patentes withene twelfmoneth aftere the date of thus psent wryteng to the said Erle of Dessemond that thene hit be lafull to the said mayre, ballyf, and consaylle of the Cite of Corke, for the tyme beynge, to delyver his said sone and heir to the said Erle of Dessemond. Also yf the Kyng is good grace, Depute, Lieutenñt, other anye of theme, other anye other yn their name or comaundemente, be their agreament, trouble other vexe wt werre notoriouslye the saide Erle of Dessemond withyne the iij. yer after the date of thus psent writenge, that then the said mair, ballyf, and consaylle for the tyme beynge shalle delyver the said sone un to the said Erle. Alsoe when therle of Kyldarr shall recew the said sone of the forsaid Erle of Dessemond, that then he shall fynde sufficyent surte to the said Erle of Dessemond to delyver hym his said sone aftere iij. yer as it is withynwrytene without the said Erle of Dessemond notoriously* contrary to his allegeaunce. Aswell the said mayr of Corke, ballyf, and consayll fore the tyme beynge, after iij. yer as abowwrytene, shall delyver the said sone to the said Erle of Dessemond and there be none other lyvere of the said sone, unles the said Erle of Dessemond notoriously rebell contrary to his allegeaunce, &c. CORK AND KINSALE. [15 Oct. 1498.] The Othe of the citesyns and coes of the cite of Cork and the towne of Kynsale made unto our sovayn Lord King Henry the VIIth the xv day of Octobr the yere of the reigne of our said sovayne Lord the xiiij, before the right noble Lord Gerald Earle of Kyldar Depute Leuteñnt of Irland and the Kinges Counsell of the same. Ye shall swere by the holy Sacrament here present and by you bodely touched and bi all the holy Reliques that be here that ye shall well and truly from hensforth observe and kepe all and evy article that hereaf? followeth. "rebell" omitted? First, ye shalbe true and feithfull subjet unto our souvayne Lord King Henry the VIIth by the g❝ce of God kyng of England and of Fraunce and lord of Irland, and to his only begotyn heyres kyngs of England during your lyfs naturall according to the duete of yr ailigeance. Also yif ye shall knowe eny treason or eny other hurte towardes our said souvayne Lords psone ye shall to the utèmest of your power let and resist the same. And of that with all diligence possible ye shall yive knowelege thereof to our said souvayne Lord or to hys depute, and yif ye may not ye shall yive knowelege thereof unto oon of our said souvayne Lords Counsell next unto you wherby his grace may be sonest advtised of the same. Also ye shall humbly and mekely obey the kings comaundements and them observe to your power. Also ye shall not assent to the dishenherityng of our said souvayn Lord the kyng in eny of his rightes, but to your power ye shall ayde and assiste our said souvayne lords officers within this his cite of Corke, and the ffranchesies of the same, to levie, rere, and pceyve our souvayn Lordes dueties, that is to say, his rentes, revenues, and all his custumes. Also ye shall kepe this the kyngs cite of Corke truly to the best of yor power to the kyngs use and his depute Lieuteñnt for the tyme beyng, and that ye shall not make eny bond or pmyse with eny other lord, gentleman, or any other psone to the hurt, pjudice, or let of the same. Also ye shall truly kepe our said souvayne Lord the kyngs peace and that ye shall make no querell, debate, nor stryff with eny of your neyghbours ne eny other the kyngs subietts for eny mal or cause had, moved, or dependyng before this betwixt you and eny of them, but that ye shall peasibly and quyetly entrete your said neighbours and demeane yor selfs in evy behalff according to our said souvayn Lords lawes. And for the more larger assurance in observyng and kepyng all and evy article expssed in the forsaid Othe, we whose names be herondre subscribed, put to this writing our sevll seales, and shall dely? our sufficient plegge into the handes of our said Lord Depute with him to remayne during our said soũayne Lordes pleasire. Joh'es Wat, Mauricius Roche armig', Thomas Thopen', Ed'us Tyrry, Joh'es Lawallyn, Jacobus Myagh', Will's Golys, Ed'us Golys, Will's Tyrry, Geraldus Golys, Ric'us Galwey, Dionisius Mongane, Will's Maghon, Ph'us Sareswell, David Lawallyn, Patricius Creaghe, Petrus Copener, David Martell, Rob'tus Tyrry, Ric'us Tyrry, Will's Whyte, Ph'us Tyrry, Ed'us Roche, Joh'es Lyan, Ric'us Maghon, Frater Will's Nele, Ric'us Lawallyn, Ph'us Water, Thomas Skyddy, Joh'es Skyddy, Ed'us Fitz Piers Tyrry, Ric'us Morowe, Joh'es Maghon, Oliverus Tyrry, Joh'es Roche, Roulandus Tyrry, David Fitz John Lavallyn, Nich'us Skyddy, Joh'es Fitz William Skyddy, Ed'us Staunton, David Myagh, Ed'us Martel, Prepositus de Kynsale, Joh'es Galwey de eadem, Joh'es Martell de eadem, et Leonardus Nasshe de eadem. Corporation seal-a heater shield, on which are three Lions passant (England). Reverse (apparently, the lower part being broken) a bridge of one arch, on which are two towers; on the right tower (to the spectator's left) is a man with a bow in his hand, a man also on the other; arms uncertain; through the arch you see a ship bearing a flag, on which is a plain cross. Also eighteen labels, on each of which (except one which is blank) are two or three seals. There are not above four or five varieties of impressions among them all; these consist of an alphabetical letter, a rose, or a bust. THE ROCHE MANUSCRIPTS, IN THE POSSESSION OF JAMES ROCHE, ESQ., CORK. OPINION OF THE JUDGES IN A CASE OF BRIBERY. ON THE ELECTION OF THE MAYOR OF CORK. [MS. Roche Original.] able "Here followeth the case hanginge nowe in variaunce wherein we desire yor advise, and to thentente ye maye the better undrestande and assoill the same ye shall knowe that the maio' and both the balliuis of Corke for the tyme beinge according to the use and custume of the same ought and muste choise and electe thre goode able men, that is to saye, evyrye of theym one mane, of which thre goode psones the hole comons of Corke forsaid shall electe one to be there govnor and maior of the same. So the case is this: One of Cork forsaid came to one of the balliuis and bargayned, covenaunted, and delyved unto him certeyn some of moneye for the electinge and choisinge of hym to that prpose. And so he did, and was elected and made maior by the hole comons of the same that yere by the meanes of the said balliuis sixe yere agone. NOWE whether the same pson so elected and made maior oughte to have restitucione of his moneye so delyvered in mañ aforesaid or not." "In o hartie manner this shalbe to adv'tise youe howe that John Copinger have desired us upon the case aforesaid to certefie youe of our opinion therein lest that youe upon the same to be suyed before youe in faut of knolege sholde ordyn the same other then the ordyr of the king of souv'eine Lordes lawes. Wherefore we do sertefie youe that the person which did yeve the monye aforesaid to the other can not have acc'oun for to recov' the same monye againe, ne other recompence therfor, be the ordyr of the said lawe. So knowithe or Lord, who p'serve youe. Yor lovyng frends, GERALD AYLMER,* Justice. THOMAS LUTRELL, Justice. JAMES BATH, Baron. THOMAS CUSAKE, Mr. Rot'lor'. (Date is 1532 or 1533. See note appended.) JOHN COPPINGER'S ENGAGEMENT TO MARRY KATHERINE ROCHE, AND THE EARL OF DESMOND'S AWARD ON JOHN COPPINGER'S CHARGE AGAINST HIS WIFE THE SAID KATHERINE, A.D. 1553-1555. MATRIMONIAL CONTRACT OF JOHN COPPINGER WITH [MS. Roche Original.] Be it knowen unto all men that where as I John Copinge marchant of Corke, sone to Steven Copinger some tyme recordor of Corke forsaide, am fiannced and throwtede unto one Katerin Roche doughter unto one Domynyck Roche alderman of Corke forsaide, and Genete Gowll woma of the same, that I the said John Copinge doe thake do * Sir Gerald Aylmer of Dullardstown was a Judge of the Common Pleas 1532, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1534, and Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1535. As Sir Gerald only signs Justice, it must have been before he was either Chief Baron or Chief Justice; which will fix the date of this paper as 1532, or 1533. Sir Richard Cox, in his History of Ireland, p. 281, says-" All the letters of this reign (Henry VIII.) conclude thus: So knoweth God, to whom we pray for your grace's prosperity-or to that effect; but these words (So knoweth God) are always in, although in the subsequent words there is some variation, according to the fancy of the writer." And at page 283-in the List of the Irish Privy Council sworn in 7 April 1547, first year of Edward the Sixth, among others are, Sir Gerald Aylmer, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. James Bath, Esq. Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Sir Thomas Cusack, Master of the Rolls |