The document appears to me to be a Chancery Bill.   If this has come from a
private source,  you should be able to trace another copy,  perhaps with an
answer in PRO class C1.   At this date however there are not separate
records of the result of the case.

Peter King
----- Original Message -----
From: Brockett <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 09 February 2001 13:27
Subject: Re: two questions


> 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'?
>