An early seventeenth-century playhouse in Tonbridge, Kent.(Notes and Documents)(Edward Calverley's death)(Case overview)

Publication: Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England

Publication Date: 01-JAN-07

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ON June 26, 1610, Edward Calverley received a fatal stab wound in the head during a fray in "a certain house called a playhouse" in Tonbridge. (1) After Calverley died some weeks later, an inquest convened by coroner George Pattenden on September 18, 1610, found that Edward Oxley of Tonbridge, yeoman, John Holmden of Tonbridge, butcher, Sidney Francis of Tonbridge, butcher, William Beach of Tonbridge, tailor, Edward Calverley, deceased, of Tonbridge, and various other persons unknown to the jury had assembled at the playhouse, where a fray had broken out on the evening of June 26. Holmden, Francis, and Beach had beaten Calverley about the head and arms with their staves, and Oxley had mortally wounded Calverley above the eye with his dagger. On July 23, 1610, Calverley had died. (2) The defendants were taken into custody, until the case came before the assize court at Maidstone on February 21, 1610/11. (3) The inquisition as originally drafted (mb. 11) was declared void, due to insufficient evidence to convict Holmden, Francis, and Beach for their part in the fray. It was then redrawn (mb. 26) to focus on Edward Oxley, omitting the details of the billets, staves, beatings, blows, and bruises and stating more generally that Holmden, Francis, and Beach had supported, aided, and encouraged Oxley to commit felony and homicide. All four defendants pleaded not guilty. A trial jury was convened (mb. 27), which found Oxley guilty of homicide and the other three defendants not guilty. Oxley was granted the benefit of clergy, branded on his right hand with an M for murderer, and committed to the bishop's custody. (4) Transcription and translation of the assize court original inquest (mb. 11), redrawn inquest (mb. 26), and trial calendar (mb. 27) appear below.

Assize Court Inquest (TNA: PRO ASSI 35/53/5, mb. 11)

kancie sessiones

Inquisicio indentata capta apud Tunbridge in Comitatu predicto [xviij.sup.o] Die Septembris Anno Regni Domini nostri Iacobi Dei gratia Anglie ffrancie et hibernie Regis fidei defensoris & c octauo et Scotie [xliiij.sup.to] Coram Georgio Pattenden generoso vno Coronatorum dicti Domini Regis Comitatis predicti Super visum corporis Edwardi Calueley ibidem mortui iacentis per sacramentum Nicholai ffarmer generosi Ierratti Gatlin generosi willelmi Harris senioris Iohannis Dann Thome Vnderhill Roberti Bourman Alexandri Rottenbridge walteri Saker willelmi Harris Iunioris Thome Bowle willelmi Harte Thome Hasselden Mosee Hodge Henrici Burden & Petri Harris proborum & legalium hominum Comitatis predicti Qui dicunt super sacramentum suum quod predictus Edwardus Calveley et quidam Edwardus Oxley (5) Sidneus ffraunces Iohannes Homden willelmus Beache et diuersi alij (6) persone Iuratoribus predictis incognite [xxv.sup.to] die Iunij vltimo preterito in simul convenerunt apud Tunbridge predictam in quodam Domo ibidem vocato a playehowse & predictus Edwardus Calvely Edwardus Oxley Sidneus ffrances Iohannes Holmden & willelmus Beach insultum & quendam affraiam inter se adtunc & ibidem in nocte eiusdem diei fecerunt in qua quidem affraia et insultu predictus idem Edwardus Oxley cum pugione Anglice a dagger valloris xij d. quod idem Edwardus ^ adtunc et ibidem in manu sua dextra habuit prefatum Edwardum Calveley vnum vulnus ^ in fronte suo de funditate (7) quartij vnius vncij adtunc dedit & predicti Iohannes Holmden Sidneus ffraunces & willelmus Beache adtunc et ibidem in affraia & insultu predictis existentes cum quibusdam baculis anglice billettes & staues valoris iij d. quos ijdem Iohannes Holmden Sidneus ffraunces & willelmus Beache adtunc in manibus suis habuerunt quosdam ictus ^ anglice blowes and bruyses vnacum prefato Edwardo Oxley in & super Caput & humeros predicti Edwardi Calveley adtunc dederunt De quibus quidem vulneribus & ictibus idem Edwardus Calveley ab eodem [xxvj.sup.to] die Iunij vsque ad septimum diem Augusti tunc proximum sequentem languebat et eodem die apud Tunbridge predictam de eodem [begin strikethrough]vulneribus[end strikethrough] ^ & ictibus ^ obijt Et sic Iuratores predicti pro dicto domino Rege dicunt quod predicti Edwardus Oxley Iohannes Holmden Sidneus ffraunces & willelmus Beach modo & forma predictis prefatum Edwardum Calveley felonice percusserunt & interfecerunt contra pacem dicti domini Regis nunc Coronam & dignitatem suas & c Et sic Iuratores predicti super sacramentum suum predictum dicunt quod predictus Edwardus Calveley sic ad mortem suam deuenit et non aliter Et quod predicti Edwardus oxley Iohannes Holmden Sidneus ffraunces nec willelmus Beach nulla habuerunt bona seu cattalla in Comitatu predicto tempore felonie superius facte & perpetrate que in manus diciti domini Regis accione predicte capi aut seisiri possunt ad eorum noticiam Et quod predicta pugio & bacculi remanent in custodia cuiusdam willelmi Harris de Tunbridge predicta ad vsum dicti domini Regis In cuius Rei testimonium tam prefatus Coronator quam Iuratores predicti hinc Inquisicioni sigilla sua apposuerunt die Anno & loco supradictis & c pro homicidio ta{m} super aliud questum per me Georgium pattenden Coronatorem vacat quia insufficiens & fit de novo

Kent Sessions

An indented inquest was held at Tonbridge in the aforesaid county on 18 September in the eighth year of the reign of our lord James by the grace of God king of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc. and in the forty-fourth [year of the reign of our lord James king] of Scotland before George Pattenden, gentleman, one of the coroners of the said lord king of the county aforesaid, upon the view of the body of Edward Calueley lying dead there, by the oath of Nicholas Farmer, gentleman, Garret Gatlin, gentleman, William Harris the elder, John Dann, Thomas Underhill, Robert Bourman, Alexander Rottenbridge, Walter Saker, William Harris the younger, Thomas Bowle, William Harte, Thomas Hasselden, Moses Hodge, Henry Burden and Peter Harris, good and lawful men of the county aforesaid. They say upon their oath that the aforesaid Edward Calveley and a certain Edward Oxley, yeoman, Sidney Francis, butcher, John Homden, butcher, William Beache, tailor, and various other persons unknown to the aforesaid jurymen on 25 June in the year & c last past assembled together at Tonbridge aforesaid in a certain house there called "a playhouse"; and [that] the aforesaid Edward Calveley, Edward Oxley, Sidney Francis, John Holmden, and William Beach did then and there make an assault and a certain affray among themselves in the night of the same day; [and that] indeed in this affray and assault the same aforesaid Edward Oxley, yeoman, with a dagger, in English "a dagger," of the value of 12d., which the same Edward Oxley then and there had in his right hand, did give the aforementioned Edward Calveley a mortal wound in his forehead a quarter of one inch in depth; and [that] the aforesaid John Holmden, Sidney Francis, and William Beache, being then and there in the aforesaid affray and assault, with certain staves, in English "billets and staves," of the value of 3d., which the same John Holmden, Sidney Francis, and William Beache then had in their hands, did then together with the aforementioned Edward Oxley give certains blows and beatings, in English "blows and bruises," on and about the head and arms of the aforesaid Edward Calveley; [and that] indeed the same Edward Calveley lay ill from these wounds, beatings, and blows from the same 26 June until 7 August then next following, and on that day at Tonbridge aforesaid he died from the same wound and the aforesaid beatings and blows. And thus the aforesaid jurymen for the said lord king say that the aforesaid Edward Oxley, John Holmden, Sidney Francis, and William Beach in the manner and form aforesaid did feloniously beat and kill the aforementioned Edward Calveley contrary to the peace of the said lord king, his Crown, and dignity etc. And thus the aforesaid jurymen upon their aforesaid oath say that the aforesaid Edward Calveley came to his death in this manner and not otherwise; and that to their knowledge neither the aforesaid Edward Oxley, John Holmden, Sidney Francis, nor William Beach had any goods or chattels in the aforesaid county at the time of the felony previously made and perpetrated that can be taken or seized into the hands of the said lord king; and that the aforesaid dagger and staves remain in the custody of a certain William Harris of Tonbridge aforesaid for the use of the said lord king. In witness whereof the aforementioned coroner as well as the aforesaid jurymen have affixed...

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