NOTES TO CHAPTER XII

Note A. The date at which Sir Ingram Percy came to York is not known with certainty, but his visit appears to have taken place about this time.

Note B. Sir Brian Hastings misrepresented the summons in his letter of 13 November. “The rebels intended to have had a general council or parliament at York on Saturday last but the posts from my Lord of Norfolk, Sir Ralph Ellerker and Mr Bowes stayed them.”^[1407] As a matter of fact it was the posts which caused the Council to be summoned. Hastings’ information was often inaccurate.

Note C. It seems that Ratcliff was either going to or returning from Lancashire when he was captured, for otherwise he had no reason to go near Wakefield, and as he was carrying letters to the Lord Admiral [Fitzwilliam] it was probably his return journey. The letter containing the news of his capture was written by Gervis Clyfton to Mr Bankes. Robert Bankes gave evidence against the rebels before the Earl of Derby on 2 December^[1408]. He may have been the person to whom the letter is addressed.

Note D. Thomas Treheyron, Somerset Herald, was murdered in Scotland by two of the Lincolnshire refugees in November 1542^[1409].

Note E. The only other reference to this incident, which seems to have been the appearance of the usual Yorkist pretender, is made by Wilfred Holme, who says that

... “the commons before Doncaster

Ascribed a Carter to a king coequal in degree.”^[1410]

307Note F. There were a great many rhymes flying about and it is impossible to identify this one. Many of the rebel manifestoes were roughly metrical. The following is part of one which circulated in Westmorland and Lancashire:

“Gentle commons, have this in your mind,

Every man take his lands’ lord and ye have need,

As we did in Kendalland

Then shall ye speed.

Make your writings, command

Them to seal to grant you your petitions as your desire.

Lords spiritual and temporal, have it in your mind,

The world as it waveth,

And to your tenants be ye kind,

Then may you go on pilgrimage

Nothing you withstand,

And commons to you be true through all Christen land,

To maintain the faith of Holy Church

As ye have take on hand.

Adieu, gentle commons, thus I make an end.

Maker of this letter, pray Jesu be his speed,

He shall be your captain

When that ye have need.”

This proclamation is printed twice in the Letters and Papers, vol. XI, 892 (3) and vol. XII (1), 163 (2).

There was a song against Cromwell called Crummock, which was sung in Westmorland in the time of the rebellion. It may have contained some local allusion to Crummock Water^[1411], but the commons of Yorkshire also sang

“Cosh, Crummock, cosh, I would we had thee here,”^[1412]

which must have likened the Lord Privy Seal to a bad-tempered cow.

In the summer of 1538 Isaac Dickson commanded a minstrel who was singing in an ale-house by Windermere to give the song called Crummock which he had sung at Crossthwaite during the rebellion. The minstrel, who had to adapt his wares to the party in power, did not dare to sing the song. Dickson passed from threats to blows, but still the minstrel refused, fearing the halter more than Dickson’s dagger. There was a brawl, and both Dickson and the minstrel were arrested^[1413].

In connection with Friar Pickering’s poem comparing Cromwell to Haman, it may be noted that in the anonymous play of “Godly Queen Hester,” which is attributed to Skelton, a similar parallel is drawn between Haman and Wolsey, the suppression of monasteries by the latter being likened to Haman’s persecution of the Jews. See “The Library” October 1913 “Early Political Plays” by M. H. Dodds.

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