212 



Purton. A Case in the Star Chamber. 



" Interrogatories to be mynistrid on the parte of S r . Edmund Bridges knight 

 " First whether Browne and Jaakes servauntes unto Benet Joy dyd stele 



take and convey awey the Image of Seynt George owzt of Puryton Church 



and caryed the same to the mancion house of Joys or no 



" Item whether one of the church wardens comaunded them soo to doo 



or by whose comaunde they soo did & who byd them put hit into the wole 



house of Joys and for what intent the same was caryd awey more than other 



images. 



" Item whether Browne and Jakes did confesse the takyng awey the seid 

 image and whether they toke the same ageyen oultet of the woll house and 

 caryed hyt to the church ageyn or who caryd the same image to the church 



" Item whoo comaunded them to bryng hit to church & what was the cause 

 or did they bryng hyt of their owne free will 



" Item whether the seid S r Edmond Bryges did convey away his trees 

 owzt of Joys ferine grounde with as much spede as he cold gett caryage or 

 whether he sofferyd them to lye of purpose to destroy Joys grasse 



"Item whether the bereward to S r Edmond Bryges be a naturall foole or 

 folishe or noo 



Star Chamber Proceedings, Henry VIII, 

 Bundle 25, No. 272. 



" Ex. xiiij th Novembris " Examinacio testium facta super interrogatoriis 

 An 0 secundo E. vj u . ex parte Edmundi Bridges militis ministratis. 

 [13th Nov., 1548.] 



" John Messenger of Puriton in the county of Wiltes yoman of thage of 

 xlij yeres sworne, &c. 



" To the first [and] second he saithe that this deponent and the said Benet 

 Jeye being churche wardens of Puriton aforesaide at the tyme of the takyng 

 downe and defacyng of Images the same Benet Jeye being absent his wife 

 with this deponent dyd accordingly take down the Images in the same churche 

 of Puriton / At what tyme he saith that the saide Benet Jeyes wyfe muche 

 lykyng the image of S* George wished that she had the same at home in her 

 howse saying yt was pitie to deface the same / Wherunto this deponent 

 answerid Take yt and do with yt what you list for me And therupon the 

 same Browne and Jakes namyd in this Interrogatory toke the same image 

 and caryed yt to the howse of the said Benet Jey And more therof he 

 knowith not / 



" To the iij d and iiij th he saith that within a while after Sir Edmond Bridges 

 hering of the conveying of the same Image was movyd therwith and as this 

 deponent herde saye he commaundyd the same to be broughte to the churche 

 ageyne wiche was so done / And more he knowith not / 



" To the v. he saith that Mr. Bridges dyd with asmuche spede as he coulde 

 and as sone as he coulde gett cariage conveye awaye the trees that he felly d 

 vpon Benet Jeyes farme and to this deponents supposall he dyd not suffer 

 them of purpose to lye ther to the destruction of the grasse of the grounde 

 ther 



