Shete and baptised in the church there on the
aforesaid last day of August, and is now of the
age of 21 years and more. And this they know,
because they were present in the church to hear
Vespers at the time of the said baptism, which
being over, a certain Walter Walsche, bailiff of
Sir W. Bonevile's manor of Stapleton, told his
master that he had just finished the autumnalia,
or autumn gathering, both at Stapildon and
Sokke, and that he had brought him 400 lambs
as the year's produce of the latter manor. Upon
which the said Sir W. Bonevile immediately
gave the said child, so there and then baptised,
200 lambs (truly a useful present to a new-born
babe); all which things the said William and
Richard saw done. And so common report and
the public voice proclaim throughout the country
that the said Wm. Fitz John is of the age of 21
and more.

Thomas Bowys and Ralph Northampton, both
47 and more, sworn and examined, say, that
they know the said William Fitz John to have
been born and baptised at the time and place
abovesaid, because they were in the church at
the time of the baptism, and saw there three
long torches burning, and two silver basins with
two silver ewers, full of water; of which said
Childe John Legge, then Abbot of Newenham,
and Sir W. Bonevile were godfathers, and a
certain Agnes Bigode godmother. And the said
abbot then gave the child a silver-gilt cup, of
the value, as it was said, of 100 shillings, and
40 shillings of money told were in the cup,
which, as it seemed to them, was fairer to the
eye than any they had ever before seen.

The second inquiry was made at Shute (they
so call it now), on June 9th in the 2nd year of
Henry the Fifth (1414).

Andrew Rydon, aged 53 and more, sworn
and examined, sayth "that William Fitz John
Fitz William Bonevile, was born at Shute, and
baptized in the church there on the 12th day of
August, in the 15th year of the reign of King
Richard the 2nd;" and being asked and examined
by the escheator how he knows this, says he
knows it well, because on that day, and in that
year, he came to that manor to speak with Sir
William Bonevile on divers matters pending
between him and others, and as he entered the
manor gates, he heard a woman's voice crying
piteously, in English, "Lady, help, Lady, help,"
so harshly that he made off as quickly as he could
into the church to escape hearing so dolorous a
clamour, and there conversed with the said Sir
William for the space of nearly an hour. And
while they were thus talking, there came a
certain woman, by name Beatrice, and told the said
Sir William of his son's wife's delivery, saying,
"Your daughter, blessed be God, and his most
holy mother the Virgin Mary, has been well and
graciously delivered, and has brought forth a
male child." Whereupon Sir William gave her
for the news of the birth one noble; and
despatched one of his servants to fetch the Abbot
of Newenham to help make the child a Christian
man. All which things made such an impression
on the said Andrew that he has never been
able to forget the day of the birth of the said
William Fitz John Fitz William. William Atte
Hulle, aged 80 years and more, being asked how
he knows the said William Fitz John Fitz
William to be 21 years old and more, says,
he knows it well because that, long before
the 15th year of Richard the 2nd, he was a
servant of the said Sir William Bonevile, being
employed to carry his letters and deliver his
messages everywhere within the Kingdom of
England, under the hope of a good reward, which
as yet, as it appears to him has been very long
in coming, although the said Sir William has
been in no respect deficient in fine promises.
Sir William, on the 12th day of August, in the
15th year of King Richard the 2nd, at Shute,
aforesaid, called him, saying, "Hasten with all
the speed thou canst to the Abbot of Newenham,
and say to him that John my son hath this day
a son born unto him by his wife. Bid him therefore
to come here with all speed to baptize the
child, and delay not in thy journey, for by the
soul of the true God I will repay thee." So he,
the said William Atte Hulle, bore the message,
and the same day returned to Shute in the
abbot's train, and while waiting for the expected
reward of his labour, in the church there,
he saw the abbot baptising the child, to whom
the godfathers and godmother gave the name
of William. Whereupon the said Sir
William gave him 20s., and other recompense
except food and clothing had he none, nor has he
ever since received any in any shape from the
said Sir William Bonevile. It appears to him
pretty evident that William Fitz John Fitz
William in the said writ named, was born on the 12th
August in the 15th year of Richard 2nd.

Thomas Bower, aged 48 and more, sworn and
examined, remembers the said William Fitz
John Fitz William to have been born on the
12th August, in the 15th year of Richard 2nd,
because on that day he came to shute with 12
bows, ordered for hunting, as had been agreed
upon by Sir William Bonevile and himself, and
showing them to the said Sir William, said,
"Behold, sir, here are your goods." "Keep
quiet a little ('custodi quiete parvum'—here's
Latin with a vengeance, and a strong touch of
the 'Dog'), for I am just now busy about
making a Christian man: come to the church
and thou shalt see:" and then and there the
said Thomas Bower saw the child of John, the
son of the said William, which had been born
just before his arrival, baptised by the name of
William. Which sacrament over, the said Sir
William gave to a gentleman then staying at
the manor, a bow, and paid the said Thomas
40s. Whereby it appears to him certain that
William Fitz John Fitz William was 21 years
old on the 12th August, in the 1st year of
Henry the Fifth.

Although it is not the case in this particular
instance, yet in almost all of these "proofs of
age," the facts sought to be established are
sworn to by one at least of the deponents as
having been fixed in his memory by some
accident which befel him on his way home from the