In April, I mentioned discovering a document in the National Archives catalogue that I had not previously noticed - a court case in which an Alexander Charnelhouse, a Coventry dyer, was complaining that several people, including Edward Hill, and his son, another Edward Hill, who I know were both connected to the Coventry Charterhouse, had assaulted him, and his daughter, and had falsely imprisioned them.
Such a discovery obviously prompts the question, "what was going on?"
I have taken the first, tentative steps towards finding out, in that I requested, and have now received, copies of the documents from the National Archives.
There are two large sheets, slightly damaged on some of the edges, and with the writing faded in several places.
It is going to take me some time to decipher the early 17c text. Fortunately, it is in English, not Latin, which gives me some hope (although I do often find, with things like this, that the 'critical' words will be the ones I can't read!)
The title of this post is one section that I can read - and other sentences include phrases such as, "did further plott, practise, conspire, and combyne together for the utter ruin and overthrowe", "not... or suspecting any outrage or violence at all," and, "by furiously, outragiously, riotously, routously, and in most barbarous and crewell manner".
The only named place I have spotted so far, (with the exception of the "Cittie of Coventrie"), is "the Charterhouse Leaze". The Charterhouse Leys was the piece of land which lay between what is now the London Road, and the River Sherborne, stretching north, from the drive to the Charterhouse, up to what is now Gulson Road.
So, whatever was happening, it occurred very close to the Charterhouse, possibly even on land belonging to Edward Hill, who owned the property.
[Current evidence suggests Edward Hill bought the Charterhouse in 1611, although that still needs confirmation. We also don't yet know all the dates for when Edward purchased much of the surrounding lands, which were not part of the original monastic site.]
More details of the case to follow, as and when I work them out.
I was recently doing some slightly 'random' searching, in the catalogues of other archives, trying to find anything that would help to confirm exactly when Edward Hill purchased the Charterhouse. But, instead, I found another document I hadn't come across before - this time relating to Humphrey Baker.
Humphrey Baker was the nephew of Sampson Baker, who owned the Coventry Charterhouse from 1576 - 1584. Sampson gifted the Charterhouse to Humphrey in 1584, in a marriage settlement, when Humphrey Baker married Bridgit Moore. Humphrey then held the property until late 1590.
This new document is from 1590 and is in the Staffordshire Record office. It is a case brought against Humphrey by William Henton, a professor of theology and Archdeacon of Coventry. Humphrey, described as "of the Charterhouse in the City of Coventry" was accused of "not paying procuration fees at the visitation to the Archdeacon"
Humphrey lost the case.
I am so pleased that archives are continuing to add to their catalogues, despite all the cut-backs they have experienced over the years, since I am sure there is still so much history of this country, and of the individuals who lived in it, that remains to be revealed.
[And this document also seems to be yet another 'nail in the coffin' for those who tried to claim that the Bakers never lived in the Charterhouse!]
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