March 15th 1471: A Letter from Clarence
Sir Henry Vernon of Haddon, Derbyshire
Who fought with the Yorkists at Barnet and Tewkesbury
(from the Street Banners of Tewkesbury collection)
Warwick was preparing to resist the Yorkist invasion. He had entrusted Clarence with raising support, evidence of which survives in the papers of Sir Henry Vernon of Haddon, Derbyshire, where there is a letter from Clarence, who was in Bristol raising troops, putting him on standby for service, together with his servants and tenants. Vernon’s wife was the Earl of Shrewsbury’s daughter, hence all the thinly-veiled anxious enquiries about his loyalties.
Henry Vernon we have received your letters written at Haddon the 8th day of March and thank you right heartily of such tidings as you have sent us by the same praying you to thank on our behalf our cousin the Countesses of Shrewsbury of the great love and zeal she oweth unto us desiring her good continuance in her loving disposition towards us and she shall not need to doubt with the grace of our Lord that any things shall be disclosed that on her behalf shall be opened unto us by you. Also we thank you right heartily of the good and diligent devoir that ye have done in the execution of your office and to such things as may be to our wele then as ever understand trusting verily to your good continuance in the same. And as for Robert Legh we have sent to our cousin the Chancellor of England that he shall be sent for by privy seal according to your advertisement, desiring you to ascertain us from time to time of such tidings as ye shall more understand like as ye have done at this time to our great pleasure. Item; as to our game at Enffield Fryth [sic] we have sent thither Nicholas Longford to see to the reformation of such things as hath been done to the hurt thereof' trusting that through the means and directions of you both together you will see that our said game shall not be hurt hereafter
Written at Bristol the 15th day of March. Over this that ye see that as well all your tenants and servants as ours in those parts be ready upon an hours warning to wait upon us in defensible array whomsoever we send for you and them
Postscript:
…….to you a letter I wrote at this time to my cousin the Countesses of Shrewsbury and desire you to give credence to the report of your servant in that he shall show you on my behalf doing your devoir in like wise as he has done to know the disposition of the said Earl of Shrewsbury and the labour Which you by him and the bond which ye have satisfied me ye let you by him and them laboured in the country …… and how the said country be disposed in every thing as far as ye can understand. I pray you to satisfy me from time to time.