Rainow Mill
Incident 1548
Court of Star Chamber: Proceedings, Edward VI STAC 3/3/44
PLAINTIFF: Roger Shrygley and Thomas his son
DEFENDANT: Jasper Worth and Humphrey Swyndles
PLACE OR SUBJECT: Destruction of a mill at Rainow, and assault on first plaintiff
COUNTY: Chester
Date range: 1547 - 1553.
In which Roger Shrygley and his son Thomas accuse Jasper Worth, supported by others including Humfrey Swyndles, of forcibly evicting Roger Shrygley from his mill at Rainow on the 23rd of February 1548 and on the 25th of February injuring Roger Shrygley when he attempted to regain possession.
Despite the summary in the National Archives there is no mention of destruction of the mill.
Roger Shrygley (Gentleman) and his son Thomas had been granted a 21 year tenancy of three mills in the Forest of Macclesfield - Walley, Patteshrygley and Rannew - on the 17th of October 1546 by the King's councillors in the County Palatinate of Chester, paying 35 shillings for the privilege, plus 5 shillings twice yearly at Easter and Michaelmas. Jasper Worth (Gentleman), supported by Humfrey Swyndles the elder, William Grene, Hugh Bageley, and Thomas Meller, broke into the mill at Rainow and evicted the Shrygleys on the 23rd of February 1548. Roger Shrygley attempted to regain possession two days later but was again opposed by Jasper Worth, this time supported by a larger group of sixteen men now also including Robert Taylor, Raynold Mekyn the elder, Humfrey Swyndles son of James Swyndles, Reynold Mekyn the younger, Thomas Shrygley of the Hurst and Thomas Shrygley son of Geffrey Shrygley. Roger Shrygley was knocked to the ground and injured.
Roger Shrygley asks that Jasper Worth and the others should have to answer personally before the Court of the Star Chamber in Westminster and suffer suitable punishment.
Transcription by A.J. Swindale 4th May 2007. Further notes follow the transcription. "star%20chamber%20stac3_3_44.jpg" Image (star%20chamber%20stac3_3_44.jpg) not published for reasons of copyright.
To the kyng oure most drad Sovryn lord
In moste humble wyse sheweth and complayneth
unto youre most excellent maiestys youre true & feythfull subjects Roger
Shrygley Gent & Thomas Shrygley hys son that where oure late sovryn lord kyng
henry the viijth was lawfully seysed in his demeane as of fee of & in iij mylls
wt thap~tencs in the fforest of macleffeld in the Countye of Chest hereafter
expressed and so seysed by thadvyse & Assents of his Coucellors John [Tann..]
knight Rychard Pollerd Squyer & Thomas Moyle Squyer genall supvysors of his
grace lands by his letters patente beryng date at Chester the xvjth daye of
Octobre in the xxxvjth yere of his grace Reygn & sealyd with his seale of his
Countypalentyne of Chestr dyd betake & to ferme lett to yr seyd orators the seyd
iij mylles by the name of Walley mylle in the Countye of Chestr otherwise callyd
Wall mylle & the mylles callyd Patteshrygley & Rannew wtin the forest of
macleffeld in youre seyd Countye of Chestr wt stremer [soth] & sute of gryst to
the seyd mills & all other pffytts & emoluments to the seyd mylls & eny of them
by any meanes belonging or apteynyng to have & hold the seyd mills wt theyr
Apptencs to wr seyd orators theyr executors & assignes from the feast of saynt
michell tharchimgell then last past unto thend & tme of xxi yeres then next
following & fully to be complete yeldyng therefore yerely to oure seyd late
sovyn lord & his heyres at the excheker of Chestr xxxvs as then for the same was
payed & vs besyde of Increse by yere at the feaste of Eastr & saynt mychell
tharchingell by [e.en] percons as by the seyd lettrs patent more playnly Apereth
byfore whereof youre seyd subiects entred into the pmyss & were therof possessed
accordingly And so yt is moste drad sovrayn lord that the xxiij daye of February
in this present second yere of youre most gracyos Reygn on Jasper Worthe Gent
Humfrey Swyndles thelder Wyllm Grene webster Hugh Bageley & Thomas Meller wt
force & Arms riotously & ayenst youre gcs peace Assembled themselves together at
Raynow aforeseyd & then & there in forcyblie manr arrayed that ys to saye wt
staves swyrds & other weapens of warre wyth force & Armes riotously ayenste
youre peace dyd forcibly breke open the doore of on of the seyd mylle callyd
Raynow mylle & entered into the same & with lyke force & Armes dyd kepe the
possession therof from yor seyd orators by the space of ij dayes And aftr that
ys to saye the xxv daye of the seyd moneth of February yor seyd subiect Roger
Shrygley cam peacybly unto the seyd mylle & yor seyd subiect then & there being
in godds peace & yours the seyd Jasper Worthe Humfrey Swyndles thelder Wyllm
Grene Hugh Bageley Thomas Meller Robt Taylor Raynold Mekyn thelder Humfrey
Swyndles son of James Swyndles Reynold Mekyn the younger Thomas Shrygley of the
Hurst Thomas Shrygley son of Geffrey Shrygley & other riot. Psons to the nombre
of xvj psons & moo wt lyke force & Armes riotously assembled the seyd xxv daye
of the seyd moneth of ffebruary apon yr seyd orators dyd make an Assaulte & hym
then & there dyd beate & thrust downe to the ground in ryotos & forcible manr so
that en sychen he hath ben & yet ys in grete danger of of his lyfe to the pyllos
example of other lyke offenders yf condign ponysshement be not herin shortely
had.
In consideracon wherof may yt please youre highness to gr..te yor gracyos wrytt
of supe.. to be dyrectyd to the seyd Jasper Worth Humfrey Swyndles thelder Wyllm
Grene Hugh Bageley Thomas Meller Robt Tayler Raynold Mekyn & to all thother
riotos psons comandyng them & eny of them by the same psonally to apere before
youre highness concell in yr sterre chmbre at Westm at a certen daye & under A
payne by yor highness to be lymettyd then & there to make Answer to the pmysses
& to be ordred therin as to justice shall Apteyne And yr seyd Subiecte wyll
dayly praye to god for the psnacon of yor most Royall estate long in honor to
endure. Robert
Croke
Notes
The outcome of the case is not known. Humfrey Swyndles, at least, was a tenant of Jasper Worth and it may be assumed that most, if not all, of the remainder of Jasper Worth's supporters were also his tenants. In support of his peaceful nature Roger Shrygley does not mention having any supporters when he attempted to regain possession of Rainow Mill but it seems unlikely that Jasper gathered a group of 16 men to resist just Roger. Jasper Worth was the Lord of the Manor of Tytherington and presumably felt that he had rights to the mill at Rainow which were being infringed by the tenancy granted to Roger Shrygley.
I apologise for any inaccuracies in my transcription. The original is clearly written but I still had some difficulties.
ALSO
Court of Star Chamber: Proceedings, Edward VI. BUNDLE VI.
PLAINTIFF: Edmund Sutton DEFENDANT: Roger Shryggeley, Thomas
Shryggeley, and others PLACE OR SUBJECT: Breaking a mill-dam in
the forest of Macclesfield COUNTY: Chester.
Collection: Records of the Court of Star Chamber and of other
courts
Date range: 28 January 1547 - 06 July 1553
Reference:STAC 3/6/28
Subjects:Forestry