132 Cornwall v Hare

132 CORNWALL V HARE

Sir Gilbert Cornwall, knt and baron of Burford, co. Salop v Humphrey Hare of Tenbury Wells, co. Worcester

January 1640 - October 1640

Abstract

Cornwall complained that Hare had called him a 'base Rogue and the sonn of a whore' at a public meeting of the county. Cornwall was a captain of horse and deputy lieutenant who felt he had been 'deeplie wounded in his reputation' by these remarks. Process was granted on 27 January 1640, and in October Dr Merrick published the depositions on Cornwall's behalf; but no further proceedings survive.

Initial proceedings

2/79, Petition to Arundel

'The petitioner, being Captaine of the Horse and one of the Deputy Lieutenants of the said countie, one Humfrey Hare, later of Tenbury in the countie of Worcester, and now living in the county of Hereford, at a publique meeting of the countrey, before a number of persons, most uncivilly and scandalously did revile and defame the petitioner and said, he was a base Rogue and the sonn of a whore, with other reproachfull tearmes, whereby the petitioner being deeplie wounded in his reputation.'

Petitioned that Hare be brought to answer.

Maltravers granted process on 27 January 1640.

2/78, Plaintiff's bond

29 January 16340

Bound to appear 'in the Court in the painted Chamber within the Pallace of Westminster'.

Signed by Gilbert Cornwall.

Signed and delivered in the presence of John Watson.

Summary of proceedings

Dr Merrick acted as counsel for Cornwall and Dr Eden for Hare. On 10 October 1640, Dr Merrick petitioned to publish the depositions of Cornwall's depositions, which was done on 24 October, when Dr Eden also petitioned to relate the material for the defence.

Notes

Sir Gilbert Cornwall, knt, was the son of Sir Thomas Cornwall, knt, Baron of Burford, and Ann, daughter of Gilbert Littleton of Frankley, esq. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Reade of Barton, co. Berkshire, knt.

G. Grazebrook and J. P. Rylands (eds.), The Visitation of Shropshire taken in the year 1623, vol. I (Publications of the Harleian Society, 28, 1889), p. 148.

Sir Gilbert Cornwall was also verbally abused and assaulted when he broke up a disturbance in Ludlow, at midsummer 1641. Thomas Pringle and his wife pulled Cornwall's hair, wrestled him to the ground and said that Pringle 'was as good a man as the said Sir Gilbert'.

Shropshire Record Office, Ludlow Borough Quarter Sessions, LB 11/4/68/3, cited in D. Cressy, England on Edge: Crisis and Revolution, 1640-1642 (Oxford University Press, 2006), p. 366.

Documents

• Initial proceedings
  • Petition to Arundel: 2/79 (27 Jan 1640)
  • Plaintiff's bond: 2/78 (29 Jan 1640)
• Proceedings
  • Proceedings: 1/11, fos. 56r-64v (10 Oct 1640)
  • Proceedings before Stafford: 1/11, fos. 41r-44v (24 Oct 1640)

People mentioned in the case

• Cornwall, Ann
• Cornwall, Elizabeth
• Cornwall, Gilbert, knight and baron
• Cornwall, Thomas, knight and baron
• Eden, Thomas, lawyer
• Hare, Humphrey
• Littleton, Ann
• Littleton, Gilbert, esq
• Merrick, William, lawyer
• Howard, Henry, baron Maltravers
• Howard, Thomas, earl of Arundel and Surrey
• Howard, William, baron Stafford
• Reade, Elizabeth
• Reade, Thomas, knight
• Watson, John

Places mentioned in the case

• Berkshire
  • Barton
  • Salop / Shropshire
  • Burford
• Worcestershire
  • Frankley
  • Tenbury Wells

Topics of the case

• denial of gentility
• deputy lieutenant
• military officer
• office-holding
• sexual insult