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Court of Chancery - Jefferies v Latch 1621 (C 3/362/23)

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Contents

Jefferies v Latch1621

Key National Archive Catalogue Entry
Date 1621
Short Title Jefferies v Latch.
Subject Marriage contractin Somerset.
Plaintiffs Lawrence Jefferies
Defendants John Latch
Document type bill
Reference C 3/362/23 [1]

Bill of Complaint

C 3/362/23 consists of a single page, the bill of complaint.

The following consists of two sections:

  • A brief summary of the contents of the bill of complaint
  • A transcription where the original formatting and line numbering has been retained.

Summary of Complaint

In February 1621/22, Lawrence Jefferies, of Bleadon on Somerset, England, a husbandman complained that about seven or eight years previously (so about 1613-1614) he had reached an informal agreement with John Latch, a yeoeman, of Upper Langford, Somerset to marry his daughter Joyce. Although no marriage portion was agreed, John Latch and Lawrence Jeffreys agreed that, after the marriage (which took place soon after) John Latch would pay Lawrence Jeffreys the sum of £40 for the better maintenance of the couple. However, by the time of the complaint in February 1621/22 payment of the money still had not taken place and:

thesaid John Latch well knowinge that the said agreement was made secreatly, and privately, betwene him and yo[u]r said Orator and that noe witnesses were called thereunto or p[re]sent thereat which might testifie and prove the said agreement doth nowe take advantage thereof and doth not onlie refuse to make payment of the said some of Fortie pownds unto yo[u]r said Orator although he hath been often tymes in frendly, maind required by yo[u]r said Orator to pay thesame, but also doth utterly denye that --- he made any such promise or agreement

Transcript

Transcription using Transkribus using model text titan 26 Jan 2024, followed by proof read and correction by Sansum-45 21:53, 26 January 2024 (UTC)

Transcription conventions used in this text:

  • Spelling and punctuation are as per the original document.
  • The text was originally in one block of (nearly entirely) unpunctuated text on one sheet.
  • Where present, ff has been rendered as F.
  • Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets].
  • Superscripts have been rendered by normal text
  • The image quality was good.

Nono Feb. 1621

Tullyn? 200

To the Right honorable and right Revend father in god John Lord Binshopp of

Lincolne Lord keeper of the greate seale of England

In most humble wise? complayninge sheweth? unto yo[u]r good Lordship yo[u]r daylie? Orator Lawrence Iefferies of Bleadon in the County

of Somers[e]t. husbandman, That whereas about Seaven or eight yeares nowe last past there was a Comunicacon and speech that?

said? moved by and betwene yo[u]r said Orator and one John Latch of Over Langford within the p[ar]ische of Churchill in the

aforesaid County of Som[er]s[e]t yeoman for and consideringe? a marriage to be had and solemnized by and betweene yo[u]r said Orator

and one Joyce latch daughter of the said John Latch and nowe your Orators wiffe, And after eyns? communicasons and

treaties betwene ye said Orator and thesaid John Latch touchinge the same marriage it was at length fully concluded

and agreed uppon betwene yo[u]r said orator and thesaid John latch that your Orator should marry and take to wiffe thesaid

Joyce latch and that in consideration of the said marriage and for the better mayntenance and lybelehood of yo[u]r Orator and

of thesaid Joyce after their intermarriage he thesaid John Latch should give and pay unto your said Orator the some

of Fortie pownds of lawfull Englishe money in some shorte tyme after thesaid marriage should be solemnized for and

in liewe of a marriage porc[i]on wth her thesaid Joyce, latch, Accordinge to which agreement your said Orator

relyeinge uppon the promise of the said John Latch shortely after espressed? and tooke to wyffe thesaid Joyce Latch

Sythence? which tyme yo[u]r said Orator beinge desirous to provide mayntenance for her thesaid Joyce Latch taken such

order and made such provision in lyvinge for her the said Joyce that she thesaide Joyce is to have and to hold duringe

her widdowhood a Tenement worth Fortie pownd ?? and if she the happen to --- and overlyve your said

Orator, But nowe soe it is may it please yo[u]r good Lordshipp that albeit yo[u]r said Orator hath? ---

and taken to wiffe thesaid Joyce and hath p[ro]vided such an estate in livinge for her as aforesaid, yet he

thesaid John Latch well knowinge that the said agreement was made secreatly, and privately, betwene him

and yo[u]r said Orator and that noe witnesses were called thereunto or p[re]sent thereat which might testifie

and prove the said agreement doth nowe take advantage thereof and doth not onlie refuse to make payment of

the said some of Fortie pownds unto yo[u]r said Orator although he hath been often tymes in frendly, maind required by

yo[u]r said Orator to pay thesame, but also doth utterly denye that --- he made any such promise or agreement

butt? all contrarie to right equtie and good conscience. In tender consideracon whereof and for as much as thesaid

promise and agreement was made secreatly and privately betweene yo[u] said Orator and the said John Latch alone

nothant? callinge any witnesses thereunto by reason whereof yo[u]r Orator is not able to make such private?e proffe to prove

the said agreement as by the stricte course of the Com[m]on lawe is required and therefore is utterly voide of

all remedie for the same by the course of (the Comon lawe, but hopeth that the said John Latch will uppon his

corporall oath distiver|? and confesse the truth hereof att large. May it therefore please yo[u]r good Lordship the

prinses? considered to graunte unto yo[u]r said Orator the kings? ---. most gratious write of --- to be directed to

him thesad. John Latch comandinge him thereby att a certen day and under a certain payne therein to be lymitted

p[er]sonally to be and appeare before your good Lordshipp in his highnes['s] Courte of Chauncerie then and there to ---

the promises and to sett foorth uppon his oath the said agreement and further to stand to and abide such further

order and direction therein as to your Lordship shall seeme meete and aggreable with equitie and good

conscience. And yo[u]r Orator accordinge to his bounden duetie shall daylie pray unto god for yo[u]r Lordship's longe

lyffe with increase of much honour

George Youngh

Sources

  1. "Short title: Jefferies v Latch. Plaintiffs: Lawrence Jefferies. Defendants: John Latch.",The British National Archive, C 3/362/23 ,1621, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3803581 ,(accessed 26 January 2024)




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