1469-03-11, Westminster

The king lately by letters patent (see p. 101) appointed William Bourghchier of Fitzwaren, knight, Richard Chok, knight, John Gyfford, Thomas Dowerissh, John Orchard, John Denys, John Aps the elder, William Sprygge, William Duke, Richard Morton the elder, Walter Gayncot, Richard Getferey and Philip Beaumond, then sheriff of Devon, to enquire into a complaint of John May of Bristol, merchant, concerning a ship of his called le Haphaell of Bristol; and now on the part of the said John May it has been shown that although by an inquisition taken by virtue of the said letters before the said John Orchard, Walter and Philip at Barnestaple, co. Devon, on 25 August last it was found that the said ship was laden at Dansk in Prussia with divers goods and merchandise to take to Bristol and came safely to England and certain merchants and mariners landed from the ship, viz. Thomas Baker and Richard Laken at Grimisby, co. Lincoln, Thomas Laweles and John Yonge at Holdernes, co. York, Edward Kyte, John Bowton and James Bertram at Kyngeston on Hull and Peter Forstall, William Chekes, Clement Hyll, William Bowyer, John Saunders and Thomas Kayser at Sandwich, co. Kent, and the remainder sailed towards the port of Bristol but by a vehement tempest were compelled to wait in Bedebay within the county of Devon (sic) 70 miles within the river Severn and from the sea and there dropped their anchors, which could not hold the ship, and cut away the mast of the ship, but nevertheless the ship was driven ashore near Kilkampton on the confines of the counties of Devon and Cornwall on Friday after St. Martin then last past, the said John May and the merchants being then on land, and Richard Horlok and Thomas Don and other mariners who were on the ship at the time came alive to land, and divers goods and merchandise in the ship came into the hands of divers persons, viz. 24 barrels of pitch and bitumen and 200 waynscotes to the value of 18/. of the goods of John Gregory, . Part I. 169 one of the merchants of the ship, to the hands of John Dodecote the parish of auton Bisshop, co. Devon, 300 bowestaves to the value 20/. of the goods of the said John May to the hands of Patrick Bowyer Excter, yoman, and a counter and four tables of Prussia to the value 241. of the goods of John Gaywode, one of the merchants of the ship, to hands of Philip Warberton alias Warmyngton of Barnestaple, and other persons in those parts carried off and disposed of the other and the gear of the ship to the value of 1,000J. that were cast ashore, they were not wreck, nevertheless the said John Dodecote, and Philip Warberton refuse to deliver up the goods that came into hands. The king accordingly commissions Humphrey Sialford of knight, the said Philip Beaumond and Christopher Worsley to into whose hands the other goods and gear came and to cause the John, Patrick and Philip and others to make restitution and to imprison as refuse.