The Armour Archive

To the right honorable Sir Nicholas Baraon Knight Lorde & keper of the greate seale of England.

In most humble wise sheweth and complayneth nto your honour your daylye Oratour John ___ of Torrington ___ in the countye of Devon ___ that whye your said Oratour aboute one yere synce did compounde and agree with one Jane Denys now the wife of Michaell Denys of ___ in the countye of cornwall baker in the absence of her sayd husbande for so much biskett bread as did amounte and come unto the some of eight pound of lawfull money of England and your sayd Oratour did also afterward compounde and agree with the sayd ___ ___ Denys for ___ more as did amount and come unto the some of twelve pound of lawfull money of England which breade the sayd michaell and Jane did then faythfully promyse your sayd Oratour should be good and of the best makynge upon whose sayd severall faithfull promyses you sayd Oratour pays unto them beforehande the sayd some of twelve pound nothynge dowtynge their honestye but that they would have performed their promyses accordynglye as apperteyned and whereas also your sayd Oratour of trust and confidence did then aboute the same tyme delyver to the sayd Jane one Byll obligatorye of his of fourtye mark of lawfull money of England wherene one John Gregge did stand bounden unto your sayd Oratour for the payment of a ___ some of money at a certen day nowe past and to kepe the same for hym your sayd Oratour for a certen shorte tyme nothynge mystrustynge but that he should have the same agayne when ___ he would. But so it is and please your honour that the sayd michaell and Jane did not onelye craftelye and deceytfullye make and delyver unto your sayd Oratours factours appointed for hyum on that behalf to receave the same such corrupt rotten and naughtye breade not mete for any person to eate or to occupye contrarye to their sayd severall provisions whereby your sayd Oratour was very muche disapoynted and hindred of his provision therein for his shippen(?) which he then purposed to travaile in but also have of late refused and yet still do to redelyver to your sayd Oratour his sayd Byll obliygatorye so delyvered as is afore sayd to the sayd Jane notwithstandynge they have ben thereunto oftn tymes gentlye requyred by your sayd Oratour contrarye to all right equytie and good conscience and to the great hurte losse and hinderance of your sayd Oratour and his forever unless your Lordshippes favour be to hym shewed in the behalf. In tender consideracion whereof for as muche as your sayd Oratour hath (the word 'not' has been inserted here) many witnesses on ___ that can either testifie or prove the sayd promyse and agrement made for the sayd breade the payment of the sayd money for the same or els to prove the naughtines thereof but onlye the sayd Michaell and Jane who did both make delyver and afterward see the same broken ___ yet maye have agayne or come by the sayd Byll obligatorye not knowynge the date thereof but is therefore for the recoverynge of any recompence for the sayd bread some of money so payd or byll obligatory so delyvered without all remedye by the dewe cours of the comen lawes of this ___ of England ___ hit may therefore please your honour the premyssed ___ to grannte your sayd Oratour the Quenes Majesties Writt of subpean to be directed to the sayd Michaell Denys and Jane his wife comandynge them and either of them

Jeff J wrote:Ah - the celebrated "Naughtye Breade Document". A landmark case in English jurisprudence.