637 Temple v Andrews

637 TEMPLE V ANDREWS

Hester Temple, wife of Sir Thomas Temple of Stowe, co. Buckingham, bart v Sir William Andrewes, the younger of Lathbury, co. Buckingham, knt

No date

Abstract

Hester, wife of Sir Thomas Temple, complained that Andrews, who had married her daughter, had quarrelled with her third son, Thomas Temple, the minister of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, and now threatened to kill him. Her petition is undated, but apparently refers to events in 1634 which culminated in Andrews making a murderous assault on Temple in Lincoln's Inn Fields, for which he was summoned before the privy council. Here Hester requested that Arundel summon her son, Sir William and one Bedells, a hired swordsman, so that their differences could be settled and the danger of violence averted. In a counter petition Andrews insisted that Thomas Temple had falsely accused him of inciting a challenge and asked for time to prepare his defence. No further proceedings survive in this case, but it became merged with the long running suit of Temple v Ayleworth [see cause 638].

Initial proceedings

EM331, Petition

'Sir William Andrewes, knight, the younger, married one of the daughters of your petitioner, and cominge at Christmas was a twelvemonth to the house of your petitioner's said husband, there happened then a difference between Sir William and your petitioner's third sonne Tho. Temple, which notwithstanding her care to reconcile them, and to prevent future mischiefe, Sir William hath attempted often to take away the life of her sonne, as by an affidavit hereunto annexed may appeare.

Since which occasion of difference Sir William hath intertayned one Bedells, who hath already had his hand in blood, and she verily thinketh is intertayned to do further mischiefe, having been used by Sir William in such bloody passages as by him hath bin attempted against her sonne; and lately told her sonne's wife that he came from Sir William Andrewes who would kill her husband if he tooke him at a wall.

Now forasmuch as there is great feare of some ensuing danger, Sir William lately using speeches, that he valued not his wyfe, his life, his children or meanes, so much as his vallor.

And though your peticoner takes notice of your honor's occasions at this time to be great, yet that so great danger as may be feared might be prevented.'

Petitioned that her son, Sir William Andrewes and Bedells be brought before Arundel so the difference could be settled.

No date.

No signatures.

EM332, Defendant's petition

'Thomas Temple, gent., hath by many essaies confronted your petitioner, and that in soe inhumane and barbarous manner as noe generous spirit may without aspertion to honor beare or brooke such contumelie.

And soe not satisfied with retort of baseness thereby to indignifie your petitioner's reputation, after many malignant objectations uttered, mixt with many flashes and exchang'd with bitter provocations, Thomas to win the prioritie of complaint propounds matter of challenge and the same under protection (de facto ) doth pursue before your honor.

And among other his exorbitant courses and captious questions, your honor may be pleased to observe how irregularly Thomas hath promoted against him the person, time and place considered, vizt. that your petitioner should obbreyd him near your noble presence, att the instant of your high session, and before the frontispiece of your condign seat of marshall justice, noe eye seeing, nor eare hearing any unseemely motion acted or any uncivill speeches by words or whisperings.

Beseeching the premises considered:

And in asmuch as your petitioner's most pregnant prooffes will not be prepared against tomorrow, his witnesses being many miles distant from London and soe impossible to produce them in so short a space, that your honor will vouchsafe to give your petitioner 14 dayes to bring to bee examined before your honor the same witnesses, And that by virtue of your honorable warrant on this behalf to be awarded, the rather for that your petitioner is a tacit patient subjected to manifold sufferings, soe much honouring your fortitude, prudence and justice your petitioner shall pray for your honor's long life and perpetuytie of happiness.'

No date.

No signatures.

Notes

Sir Thomas Temple of Stowe, co. Buckingham, and Burton Dassett, co. Warwick, knt and bart, married Hester, daughter of Miles Sandys of Latimer, co. Buckingham, esq, clerk of the crown. Their third son, Thomas Temple, was a royalist officer in the civil wars and created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1662.

Sir William Andrews of Lathbury co. Buckingham (b.c.1590) was the son of another Sir William Andrews and Elizabeth, daughter of William Wilcocks of Old Romney, co. Kent. Sir William was knighted in 1618 and he married Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Temple of Stowe, co. Buckingham.

W. H. Rylands (ed.), The Visitation of the County of Buckingham made in 1634 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 53, 1909), pp. 3-4, 115; P. R. Newman, Royalist officers in England and Wales, 1642-1660: A biographical dictionary (London, 1981), p. 368.

Temple's clash with Sir William Andrewes of Lathbury, co. Buckingham, who had married his sister Ann and had quarreled with Temple over an unspecified matter which had been settled by the Earl Marshal in 1621-2, was outlined in Temple's petition to the privy council on 21 November 1634. Andrewes, who had been trying to provoke him into fighting a duel for years, chased him into the fields near Lincoln's Inn and assaulted him with his stiletto. He would have killed him had not some bystanders intervened. Sir William was bound over by a justice to keep the peace. The matter was dealt with in council, although Windebanke's note did not say how.

CSP Dom. 1634-5 , pp. 298, 378.

Sir William Andrewes was appointed high sheriff of co. Buckingham in November 1629.

J. Broadway, R. Cust and S. K. Roberts (eds.), A Calendar of the Docquets of Lord Keeper Coventry, 1625-40 (List and Index Society, special series, 35, 2004), part 2, p. 362.

Documents

• Initial proceedings
  • Petition: EM331 (no date)
  • Defendant's petition: EM332 (no date)

People mentioned in the case

• Andrewes, Anne (also Andrews)
• Andrewes, Elizabeth (also Andrews)
• Andrewes, William the elder, knight (also Andrews)
• Andrewes, William the younger, knight (also Andrews)
• Bedells
• Sandys, Hester
• Sandys, Miles, esq
• Temple, Anne
• Temple, Hester, lady
• Temple, Thomas, clerk
• Temple, Thomas, knight and baronet
• Wilcocks, Elizabeth
• Wilcocks, William

Places mentioned in the case

• Buckinghamshire
  • Lathbury
  • Latimer
  • Stowe
• Canada
  • Nova Scotia
• Gloucestershire
  • Bourton-on-the-Water
• Kent
  • Old Romney
• Middlesex
  • Lincoln's Inn
• Warwickshire
  • Burton Dassett

Topics of the case

• assault
• challenge to a duel
• civil war
• high sheriff
• royalist
• threatened violence