complaint of Jn Stockbridge of Stansted Mount Fitchet in Essex Jonas Hill of London Jn Goody of Marks Tey in Essex yeoman that whereas certain lands tenements houses and hereditaments set and being in Coggeshall Messing Stisted Marks Tey Ardleigh and elsewhere in Essex amounting in all as the same were letten to the yearly value of 6li per annum and thereabouts were given to the maintenance of a school at Earls Colne in Essex which said houses etc with appurtenances were conveyed and assured by feoffment to the ancestors of the now earl of Oxford and to certain others and their heirs in trust for the maintenance of the school as it is thought that Jn de Vere late earl of Oxford father to the right honourable Edw de Vere now earl of Oxford was a survivor feoffee to the inheritance of the lands etc and the use thereof of right is descended and now come unto the now earl of Oxford as it is supposed by reason whereof the said earl having an especial care that the school be hereafter maintained and kept according to the true intent and meaning of the first gift and the houses be kept in good reparation and no waste should be done on the ground and that the same should be yearly letten at some reasonable good value further that there should be appointed some discreet honest learned man to be schoolmaster and to instruct children the said earl for the better performance and accomplishment thereof did by his commission made 13.3.34Eliz1 give full power and authority to Wm Lewen doctor of civil law and now judge of the prerogative court of Canterbury Roger Harlakenden of Earls Colne Essex esq Wm Tiffin Colne Wake Essex gentleman to provide a sufficient and able schoolmaster to meet from time to time to supply the same place and did give full power and authority to them Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin to call before them the occupiers and tenants of the said lands and hereditaments and to increase the yearly rents thereof to some reasonable rate and further to demise and let to farm the messuages lands and tenements or hereditaments or any part thereof for the sum of twenty one years or for three lives with some reasonable improvements of the yearly rents and that the rents or revenues should be yearly employed for the use and maintenance of the school and further authorized Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin to do any other act or acts concerning the school which should be thought meet and convenient unto them in as full and ample manner and form as the earl might do by force of the trust Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin having an especial care in the choice of a meet man to teach and be schoolmaster there and for the increasing of the yearly rents and revenues of the possessions belonging to the school perceiving that one Wm Adhams had and did receive the revenues of the lands or most part there and had executed place or room of the schoolmaster being a very unmeet man for the same and also very insufficient for his learning to instruct any children in the latin tongue and that by reason thereof divers youths had of a long space greatly lost their time to their hindrance and loss of time the reformation whereof the said Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin about one year now past and somewhat more did displace the said Wm Adhams from the office of teaching there and did constitute and appoint the complainant Jn Stockbridge being a master of arts and a man of very honest and good conversation and government to be schoolmaster and to teach there and further Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin by virtue of the commission did demise grant and sub let to the complainant Jonas Hill the messuage and tenement called Fen House with certain lands usually occupied with the same excepting all timber and trees growing and being on the same lying and being in Ardleigh and elsewhere in Essex for twenty one years from annunciation.25Eliz1 paying yearly to the use of the schoolmaster 5li whereas the yearly rate before the same was but 33s4d or thereabouts Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin did further by virtue of their commission demise grant and farm let to the complainant Jn Goody tenement with lands usually occupied with the same excepting timber and trees thereupon growing in Marks Tey in Essex for twenty one years from annunciation.25Eliz1 paying yearly 4li for the use of the schoolmaster whereas it was letten before for the yearly rent of 27s8d or thereabouts yet so it is that one Simon Ive seeking for his own private gain and benefit to make spoil and waste on the lands and tenements and hereditaments to the utter overthrow of the school long time since the making of the said several leases and of the grant and commission made unto Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin by some sinister information or practise has procured and obtained as they are credibly informed of the right honourable earl of Oxford a lease for divers years yet enduring whereupon there is yearly some small or little rent reserved of all the lands tenements and hereditaments belonging to the school and also that further procured a patent or grant from the earl to be made unto Wm Adhams to continue to execute the place of schoolmaster to teach by colour and virtue of which lease Simon Ive has entered upon every of the messuages lands tenements and hereditaments aforesaid before demised or letten by Wm Lewen Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin unto them to their great losses and hindrance and seeking his only gain has sold all or most part of the wood and timber growing on the lands tenements and hereditaments employing it wholly to his own use and has offered upon great fines to be paid to himself to demise and make new leases of all and every the lands tenements and hereditaments reserving yearly some small sum to the utter spoiling and waste of the houses and grounds and the utter otherthrow of the school also Simon Ives and Wm Adhams confederating themselves together upon some great fine to their uses paid and upon some small yearly rent reserved have demised granted and farm letten to one Joshua Damyon the tenement and lands lying and Marks Tey aforeletten to Jn Goody by colour and virtue whereof Joshua Damyon does manure and occupy the same suffering the houses to fall down also committing waste of the grounds in felling of the woods trees there and also further have by their sinister practices and devises taken and received divers fines of sundry persons for their premises of sundry other leases to be made by them of divers parcels of the said lands tenements and hereditaments reserving yearly some small rent to the maintenance of the school to the utter overthrow of the same for reformation whereof may it please her majesty the premises tenderly considered to grant writ of privy seal to be directed to Simon Ive Wm Adhams and Joshua Damyon commanding them to appear on a certain day and date at this court of requests not only to answer to the premises but also to stand and to abide such further orders and directions as to her majesty shall seem most agreeable etc