Deposition of William Singleton

Deposition of William Singleton TNA ref SP1/116

At Warrington, the 27th day of February in the 28th year of the reign of our sovereign lord King Henry the 8th

William Singleton, aged 45 years (i.e. born 1492), servant to Sir Richard Houghton, knight, sworn and examined, deposes and says, by the oath that he has made, That shortly after the common people were dispersed to their houses, after the appointment was taken at Doncaster, by my lord of Norfolk and others of the King’s Council, and about four days before the feast of Saint Andrew last passed,

One Henry Bannaster, Keeper of the forest of Bowland, being well acquainted with the said William Singleton, between whom there were certain reckonings of money for sheep and other things, sent one of his servants, whose name this deponent knows not, desiring him to come and speak with the said Bannaster, and to bring his greyhounds, and he would either get him a course at the hind of [ie land behind?] of Nicholas Tempest, bow-bearer there, or else he shold have it at his fee dere [ie his own landholding there?].

To the which messenger the said William Singleton said that he would be glad to speak with him at some convenient place to be appointed, but he would be loath to come there because the persons of the rebellion were lodged thereabouts, and because he was afraid lest they swear him, as they had done others. And so it was appointed that they should meet at one Henry Richmounte’s house, dwelling at Chipping dale, and so met there some [time] afterwards, when the same Bannaster had assured this deponent that all things were quiet, and that there was no such danger, but that he trusted all things would be well upon Saint Andrew’s Eve next following, he taking with him Henry Singleton and Ewan Brown, his fellows servants to the said Sir Richard Houghton, [who] went with their greyhounds to the house of the said Bannaster, where they lay all that night. And when in communication the said William Singleton had declared how his said master and Sir Thomas Southworth, knight, were in a [state of] readiness, and had intended with their forces to have stayed and given a breakfast to the said commons until the coming down of my lord of Derby and his force, The said Bannaster answered that although he knew well they were gentlemen of great force, both of men and friends, nevertheless they would not have been of enough power to withstand the said commons, who were much desirous (if they could have brought it to pass) to have won the said Sir Richard and Sir Thomas Southworth, because he said the said commons were purposed to have made their entry in three places, that is to say, at Lancaster, Whalley and Manchester, which words were the most special words that he can remember that were spoken that night and need to be written down. And on the morrow after Saint Andrew’s Eve, this deponent and the said Henry Singleton and Ewan Brown, with the said Bannaster, went together and met with the said Nicholas Tempest about a mile from the house of the said Bannaster, Deposition of William Singleton

TNA ref SP1/116

And as they were going towards their game to hunt, they had like communication with the said Nicholas about the said matters, and then likewise when the said deponent had shown unto the said Nicholas in what good readiness his said master and Sir Thomas Southworth were in, and others of the country, to have done the King’s Highness’s service against the said commons Rebels as before, The same Nicholas first declared how at first he was minded to withstand them to the utmost, and nevertheless afterwards, [when] three homes were clearly turned, [he] was earnest in the commons’ causes after he had taken his oath, And then the said Nicholas showed them how his goods and substances were first spoiled by the commons, whereby he was constrained to be sworn unto them, and said also that if the commons had proceeded, their said master and the said Sir Thomas Southworth would have been pleased to fall in with them, or else their houses would have been pulled down, and their goods spoiled as others’ were.

Henry Singleton, of the age of 45 years or thereabouts, servant to the said Sir Richard Houghton, sworn and examined, deposes and says, by the oath that he has made, That he was present at the said Bannaster’s house upon the said Eve of Saint Andrew, and heard the said communication of the same Bannaster and Nicholas Tempest in everything as is aforesaid, and he knows not any other thing material touching the said matter.

Ewan Brown, of the age of 25 yeres, sworn and examined, deposes and says, by the oath that he has made, That he was likewise present with the said deponents at the said Bannaster’s house, and heard the said communication there, and also the communication to the said Nicholas Tempest in everything as before is deposed, and further he knows not of anything in his conscience material to be written down.

FILE - [no title] - ref. D/D An/Bundle 64/20 - date: N.D

Contents A statement and queries with regard to the rights of Sir Richard Houghton lord of Houghton with regard to riparian rights on the Rible at a place where mill stones from Whittle le Wood are wont to be embarhed at 2d. each.