CELEBRATED TRIALS

CONNECTED WITH

THE ARISTOCRACY.

THE TRIAL OF SIR EDMOND KNEVET, KNIGHT, AT GREENWICH, FOR STRIKING A PERSON WITHIN THE KING'S PALACE.

THE 10th of June, 1541, Sir Edmond Knevet, knight of Norfolke, was arraigned before the king's justices, sitting in the great hall at Greenwich, Master Gage, comptroller of the king's houshold, Master Suthwell, Sir Anthony Browne, Sir Anthony Winkfield, Master Wrisley, and Edmond Pecham, cofferer of the king's housholde, for striking of one Master Clere, of Norfolke, servant with the Earle of Surrey, within the king's house in the Tenice court. There was first chosen to goe vpon the said Edmond, a quest of gentlemen, and a quest of yeomen, to enquire of the said strype, by the which inquests he was found Guilty, and had Judgment to loose his right hand; whereupon was called to do the execution, first the serjeant chirurgion, with his instrument appertaining to his office: the serjeant of the woodyard with the mallet and a blocke, whereupon the hand should lie the master cooke for the king with the knife: the serjeant of the larder to set the knife right on the ioynt: the sergeant farrier with his searing yrons to seare the veines: the sergeant of the poultry with a cocke, which cocke should

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have his head smitten off vpon the same blocke, and with the same knife the yeoman of the chandry with seare clothes: the yeomen of the scullery with a pan of fire to heat the yrons, a chafer of water to coole the ends of the yrons, and two fourmes for all officers to set their stuffe on the sergeant of the seller with wine, ale, and beere: the yeomen of the ewry in the sergeant's steed, who was absent, with bason, ewre, and towels. Thus every man in his office ready to doe the execution, there was called forth Sir William Pickering, knight marshall, to bring in the said Edmond Knevet, and when hee was brought to the barre, the chiefe justice declared to him his trespasse, and the said Knevet confessing himselfe to be guilty, humbly submitted him to the king's mercy for this offence he was not onely iudged to loose his hand, but also his body to remaine in prison, and his landes and goods at the king's pleasure. Then the sayd Sir Edmond Knevet desired that the King, (Henry VIII.) of his benigne grace would pardon him of his right hand, and take the left for (quoth be) if my right hand be spared, I may hereafter doe such good seruice to his grace, as shall please him to appoint. Of this submission and request the justices forthwith informed the king, who of his goodness, considering the gentle heart of the said Edmond, and the good report of lords and ladies, granted him pardon, that he should loose neither hand, land, nor goods, but should go free at liberty.

Sir Edmund Knevit, or Knevet, whose case is thus curiously recorded in the State Trials, was the descendant of a very old and honourable family, the Knyvetts of Buckenham, in Norfolk: his ancestor had been Chancellor of England in the reign of Edward III, and he himself was of high rank and consideration during the reign of Henry VIII: a peerage and a baronetcy were obtained by his descendants, but both these honours, and the family itself in the male line, are now extinct.

The "Master Clere," the person assaulted, was a member of the ancient knightly family of Clere of Ormesby in Norfolk, which was in high favour with Henry VIII, and which, at a subsequent period, obtained a baronetcy. This family is also extinct in the male line: a branch of it, however, which settled in Ireland, terminated in an heiress, Mary Clere, who married Sir William Parsons, Bart., the grandfather of that distinguished scientific nobleman, the present Earl of Rosse.

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THE TRIAL OF LORD STOURTON AND FOUR OF HIS SERVANTS FOR THE MURDER OF THE HARTGILLS, FATHER AND SON.

THE baronial house of Stourton is one of the oldest in the realm; the family held considerable rank prior to the Conquest, and William the Norman on his invasion encountered no other opponent so formidable as Botolph Stourton, who finally compelled the victorious duke to accede to the demands he made in favour of the people dwelling in the West about the Severn. His descendant, Charles, seventh Baron Stourton, was the unhappy subject of this trial.

On the 28th of February, 1556, this Lord Stourton was arraigned at Westminster Hall, before the judges and several of the council; it was long before he would answer to the charge laid against him, till, at last the Lord Chief Justice declared to him that he must be pressed to death according to the laws of the land, if he would not answer: after which he made answer, and was convicted, and condemned to be hanged, together with his four men, for the following murders :

In the reign of Edward VI, William Lord Stourton having charge of one of the king's places near Boulogne, died; and shortly after his death, Charles Lord Stourton, his son and heir, went to Kilmington, to the house of William Hartgill, Esq.; where Dame Elizabeth, late wife to Lord William and mother to the said Charles Lord Stourton, sojourned, and earnestly persuaded William Hartgill to be a means, that Dame Elizabeth should enter into a bond to him, in a great sum of money, that she should not marry; which the said William Hartgill refused, unless Lord Stourton would assign some yearly portion for his mother to live upon.

In discoursing on this matter, Lord Stourton quarrelled with William Hartgill; and, on Whitsunday in the morning, he went to Kilmington

church with several men, with bows and arrows, and guns; and when he arrived at the church-door, John Hartgill, son of William, being told of the said Lord Stourton's coming, went out of the church, drew his sword, and ran to his father's house adjoining the church-yard side. Several arrows were shot at him in passing, but he was not hurt. His father and mother were forced to go up into the tower of the church, with two or three of their servants, for safety. When John Hartgill arrived at his father's house, he took his long-bow and arrow, bent a cross-bow, charged a gun, and caused a wonian to bring the cross-bow and gun after him, and he with his long-bow came forth and drove away the said Lord Charles and his men from the house, and from about the church, except half a score that had entered the church, among whom was one hurt in the shoulder with a hail shot. His father advised him to take his horse and ride up to the court, and tell the council how he had been used. On Monday, towards evening, he reported to the honourable council how his father had been dealt with, whereupon they sent down Sir Thomas Speak, the high-sheriff of Somerset, not only to deliver the captives, but to bring with him the said Charles Lord Stourton, who, when he came, was committed to the Fleet, where he remained but for a short time.

It appeared that as soon as John Hartgill had set off towards London, Lord Stourton's men returned to the church of Kilmington, and about Mr. Hartgill's house, and continued about there till the arrival of the sheriff, which was on Wednesday; during which time, William Hartgill's wife was permitted to go home on Whitsunday, towards night; but in the mean time, Lord Stourton's men went to the pasture of William Hartgill, took his riding gelding, and carried him to Stourton Park pales, and shot him with a cross-bow, reporting that Hartgill had been hunting in his park upon the gelding. Thus Lord Stourton continued his malice throughout King Edward's reign, and with violence took from William Hartgill all his corn and cattle.

On the death of King Edward, William Hartgill and his son petitioned Queen Mary and her council, for redress, her majesty being then at Basing-end, in Hampshire. The council called Lord Stourton and William Hartgill before them, and Lord Stourton promised, that if William Hartgill and his son would come to his house, and desire his good will, they should not only have it, but also be restored to their goods and cattle; where upon his promise, made in such presence, they took John Dackombe, Esq. with them, to witness their submission.

When they came near Stourton House, in a lane, half a dozen of Lord Stourton's men rushed forth, and letting Mr. Dackombe and William Hartgill pass them, they stept before John Hartgill, and when he turned his horse to ride away, six others of the said lord's men beset him before and behind; and before he could draw his sword and get from his horse wounded him in three or four places, and left him for dead. Nevertheless, in half an hour, he recovered himself, got upon his horse, and took refuge in the house of Richard Mumpesson, of MaidenBradley, Gent.

This at last became a subject of star-chamber enquiry, and Lord Stourton was fined in a certain sum to be paid to the Hartgills, and imprisoned in the Fleet, whence he obtained licence, upon some pretence, to retire to his house in the country, and took an opportunity to murder both the Hartgills.

Within three or four days after his arrival at Stourton Caundle, he sent advice to the Hartgills, that he was ready to pay them the sums of money, as ordered by the star-chamber; and to end all disputes between them.

They agreed to invite him at Kilmington church on Monday after Twelfthday, at ten o'clock; and Lord Stourton came accordingly to Kilmington, accompanied by fifteen or sixteen of his servants, sundry tenants, and some gentlemen and justices, to the number of sixty. He went to the church-house, and sent word to the Hartgills, who were in the church, that the church was no place to talk of worldly matters, and that he thought the church-house a fitter place: the Hartgills came out of the church, but fearing ill, refused to enter into any covered place, the church excepted; whereupon, it was proposed, that a table should be set upon the open green, which was done accordingly.

Lord Stourton laid thereupon a cap-case and a purse, as though he intended to make payment, and calling the two Hartgills, said, that the council had ordered him to pay them a certain sum of money, every penny of which they should have: "Marry, he would first know them to be true men :" and then laid hands upon them, saying, "I arrest you of felony," on which his men, to the number of ten or twelve, by violence thrust them into the church-house, where, with his own hands, the lord took from them their purses. Then, having in readiness two cords, he delivered them to his man to bind the Hartgills; and to the younger of the Hartgills, when bound, he gave a blow in his face, and coming out of the house with a sword, and finding at the door young