starbuck95@hotmail.com writes:
While Adrian Channing shows nothing since last August (yet I'm sure I
saw his name here recently).
I don't post that often these days, but I'm also sure I have posted more
than none.
Here is a bit on Stephen Brunne, I've probably posted on him before, but
there is new material.
From the calendar of pleas of the city of London there is an interesting
case held before the Mayor and Alderman in 1389 in which the plaintiff is
Stephen Brunne, grocer acting in the capacity of the administrator of William
Barkham, grocer and who had died intestate. The defendant was John Beaufrount.
Almost 15 years earlier the p. and Stepehen Brunne had entered into a bill to
pay the d. and William de Lubenham of Northamptonshire £200. In 1375 p. & d.
agreed that instead of repayment the p could supply the d. with £200 worth of
cloth taking in return £40, however the bond was never cancelled. The p.
now supplies evidence of the later agreement and that the cloth had been
delivered to the market town of Winchester and received by the d., but the bond had
not been surrendered.
It then becomes apparent that there was a case before the justices of the
Bench, Westminster in which John Beaufrount and William de Lubbenham were suing
Stephen Brunne, cit. & pepperer re a bond for £400 and that the case before
the Mayor was intended to frustrate this case The king intervened requested
both cases be held before the Mayor.
Another record on these cases (from 'Market Privileges 1391-1395', Borough
Market Privileges: The hinterland of medieval London, c.1400) in which there
is a Northamptonshire Order to the mayor stating that Stephen Brunne cit. &
peppere was attempting to defraud the p in the mayor’s case under the name
Stephen Brunne cit. & grocer.
However it was the d. who kept failings to turn up. By a quaint custom of
London, the first default resulted in a door of his house being locked and
sealed - by his 3rd default all his doors had been so sealed, and it is apparent
that judgment was made in favour of the p.
The above Stephen Brunne was presumably of age when the first bond was made,
ie he was born before 1354 and thus too early to be the Stephen Brunne, cit
and grocer who was mayor in 1438 and 1448 and Will dated 1462
Stephen Brunne the mayor left a son and three granddaughters, all of whom
seem to be of age. He left bequests to the repair of the church and bridge at
Newcastle, which indicate northern roots or connections. Perhaps he had
acquired a passion for bridges after organizing the reconstruction of London
Bridge in 1438, whilst mayor, and following its collapse. He owned a ship a
wharf (close to the London customs house) with shops and tenements, as well as
property in [King’s] Lynn, Norfolk. Wives Juliana, Alice and Rose.
The following give a little of Stephen Brunne’s genealogy, but which
Stephen:
1404
Stephen Brunne Cit. and "Grossar" of London, son and heir of Rich Brunne and
Cecil his wife, daughter and heir of Reginald, son and heir of John Julian,
released to Nicolas Carrue Senior, Esquire, of the County of Suffolk, his
lands in Croydon, Sanderslede, Mitcham, Begenham, Woodmersthorne, Beddington,
Cressalton, Bryston, Hourne, Lingfield, Callysdon, Farley, and Aldington, which
were formerly the property of Jo Julian. Dated., 5 Henry IV.
This land at Beddington seems to be distinct from the Carew’s manor at that
place
I would be interested to know who this John Julian was. Perhaps Stephen’s
(the mayor) wife Juliana was something to do with him.
Some other refs to Stephen Browne’s:
Folio lxxiv b.
Abrocarius in mistero de Grocers juratus.
26 Sept., 1 Richard II. [A.D. 1377], Stephen Brunne presented before the
Mayor and Aldermen by good men of the mistery of Grocers (Grossar') to be broker
in the mistery, and was accepted and sworn.
Names of Masters of divers misteries sworn, viz. :—
....
20/12/1392 London Recognisance of Stephen Brunne, citizen of London, to
Henry Bamme and William Sysell, citizens of London, for 50 marks to be levied in
default of payment of his lands and chattels in London. [CCR 1392-96, 106]
7 July 1450, general pardon includes the following who seem to be of London:
Stephen Broun and Alice, his wife;
1431 Sheriff of London
1438 Knighted
1438 Imported rye from Prussia to England on his own ship
1438; Dec 22 Mayor, bought corn in Sussex, Kent Lincs and Nhants for London
1439; Sep 7 Bought wheat and grain in Yorks, Lincs, Kent and Sussex
1444; Jan 4 Alderman
1445 Thomas Pyttes, of Thorneford, Beds, released land to Stephen Browne,
Cit. and Alderman of London, and Ross his wife, of the Manor of Abbot's Lee,
Huntingdon
1444; Jan 4 Alderman with furtherand later ref as Alderman/Commissioner
1451; Nov 11 one of a party of feoffes of a tenement in Milkestrete in the
parish of St Lawrence Jewery
Hope this is of some interest to someone
Adrian