Journal of the House of Commons: May 1559

May 1559

On Munday the first day of May, the Bill for the Restitution of the Brothers and Sister of the Duke of Norfolk; The Bill for the Restitution in Blood of the Lord Dacres of the South; The Bill that Timber Trees in divers places shall not be felled for Cole to make Iron; And the Bill that the Inhabitants of Dorking, Coxall, and Dedham Westharford, &c. may make Woollers Cloths there; were each of them read the third time, and passed the House.

The Bill lastly, that Watermen of the Thames shall have and shoot in Harque-buts, &c, was read, and upon the Question and Division of the House, dashed by the difference of ten Voices, viz, with the Bill fifty two, and against the Bill sixty two.

On Tuesday the second day of May, the Bill that the Queen by Commission may restore such spiritual persons, as have been unlawfully deprived, was read the third time, and passed the House, and was sent up to the Lords by Mr. Sadler and others, with the four other Bills which last passed.

The Bill lastly, for the continuance of divers Acts, was brought from the Lords.

On Wednesday the third day of May, three Bills of no great moment, had each of them one reading; of which the second being the Bill for carriage of Corn over Sea, when Wheat is 10^s Barley 3^s 8^d, Beans and Rye at 6^s, and Oats at 3^s 4^d, the Quarter, was read the third time, and passed the House.

On Friday the 5th day of May, the Bill for continuance of certain Acts, was read the third time, and passed the House, and was sent up to the Lords by Mr. Secretary.

On Saturday the 6th day of May, the Bill touching Abbies, &c. was brought from the Lords, to be reformed with three Provisoes of their Lordships; And the Bill for preservation of Fry of Fish, was likewise brought down from the Lords to be amended.

May the 7th Sunday.

On Monday the 8^th of May, the Provisoes in the Bill for preservation of the Fry and Spawn of Fish, were read the second and third time, and passed the House.

In the Afternoon the Queens Majesty sitting in her Royal Seat, the Lords and Commons attending Mr Speaker made a Learned Oration, Exhibiting the Bill for the Subsidy, and the Bill of Tonnage and Poundage, and required the Queens Assent might be given to such Bill as had passed both the Houses; which Oration being praised and Answered by the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, the Royal Assent was given to forty two Acts, and by the Queens Pleasure this Parliament was Dissolved.

¶ (fn. 1) Henry the VI.6 Martii An. 31. called a Parliament at Reading; 8 Martii, Thorpe was Chosen Speaker; from thence the Parliament was Adjourned to Westminster till 25. Apr. where it continued till 2. July, and then Prorogued till 12. Nov. to Reading, again Adjourned till 12. February, after till 14. at Westm. During these Adjournments and Prorogations, Richard Duke of York, having got the Ascendant of the King, prepared Habiliments of War at the Palace of the Bishop of Durham; (fn. 2) Thorpe being Speaker, by Command of the King took the Arms; whereupon in Michaelmas Term the Duke brought his Action of Trespass in the Exchequer, against Thorpe, and upon Tryal that Term, recovered a thousand pound Damages, and ten pound for Costs of Suit, and thereupon Thorpe was Committed to the Prison of the Fleet, in Execution.

After all this the Parliament met 14. Feb. and the Duke of York having got a Commission to hold and dissolve the Parliament, laboured to keep Thorpe in Prison, whom he mortally hated, as being faithful to King Henry; and having gained his point in the Lords House, afterwards the Commons gave up their Speaker; which was no sooner done, and another Chosen, but the Duke, by the Assent of the Lords and Commons, and after Confirmed by Commission from the King, was made Protector of the Realm; Thorpe having paid the Debt, fled to the Kings Party, and after was taken at Nottingham Field, from thence sent to Newgate, then to the Marshalsey, and at last Beheaded at Haryingay Park in Middlesex.