Court of Requests (PRO REQ2/105/12 Edw Sibthorpe of Braintree v: Xoph Sibthorpe Math Everard and wife Roger Harlakenden etc 1591-2)

17.1.34Eliz1 (Monday 17 January 1592)

document 19601217

Robt Reade aged 60years about sworn the day and year above first says that he knows the parties and he knew Wm Stammer mentioned in the interrogatory second says that the complainant has neither lands nor living for his maintenance to his knowledge and that Stammer did pay him the deponent 9li wanting 2s for the complainant's board and other his debts but whose money it was he does not know but he thinks that mr Xoph Sibthorpe was entered into bond unto this deponent for payment of the said money third fourth fifth and sixth he cannot say seventh says that mr Roger Harlakenden a defendant is a gentleman of very good credit in Earls Colne where he dwells and all his dealings of good report eighth says he never knew any hurt by Wm Stammer and yet he ever accounted him for an honest and upright dealer but he has heard some hard speeches of his concerning this lease in question ninth says he knows the hop ground in the interrogatory and it contains some 8a or thereabouts tenth says he did know of the lease or demise made by mr Harlakenden of 5a to the complainant and that the 5a of the hop ground and certain waste ground were planted with hops at the time of the demise of Jn Parker who had parcel 1a of the garden the which acre was also planted at the same time eleventh says he does not know when the lease made to the complainant had its beginning but it was made for 14years for 25li rent and without fine as he takes it twelfth cannot depose thirteenth says that the yearly rent reserved on the lease all charges considered was a sufficient rent and was as much as the hop ground was then worth as he thinks and so commonly reputed and taken to be fourteenth cannot say fifteenth says that the complainant bought of him four thousand seven hundred of poles which were laid unto the hop ground and also three hundred more of smaller poles for the first year as he thinks were laid into the hop ground also which four thousand seven hundred for the scantling would serve for any year he further remembers that the complainant bought some other poles in Chalkney Wood but the quantity of them he does not remember sixteenth says the complainant planted some part of the hop ground which was not planted before but how much thereof or what the charges were thereof he does not know seventeenth says that he has heard say that the complainant did set over his interest in the lease of Xoph Sibthorpe his brother upon condition in trust for 40li eighteenth cannot say nineteenth says that he thinks that Wm Stammer knew the terms of the condition twentieth cannot say twentyfirst says that after the reentry made to the use of mr Harlakenden he supposes that Wm Stammer did occupy the hop ground in his own right but how he occupied it before he knows not twentysecond cannot depose twentythird says he has heard that Wm Stammer did sell certain lands in Margretting but to what end or purpose he does not know twentyfourth cannot say twentyfifth (torn) says he has heard Stammer say that he had granted an annuity to Xoph (torn rest illegible)