492 Oliver v Morse

492 OLIVER V MORSE

Robert Oliver of Leybourne, co. Kent gent v Matthew Morse of Maidstone, co. Kent, woollen draper

June - October 1634

Abstract

Oliver complained that between April and July 1633 in Maidstone, Kent, Morse said to him, 'Your father was an honest gentleman but you are a knave, a base knave, a rascall', adding, 'You lye in your throate.' Dr Duck was required to give the libel on 30 June 1634, and on 20 October produced William Reeve and Richard Peele as witnesses; but no further proceedings survive.

Initial proceedings

9/4/75, Libel

Oliver's family had been reputed gent for more than 100 years. Morse's family were non gentle and plebeian. Between April and July 1633 in Maidstone, co. Kent, Morse said to Oliver that 'your father was an honest gentleman, but you are a knave, a base knave, a rascall. You lye in your throate.'

No date.

Summary of proceedings

Dr Duck acted as counsel for Oliver and Dr Eden for Morse. On 30 June 1634 Morse was required to appear and Dr Duck to give the libel. On 20 October 1634 William Reeve and Richard Peele were produced as witnesses for Oliver.

Notes

Robert Oliver alias Quinton of Leyborne married Mary, daughter of Walter Dobell of Falmer and Lewes, co. Sussex. Their son Robert Oliver alias Quinton was aged 18 in 1621, and he married Julian, daughter and heiress of Nicholas Mason of co. Nottingham.

R. Hovenden (ed.), The Visitation of Kent taken in the years 1619-21 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 42, 1898), p. 190; G. J. Armytage (ed.), A Visitation of the County of Kent, 1663-8 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 54, 1906), p. 123.

Documents

• Initial proceedings
  • Libel: 9/4/75 (30 Jun 1634)
• Proceedings
  • Proceedings: 7/15 (24 May 1634)
  • Proceedings: 8/23 (30 Jun 1634)
  • Proceedings before Arundel: 1/1 (20 Oct 1634)

People mentioned in the case

• Dobell, Mary
• Dobell, Walter
• Duck, Arthur, lawyer
• Howard, Thomas, earl of Arundel and Surrey
• Mason, Julian
• Mason, Nicholas
• Morse, Matthew, woollen draper
• Oliver, Robert, gent (also Oliver alias Quinton)
• Oliver, Robert, the younger (also Oliver alias Quinton)
• Peele, Richard
• Reeve, William

Places mentioned in the case

• Kent
  • Leybourne
  • Maidstone
• Sussex
  • Falmer
  • Lewes

Topics of the case

• denial of gentility
• giving the lie