The Stonor letters and papers, 1290-1483; ed. for the Royal historical society, from the origial documents in the Public record office, by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford.

42. JOHN DYMMOK TO [?] 1420

This letter, which is much injured, and very difficult to decipher, is written by a bailiff at Ermington, and is apparently addressed to an officer (probably John Warefeld) of Thomas Stonor in London; Stonor himself was perhaps absent in France. Accompanying it is the "bille of expenses and alowans"; the latter is too much injured to reproduce in full, but it is not as a whole of great interest, though important as supplying Dymmok's name, and the date; it is headed:—

Ermyngton

Expense et allocaciones Johannis Dymmok, a^o Regis Henrici quinti viij^o.

In primis petit allocacionem de xlv. s. pro operibus liberorum [tenen|cium]. It., pet. all. de xxviij. s. j. d. pro piscaria voc. Madyngstad.

Other items are:—

iiij. d. pro j twest pro hostio panterie; viij. s. iiij. d. pro v. mill. lapid. tegul.; vj. s. viij. d. de expensis Willi. Mayne eundo et redeundo versus London.; iij. li. quos Willelmus Mayne solvit domino apud Stonor.

There are also legal expenses incurred by William Penbrygge, with his expenses on going to London; and expenses for John Hals in London. The total of receipts with expenses and allowances was £41 18s. 3d.; and Dymmok had apparently £21 8s. 0d. in hand.

The Account is probably for the year ended at Michaelmas, 1420 (8 Henry V); so this letter was presumably written late in 1420. In an Account rendered by John Warefeld, Stonor's receiver, for that year appears the receipt of £15 from John Dymmok, farmer of Ermyngton, and the pay|ments include:—

expense facte London. in Curia Admirallis pro wrecco maris apud Erm. in mari provecto, viz. primo die Augusti xxvij. s., et in aliis custubus in eadem Curia mense Novembr., ut pro fine xx. s., et senescallo Curie vj. s. viij. d., et pro feodis Clerici Curie pro ij procurationibus vij. s. iiij. d., et in feodis budell dicte curie iiij. d. (Ministers Accounts, 750/17).

An Account by John Dymmok for 1419-21 mentions William Mayne and John Hals (id., 822/35, see vol. ii, p. 179 below). Dymmok appears on a commission in Devonshire in Feb. 1419 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, Henry V, ii, 274). John Fortescue was father of Richard Fortescue of Ermington (see No. 45); he was a justice of the peace for Devon from 1418 to 1422. John Hals,

who was on the commission of peace for Devonshire from 1420 to 1431, was a lawyer of some prominence. The paper on which the letter is written is so mutilated at the foot that it is impossible to obtain anything of its meaning; a continuation on the other side is equally hopeless (Ch. Misc., 37, i, 32, 33).

Ermyngton.

Syr, as touchant þe ffynes þat ȝe sende to me, syr (?), I knowe ham noȝht what þay be, what is I-payd ne what is to payng, but I have aspyd among ham yn presence of Thomas, your messynger, [who] can enfourme you: and þay wil noȝtt paye . . . with oute hure dedis enselyd and . . . frynd is . . . and his wif hath ȝulde up hure e . . . d. Symon Lode doþ no fors f[or he] is febel and yold, Paulisfot, Ray, John at Wille, this persons [The reading is doubtful.] use makyth ham fulfulle alle [þis]. John Hals welle haþ en|formyd me of ham, and therfore Thomas can enfourme [you] of all hit: but ȝut I shal enquere among ham better, yf y may eny þyng gete yn hast: and þerfor sendith [unto me a] bille of hur namys and what is to pay and touchant R. H[a]lle &c. Thomas can enfourme you by mouthe fully of J. Fortescu, Raff Hatt and Woder, god frendis, of the whiche spareth noȝtt to speke boþ for youre worchip and profet: and touchant my payment I sende by Thomas, your ȝeman, to my maister and Cosyn Hals a letter and a bond to delyvere you, excepte divers expenses and alowans, of þe whiche I send to you a bille. And as touchant myn endentur, reson wolde that þay were had aredy, for drede of changyng of þe world þat is bretell, as sone as hy[t] myth be mad and enselyd ef|fectually, savant my maysteris profit and worchip: for truly ȝe knowe wel, and knowe also þat I am a profitabel Reve for hym and have a gret charge and labor. Saunz rien apprendre. For why comyth, so moche as the clothyng þat was spoke (?) þer of is by hynde, but ȝut I chalynge hit noȝth but after [my] maysteris oune governanse at þis tyme: for me þynkyth h[it] bote a febel reward, for wel I wot he haþ no servant [yn] Engelond þat servyth hym yn suche a labor and travayl [as] I do, payng more to hym þanne þe value ȝerly amontath, takyng ryth noȝth for my travayl, þe which as ȝut I faith wel safe yn hope of amende|ment aftir his discrecion and . . . . . And touchant my maysteris beyng at London, and . . . ns . . . at mois michel; [Or perhaps "mes Michel," for Michaelmas.] I wot wel ȝe most nedes be þer, [for] ȝe shalle save my maysteris enheritance, his profit and his worship, for to answer to þe false sugestion þat is mad [yn] þe admyral is Court: for every man here know[eth] wel þat þe wreke is

parcel of þe enheritance of Ermyngton and is fre . . . amend, noþer pledeþ to a Countre is payment for me . . . my Styward and yours; and þer for John Fortescu is worth and tenementes (?) . . . . . and leeches yn þis be . . . . . never yn my lyf, for. . . . .