177 Duck v Pinchbecke

177 DUCK V PINCHBECKE

Arthur Duck, LL.D., King's Advocate v John Pinchbecke of London, esq

October 1635 - February 1636

Abstract

This was a cause of office in which Dr Duck prosecuted Pinchbecke for writing a scandalous letter to the Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain. It reproached Pembroke for having landed Pinchbecke in trouble many years before, apparently causing him to lose his place in the household of Henry, Prince of Wales, and more recently for failing to deliver on a promise to make amends. The letter finished with Pinchbecke declaring his determination to 'doe some thing to lett the world know how ill you have used me.' On 11 February 1636, Pinchbecke made submission to Pembroke, confessing he had sent the letter and that it contained 'divers opprobrious, contumelious and minatory words... given in contempt and to the great offence of the right honourable earl'. He begged forgiveness of the king, the earl, the lords, privy councillors and knights of the Order of the Garter.

Initial proceedings

10/10/6, Articles (Necessary Promotion)

1. Philip, Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery had been for up to 20 years Lord Chamberlain to James I and Charles I.

2. Between May and June 1635 John Pinchbecke in the city of London and suburbs in Middlesex, sent Pembroke the scandalous letter attached insulting the earl's honour.

3. Pembroke was an illustrious lord and secretary of the king's council.

4. Arthur Duck, King's Advocate would prosecute the cause.

5. All this was true, public and notorious.

31 October 1635

Signed by Arthur Duck

This letter was attached:

'To the right honorable the great Lord Chamberlaine of England [Pembroke]

Sir,

I know you cannot be ignorant, although you have bin very careless of doeing mee any right in the business, which happened to you at Croyden, you had a reparation both of your honor and restitution. Otherwayes, I for my forwardness to doe your servis, and for the advise which I did give you upon you[r] request being falsely reported unto the king, did ever after suffer in his displeasure and got the hatred of all his country men in soe violent a fashion that not withstanding I had agreed with Sir Newton, the prince's tutor, for a place, both the honor and profit to serve Prince Henry, I was put from it with as much disgrace as might be, since which time I have lived but in a very poore fashion, never seeking to you, but once, for any curtasie, wherein I found no good but abuse, although you protested at Croyden, and once at your chamber, that I should command ever anything that was in your power. And now for requital you have put soe much disgrace upon me that I am dispisable to the world and hatefull to my selfe. I write not this to desire satisfaction for now it is too late, but to let you know how much wait I have never agone through without God's great assistance whome I desire to assist me still until I may doe some thing to lett the world know how ill you have used me.

Your slave as you have made me,

John Pinchback.'

Submission

17/1i, Submission

He confessed to having sent a letter to the Earl of Pembroke, in which he used 'divers opprobrious contumelious and minatory words... given in contempt and to the great offence of the right honourable earl'. He 'was hartily sorry for my offence', and begged the forgiveness of the king, the earl, the lords, privy councillors and knights of the Order of the Garter.

Dated 11 Feb 1636.

Signed by John Pinchbecke.

Notes

John Pinchbeck did not appear in the Visitations of London but may have been the major in the royalist foot regiment of Sir John Paulet in 1644.

P. R. Newman, Royalist officers in England and Wales, 1642-1660: A biographical dictionary (London, 1981), p. 297; P. Stein, 'Arthur Duck', Oxford DNB (Oxford, 2004); J. J. Howard and J. L. Chester (eds.), The Visitation of London in 1633, 1634, and 1635 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 15, 1880), vol. 1; J. J. Howard (ed.), The Visitation of London in 1633, 1634, and 1635 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 17, 1883), vol. 2; J. B. Whitmore and A. W. Hughes Clarke (eds.), London Visitation Pedigrees, 1664 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 92, 1940); T. C. Wales and C. P. Hartley (eds.), The Visitation of London begun in 1687 (Publications of the Harleian Society, new series, 16 and 17, 2004).

Documents

• Initial proceedings
  • Articles: 10/10/6 (31 Oct 1635)
• Submission
  • Submission: 17/1i (11 Feb 1636)

People mentioned in the case

• Duck, Arthur, lawyer
• Herbert, Philip, earl of Pembroke
• Pinchbecke, John, esq (also Pinchback)
• Stuart, Henry, Prince of Wales
• Stuart, Charles I, king

Places mentioned in the case

• Surrey
  • Croydon

Topics of the case

• cause of office
• chivalric order
• insulting letter
• military officer
• privy council
• royalist