|1r| Pour ce que plusieurs a la relation d'autrui, sans avoir certaine congnoissance de la verité des matieres ou a l'appetit des parties ausquellez ilz sont plus affectionez, parlent des questions et debas qui ja par longz temps ont esté et ainçoires durent entre les roys et royaumes de France et d'Angleterre tant a cause des drois pretendus, et que chascune desdictez parties querele et maintient avoir a la couronne et totalité dudit royaume de France en aucunes terres et seignouries aussi particulieres dicellui; et pareillement au fait de la roupture des tre- |1v| ves qui fut l'an mil quatrecens quarante neuf, soubz umbre et confiance desquelles les Anglois se dient avoir perdu et leur avoir esté osté par le feu Roy Charles le VIIe les duchez de Normandie et de Guyenne avecquez autres terres et seignouries qu'ilz tenoyent et possidoient en diverses parties du royaume de France; et par ce que la verité desdictez matieres n'est pas a tous congneue, ne le fondement dicelles, ne les incidences qui sont entrevenues, maintes gens en ce deffault errent, et cuident les choses estre autres que a la verité elles ne sont. Pour oster la dicte erreur et affin que chascun clerement et sans aucune ambiguité ou doubte puisse congnoistre et estre deuement informé du droit que les parties en chascune desdictez matieres puet avoir et reclamer l'une a l'encontre de l'autre, et les solutions aussi et justifications dont elles se puent deffendre, l'aucteur de ce present traittié a volu cy dessoubz escripre et inferer tout ce qu'il a peu veoir, congnoistre et entendre veritablement des choses dessusdittez, soy fondant es anciennes cronicquez et histoires tant de France comme d'Angleterre, es lettres aussi auctentiquez et enseignemens vaillables fais esdittez matieres, subjoingnant aux choses dessusdittez ce qu'il treuve conformé en raison naturele et escripte, tant des drois civilez comme canons.

Dined with the Jeunes and met Buckle1109 with whom I had a long talk as to my intended explanation in the House on Parnell's allegations and also as to my public statement in the form of a letter.1110

The Hotham family   3

Hull and the East Riding in 1642   7

The Hothams at war   11

Arrest and trial   21

Provenance   32

Editorial decisions and practice   34

Private letters are amongst the most valuable, but also least well preserved sources for the historian. Dealing with events of the moment rather than of legal consequence, there was little reason to safeguard documents whose very ephemerality was shown by the medium on which they were written (paper) and their language (English). The survival of some notable collections of fifteenth-century letters, Paston, Plumpton, Cely, Stonor, and from the 1530s, the Lisle letters, should not disguise the fact that sixteenth-century letters between individuals (as opposed to letters between central government and its local lieutenants, and vice versa) are found relatively infrequently

The documents here collected are exemplifications, enrolled in chancery, of indentures of service between John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, and a number of his retainers who secured confirmation of them from the reigning king: all but two of these exemplifications were issued by Richard II, when, after the duke's death, his lands were in the king's hand; and, in a large proportion of cases, the opportunity was taken to transfer the duke's former retainers to the king's sole service. The indentures themselves are examples of the type of contract, familiar in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, by which magnates formed the retinues of knights and squires who maintained their position in the country in time of peace and fought under their command in time of war. Of such retinues John of Gaunt's must have been one of the largest; and we have a more detailed knowledge of it than of any other, thanks to the large number of indentures and other evidences recorded in the two volumes of his register.

One of the least studied aspects of the Long Parliament is its role in addressing the legislative needs of private or sectional interests such as trading companies and borough corporations. In the field of parliamentary studies, the dissolution of the 1628–9 Parliament represents a major watershed. The pioneering work of Geoffrey Elton, Conrad Russell and others has allowed us to appreciate a long-overlooked facet of Parliaments before 1629 – their function as a ‘market-place of legislative business’. But the Parliaments called after the collapse of the Personal Rule tend to be scrutinised in a very different light. Understandably, perhaps, the focus is almost exclusively upon the debates and factionalism that attended the nation's slide into civil war and subsequent endeavours to restore peace. The general assumption among historians of the civil war period is diat the two Houses were so preoccupied with the great issues of the moment that they had little time to devote to any business of a more private nature. There is certainly no denying that the Long Parliament was often consumed with ‘greate & weightie affaires’, nor diat many of the MPs who remained at Westminster after the outbreak of war were under little pressure to promote the interests of their constituents or indeed of any private individuals. Even so, where the relationship between a serving Parliament-man and those who had elected him remained strong, it is unlikely diat he could have ignored entirely his obligation to act as their spokesman and lobbyist. One of the best and yet most neglected sources for examining the role of MPs as promoters of ‘particular businesses’ in the Long Parliament is the Hull letters.

A few years ago, I published an article describing the negotiations between England and France which took place at Oye, not far from Calais, in the summer of 1439. These had not been adequately studied before, so that the identification of a French protocol describing events during part of the period covered by the negotiations seemed to make a short study desirable and worthwhile.

1. Johan, etc., a touz, etc., Sachez nous de nostre grace especiale et en œvre de charite, avoir grantez a nostre cher et bien ame Sire Johan Belasise, chapellein, la chanterie de nostre franche chappelle de Maresfeld en contee de Sussex; a avoir et tenir meisme la chanterie ove les droitures et appurtenances qiconqes a ycel regardantz, parensi qil demoerge et reste continuelement sur la dite chanterie et y chante dyvyns pur nous et pur les almes de noz ancestres, et qil governe, sustiegne et maintiegne bien et covenablement la dite chappelle, les mesons et terres ove les appurtenances regardantz a la chanterie avantdite. En tesmoignance, etc. Donnee, etc., a. la Sauvoye le xxviii jour de Janver lan, etc., tierz.

This yeare was great death of the sicknesse called the sweatinge sicknesse; and the crosse in Cheepe new made; and a great taske and disme grawnted to the Kinge.

This yeare Prince Arthure was borne at Windsore.

This yeare the Queene was crowned. The Earle of Lincolne, the Lord Lovell, and one Martin Swarte, a straunger, slayne all in a feild that they made againste the Kinge.

This yeare the Kinge sent manye knightes with seaven thowsandb men into Brytane. Th' Earle of Northumberlande slayne in the Northe. A capp of mayntenance brought from Rome to the Kinge.

807 Gift in free alms by Amis de Peletoth'a to Reading Abbey of 14d rent which William de la Scheteb used to pay him in Hartley (Hurtleg'), to be received from William and his heirs at two terms of the year viz., at Michaelmas 8d and on the feast of St Thomas the apostle 6d Warranty and sealingd

[c. 1220 / June 1248]

B ff58v–59r; Cf26r–v; Cf219r

Hiis testibus:e [Willelmo de Engelfeld, Rogero de Hyda, Roberto de Uffyntone, Johanne de la Huse, Rogero de Whytcherche, Gilberto de Mora, Radulpho de Mora, et multis aliis].