Reference: DC.CP.1690/5
Year: 1690
Plaintiff: male
Defendant: male
Defamatory words:
rogue rascal and knave
Tagged: rogue
NB: these transcriptions are a work in progress and are provided without any guarantees of accuracy; checking the original documents wherever possible (via the reference links above) is recommended.
Common abbreviations:
... he this exte has been a nere neighbour to Christopher Welburne... for about six or seaven years... [never known him to be guilty or aspersed of any crime, has regularly bought books from Welburn and always found him to deal justly and honestly, believes him a man of sober life and conversation, and would not do any unjust thing, & is generally accompted so]
... [the words rogue rascal and knave when spoken in a malicious and mischievous manner are taken to signifie] a wicked & unjust man, & one that uses no conscience in his dealings, nor sticks att the comitting of any villany...
... [for about the last seven years has lived within two doors of Welburne's shop, has been his customer during that time & never found any dishonest or unjust dealing by him;never heard him reported to be other than a sober honest man, lives credibly & quietly among his neighbours] gained the love of them by such his honest & fair dealings [believes he wd not be prevailed on to do any wrong or injustice, & so reputed to be]...
... [the word rogue is very scandalous and diffamatory] when spoken in a scolding angry & mischeivous manner & denotes & signifies a man to be a rascall a rogue and one that will stick att the comission of noe villany & injustice...
... [has been Welburne's tenant for several years, severall other concerns and dealings of trade with him, always found him] an honest, punctuall and faire dealer and tradesman [etc etc]...
... [the word rogue very scandalous, denotes a knave]...
... [Welburne's neighbour for the last 5 years, always found him honest in his dealings, never aspersed except by the defendant in this case] generally looked upon as an honest tradesman throughout the citty of York...
... in October last this exte together with Mr Marke Gill & Henry Sudell were talking together in the arlate Christopher Welburnes shop... and the arlate William Beeforth came over the way out of his owne shopp into the said Christopher Welburnes shopp & told the sd Christopher Welburne he was come to pay him what he ought him & then laid downe some moneys which Mr Welburne took up & after he had counted it he told the said William Beeford that he was indebted to him above that sume whereupon the said William Beeford in a malitious, mischeivous manner, (& as this exte verily beleives with a designe to defame the sd Welburne) called him the sd Christopher Welburne a rogue, a knave and a rascall. And within the sd moneth this exte att other times & within the sd parish has heard the sd William Beeford call the said christopher Welburne a knave a rogue and a rascall. and this exte always look'd upon the sd words spoken by the sd Beeford to be spoken malitiously mischeivously & designedly & with an intent to defame & distroy the reputacon~ of the sd Christopher Welburne & in such a manner he always spoak them...
... [ the word rogue spoken with malicious design and in a scolding manner ] as it was spoken by the sd William Beeford [of Welburne = a scandalous opprobrious word denoting a knave, rascall, dishonest man who would not refuse to do any manner of villainy & injustice]...
[additional interrog: did not hear Welburne provoke Beeford] yet either Christopher Welburne or Mr Gill did take up a shilling which William Beeford laid downe in this rondts shopp which was onely done in jest & soe Wm: Beeford tooke it & had the shilling delivered him againe before the speaking of the words lilate~ & there was no difference nor quarrell betwixt the sd pties when he the sd Beeford took his shilling againe, nor did this rondt hear any words betwixt them before the speaking the words libellate save about the tendring the money by the sd Beeford.... Christopher Welburne came to his this rondts shop when William Beeford was there but he beleives he had no designe either to affront deceive nor put the sd William Beeford into a passion neither does this rondt know upon what account he [faded, 1 or 2 words] this rondts shop unless it was to aks this rondt [faded, probably 1 word] had yet his morning draught... [further, did not know whether Beeford had a designe to speak the words, but he did so without any provocation; and does believe that Welburnes good name is injured by the words, but cannot give a particular whereing, but does not think any worse of him]
... [has known Welburn about 7 years, their shops are partly over against each other; considerable dealings and always found him honest, faire, upright,, never dishonest or unjust & so generall reputed, etc]
... in the moneth of October last & about the 27th day of the sd moneth this exte was in the shop of the arlate Mr Welburne together with Mr Wynn & others & the arlate William Beeforth came into the sd shopp... & talked to the sd Christopher Welburne about what was due from the one to the other and after they had chainged a few words the sd William Beeford in an angry scolding & malitious manner called the said Christopher Welburne a rogue a knave and a rascall & said he was the greatest knave that ever kept shop in Petergate, & this exte verily beleives that the sd words were spoken with a designe to blast the reputacon~ of the said Christopher Welburne & on the same day in an other place vizt. in the house of Mr Di[faded] scituate within the sd parish he the said William Beeford speaking to & of the sd Christopher Welburne called him a knave & a rascall...
... [ the words rogue, knave , rascall, when spoken in a scolding, malitious, angry manner signife] an unjust man & one that makes use of no conscience in his dealings... [ very scandalous & opprobrious words when so spoken]...
... this exte (by reason of the speaking of the words aforesd) does not hold the sd Christopher Welburne in such esteem & repute as he did before the speaking of the sd words nor would he deal with him willingly till he be acquitt from the sd asspsions...
[additional interrog: did not hear Welburne provoke Beeford in any way; did not see Welburne take a shilling from Beeford, does not know/remember any words before the speaking of the libellous words, except they were talking about what one owed the other, does not know or beleive that Welburne followed Beeford to Mr Wynns shop on purpose either to affront, abuse or put Beeford into a passion, for Welburne he thinks was already in Mr Wynns shop when Beeford came in, and went in only to ask Mr Wynn if he had had his morning draught; does not know if Beeford had a design to say the words, but did say them without any provocation; and does look upon Welburne's good name to be injured by the words, for he does think worse of him because of them]
... [Welburn always accompted an honest man, demeaned himselfe well in the parish, never heard otherwise except from Beeford in this cause]
... in October last this exte was att Mr Welburnes shop... & he heard the sd William Beeford who was also then in sd shop in a malitious angry & mischeivous manner (& as this exte beleives with a designe to defame & take a way the good name reputacon~ & credit of the sd Mr Welburne) call him the sd Mr Welburne a rogue a knave & a rascall & that he was the greatest knave that ever kept shop in Petergate...
...[ meaning of the word rogue etc]
[additional interrog: words were spoken in Petergate; did not hear Welburne provoke Beeford in any way, did not see Welburne take a shilling or Beeford tender any money to Mr Wynn, did not hear Welburne say anything to Beeford except to desire him to hold his tongue, did not see Welburne follow Beeford to Mr Wynns shop]... he does not know nor beleive that his the sd Mr Welburns credit is hurt by speaking the sd words nor does this rondt. think any worse of him...