5 January 1642 (f.80)

Letter from Sir Edward Nicholas to Sir John Bramston, from Whitehall, 5 January 1642, requiring him to investigate treasonable words by Jane Carkesse. Seal (f.82).

Letter from the same to the same, from Whitehall, 7 January 1642, concerning proceedings against persons apprehended for publishing seditious pamphlets. Seal (f.84)

Information by Francesco Nicolini, John Statham, bakers, and others, of a plot to kill named peers, 13-14 January 1642 (f.86).

Letter from Sir Edward Nicholas to Sir John Bramston, from Windsor, 7 February 1642, to protect Lady Carr against threats by her husband Sir Robert Carr, 2nd Bart. Seal (f.88).

Letter from the same to the same, from York, 27 April 1642, to proceed against one Gardiner on information of William Dutton. Seal (f.90).

Letter from the same to the same, 14 May 1642, to proceeed against Matthew Williams of Glamorgan, tailor, for treasonable words (f.92).

Letter from the same to the same, from York, 2 June 1642, to proceed against Walker and others, and suppress seditious pamphlets, which are common in and about London. The king believes Dr. Clayton not so honest as some take him. 'There is now here a great court, 37 Lords, besides diverse of the Commons house of very good quality'. Seal (f.94).

Letter from Sir Robert Heath (judge) to the same, [from York], 18 June 1642, sending notes on the removal of causes by certiorari that the judges may pursue a uniform course; a case of bastardy in Cumberland. Seal (f.96).

Receipt for loan of £10 from John Bramston, of Roxwell, Essex, towards payment of the Scottish army, 29 June 1644 (f.98).

Certificate by the Committee for Sussex of a voluntary loan by John Porter, esq., for maintenance of the Scots, 14 August 1644 (f.99).

Letter from William Masham to Sir John Bramston, 20 March 1646, about the living of Roxwell, Essex. Seal (f.101).

Petition by Enoch Grey to Parliament for redress of grievances against Sir John Bramston and others, [26 July 1649]. Printed (f.103).

Receipt by Jane Russhee for £10 received from Sir John Bramston, 16 March 1652 (f.104).

Order by the Committee of the Privy Council for the Admiralty and Navy to Sir John Bramston, Admiral of the County of Essex, for the arrest of all Dutch ships in English harbours and roads, 18 November 1664 (f.105).

Letter from Henry Coventry, Secretary of State, to the same, from Whitehall, 21 September 1675, requiring his punctual attendance at Parliament. Seal (f.107).

Order by the Commissioners for the office of Lord High Admiral to the same, requiring the impressment of 380 seamen, from Derby House, 16 April 1678. Seal (f.109). Also detailed instructions for the same (f.111).

Letter from Christopher Monck, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, to the same, from Newhall, 6 January 1679, requiring him to attend the disbanding of a regiment at Chelmsford. Seal (f.113).

Letter from the Commissioners for the office of Lord High Admiral to the same, from Derby House, 12 April 1679, requiring accounts for the sum of £60 advanced to defray the cost of impressment of seamen. Seal (f.115).

See also MS 3263.

Given by Mr. Michael Beloe, 1986.