TRANSLATION

Richard Stermesworth of the town of Northampton lays a complaint before our sovereign lord the king and his council against John Fox, mayor of that town of Northampton: that, whereas it is ordained by statute as well as by the laws of Holy Church that Lollards should be punished, etc., the mayor has presumptuously abused his office by using his royally-granted power within the town of Northampton to authorise Lollards to preach, in despite of the Bishop of Lincoln and his curates.

Also, that the mayor is [himself] a Lollard ... supporting within his household one Richard Bullocke, a chaplain who has been convicted of many heretical errors before the Archdeacon of Northampton, and similarly one James Collyn, formerly an apprentice in the mercers' trade in London, who was the first adherent and promoter of Lollardy in Northampton. The mayor also associates with and takes advice from one Thomas Compeworthe of Oxfordshire, who has been convicted before the Chancellor and University there of many [doctrinal] errors and heresies, and one Nicholas Weston, an apostate Carmelite friar who became a Lollard without permission from his order. The mayor has engineered Friar Nicholas becoming chaplain of the parish church of St. Gregory at Northampton, where he may preach Lollardy in comfort and encourage those townspeople who hold false beliefs.

The mayor has drawn into his circle of advisors William Northwold, a Lollard and one who engages in instructing and taking confession from those lay people of the town who are Lollards, without licence from the Bishop. This William, under false credentials, occupied the archdeaconry of Sudbury for some seven years and, upon leaving that post, took with him a huge sum of money made through simony, which he uses to pay for accommodation at the house of St. Andrew in Northampton, where he has brought about such arguments between the Prior and the monks that the house is near ruin, and many of the monks have abandoned it. William caused similar trouble at Mekkesworth, at Osney, in the house of St. John at Bedford, and elsewhere. All his behaviour, both in England and in the court of Rome, has involved simony and underhanded dealings; notwithstanding which, he is still in Northampton among the Lollards and heretics, who look on him as a prophet speaking with an angel's tongue.

Also, the mayor has set the whole town on the path towards become Lollards, so that the town is now wholly governed by them, no one daring to oppose them for fear of being killed. All vulgar persons corrupted by Lollardy who come into the town are received with courtesy and treated better than others, as if they were prophets.

Also, on the day after Christmas last, the mayor brought with him one Robert Braibrok, a chaplain and Lollard deceiver, to preach in All Saints church at Northampton, in despite of the Bishop and contrary to a prohibition issued to him. He preached various falsehoods to strengthen the Lollards. As a result of that sermon, the same day disputes broke out between one man and another throughout the town, thanks to what the mayor had done.

Also, [the day] before the festival of St. Hilary [13 January] last past the mayor brought with him one ... parson of the church of Wynkpole, a Lollard deceiver, to preach etc.; the preacher being supported in this by the mayor and the power of all the Lollards of the town who had assembled by pre-arrangement. This preacher went up into the pulpit to preach, when the vicar of the church, after the Offertory of the parochial mass, returned to the altar to sing his mass; upon which the mayor, highly indignant, went up to the vicar at the high altar and seized him by the back of his robes, to make him stop performing the mass until after the preacher had preached. The vicar responded "I may not". After which, the parson preached falsehoods and heresies to the congregation. That same day, after dinner, the parson, together with the mayor and many of the Lollards, came to preach in the same church. There he preached falsehoods and heresies, condemning the people's devotion to Holy Church, pilgrimage, images, painted tableaux, the Church's display of elaborate and expensive [art]works, and the use of chalices made of gold or silver in divine services; he also condemned statutes both of the king and the Church. ... On which occasion Richard Stermesworth cried out at the preacher, "Now, now!" to try to make him shut up, and ordered him to "come down, false Lollard" without saying anything more or further jeopardising the peace; Richard Stermesworth was not aware that others were in league with the preacher. Upon which the mayor hastily arose, along with many Lollards – both of the town and of the countryside – and with force and arms, in infringement of the peace, and tried to seize Richard and kill him in the church. And some of the armed Lollards prepared an ambush for Richard outside the church, intending to kill him; Richard was escorted out of the church by some of his friends, but they immediately took him back inside, alarmed by the enemies waiting outside. Then the mayor, to please the Lollards, came and arrested him for breach of the peace. The Lollards meanwhile were so infuriated and ill-willed towards Richard that they would have killed him, and he escaped only with difficulty, being secretly conveyed to the vestry, to protect his life, until the uproar had died down. All the other people inside the church, who were not aware of the conspiracy of the Lollards, fled in confusion and for fear of their lives. ... Upon which, William Broughton and John Tony, chaplains, rang the church bells to bring people back to their senses. After that, the mayor went into the pulpit to encourage the preacher to continue with his sermon etc. and ordered the congregation to keep silent and pay attention to the sermon, on penalty of death; the mayor remained in the pulpit, close to the preacher, until he had finished his sermon. After the sermon the mayor and Lollards, with great pride and merriment, escorted the preacher to the mayor's house. The Lollards then returned to the churchyard of that church and, using sharp language, threatened violence to anyone who contradicted any point made in the sermon. Consequently the whole town has become Lollard, because no-one dares speak out against their views, for fear of the mayor and the Lollards.

Also, on 14 January the mayor, fearing to be blamed for what had taken place, called to him eight or nine of the 24 chief men to assist him in preparing an indictment of Richard for the disturbance. ...

[...]

Also, Richard declares that the mayor, with the agreement of the Lollards there, sent messengers to Oxford and other places to hire Lollard preachers to come to Northampton every Sunday during Lent last, by the cross in the churchyard next to the marketplace of Northampton. That cross was given added solemnity by the mayor decking it out with tapestries and other decorations during the times when sermons were given. By the instructions and arrangements made by the mayor, those preachers preached there in support of Lollardy, contrary (as already mentioned) to the Bishop's prohibition etc. After arriving in town, several of those preachers were at pains to borrow furred hoods and habits to wear during their sermons, so that the common people would take them for important clergymen, thereby bolstering the credit of Lollardy.

Also, the mayor behaves so high-and-mighty in the town that the commissaries of the Bishop of Lincoln dare not hold court within the town to enquire into Lollardy.

Also, on 23 February last the mayor and others went to the monastery of St. Andrew's in Northampton, to request William Northwold to preach to them. They brought him back with them with great solemnity, he being dressed in a fur-lined cape and coat and with a cap upon his head, as if he were a doctor or master of divinity – whereas he never pursued any degree at school. After the Offertory of the mass, this Master William went up into the pulpit to preach, even though the vicar (under orders from the Bishop) had previously forbidden him, and preached with great pride and daring during the time when the vicar had returned to the altar to sing mass. He paid no attention to the mass or the divine service, nor the elevation of the sacrament, but disturbed the vicar with the loudness of what he was saying. So that, when the vicar made several attempts to begin the opening of the mass by note in a loud voice, not a single chaplain dared make the responses, for fear of the mayor. As a result, the vicar was greatly distressed and with much regret was obliged to complete his mass without note.

Also, on 9 March last William made his way again to the cross, dressed in furs as before, to preach there. Prior to the sermon, William withdrew into the vestry of All Saints church until the congregation assembled. In that place there came to him officers of the Bishop and of the Archdeacon of Northampton, with a special commission and letters from the Bishop to prohibit William from preaching and to summon him before the Bishop to answer certain charges; which command he completely disregarded. Thereupon the mayor arrived with a large crowd of the common people and openly berated the officers for what they had done, and asserted publicly that he and the commons would have William preach that day at the cross, in despite of the Bishop, the Archdeacon, and all their officers. Furthermore, he ordered those officers, because of what they had done, either to leave or to stay at their own risk. And, taking out of the commissioners' hands the Bishop's letters, the mayor escorted William to the cross to preach. The officers remained in the vestry until the mayor returned to order them to come out and listen to the sermon. They having no inclination to do so, asked the mayor for leave to return safely to their inn and from there to ride out of town without any fear of attack; this was allowed them. The mayor then returned to the cross to hear the sermon, which William had delayed until his return. Then he began as best he could, asking the commons to pray for him and to assist him in his case against the Bishop and his officials, whom he described as followers of the devil and disciples of the Antichrist, wrongfully persecuting him contrary to God's laws. All this was done by the mayor and William in support of the Lollards and in contempt of Holy Church.