Very many thanks to everyone for their very useful and interesting responses to
the 'per' question.
In reply to the posting from Peter King, the document is not so grand as he
describes. It is an everyday-type complaint about someone holding on to some deeds
and the complainant is asking for a sub poena to get the person to appear and hand
them over. There is no date at the bottom, hence I was hoping the heading would
give a clue, which it has (thanks to Stephen Benham’s response). To contextualise
the thread for those interested, I append the text of the document at the end of
this email.
Re ‘per me’, it was in fact this which first made me think that 'per' was an
abbreviation of ‘per me’, and that both were an indication that the following
signature was of the person themself. I had come across the signatures of the four
witnesses to a will from 1598, all in different hands. The first was preceded by
'per me', the second was just the signature, the third was preceded by 'per me'
and the final one was a mark preceded by 'signu[m]'. Judging by the studied
flourishes on some of the letters and by the well-tried and smooth overall
appearance of each of the signatures, the three signatures had to be those of the
witnesses themselves - I could not imagine someone signing on their behalf to go
to that trouble or be able to write the name so fluently. Hence I presumed that
‘per me’ meant ‘this is me actually signing here.’
Following your various kind and knowledgeable responses, it seems that 'per' and
'per me' can indeed indicate that the following signature is that of the person
themself, but can equally indicate that someone is signing on their behalf. Why
isn't life more simple?
Thanks again,
Adrian Brockett
1. To the ryght reuerent father in god Thomas lord Cardinall & legatte
2. Archbisshop of york & Channceler of Inglond
3. Mekely sheweth vnto yower grace yower dayly oratour & bedman Edward broket that
wher the seyd Edward
4. with other are seasyd in their demean as of fee simple to thuse of the seyd
Edward & hys heres of & in iiij
5. mesuagers lx acres of lond xxxiiij acres of pasture xx acres of medde vj acres
of wodd & x s of rent with thappurtinances
6. in berche iuxta hengham wodrisyng Craneworth Reymerston & hengham in the Counte
of Norff’ And so it is
7. gracious lord that certen Euydens cherts & munimentes concernyng the premisses
are c...yne & now be in the possession of
8. one Edmund Wullesby & for that that the certente of theym be vnknower[1] to
yower seyd suppliannt whether the
9. be in bagge or boxe sealed wherfor he is withowt remedy by the course of the
comen lawe by accion of
10. determination or otherwyse And yower seyd suppliannt hath often & many tymes
desiered & Requiered the seyd
11. Edmund to delyuer ‘hym’ the seyd euydens & he that to do hath vtterly refused
& it [i.e. yet] dothe wherfor it may please
12. yower good grace the premisses tenderly considered to grannt yower writ of
subpena to be derected to the
13. seyd Edmund comandyng hym by the x..e of the same To appere by for yower grace
in the kynges
14. most honorable court of channcery at a certen day & a payn by yower grace to
be lemitted &
15. yower seyd oratour shall dayly pray for the preseruacion of yower good grace
long to endure.
per Ed Broket
plege de pro Robertus Horpole de london Gent’
Ra..Garus eodem yoman
[1] r for n by dittography in advance to ‘yower’?
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