Letters written by Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chichester, 28 January 1589/90 and 24 June 1591

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Back to Thomas Bickley DD (abt.1518-1596)

Digital images of two letters written in the Bishop's own hand can be found in the Folger Shakespeare Library.

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Letter 1:^[1]
Source Title: Letter from Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chicester, Aldingbourne, to Anthony Bagot
Image Details: Is glad that Bagot has recovered; recommends a visit to Chicester for the air. Sends gloves for Mrs. Anne Broughton.
Source Created or Published: 1589/90 January 28

Thanks be to god of yo^r recovery . I
tak it that yow showld do well to [?]
the ear . my man Saxby shall accu[m]pany
yow to Alldingborne whear partly & partly
at Chichester ye shall re[freshe?] yo^r selff
for I wold to god it [lay in me?] to do yow
any pleasur . It [raivy?seth] [m]e to hear that
all my Cussens & Frynds in Stafford Shier
be in health especyully at Blyffeld . I
returne m^rs Browtons [re]comendatyons w^th my
harty [re]comendatyons [?] in a payr of
gloves . Fare ye well Aldingborne
xxviij January 1589
yo^r Cussen
Tho.

[Addressed to]
To my welbeloved Cussen
m^r Antony Baggot at
m^r Browghtons howse
in warwyck [laene].

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Letter 2:^[2]
Source Title: Letter from Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chicester, Aldingbourne, to Richard Bagot
Image Details: Anthony Bagot wrote that most of the Bagots were ill but now recovered. His friend the vicar of Alrewas is poor and will be undone if forced to find 20 for a privy seal. Dearth is bringing misery about Chicester.
Source Created or Published: 1591 June 24

I had [now synce?] my comyng out of Stafford Shyer occasion
to wriet un to you but only to know of yo^r welfare
and all yo^rs : And ther to [?] not in wrytyng for
that [matter (crossed out)] my cussen Antony Buggot fro[m] tym to time
dyd co[?]yfy me of ^ye matter. In so mutch that a bought ij month
past he wrot to me that out of Stafford Shier he cowld not [?]
me of any thyng : save only that their was their plenty of
[ag?] & pryvye sealls addyng that yo^r worshyp, my cussens yo^r
[bedfellow?] & children w^th the most part alle of yo^r family [?]
moor [ther ?yd] their w^th. neverthelesse afterward he put me
to understand all was [?] and restored fully to health
[whear?] of I was vary glad & thanked then god & now do
thank god for it. At thys [p[re]sent?] my owld servant & Frynd
the Vicar of Alderwas [mon?] me to wriet un to yow
for to be good un to hym as [purchysing?] a pryvy seall for xx^£
he p[re]suppos[?]eth that my word showlt stand hym in some stead
wherfor my request is un to yo^r worshyp that yow wold showe
hym such favor as ye may [co?tly]. Truly for my
knowledg he hath no [mony?] , neither had he ‘all whyll I was in
the contre & syns my departur (for - crossed out) through loss of Cattell
& then for the over flowing of their meads of Alderwas
I tak in he hath now less. Hys Vicaredg is small and lesse by a
great deall then a man wold thynk, [many of a ?] he
playeth the good husband & keapeth to his power good
hospisalyty & lyveth w^th his neighors like an honest discreat
& constant man . my [?] is therfor to yo^r w. that yow wold
(& the rather at my favor) be a means that he be not
undoon w^ch he taketh wold be in case he showld be dryven to
mak the forsayd some . I wold to god that [t]his had byn his wyll
that remaynyng at lychfeld I had rather spook un to yow of
thees matter then to [wri?] from chychester diocesse un to you . I am
in a strange troblesom countre : even now fro[m] makyng an end of
thys letter I am postyng to pease a [people never movyng?] for lack
of [brede?] to put in their mouthe God [send us ?] his [famine?] . w^th in
thease vij days we have v. under liue tenants [lieutenants] appoynted for owr
county Thus w^th my most harty [re]comendacyons to yo^r w. my
good Cussen & Frynd & to my Cussens [mysters?] Baggot & yo^r
children : I beseach god to grant you all [health?] w^th long
lyff to his honour & all yo^r Comforte Aldingborne
xxiiij day of June 1591

yo^r owld fryend & Cussen
Tho [?]

[Addressed to] To my worshypfull frynd &
Cussen m^r Rychard
Baggot lieue tenant
in Staffordshier to her
mag^ty.

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Transcriptions by Gill Whitehouse

Sources

1. ↑ COLLECTION NAME: LUNA: Folger Digital Image Collection Record Digital Image File Name: 39302 Source Call Number: L.a.199 Source Title: Letter from Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chicester, Aldingbourne, to Anthony Bagot Image Details: Is glad that Bagot has recovered; recommends a visit to Chicester for the air. Sends gloves for Mrs. Anne Broughton. Source Created or Published: 1589/90 January 28 Physical Description: leaf 1 recto Digital Image Type: FSL collection Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed 16 October 2021.
2. ↑ COLLECTION NAME: LUNA: Folger Digital Image Collection Record Digital Image File Name: 39304 Source Call Number: L.a.200 Source Title: Letter from Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chicester, Aldingbourne, to Richard Bagot Image Details: Anthony Bagot wrote that most of the Bagots were ill but now recovered. His friend the vicar of Alrewas is poor and will be undone if forced to find 20 for a privy seal. Dearth is bringing misery about Chicester. Source Created or Published: 1591 June 24 Physical Description: leaf 1 recto Digital Image Type: FSL collection Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed 16 October 2021.