Reference
TW1016
Title
“My Grandfather’s bill in Starre chamber against Sir Lewis Dive” Bill of complaint of William Boteler of Biddenham esquire, Justice of the Peace.
Date free text
1589
Production date
From: 1589 To: 1589
Scope and Content
John Dyve of Bromham “havinge conceived against your sayde subiect most greevous displeasure and deadlye hatred” moved thereunto “onlye for that your subjecte did purchase certayne landes and tenementes in Bromham aforesayde neere adioyninge unto such landes as after the deathe of Sir Lewis Dyve knighte are to descend (as your said subject supposeth) unto the said John Dive as sonne and heyre” and the said John Dive carried “suche a revenginge mynde” that forgetting “both his dutye towards God and obedience towards your maiesties lawes” he tried by unlawful and sinister practices to seek the death of William Boteler and to bring him “to finall perdition and destruction”.
i) John Dive said in the presence of witnesses that he would fight with and be revenged upon William Boteler, but not so long as William Boteler was Sheriff, as he had been for the year last past. However he gave up the gaol and prison to Ralph Astrye esquire, the present Sheriff, on 23 December last [1588], and on the morning of 24 December John Dive, with William Broughe of Bedford, innholder, Lewis Simson and others, “did lye in wayte in secret and close manner under a hedge in a close betweene Biddenham and Bedford, throughe or by whiche close your saide subject was to passe as your saide subjecte should goe from his house to the sermon at Bedford havinge no other waye to goe”. Those in the ambush were armed with”swords and daggers, longe pikes staves withdivers other weapons” so that William Boteler would have “bin in manifest hasarde and danger of life yf your saide subjecte had accordinge to there expectation one that daye gone to the sermon (as in truth he did not)”.
ii) On 26th December Dive sent to William Boteler’s dwelling house in Biddenham one Lewis Goofelowe, who challenged William Boteler to a duel with John Dive, which William Boteler declined as it would not stand “with your sayde subiectes dutye towards your maiesties lawes and your Maiesties peace” with which reasonable answer John Dive was not” (as the sequell did shewe) satisfied or contented”.
iii) On Sunday 29 December 1588 William Boteler was at the parish church of Biddenham to hear divine service with three or four of his servants, and coming home along the highway from the church to his house, was set upon by John Dive together with William Broughe, Lewis Simson, Thomas Smythe of Bromham yeoman, Henry Tommes of Bromham yeoman, Randolph Walton of Bromham yeoman, Brian Inglande late of Clapham yeoman, David Faldoe of Biddenham gentleman, Edward Leader of Bromham yeoman, William Deerye of Biddenham labourer and others to the number of 16 or 17, being armed in warlike manner with swords and buckler, daggers, long pikes, staves, forest bills and other weapons “as well invasive as defensive” and on the highway “in the sighte of the greatest nomber of the same parishes” did set on William Boteler and his servants travelling home from church “in your maiesties most happye peace” not regarding “your maiesties hye waye”. William Boteler was left for dead “in that he bled and was stricken downe to the grounde” and 3 of the servants were wounded: Peter Sampson thrust through the gullet; Andrew Wright lost two fingers of the left hand; Robert Sampson was wounded in the right arm and elsewhere. The attackers “departed in a great braverye and jolitye reioycinge greatlye of that whiche they had done”.
William Boteler can find no other cause than that he had purchased lands in Bromham near the lands of Sir Lewis Dive knight, for on the Wednesday before Christmas, being the 18th December, when William Boteler had returned from London, the said William Broughe “(a man of bad behaviour, yet suche a one as to whom the said John Dive dothe beare a very speciall affection)”, when he heard that William Boteler had the lands, said “then there is noe remedye but we must fight it out”. Also when William Boteler was in London to complete the purchase an attempt on his life was planned.
Level of description
item