[Item 15, single membrane (Interrogatories on behalf of Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby)]
dyd not the defendantes duringe the time that the plaintifes famely were soe att praiers as aforesaid stampe and trample with theire feete and thereby make an extraordinary noise over their heades and did they not therewithall make very extraordinary outcryes with singinge prophane songes laughinge and makinge suchlike wilde and strainge noyses and were not the saide wilde and strainge noises by them so made of that lowdnes as that they did troble and disturbe the plaintifes famely att the time of theire praiers yea or not.
[Item 1, ff [1v–2] (24 December 1600) (Examination of William Jordan of Hackness)]
To the seventh Interrogatory this deponent saith that the defendantes during the tyme that the famelie of the said plaintif was in their prayers & seruice of God did stampe & trample with their ffeete in extraordinarie manner making great noyse ouer the heddes of the said Complainantes servantes And did likewise make very extraordinary outcries with singing in some confused manner thene laughing thother crying with that confusing which is commonlie called the Black sanctus. And he saithe that the famelie of the plaintif wer gretelie disturbed and disquieted in their praiers with the extraordinary cryes and demenors of the defendantes but whether then did singe any prophane songes or no this defendant dothe not knowe
[Item 1, ff [5v–6] (30 December 1600) (Examination of John Wasse of Hackness)]
To the 7th Interrogatory he saieth that during such tyme as the said Plaintiffes family were soe at praieres as aforesaid The said gentlemen which were then at playe over their heades Dyd soe stampe and trample with thier feete; and therby made suche an extraordinary noyse with singinge of songes, outcryes, laughing and such like wielde and strange noyses and soe awile as that they dyd much trouble and disturbe the plaintifes family at the tyme of their praiers.
[f [8] (Examination of Henry Braythwayte of Hackness, aged about 21)]
To the 7th Interrogatory this deponent saith that during supper tyme as the said plaintifes familye were at praiers as before is supposed The saide defendantes which were in the dyning Chamber over their heades dyd soe stampe and trample with their feete. And made such an extraordinarye noyse With outcryes, singinge & lauging soe lowde as that yt dysturbed & sumwhat troubled the ffamily of the said plaintif Which were then at praiers in the hall vnder them. And more he Cannott Depose to this Interrogatory
[Item 12, single membrane (Interrogatories on behalf of Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby)]
Item whether were you at prayers in the plaintifes hall after supper the same night that the said defendantes cam vnto the plaintifes sayd house about August afforesayd And whether did not the defendantes make an extraordenary noyse in the dyninge Rome or aboue the stares over the hall with stampinge tramplinge laughinge singing crying and making such like wyld and strange noyses and Whether was the noyse by them then made begon before the plaintifes famyly had begonn their psalme and prayers belowe in the hall or afterwardes and Whether did not the defendantes then and there make Lowder noyse then the plaintifes famyly did when they were all singinge their psalme and were not the plaintifes famyly by the said noyse disturbed as they were singinge their psalmes and were at their prayers and whether were not some of the defendantes in the sayde hale in the tyme of prayer yea or not
[item 1, ff 24–4v (24 February 1600/1) (Examination of Thomas Wrey, aged 35 years, of the parish of Blackfriars, London)]
To the thyrd Interogatory this examinat sayth yat he Came but a lyttle before the ende of prayers & therfore can say nothinge materyall towching the noyse affyrmed in this Interogataroy to be then made by the defendantes more then that this examinat hath hearde very many of the plaintifes famuly yat were then present at prayers from the beggininge of them say; yat the defendantes dyd Iumpe & leap ouer theyr heades & made a straunge & wylde noyse lyke vnto a blacke Santes as yt ys tearmed which dyd mo[re] dysturbe them: But this examinat farther sayth that he dyd see wylliam Bourne with an other of the defendantes Company stande together talkynge at a wyndowe in the plaintifes hale when the sayde famuly were ther a prayers; & that the sayde wylliam Bourne dyd keep his hatt on his heade whilst he was soe talkynge in the tyme of prayer.
[Item 10, single membrane (Interrogatories to Peter Campleman on behalf of Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby)]
Item whether were you amongest others of the plaintifes famyly at prayers in the plaintifes hall after supper the same night that the sayd defendantes came to his house and whether did the defendantes behaue themselves prophanely and disorderly by making any lowde strange or wyld noyse over your heades at the tyme of prayer and whether were not the plaintifes famyly therewith disturbed and greved in their myndes yea or not
[Item 1, f [13v] (2 March 1600/1) (Deposition of Peter Campleman)]
To the ffowrth Interrogatory yis deponent sayth yat he was amogst others of the plaitiffes family at prayers in the plaintiffes hale after supper the same night that the sayde defendantes came vnto his howse. And he farther sayth yat after the plaitifes family had begone to synge a psalme (which usually they doe before prayer) he dyd heer some of the defendantes whoe were aboue over theyr heades make a very lowde straunge & wylde noyse with theyr voyces, which was very playnly hearde by thos yat were then singinge the psalme, whoe dyd take the same to be done in prophane sorte, & in skorne of theyr psalme; because none of the defendantes dyd make any noyse, vntyll the psalme was begone; & therfore they were ther greatly dysturbed & greeued in theyre myndes in the tyme of theyr prayers.
[Item 1, ff [27v–8v] (27 April 1601) (Examination of Robert Nettleton of Hackness, aged about 22)]
[…] And his ffamylye they assembled themselves accordingly in the hall And when they were come together (accordinge vnto their vsuall Custom) before they began their prayers they did begine to singe a psalme and Duringe the singinge of which psalme and at the tyme of prayers alsoe the Defendantes kept such stampinge and tramplinge with their feete and made such lowde strange and wyld noyses with ther voyces so much lowder then the plaintifes famyly were in singing ther psalme as that they greatly troubled greeved and Disturbed the plaintifes famyle as they were both singinge ther psalmes and afterwardes at ther prayers And this Deponent further sayth that when prayers wer newly begon ther Came into the hall at the lower end therof William Borne one of the Defendantes whoe passed by them that wer at prayers and stayed not vntyll he Came vnto other two of the Defendantes Company whose names this Deponent knoweth not whoe wer standinge at a wyndowe at the vpper end of the sayd hall when the sayd Bourne with thos other two of the Defendantes Company Did remayne with their backes towardes thos that wer at prayers talkyng and laughing moste vnreverently and moste prophanely vntyll prayers wer ended…
[Item 14, single membrane (Interrogatories to John Thornborough, the bishop of Limerick, et al, on behalf of Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby)]
Item whether dyd you haue any of the sayd defendantes Confesse and say that at such tyme as they thought that the said plaintiffes servantes wer at prayers or singinge of a psalme in the plaintiffes sayd howse when they the sayd defendantes wer in the plaintiffes howse that they the sayd defendantes or some of them did then singe a catch or a songe of prynce Athure or some other songe And which of them did you have so Confesse and say the same./
[Item 6, f [3] (21 May 1601) (Deposition of Samuel Bevercote, aged about 44)]
To the 15. this Deponent sayth yat he hard some of the sayd Deffendantes confesse that att the same tyme when the were in the sayd Complainantes house, after supper they hard some of the sayd Complainantes people singing a tune lyke vnto a psalme. And yat some of the sayd Deffendantes did then sing Catches & such thinges as liked themselues to make them merrye, but which of the sayd Deffendantes yt was yat confessed the same or that did so sing this Deponent remembreth not./
Yorkshire North Riding, Hackness, 1600–1
Star Chamber Case: Hoby v Eure
TNA: STAC 5/H50/4
https://ereed.org/records/yksnr-ridp271468680/
On 26 August 1600 a group of young North Riding gentry […] arrived at Hackness and demanded hospitality of Sir Thomas on the pretext of being on a hunting expedition. Sir Thomas received them with what may have been perceived as ill grace. The company spent the evening drinking and dicing, to Sir Thomas’ disgust, to the extent that he eventually locked the wine cellar. When the family sat down to evening prayers the interlopers attempted to disrupt the service by stamping of feet and singing. Upon departure in the morning, some damage was done, including several broken windows. Hoby wrote a letter of complaint to the privy council (see Sir Thomas Hoby’s Letter to Sir Robert Cecil) and the case eventually went to Star Chamber where Eure was fined £100 annually […].
1600–2; English; paper and parchment; 15 items bound together (items 1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15 relevant), item 1: 52 leaves (sewn), item 2: single membrane, item 6: 3 leaves, items 10, 12, 14, 15: single membrane; 210–770mm x 195–360mm; item 1: unfoliated (ff [32-52] blank), item 6: unfoliated.


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