- Clenennau letters and papers 344 [RESTRICTED ACCESS]
- File
- 1617, June 9.
Thanks the recipient for taking pains for William Maurice's business in the Star Chamber and putting in a demur[rer] to the bill of Owen Ellis against William Maurice and thirty others in the Star Chamber, seventeen of them a jury and the others witnesses for the King touching his inheritance upon a Commission of Survey, as appears by the Answer of Demur[rer]s which was referred to the King's sergeant, who should have best course to consider the King's title, and to countenance all that truly endeavour therein. For if juries and witnesses [that] upon their oaths and evidence set down the King's right shall therefore be called to the Star Chamber without good cause, it will procure unwillingness and unreadiness for any to appear to do the King's service. Marvels at Sergeant Finch's report that this new trouble should arise, firstly for William Maurice to make a better answer, for he had hoped the recipient had answered all points reasonably, being no great matter and fit for the Star Chamber, but especially for the jury and witnesses for the King, the cause being already in the Exchequer Chamber to be tried there. As for the rest of the matters against William Maurice in the bill, touching incontinence in his younger years, a matter already pardonned and fit for ecclesiastical censure otherwise, and touching mises and other defects falsely supposed against William Maurice as one of the deputy lieutenants of his county, fitting for the Lord Lieutenant to examine rather than the Star Chamber, and such other trifling matters in the bill, William Maurice was ready (but upon the recipient's opinion upon his demurrer, that all should be dismissed) to answer. So he now only desires a dedimus potestatem to make his answer at home, being a man employed in the King's service of musters appointed at this time, and also of 80 years of age and unable to travel, especially since the process is served only seven days before the day of appearance. For the rest, [desires] upon so short a warning, to have such a Commission as the other five defendants had, the proceedings wherein appear by the Commissioner's Certificate which William Maurice hopes will declare the manner of his proceedings, that after he [?the Commissioner] had examined them upon a number of articles, he left the Commission with the Commissioners' clerk to be engrossed and went on his way. Also hopes the recipient will talk with Sergeant Finch of how he reported the cause and the matter referred to him. Commits all to the recipient's care and consideration and the rest to the report of William Maurice's cousin Mr Evance, William Maurice's solicitor.