Page:The Ancestor Number 1.djvu/214

l62 THE ANCESTOR It is perhaps a matter of speculation whether one's friends or one's enemies may be trusted to give the fairest account of one's character : Robert Baildon's enemies had decidedly un- favourable views of him. In 1591, one Edward Cage, citizen and grocer of London, brought his bill in the Star Chamber, complaining of certain high-handed proceedings by Baildon and others. Among other allegations he says that they did ^ in the tyme of Lente nowe last past, at Shiplaie aforesaide, take uppon them to be Justices of Peace, and repaired in the daie tyme unto the house of one Alice Kirbie, widdowe, and entered in under pretence to searche for fleashe, and there in violent manner did breake open her cheste and ransacked dyvers places of her house,' hoping to find some good store of the plaintiff's money. Baildon is also said to have brought actions against ' dyvers pore men ' in the names of other persons, ' pretendinge matter of trespasse ' against them ; and 'causeth himself to be made an umpire or arbitrato"",' < w^h practize and meanes he purposelie useth covenouslie to take and receyve bribes and rewards from the said pore men, w^^out respect of honestie or good conscience' ; 'and the said Robert Baildon, beinge a man of more abilitie than the rest, threteneth to raise up in armes the strength and power of a whole Lordship to w^^stand yo said subject [the complainant] in his lawful proceadinge, if so be that he the said Robert Baildon be not bribed or rewarded.' ^ A certain Robert Swaine of Idle, yeoman, another of the defendants, may be called as a witness on the other side. In his deposition he says that, ' abowt Lamas was xij monthes, he dyd franckly gyve and bestowe uppon Rob*^ Bayldon the roote ende of a greate tree, for the good will and love w'^^ he dyd beare to y^ s^ Bayldon ' ; and he denies ' that y'^ s^ Bayldon is a comon Juryo"" and a man that wilbe sone wonne w^^ a reward, nor that it is the comon practize of the said Baildon to deale betwene man and man in cawses of controversie, therebie to procure somme gayne to himself, or such a one as many people in Yorkeshire have complayned of '^ In 1592 one Robert Murrowes of Baildon, collier, complains that Robert Baildon, ' secreatlie confederatinge w^^ one William Williamson alias Longe of Baildon aforesaid, a man of very evill and leud conversacion, everie waie fittinge the malicious ^ Star Chamber Proceedings, Elizabeth, bundle C, xiv. No. 5. ^ Ibid, bundle C, xxxvi. No. 16.