These remarks are suggested from finding
the name of Richard, when Duke of Gloucester,
mentioned in a narrative of the violence and
disdain of the laws not infrequent in the times
of the Wars of the Roses, which appears in one
of the Parliamentary petitions, temp 1473, about
the thirteenth year of Edward the Fourth.

"To the right wyse and discrete Commens in
this present Parlement assembled; Lamentably
compleyneth and sheweth unto your grete
wysdomes, Katerine late the wyfe of Richard
Williamson, that where as the said Richard was in
Godds peas and oure Sovereigne Lord the Kyng
the first clay of Octobr nowe last passed, ridyng
and comyng from a Toune called Ricall in the
counte of York, toward his owne dwellyng place
in Howden within the same Counte; and as he
was at Hemmyngburgh within the same Counte,
to have passed over a Fery there called Barneby
Fery, which was in the high wey toward his
said dwelling place, there come Robert Farnell"
(let us breathe a bit, for there's an awfully long
sentence to be completed)—"Robert Farnell
late of Newsom beside Hoveden in the same
Counte yoman, otherwise called Robert Forster,
Richard Farnell late of Newsom beside Hoveden
in the same Counte, otherwise called Richard
Forster, and John Farnell late of Newsom
beside Hoveden in the same Counte yoman, otherwise
called John Forster, sonnes of Thomas
Farnell, &c., otherwise called Thomas Forster,
defensibly arrayed, that is to say with jakkes
and salettes, and with force and armes that is to
say, with bowes, arrowes, swerdes and speres,
of malice afore thought, atte Hemmyngburgh
aforeseid, lay in awayte to slee and murder the
said Richard Williamson, and uppon hym then
and there made a grete assaute and affraye, and
hym there horribly smote with a spere that he
fell beside his hors to the grounde; and then the
said Mysdoers havyng noo mercy ne pite of hym,
with their swordes smote of booth the handes of
the same Richard Williamson, and oon of his
armes above the elbowe, and hym houghsynued,
and hym so dedely woonded and lefte hym there
for dede, of which strokes and dedely woondes
the seid Richard Williamson within short tyme
after dyed.

"And so the said Robert Richard Fromell and
John, the same Richard Williamson then and
there felonsly murdred and slewe, and hym then
and there of his goodes, that is to say, of a
Bowe, xii Arrowes, a Sworde, a Buckler, pric'
xs., and other Goodes felonsly robbed and
despoyled. And then the said Robert, Richard
Farnell and John, departed and roode to the said
Thomas their fader, to the said Toune of
Hemmyngburgh; and the said Thomas, knowyng all
his said Sonnes the forseid felonyez and murdres
and robberies in fourme aforeseid to have doon,
all theym and every of theym atte Toune of Newsom
aforesaid, the same day and dyvers tymes
after, felonsly recettcd and conforted; and the
said Thomas, forthwith after the said felonye,
murther and robbery so doon, laboured to the
right high and myghty Prynce and full honorable
Lord Richard Duk of Gloucestr', to take and
accept hym and all his said myschevous Sonnes
to his service, entendying by the same, that he
and his said Sonnes should have been supported
in their horrible felonye, murther and robbery:
by which grete laboure of the said Thomas, the
said Duc afterward havyng verrey knowlegge
and notise of the said felonye, murther and
robbery, the said Thomas then callyng hymself
servaunt to the said Duc, and werying his
clothyng uppon hym, gotten and had by Sotill
and crafty meanes, commaunded that the said
Thomas shuld be brought unto the Gaole of
York, there to abide, unto the tyme that he of
the felonye, murther and robery aforesaid were
lawfully acquite or atteynted: which foreseid
feloniez, murthers and roberies by your
wysdomes considered, ye like to pray the Kyng, that
by the advis and assent of the Lordes Spirituelx
and Temporelx in this present Parlement
assembled, and by auctorite of the same it be
ordeyned, established and enacted, that a Writte
of Corpus cum causa, may be directed oute of
the Kyngs Chauncery to the Shiref of Yorkshire,
or to the Gaoler of the Gaole aforeseid for the
tyme beyng, to bryng upp the body of the same
Thomas, uppon payne of cc li., at utas of Seynt
Hillary next comyng, or any other day after,
to have hym afore the Kyng in his Benche; and
there the said Thomas by the Justices of Plees
afore the Kyng to be holden assigned, to be
comitted to warde unto the prisone of Newgate,
there to abide withoute baille or maynprise, to
such time as he of the said felonez and murdrez
be lawfully acquite or atteynted. And also that
it be ordeyned, established and enacted by
auctorite aforesaid, that the said Katerine may have
oute of the Kyngs Chauncery, upon the said
felonye, murdre and robbre, asmany and such
Writtes of Proclamation ayenst the said Robert,
Richard Farnell, John and Thomas, and every
of them as to hir shal be requisite in that partie,
direct to the Shiref of Yorkshire for the tyme
beyng, retournable afore the Kyng in his said
Bench at the utas (the eighth day) of Seynt
Hillary next comyng, or at any other day after,
commaunding hym by the same, uppon the payn
of cc li., to make open and severall Proclamations
at Howden in the said Counte of York, at
severall tymes by the space of a moneth, and the
same Writte or Writtes duely served to retourne
afore the Kyng in his said Bench, at the day
conteyned in the same Writte or Writtes, upon
the same payne, that the said Robert, Richard
Farnell, John and Thomas, in their propre
persones doo appiere afore the Kyng in his said
Bench, at the day conteyned in the said Writte
or Writtes of Proclamation, to aunswere to all
such Bille or Billes, Action or Actions, which
the said Katerine, or any other persone or
persones, then will sue ayenst theym, or any of
theym, of the said felome, murther and robbery;
and theruppon the said Robert, Richard Farnell,
John and Thomas, to be commytted to warde
unto the foreseid prisone of Newgate, there to
abide without baille or maynprise, unto the
tyme that the said Bille or Billes, Action or
Actions, and every of them, be utterly