The records for sanctuary seekers are always missing key info, but sometimes more than others. Two men named Smerthwayt were invoked by seekers at Durham in December 1479 and February 1480: Connected? Coincidence? On 27 December 1479 Robert Burton of Dent, Cumbria, sought sanctuary at Durham on an indictment for cattle theft. He had beenContinue reading “A coincidence of Smerthwayts?”
Tag Archives: Homicide
An abjurer found in the realm
At the end of March 1480 John Bere, a cutler from Bristol, took sanctuary at the parish church at Water Lambeth, Surrey, across the Thames from Westminster. Bere confessed to the coroner that more than three years before, just before Christmas 1476, he had murdered a certain Richard Hylles at Sampford Peverell, Devon. He choseContinue reading “An abjurer found in the realm”
A gentlewoman and a homicide
This is a rare example of a woman seeking sanctuary for homicide: in September 1480 Robert Beawmont, “litteratus” of Almondbury, Yorkshire, and Elizabeth Beawmont, gentlewoman of Hedon, Yorkshire, sought asylum at Beverley. The two Beawmonts confessed the killing of Thomas Aldirlay of Almondbury, eleven months before. Elizabeth Beawmont is one of only seven women I’veContinue reading “A gentlewoman and a homicide”
Last-minute reprieve
Here’s a drama! On 28 April 1481 Geoffrey Gwynnyth, yeoman of London, took sanctuary in St George’s church in Southwark, confessing to the coroner that he had stabbed John Sander at Tottenham in 1478, killing him. Gwynnyth abjured the realm, and was to leave by Dover; a week later, however, he had been found inContinue reading “Last-minute reprieve”
Murderer of the princes in the Tower flees to sanctuary
In an earlier post, we saw the drama of the dowager queen Elizabeth seeking sanctuary at Westminster and the disappearance and likely murder of her two sons in 1483. Thomas More in his later account claimed one of the princes’ killers fled to sanctuary. In his History of King Richard the Thirde, More said RichardContinue reading “Murderer of the princes in the Tower flees to sanctuary”
Murder and horse theft, 1483
William Savage, a skinner of Sandwich, Kent, took refuge at St Botolph without Aldgate in London on 23 September 1484. Savage confessed to the coroner that on 12 April 1483 at Winchester, he killed chapman John Brande and stole his horse. This is maybe irrelevant, but he committed this crime only three days after EdwardContinue reading “Murder and horse theft, 1483”
Sanctuary Seekers: The erroneous geography episode
On 7 February 1485 Richard Perpound of “Chipstede,” Essex [there is a Chipstead in Surrey, but I can’t find one in Essex…?] sought sanctuary at Durham Cathedral. He confessed to the registrar that near Ipswich in the county of “Nothfolch,” he had stabbed gentleman Robert Hause on the arm with a wood knife. Ipswich isContinue reading “Sanctuary Seekers: The erroneous geography episode”
A Dutch slayer flees to Westminster
On 9 November 1485, a coroner held an inquest over the body of John Spencer of Westminster. The jurors reported that Dedirick Blase alias Dirrik Barbara, yeoman also of Westminster, was responsible. The jurors said that Blase had lain in wait for Spencer and assaulted him with a sword, killing him. Taking his sword withContinue reading “A Dutch slayer flees to Westminster”
Abjurer found in the realm, 1486
In July 1485 John Walworth, yeoman of Weston, Northants, assaulted Hugh Peke at Clifton in Nottinghamshire, killing him. Six months later, Walworth took asylum at the parish church of St. Andrew in Kingston, Cambridgeshire. Walworth abjured the realm, but by the fall of 1486 he had been found in London: probably he hoped the anonymityContinue reading “Abjurer found in the realm, 1486”
Murdering the parish priest
In 1486, a gentleman of the village of Wycliffe in county Durham, James Manfeeld, together with a number of other men, attacked the parish priest of Wycliffe, Roland Mebburn. Manfeeld struck Mebburn with a welsh bill – a very frightening agricultural tool/weapon -and killed him. A month later, on 25 February 1486, Manfeeld appeared atContinue reading “Murdering the parish priest”
Sanctuary Seekers in England, 1394-1557 