Edmund Harewell

1475 - 1532  (57 years)

• Name	Edmund Harewell
  Born	1475	Besford, Worcestershire, England
  Gender	Male
  Died	1532	Besford, Worcestershire, England
  Notes	The Story of Besford Court by the Right Rev. Monsignor Newsome (Administrator), Birmingham: The Herald Press: 1927. Edmund, married Jane, the daughter of Robert Russell of Strensham, and lived at Besford. Some very interesting documents have lately been found at the Public Record Office, relative to a dispute between William Compton, Abbot of Pershore, and this Edmund Harewell. The year in which the dispute culminated is not certain, but it was probably towards the close of the period 1504-1527, during which time William Compton ruled at Pershore. The first file (Court of Requests, Bun. 5/194) of these documents consists of the complaint of the Abbot, and of Harewell's answer thereto. Another document (Court of Requests, Bun. 4/146), now unfortunately separated from the other two, is the replication of the Abbot. In his complaint the Abbot says that he and his servants, on the 11th July last, were in God's and the King's peace, within the Monastery and town of Pershore, not intending harm to anybody, when Harewell, accompained by John More, John Hill, John Ledyngton and William Nashe, arrived in the town. They were accompanied by ten or eleven riotous persons, so the Abbot alleges, and they were all "defensibly arraied in manner of Warre," with bows, arrows, swords, bucklers, and other unlawful weapons. Meeting with some of the Abbot's servants they forthwith assaulted them, no reason being given for this sudden attack. The servants were at once in fear and jeopardy of their lives, and "were gladde to flea with an hard escape" into the Abbey precincts, and to shut the gates--"to spare the abbey gats"--against the pursuers. This is not enough for Harewell, but daily he threatens the Abbot's servants in such a manner that they really are afraid to go outside the precincts of the Abbey, which is greatly to the Abbot's and their hindrance, discomfort and peril and, of course, creates a position that is contrary to the law of the land. The Abbot therefore begs that Letters of Privy Seal may be issued to Harewell and his confederates summoning them to appear before the Court of Requests to answer for their very wrong behaviour. Harewell, with John More, answers that none of them are guilty of the Abbot's charges against them. It is true, Harewell continues, that he came into Pershore on the day as stated, accompained by some of his servants and tenants, but they all came from Besford in a quite peaceable manner, and simply because they wanted to have spoken with Gyles Grevill, gentleman--who, presumably, was the Abbot's Steward. They did not know that John Salbrugge was in the town, a man unmentioned by the Abbot in his complaint, but who evidently was a storm-centre. They all called at a certain alehouse, kept by a man named Peryn, and there asked for a cup of ale. Peryn's wife invited them all to enter the inn, but Harewell sent More in to bring out the ale. As he entered he was met by Salbrugge and another man unknown to them. Salbrugge struck violently at More with a wood-knife, and put him in jeopardy of his life, so if he received any hurt from More it was because the latter was forced to defend himself. Noboby else entered the inn, and nobody else struck any blows and, as for weapons of offence and defence, they only bore such as they were daily accustomed to have with them, except that More was wearing "a scull"--an iron defence for the head, sewed inside of the cap. This he wore for the surety of his life, for fear of the threats that Salbrugge, for a long time past, had been making that he would slay him whenever he should chance to meet him. In conclusion, Harewell derides the allegation of the Abbot that his servants had to flee for safety within the Abbey gates, and says that, on the contrary, he himself had to entreat them to keep inside the gates and to observe the King's peace. The Abbot returns to the charge and, in his replication--of which the following is a modernised form of ther original document, of which a photograph (facing p.15) is alson given--now paints his picture in deeper colours:-- "The replication of the Abbot of Pershore to the answer of Edmund Harewell and John More. The said Abbot saith that the said bill is good and true in every point and that the matter in the said bill specified the said Edmund with all the other persons in the said bill mentioned in forcible manner with bows, bills, swords, and bucklers of their perpense malice came to Pershore aforesaid and perceived where the said John Salbrugge was drinking in a house near the Abbey Gate the same Edmund sent into the house five of his servants to the intent there to quarrel and beat the said John Salbrugge. And in the meantime he himself with his bow bent and others of his company with him ready with their weapons stood about the Abbey Gate aforesaid that if any of the said Abbot's servants had come forth to have beaten or slain them. And when his said servants came into the house where the said John Salbrugge was he knew them not but offered them to drink. And they answered unto him and said that they would drink with him anon. And forthwith they drew their weapons and sore wounded him almost to death and then drew him by the legs to the street. And the said John Salbrugge then thinking no otherwise but they would slay him called for a priest. Then came a friar that was waiting upon the said Edmund Harwell(sic) unto him. And the said Edmund then in a great fury came to the said John Salbrugge where he lay and gave him with his weapon a great stroke. And nay had the said friar been [there] he would have slain him out of hand but by means of the said friar which kneeled upon his knees and beseeched him to have pity with many lamentable words. And by means thereof he then forebore further meddling with him. And after incontinent [suddenly] the same Edmund went into a house and asked for water and said: "I have washed my hands in a knave's blood." And then a man of the said town said unto him, "I am sorry that this trouble is now fortuned." And he said "So I am not for this shall teach Abbey knaves to beware." And the said Edmund was not yet herewith content but on the morrow next ensuing he came to Pershore aforesaid accompanied with eight or nine persons with weapons and walked up and down in the said town. And divers times by the Abbey Gates aforesaid to the intent to have quarreled with the Abbot's servants. And when the said Abbot perceived that he charged all his servants, to keep them within the said Gates and so they did. Without that the said Edmund and those persons in the said bill named came to Pershore aforesaid for any other cause or intent than in this Replication is expressed and without that that the said John Salbrugge or any other person with him violently with a wood knife or any other weapon struck at the said John More in manner and form as the said answer is alleged all which matters the said Abbot is ready to prove..." There the matter ends for there is no further record of this suit or of its result. Probably the Lord Abbot charitably omitted to mention the original provocation given by his own servants, but doubtless Harewell was as well able to take care of himself in the courts of justice an in a brawl.
  Person ID	I12201	Master File
  Last Modified	1 Mar 2012

  
  

  Father	Roger Harewell,   b. 1445, Besford, Worcestershire, England ,   d. 1501, England  (Age 56 years)
  Mother	Eleanor Corbet,   b. 1448, Worcester, Worcestershire, England
  Married	1475	Worcester, Worcestershire, England
  Family ID	F7172	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Jane Russell,   b. 1473, Strensham, Worcestershire, England ,   d. 1502, Worcester, Worcestershire, England  (Age 29 years)
  Married	1494	Worcestershire, England
  Children	1. Thomas Harewell,   b. 1501, Harewell, Worcestershire, England ,   d. 1564, Besford, Worcestershire, England  (Age 63 years)
  Last Modified	29 Feb 2012
  Family ID	F7171	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart