NOTES TO CHAPTER III
Reading edition
Note A. The authors of “The History of the House of Howard” say of Lady Bulmer “her character (was) foully, and, as has since been shown, lyingly, attacked by the King’s lawyers,” but we have failed to discover the defence of her character. Her own son did not deny that his sisters were born before his parents’ marriage[270].
Note B. The document which accused Sir Robert Constable of breaking the liberties of Beverley is undated. Among the Letters and Papers it is placed with the evidence given at his trial. The reference to “Our Holy Father the Pope” shows that it must have been drawn up at least some years earlier.
We have been unable to discover the case of Anne Grysanis, and it is possible that this Sir Robert Constable may not have been the villain. There were so many Constables.
Note C. Possible translations of the inscription on Aughton church tower:—
(1) “I (the tower) ought not to forget Christofer, second son of Robert Aske, knt, A.D. 1536.”
(2) “Christofer, the second son of Robert Aske, knt. I ought not to forget, A.D. 1536.”
Note D. Robert Aske is called Sir Robert’s third son in Tonge’s Visitation of 1530, but in 1507 he had a brother Richard, who seems to have come between Christopher and Robert, but died in childhood[271].
Note E. Star Chamber Proceedings.
Bundle XVIII, 252. Sir H. Saville v. Sir R. Tempest.
„ „ 153. „ v. „ [272].
„ XVII, 256. Sir R. Tempest v. Sir H. Saville[273].
„ XXII, 58 and 147. „ v. „
„ XXI, 174. Robert Holdesworth v. John Lacy, Thomas Saville, Richard Holdesworth, Nic. Brodly.
„ XXII, 201. Sir H. Saville v. Sir R. Tempest.
„ „ Sir Thomas Tempest v. Sir H. Saville.
„ XXIII, 86. Isabel Jepson v. Sir R. Tempest and Sir T. Tempest and others for murder of her husband.
„ XXIV, 238. Sir R. Tempest v. Sir H. Saville.
„ „ 380. Rex v. Sir R. Tempest.
„ XXV, 37. Sir H. Saville v. Sir Thomas Tempest.
„ „ 45, 55. Inhabitants of various places v. Sir H. Saville.
62Note F. Christopher Jenney’s letter[274], dated 27 March but without the year, is placed in 1535 by the editor of the Letters and Papers, but from the reference in it to Thwaites the vicar of Londesborough, who was examined in November 1535, it seems that the letter more probably belongs to 1536.
Note G. J. C. Cox in his transcript of William Stapleton’s Confession[275] identifies Thomas Johnson, Brother Bonaventure, with Thomas Johnson one of the monks of the London Charterhouse, but this identification is very improbable for the following reasons:—
(a) It rests only on the name, which is too common to be a proof of identity.
(b) William Stapleton evidently knew Brother Bonaventure well and would not be likely to mistake his Order.
(c) It was contrary to the rules of the Charterhouse for any monk to wander about the country alone, but this was the usual practice of the friars.
(d) Dom Thomas Johnson was not one of the four monks who were sent from London to the Hull Charterhouse in May 1536, but was still in London on 18 May 1537. In June that year he died in Newgate[276]. As the monks of the London Charterhouse had been under close supervision since May 1536, it is incredible that one of them should have escaped to the north in October, remained there for some time, and then returned again to prison.
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