STAC 5/S67/37 

Sherley v. Ballard and Raynherd

Replication of Sir Thomas Sherley, the elder, to the answers of Thomas Lee and Nicholas Ballard and to the answer of George Rayneherd,

21 November 43 Eliz I [1600]

That at the time and place stated in the Bill of Complaint, the defendants did assault the plaintiff’s son, Sir Thomas Sherley the younger. Thomas Lee, one of the defendants, at the request of Sir Richard Weston, came to the house of the plaintiff to deliver a message to Sherley, the younger, for the demand of money supposedly due from him to Weston. Ballard and two others who were with Lee on the occasion of the first assault and riot were his servants. He forbade Lee to enter the house. Denies he held Lee’s rapier with one hand and struck him on the face with the other hand before he had chance to draw his rapier. Also denies that Sherley, the younger, was only prevented from slaying Lee by being held back by Buckden, one of the defendants. Ballard drew his weapon against the complainant and his son and offered violence against them.  The defendants broke open the gate and entered the house. If Lee’s dagger had not been taken away from him, he would have killed the plaintiff. On 23 April 1598 Raynherd with the other defendants did assemble unlawfully in the City of London and Raynherd, with his rapier drawn, entered into the tavern called ‘The Greyhound’ in Blackfriars where Thomas Wraye was sitting at dinner and assaulted him, holding his rapier point at his throat and vowed to kill him if he moved. At the same time Sir Richard Weston thrust his rapier through Wraye’s thigh and greatly wounded him in both his hands.