Inquisition 1737
Suffolk to wit An Inquisition for our soverign Lord the King \ indented and /
taken the Third day of November in the Eleventh year of the Reign of our
Soverign Lord George the Second by the grace of God [etc] at Mildenhall in the
county of Suffolk Before Richard Webb and Joseph Burch Esquires then two of our
said Lord the Kings Justices assigned to keep his peace in the County afforesaid
and to hear and determine the divers Felonies Trespasses and offences done in
the said county by the oath of Henry Carter William Hansell Nathan Booty William
Robinson William Curry Robert Wilkin Philip Crannise Philip Rickwood Richard
Bailey Thomas Hills John Root and Richard Goodwin Honest and Lawfull men of that
said county who up their oath say that Richard Munson of Mildenhall aforesaid
yeoman William Anthony of the same yeoman Joseph Maling of the same yeoman
William Lusher of the same yeoman Robert Clarke of the same yeoman William
Anderson of the same yeoman John Bonnet of the same yeoman Richard Bonnet of the
same yeoman Jeremiah Hunt the younger of the same yeoman Francis Fincham of the
same yeoman Robert Place of the same yeoman Richard Lusher of the same yeoman
Simon Hicks of the same yeoman Robert Hicks of the same yeoman William Bird of
the same yeoman Stephen Smith of the same yeoman William Chapman of the same
yeoman John Peachy of the same yeoman John Root the younger of the same yeoman
[hereafter the accused] being persons of wicked dispositions within one month
now last past to wit On the tenth day of October in the Eleventh year of the
reign of our said Lord the king that whereas between the hours of four or five
in the Morning of that same day with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and
tumultuously assembled themselves together by the sound of a Horn at the
aforesaid Parish of Mildenhall to disturb the peace of our said Lord the King
and to injure \ and damnifie / one Sir Thomas Hanmer Baronet And the said
[accused] kept themselves with force and arms and unlawfully riotously and
tumultuously assembled together at the aforesaid parish of Mildenhall for a long
time to wit for the space of six hours and while they were so as aforesaid with
force of arms and unlawfully riotously and tumultuously they the said [accused]
with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and tumultuously behaved themselves
at the said parish of Mildenhall and with threats and menacies terrifyed and
affrighted divers of our said Lord the Kings subjects being there in the peace
of God and of our said Lord the King and also with force of arms and unlawfully
riotously and tumultuously entered upon the Land of the said Sir Thomas Hanmer
Baronet at the said Parish of Mildenhall being part of his Mannor of Mildenhall
in the said County of Suffolk and the Wastland of the said Mannor and called by
the name of the Heath And with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and
tumultuously with Spades and Shovels <duley> broke and Subverted and diged
up the soil of the said Sir Thomas Hanmer here, to Wit, six rods of his soil
there and within the said Space of six hours with force of arms and unlawfully
riotously and tumultuously again entered the aforesaid land of the said Sir
Thomas Hanmer and with Spades and Shovels broke subverted and digged up the soil
of the said Sir Thomas Hanmer there to wit, six rods of his soil there [sic] and
also took and killed divers coneys of the price of three shillings then found
there and Stoped up with earth and destroyed divers Coney Burrows there to the
terror of the Subjects of our Sovereign Lord the King to the Great disturbance
of the peace of the said Lord the King and against the form of the Statute in
Such Case lately made and provided [for?] And the Jurors aforesaid upon their
said Oath further say that the said William Lusher Robert Clarke William
Anderson and William Anthony being persons of evil and wicked dispositions
afterwards, to wit, on the fourteenth day of October in the Eighteenth Year of
the reign of our sovereign Lord the King with force of arms and unlawfully
riotously and tumultuously assembled themselves together with divers other
persons unknown at the aforesaid Parish of Mildenhall to disturb the Peace of
our Sovereign Lord the King and to injure and damnifie the said Sir Thomas
Hanmer And the said William Lusher Robert Clarke William Anderson and William
Anthony being so aforesaid with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and
tumultuously assembled together they the said William Lusher Robert Clarke
William Anderson and William Anthony on the same day and year last above said
with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and tumultuously assembled entered
the land of the said Sir Thomas Hanmer at the said Parish of Mildenhall all
being Parcell of his said Mannor of Mildenhall in the said County of Suffolk and
the Wastland of the said Mannor and called by the name of the Heath and then and
there with force of arms and unlawfully riotously and tumultuously with Clubs
and Staves made an assault upon one John Ward being then and there in the peace
of God and of our Sovereign Lord the King to the Terror of the said John Ward
and \ of / diverse others the subjects of our said Lord the King and to the
Great disturbance of the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King and Against his
Crown and Dignity In Witness whereof as well we the said Richard Webb and Joseph
Burch the said Justices above said as the Jurors above named have hereunto
interchangeably sett our Hands.
[Signed] Richard Webb [Seal]
J Burch [Seal]
Petition 1737
To the Honourable Sir Thomas Hanmer Bart
November 22nd 1737
Whereas we have been guilty of a great offence by Assembling together in a
riotous and tumultuous manner, and by Breaking up and Digging the Soil in a
certain piece of Common or Wast:Ground Parcell of your Mannor of Mildenhall of
which Riot we have been convicted upon an Inquisition Taken the Third Day of
this Instant November; We being truly Sensible of our Fault, doe most humbly
Acknowledge and Beg pardon for the Same, and promise never to be Guilty of any
thing of the like nature for the future: Imploring your Compassion to ourselves
and poor Families so far as to Intercede on our Behalf that the severe penalties
of the Law may not be Inflicted upon us upon this Occasion.
[Signed] John Peatchey, William Chapman, Peter Peachey, Robert Clarke [Marked]
Richard Lusher, Samuel Turner, Jo: Mayling, Jera: Hunt, William Munson, Robert
Pleace, Stephen Smeth, John Neall, Richard Bunnot, Francis Fincham, William
Belsham, Simon Anthony, John Wing, John Bunot, William Lusher, William Burd,
William Addisin, Robert Sparhack, James Neall, Richard Finch, James Moss.
To the Honourable Sir Thomas Hanmer Bart
November 24th 1737
We the Minister Church Wardens Overseers of the Poor and other Principal
Inhabitants of the Parish of Mildenhall doe Recommend the Case of these
Petitioners to your Compassion and doe Begg the Favour of you that upon their
Repentance and Submission You will use your Endeavours to Save them this time
from the severe Punishments of the Law which They have justly Incurred and by
which their families would be reduced to the utmost injury
[Signed by all unless stated as marked]
William Bunbury Vicar
Churchwardens: John Fuller, Jonathan Norman, John Wing, John Williamson, William
Ewell [Marked]
Overseers: Isaac Cook, Thomas Coe, Philip Crannise, William Lawsell, Nath:
Crannise, Richard Peachey, William Fuller Principal Inhabitants: James Goodalls,
Samuel Cooke, Robert Godfrey, Jno Bolton, Henry Coe, Abraham Bird, William Goold,
John Howlett, Robert Wilkin, John Hinsbey, Francis Bugg, John Andrews, John
Clarke, Simon Leonard, Richard Godfrey, John Frior, John Rolph, Philip Rickwood,
Robert Rolph, Robert Snare, John Lenarde?, Henry Taylor?
Transcription: S.A.Geddes 1995
