Mobberley, c. 1530 ?

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William Held is named as assisting Raffe Lecetre [Leycester] of Tofte in an assault.

BRERETON vs LEICESTER: Assault at Mobberley, Co. Chester

Court of Star Chamber Proceedings, Henry VIII, Vol. vi, fol. 295

To the Kynges Grace Hyghness. Most humbly shewith your true servaynte and subject Richard Brereton, knyght, that wher he is seysed in fee of a park called Tatton Parke in the countye of Chestre in right of his wyffe, by just tytle and conveaunces in lawe, one John Brereton his servaynte, by his commaundement, on the 4th of July last caste of certeyn buckehowndes unto a bucke of your subjectes wythin the said parke to kill the same, and the same howndes hunted the said bucke so sore that he brake oute of the parke, and the said John and the howndes persuyng the same chase came unto a lordshippe called Moberlye in the said countye, where the same howndes sette the same bucke at a bay.

So yt is that one Raffe Lecetre of Tofte, esquyer, perceyving the same accompanyed hymselff with one Thomas Rygeway, Thomas Bent, William Held, John Jacson and John Smyth, with diverse other lyght, ryotose and mysdemeaned persons to the nombre of 16 or above, and assembled together at Moberley wyth force and armes and made assaute upon the said John, and kylled the same bucke and toke hym away, and wold have strycken and slayn your subjectes servaynte, had he nott with moche payne fledde away, not only to the expresse wronge of your said subject, but also to the uttre breche of your gracious [peace]. Whereof may it please your gracious hyghnes of your frequent and accustomable benivolence [etc. etc.]

(Ibid., Bundle 25, No. 88) In his answer the said Rauff Leycester denies the riot etc., and says that one John Chesforth (also called Cresforth), a tenant of his, told him he had seen a male deer passing over part of the land of this defendant in Moberley; and, having in his company Oliver Cragge, Hugh Porter and Thomas Bent, he went peaceably to chase the said deer with their hounds and greyhounds, without in any wise hurting the said John Brereton [etc. etc.]. [No date]

Edward Held is one of a number said to be concerned in riots, in support of a land claim to the manor of Dutton by Sir John Savage against Sir Piers Dutton of Hatton.

DUTTON vs SAVAGE, re Manor of Dutton, Co. Chester

Court of Star Chamber Proceedings, Henry VIII, Vol. xiii, fos. 178-181 and 183-186

BILL FILED by Sir Peres Dutton of Hatton, co. Chester, knight, showing that whereas John Bruyn, esquire, and others were seised to the use of the plaintiff of the manor of Dutton and of other manors and lands to him, descended by just title of inheritance and otherwise, one John Bostok and William Groves, being of evil disposition, servants unto Sir John Savage, knight, and by commandment of the said Sir John and of Richard Aston, esquire, came in the night of the 15th of January last past, in the complainant's absence, and entered into a certain house of the said manor called a day house, and kept possession of the same; other armed persons have come and spoiled all the victuals and other stuff in the same, being under the keeping of a poor woman there, and have pulled down and brint the timber boards not only about the same house, but also about the pale of the garden belonging to the manor of Dutton. Moreover the same riotous persons assembled themselves together, armed with spears, pykeforkses and other defencible weapons, and there by commandment of the same Sir John did rear up a pavilion.

And on Monday after the feast of Saint Hilary the same Sir John assembled a great number of the king's subjects, his servants, to the number of 200 persons and above, arrayed in harness, jacks and sallets, with bows, arrows, swords and bucklers, and the said Richard Aston, with certain other of the king's tenants of Whitley, whereof he hath the rule, and came into the lordship of Dutton to a place called Hiltley, and there abode the space of one half day, and made divers proclamations and monitions in the parish churches for the said unlawful assemblies and riots to be made.

And because Savage and Ashton and their other partetakers and associates be near kinsmen unto Sir Rondulph Brereton, knight, Chamberlain there, and unto Sir William Pole, knight, ther sheriff, and the under sheriff of that county is servant, farmer and tenant unto the said Savage, and the said Sir Rondulph is grandfather unto one of their partetakers, the said Rondulph, for the affection and favour he beareth unto them, by colour of his office and room hath bounden the complainant afore him in the King's Exvhequer at Chester to keep the King's peace, for his self, his children, tenants, and servants and partetakers to the said Sir John, his children, etc., in 1000 marks; and hath likewise caused about 20 of them to be put under sureties particularly to keep the peace without any order of the law or affidavit. One other part of them, when they came into the Exchequer to their extreme costs and charges, the Chamberlain let go without bonds at his pleasure; nevertheless he has caused divers processes to issue agianst them, under colour of which the under sheriff has broken into divers houses appertaining to the said manor of Dutton, and pulled out such persons as he found there, and further attached persons already bounden to the King's peace, and brought them to the castle of Chester, and the Chamberlain will in no wise let them out unless they be bounden to appear before him and to pay such fines as he shall assess.

Upon open compaint made to them, the King's commissioners in those parts addressed the King's commandment to the Chamberlain to surcease such doings, but in contempt of the same he still causes such attachments to be made etc. Please it your Grace, etc. etc.

SCHEDULE of names of persons alleged to be concerned in the same riots:-- John Bostok, William Ayton, Edward Held, Robert Dodde, William Wrenche, Nicholas Middleton, George Gatclife, John Monnyng, John Burton, Henry Watte, Robert Astbroke, William Pikeryn, Godfrey Taillior, John Domylowe, William Madok, John Bostok of the Midelwiche, Richard Onesley, Sir William Kay, prest, Sir Thomas Chorleton, prest, ----- Hampton, Richard Wilkynson, William Coppok, Henry Stryngfelowe, Richard Cokeson, John Horton, Richard Fletcher, Robert Chalnor.

SIR JOHN SAVAGE, John Bostocke, William Groves, William Wrenche, George Gatcliffe, John Monnyng and William Cay, clerk, answer that, as Dutton has made out no certain title to the said manor, his bill may be abated, etc. As to riotous entry into the Deyhouse, they say that one John Dutton, son and heir of Sir Thomas Dutton, knight, died seised of the manor of Dutton, after whose death the manor ought to descend to the said Sir John Savage, as his cousin and one of his heirs, viz. son and heir of Anne Savage, daughter and heir to Elizabeth, sister and one of the heirs of the said John Dutton, and to Sir William Molyneux, knight, son of Anne Molyneux, another sister, Sir Thomas Southworth, knight, son of Isabel Southworth, another sister, Richard Cholmdeley, son and heir of Richard Cholmdeley, deceased, son of Eleanor, another sister, and to Margaret Vernon, another sister of the said John Dutton.

The said Bostok and Groves entered the Deyhouse in peaceable manner, and peaceably kept possession of the same in the name of the two coparceners; there were no other persons beside these two. They did not pull down the house; but the said John Bostok and one John Hampton, who were there to keep possession of the same, having no house to lie in there, for their comfort set up a little tent, which was cut down by divers riotous persons; the other charges made in the bill they utterly deny.

... [Allegations about Sir Peres Dutton's orchestration of the murder of Thomas Huchyns] ...

... [Depositions taken in support of Sir Peres Dutton's ancestry and claim] ...

Court of Star Chamber Proceedings, Henry VIII, Bundle 17, no. 398

In the Star Chamber 13 Feb., 19 [Henry VIII] [1527-8]. Decree in the suit pending between Sir John Savage, knight, and other playntiffs, against Sir Piers Dutton, touching the title to the manor of Dutton and other manors and land in co. Chester, late in the occupation of Lawrence Dutton, deceased. For the avoidance of riots, etc. the court decrees that the premises in dispute shall be put in possession of indifferent and substantial personages, to receive the issues thereof, until such time as the title shall be tried according to the king's common laws or otherwise. Whereupon Sir John Port, knight, one of the Justices of the King's Bench, and Sir William Leyland, knight, were appointed to take possession under a commission to be directed to them. (Signed, William Gascoigne, K.)