A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



from Sir Thomas Smith, addressed to Cecil and dated 9 September 1560, 

 throws a much needed light upon a very strange transaction. 



S r As I have bene ever so I praye yow let me be now bolde to treble yow in my 

 small cawses. How be it I do not thinck this small. Ye know in Quene Maries tyme, 

 as from diverse other whome they did not favor they toke away all spirituall livinge, so 

 from me they toke the provostshippe of Eaton and the Deanery of Carleill. Eaton in dede 

 I was content quasi nolens volens to resigne and did resigne. But the deanerie of Car- 

 leill I never did resigne nor was therof deprived, and to saie the truth they never made 

 matter of yt, but gave it streight to one S r Launcelot Salkeld. Now in this tyme 

 emongs other I partlie at your advice put my peticon up before my Lord of Caunter- 

 burie and other the Commissioners to be restored. Citacon was decrede and sent 

 downe and not aunswerid, for the waye beinge so farre and those contrey men have all 

 the shiftes in the worlde to avoide the lawe. Well, another was decreed and sent 

 downe, enclosed within a Lettre directed from my Lords the Commissioners to the 

 Maior of Carleill to se it servid. Yet wolde he not aunswer nor make a procter, but sent 

 to me another excuse of sicknes, and that he wold either come or sende one to me to 

 satisfie me out of hande. Now this Salkeld is dede, and I know nothinge dothe let 

 whie I shold not enioie my Deanery of Carleill as frelie as ever I did. And therefore I 

 am so bolde as to declare this unto yowe, that if eny labor be made to the Quenes Majes- 

 tic for it, ye wold be so good as to show my right unto it, and to requier hir Highnes 

 to be so gracious unto me as to let me enioie that w ch is myne owen, and w ch no man 

 can take fro me by the lawe. Or if ye will be so good, though no labor be made, yet 

 to shew this to hir Highnes lest it shold be graunted unwares, for if it shold be given 

 to eny other (as I trust her highnes, being enformid of my right, will not) I must enter 

 my sute against hym as an usurper, as I did against this Launcelote Salkelde, who, 

 although he did enioie it all Quene Maries tyme, yet being now cited, neither wold nor 

 could have aunswerid me. And after all kiend of delaies, now this Michaelmas I 

 dowted not to have had hym deprivid and removid, one of the prebendaries there, 

 a verie honest man, and whom the said Salkeld did sende unto me to entreate me to 

 staie the sute against hym for a tyme, sent his man unto me with certaigne word of the 

 said Salkeld's deth, w ch was on Tewisday the thirde of this moneth, willinge me to tak 

 the Deanery uppon me and to declare the same with som open doeinge to the hole 

 Chapitre. Which thinges I did miende to do, but not before I had made yow privie 

 unto it and had furst your aide and advise. I praye yow let me be so bolde as to crave 

 an aunswere of yow by this bearer my servaunt, if it be not to moche treble unto yow. 

 I wold have waited uppon yow myself, but my rewme is now so sore uppon me that it 

 puttith me in feare of an agew, but I trust with good guidaunce it shall rather be feare 

 than daunger. Thus I committ yow to God From Theydon Mount in Essex the 

 ixth of September, 1560. Yowres allwais to commaund, T. Smith. 1 



Amazement is scarcely the word to express our feelings at the 

 audacious perversion of the truth which this pillar of the Reformation 

 had made with regard to Dean Salkeld's connection with the capitular 

 body. But a new anxiety was before him. There was another candi- 

 date for the vacant deanery in the person of Hugh Sewell, one of the 

 prebendaries. We must, however, allow Sir Thomas to tell his story to 

 the end. There is another letter from him c to the right honorable S r 

 WilP Cicill, knight, principall secretarie to the Quenes Majestic.' It 

 is as follows : 



S r . When I cam fro the Cowrte havyng reposed my trust and confidence in yow 

 after so gratious words of the quenes Majestic, I did so quiet myself that I thought 

 this mater at an eand and me happy. Now I understand by my freend Michel that 

 there is still a broile in it, and that there should be a commission derected out, w"* 



S.P. Dom. Eliz. xiii. 30. 

 64 



