premisses you see a lawfull marriage fairly gained by the full and free consent of the said Jone her naturall Mother and of her father in law the said Massey her Guardian and as truly proved by the forgoing depositions by honest persons of quality and known honesty and integrity who were at the foresaid marriage and who also well know that after the said marriage the said George Chamberlaine was at a great charge for the apparrelling of his wife with rich attire as Satten Gown and Peticoats and the like and that they lived in the Country as man and wife together for about ten weekes time or a quarter of a year and his said wife accepted of a Watch from him and all other necessaries as her lawfull Husband and so owned him in all points untill the said Samuel Massey and his said wife for their own base sinister ends and for filthy lucre sake did most wickedly and unjustly detaine my said lawfull wife from me contrary to the laws of God and man Since which time of their wicked seperation the said Massey and his wife have confederated themselves with one Colonel Gravenor who liveth at the Mewse neer Charen-Crosse who now do go about to that horrid act of nulling of the said lawfull marriage and so consequently the cursed seperation of that my dearly beloved wife in whom my soul delighteth with a resolution to rend my said lawfull wife from me by the hand of power intending to marry her to some other person to inrich themselves because my said wife is in a capacity to recover a valuable estate in law which if ever recovered I hope to manage it with prudence if the Lord will allot it to me in providence so that in the next place I am although very unwilling yet vastly necessitated to make this my Declaration publique to the world thereby not only to cleare my Innocencie from any fraud or force by me intended or acted in the obtaining of the said lawfull mariage but also to unmask to the publique view all those hell-hatcht black and horrid practises and unparraleld Insufferable Injuries oppressions cosenages and frauds that the said Massey the father in law and his wife with their horrid adherents have practised and do daily put in action to rob and disrobe me of my lawfull wife whom God by his holy ordinances hath lawfully made my wife and that if by the power of the potency and the arme of flesh rended from me will make me cry out with David Iudge and revenge my cause O Lord and I am confident that if God shall be pleased to suffer them to prevaile against me to deprive me of my lawfull wife yet the Lord for that fact will shower down the Viols of his Just vengeance upon the pates of them their wives and children that shall act though never so secret for such a horrid seperation of man and wife Here followeth the true and perfect discovery of what will be made manifest and evidently proved against Samuel Massey and his wife and others their hellish abettors of his black conspiracies against my innocent selfe and wife only to ruine me and to inrich himselfe and those his conspirators that take part with him in this hellish designe c. THat the said Samuel Massey before the said marriage between the said Master Chamberlaine and his now wife did take effect did invite one John Titus Gent. to be a suitor for marriage unto the now wife of the said George Chamberlaine by which meanes he the said Massey defrauded the said John Titus of a rich Watch a rich Sword and Belt and a Gilded Dagger and severall other valued things besides the expence of much money And that the said John Titus travailing beyond the Seas and in the interim the said marriage between the said George Chamberlaine and the said Ioane Hele taking effect And the said Master Titus after the said marriage returning into England the said Massey most fraudulently and wickedly perswaded the said Master Titus that the said Ioane Hele was not legally married unto the said George Chamberlaine but that it was only a drunken contract that might easily be avoyded and the said Massey did perswade the said Iohn Titus that the said Ioan Hele did passionately love him and that he had oftentimes heard her declare that Master Titus was her first love and that shee could never have any hearty affection for any other person in the world besides himselfe and therefore with all strong and delusive perswasions invited the said John Titus to be a suitor for marriage unto the said Jone Hele which in truth the said Massey well knew to be the lawfull wife of the said Master Chamberlaine by which wicked and undue practise the said Massey defrauded the said John Titus of and drew the said John Titus to expend above the sum of two hundred pounds currant money and that when the said John Titus discovered the frauds of the said Massey and that the said Jone Hele was very lawfully married unto the said George Chamberlaine And then the said Massey did use meanes to poyson the said George Chamberlaine unto which horrid plot and practise he the said Massey did invite the said John Titus and one John Bishop Gent. with all secrecie to consent and to prepare the said poyson and he the said Massey affirming that he would give the said Master Chamberlaine the said poyson with his own hands THat since the foresaid marriage took effect between the said George Chamberlaine and the said Jone Hele the said Massey hath willingly falsely fraudulently and corruptly had divers conferences and communications with divers persons and their agents both in the Counties of Devon and Cornwell and other places and also with divers other persons in and about the City of London for and concerning a marriage for the selfe same Jone Hele now the lawfull wife of the said George Chamberlaine and the said severall persons of quality to the great damage and oppression of the said Master Chamberlaine That the said Massey since the foresaid marriage so had and solemnised between the said George Chamberlaine and the said Jone Hele that is to say in the moneth of February last past did enter into some Articles of Agreements or Covenants in writing that the said wife of the said George Chamberlaine should within convenient time Intermarry and take to be her husband one John Nelson Gent. as in and by the said Articles remaining in the hands of the said Nelson and Massey or one of them may at large appeare and that the said Massey in Hillary Tearme last past did enter into one Judgment in the Court of upper Bench at Westminster of the penalty of ten thousand pounds to the said Nelson to performe the said Articles By which horrible and wicked practises the said Massey having the said Master Chamberlaines wife in his keeping and hiding her from place to place where the said George Chamberlaine cannot finde her nor have
THE Remonstrance and Declaration of George Chaâ—berlaine Gent. declaring to the World all passages concerning his lawfull Mariage with Ione Hele sole daughter and heire of Andrew Hele Esq late of the County of Devon deceased since whose decease one Samuell Massey married the Widow of the sayd Andrew Hele being Mother of the sayd Ione Hele and how the said Samuel Massey drew in the sayd George Chamberlaine to mary with his sayd daughter in law both by his and his wifes and the sayd Iones consent and by Articles of Agreement under hand and seale And also how the said Samuel Massey and his sayd wife since and before the said mariage hath defrauded the said George Chamberlaine of above sixe hundred pounds in money besides Watches Rings Iewels and Apparell for his wife and how and by whom and by what meanes the sayd Mr. Chamberlaine should have beene poysoned with other foule and notorious misdemeanors by the sayd Massey and his sayd wife perpetrated against the sayd George Chamberlaine by keeping his sayd lawfull wife from him and by divers frauds in offering the sayd wife of the sayd George Chamberlaine in mariage to divers persons since she was lawfully married to the sayd George Chamberlaine by which practise the sayd Massey did delude and defraud divers and severall persons of severall valuable sums of money together with other remarkable passages of absolute transcendent knavery acted by the sayd Massey and fit to be discovered and made known to the view of all men IN and before the moneth of November in the year of our Lord 1651. The said Samuell Massey and his wife and Mistris Jone Hele Masseys daughter in law being sole daughter and heir of one Andrew Hele by the said Masseys wife all of them being then in the Strand and fame speaking her to be heire at Law unto about 2000 l. per annum free-hould lands of inheritance besides many thousand pounds due unto her for the arrerages thereof divers young Gallants and others were Suitors unto and highly and costly Courted the said Massey and his wife to admit them but to see or be suitors for marriage unto their said daughter whereby much mony by many persons was spent upon the said Massey and his wife and daughter in feasting and entertainements besides many costly Watches and Rings were presented to the said Massey and his wife from severall persons hoping thereby and by their meanes to Ingratiate and degree themselves into the favour and liking of the yong Lady so that the said Massey and his said wife for a time did drive on a very pretty trade untill such time that it begun to be too commonly known to be a meare cheat but before the Market was quite done one Master John Samine had gotten Intelligence of that great pretended heirs estate and wealth and he being no lesse full of desire then credulity makes meanes to the said Massey that Master Samines brother in law Master George Chamberlaine might have the sight of his daughter in law and that he might be a suitor for marriage unto her which accordingly was assented unto This assent begets an Interview and meeting between Master Chamberlaine and his friends and Mistris Jone Hele and her friends it so pleased God a liking was had between them the said Master Chamberlaine and Jone Hele and by the consent of themselves and friends on all parts the said Massey her father in law being her Guardian by order of Chancery and the said Mistris Jone Hele being above the age of fourteen years and so consequently of the full age in law to consent to mariage on the eighteenth day of November in the year of our Lord 1651. There were Articles of agreement entered into sealed and duly executed by and with the consent of the said Jone and her mother by and between the said Samuel Massey of the one part and the said George Chamberlaine on the other part to this effect hereafter following First That is to say that the said George Chamberlaine by Gods grace and providence did intend to marry and take to wife Jone Hele sole daughter and heire of Andrew Hele Esquire deceased and daughter of the wife of the said Samuel Massey on or before the first day of May then next following Secondly that the said Massey and his wife during their lives and the life of the longest liver of them should hold and enjoy one full third part in three parts to be divided of all such Manors Messages Lands and Tenements as should be recovered in the right of the said Jone Hele as heire to her said late Father Andrew Hele or as heire unto one Walter Hele and Eise Hele deceased Thirdly it was agreed by and between the said parties that all such Rents Arrerages of Rents Issues and profits whatsoever that should be recovered in the right of the said Ione Hele should be equally devided between him the said George Chamberlaine and the saide Samuel Massey and his wife if the said marriage do take effect Fourthly that out of the fines and profits of the estate when it shall be recovered the said George Chamberlaine shall pay unto the said Samuel Massey the full some of 1â—00 l. Fiftly that the said George Chamberlaine shall lend and pay unto the said Massey the full some of 500 l. and that the said Massey shall secure the repayment thereof by statute of 1000 l penalty if the said marriage take no effect by or before the aforesaid first day of May and that if the said marriage take effect the said five hundred pounds not to be repaid for in truth that money was paid towards the yong Gentlewomans education and for bearing the charge of the recovery of the estate due unto her Sixthly it was fully agreed by and between all the said parties That the said Massey and his wife should permit and suffer the said George Chamberlaine with their free and Voluntary consents to be a suitour for marriage unto the said Jone Hele with freedom at all fitting convenient times and that the said George Chamberlaine should enter into one statute of the penalty of 2000 l. to the said Massey to performe the Articles of agreement in all points which was accordingly performed and entred into Seventhly That if the said marriage took no effect by or before the foresaid first day of May in the Articles of agreement mentioned that then it was agreed that the said Massey should repay the said 500 l. without Intrest unto the said George Chamberlaine within six moneths after the said first day of May and that if the said marriage did take effect according to the said Articles of agreement that then the said 500 l. to be quit to the said Massey c. After which said Articles of agreement so sealed and duly executed all faire and friendly societies meetings and invitations to feast and enjoy each other societies of themselves and friends reciprocally with all Joy and amicable love on both
parts after which it was unanimously agreed by the full and free consent of the said Jone Hele and the said George Chamberlaine and by the full and free consent of the said Massey and his wife and by the consent of the friends of the said George Chamberlaine that on the fift day of the moneth of February then next after the date of the said Articles of agreement which was just two moneths and 17 dayes after the Articles of Agreement were sealed That then and upon the said fift day of February there should be a lawfull marriage had and solemnized by and between the said George Chamberlaine and the said Jone Hele which accordingly was lawfully and willingly had and performed by a lawfull Minister in a lawfull Church the dores being open at a lawfull houre the said Massey her Father in law and her naturall Mother being then personally present and the said Massey and his wife bringing her thither in company with the said George Chamberlaine in a Coach for that purpose and the said Massey her Father in law in the presence of her naturall Mother and by and with all their consents the said Massey giving her in marriage in the said Church unto and to be the lawfull wife of the said George Chamberlaine in the presence of divers credible witnesses Into which sacred bonds of marriage she the said Jone Hele did enter into with the said George Chamberlaine with all cherefulnesse and willingnesse and did answer the Minister with such a willing forward and audible voice to the admiration of all the spectators of that marriage and that it may appear when and where and by whom they were so lawfully married you shall have next following the Certificate printed under the Minister and Parish-Clarks hands of the said Parish to testifie their said lawfull marriage Here followeth the true Copy of the true Certificate of the lawfull Marriage had and solemnized between Ioane Hele and the said George Chamberlaine attested under the hands of the Minister and Clerke of the Parish Church where they were lawfully married as followeth c. But first you must take notice that the said Massey had received the aforesaid sum of five hundred pounds of the said George Chamberlaine THese are to certifie whom it may concerne that George Chamberlaine and Joane Hele were lawfully married as man and wife together at and in the Parish Church of S. Margarets Pattens London neare Towerstreet the fist day of the month of February in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand Six hundred Fifty and One as appeareth by the Register Book of the said Parish Church whereunto wee have subscribed our hands the day and yeare abovesaid Robert Chamberlaine Minister William Prescot Parish Clerke Hereafter followeth such Copies of Depositions as prove the said Marriage sworn before a Master in Chancery and recorded in that Court RObert Chamberlaine Minister of Gods Word and William Prescot Parish Clerk of the Parish of Margarets Pattens neare Tower-street London doe make Oath that on the fift day of the month of February which was in the yeare of our Lord One thousand Six hundred Fifty and One George Chamberlaine and Joane Hele were very lawfully willingly by their free consents without any force or fraud which at that present appeared to us according to the constitution of the Laws of England married together so became lawfully man wife which solemnity of Marriage was performed by this Deponent Robert Chamberlaine in the foresaid Parish Church the Church doores being open about the houre of ten of the clock in the morning of the same day and in the presence of divers persons and especially in the presence and with the consent of the naturall Mother of the said Joane and also of Samuel Massey the reputed Father-in-law of the said Joane who at that present time gave her in Marriage to the said George Chamberlaine And these Deponents do further make Oath that the foresaid Joane at the time of the said Marriage with the greatest cheerfulnesse plainnesse forwardnesse and extraordinary willingnesse did answer unto all things which on her part were to bee performed as in relation to the forme and ceremonies of the said Marriage Robert Chamberlaine Minister William Prescot Parish Clerk Sworn the last day of July 1653. ROBERT AYLETT IOhn Samine of London Merchant and Elizabeth his wife doe make Oath that they these Deponents were personally present at and in the Parish Church of Margaret Pattons neer Tower strete London on the fifth day of the month of February in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty and one about the hour of ten of the clock in the morning of the same day at which time and place they these Deponents did see Ioane Hele willingly and very cheerfully intermarry and take to be her lawfull Husband one George Chamberlaine Gent. which said marriage was so had and solemnized betweene them by and with the full and free consent of the naturall Mother of the said Ioane and in her mothers presence and by and with the consent of one Samuel Massey father in law and Guardian unto the said Ioane whereby the said George Chamberlaine and Ioane Hele became lawfull man and wife and the said Massey gave her in marriage in the Church unto the said George Chamberlaine Iohn Samine Elizabeth Samine Sworne this last day of Iuly 1653. ROBERT AYLETT GEorge Lambert of London Salter doeth make Oath that on the fifth day of the moneth of February in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty and one hee this Deponent was personally present at and in the Parish Church of Margarets Pattens neer Tower street London about the houre of ten of the clocke in the morning of the same day in company with one George Chamberlaine Gent. and one Ioane Hele at which time and place he this Deponent was present and did see the said George Chamberlaine and the said Ioane He le lawfully intermarried together by one Robert Chamberlaine a Minister of Gods word And this Deponent doth make Oath that the said Marriage was had and solemnized between them by the free consent of the said Ioane and of her naturall mother and her fathâ—r in law Samuel Massey who gave her in the Church to be the said Mr. Chamberlains wife in the presence of her said naturall mother and the said Ioane did then say over after the Minister the words which belong to the consummation of Marriage with willingnesse plainenesse and cheerfulnesse to the admiration of this Deponent George Lambert Sworn the second of August 1653. ROBERT AYLETT IOhn Titus Gent. maketh Oath that one Samuel Massey about five months since did contract with this Deponent for the Marriage of his Daughter in Law Mrs. Joane Hele and withall told this Deponent that there was a drunken contract made betweene his Daughter and one Mr. George Chamberlaine which if it could not be null'd by Law then the said Massey said that he
accesse unto her either by word or letter hee the said Massey by adulation and base flattery hath alienated the heart and affection of the wife of the sayd George Chamberlaine and hath and still doth offer and expose her to no better then publique sale for marriage unto divers persons to the great damage wrong and heavy oppression of the sayd George Chamberlaine That the said Massey and his said wife by their practise and conspiracie with Mr. Dike the Master Keeper of Newgate and other Confederates since the Month of February last past did conspire to hide keep and detaine the lawfull wife of the said George Chamberlaine from him and to effect their wicked and unlawfull purposes they the said Confederates did hide detaine and keep the wife of the said Mr. Chamberlaine in secret manner in the dwelling house of the said Mr. Dike at or neare Newgate London and when the said George Chamberlaine had discovered his said wife to be there then the foresaid Conspirators Massey and Dike with much subtilty and secrecy caused the wife of the said Mr. Chamberlaine to bee conveyed unto Vintners Hall and to be put in the custody of some friend of the said Mr. Dikes and being there not long before she was discovered to bee there then the wife of the sayd George Chamberlaine was by the conspirators conveyed away from thence unto the golden Suger-loafe in Holborn and not thinking her to be hidden safe there from her lawfull husband shee was thence conveyed and hid and kept at Wimbleton at the house of one Mr. William Massey a kinsman of the sayd Samuell Massey and all to the great wrong and heavy oppression of the sayd George Chamberlaine and contrary to the Laws of God and man You are to take notice that under the colour of Mr. Chamberlaines wife being a reputed great heire to about 2000l Lands per annum and so declared by that black-sould treacherous false father in law Samuell Massey all these horrible plots practises and unheard of villanies doe proceed The first cause and ground of his villany arising because Mr. Chamberlaine would not suffer himsâ—lfe to be cozened of 250l more in money over and above the foresaid five hundred pounds before paid unto the said Massey by the said Mr. Chamberlaine which 250 l. being refused to be parted withall by the said Mr. Chamberlaine to the said Massey he the said Massey for that and for no other cause at all did settle upon a resolution and did protest and declare that the said Mr. Chamberlaine should never have his said wife but that the said Massey and his said wife would keep and hide her from him and would utterly disswade her against the said George Chamberlaine her lawfull Husband which will be proved upon Oath by sufficient and good witnesse But now to returne where the old Kennell of Foxes have left the young one at VVimbleton for by this time it must be believed that at the Accademy and University of Newgate in the Jawes of a Jaylor there must needs be infused into her tender eare such sordid literature and learning as is able to separate man and wife and so consequently to undoe body and soule to bring about the wicked ends of those Conspirators Being now lodged at VVimbleton notice thereof is given unto the said Mr. Chamberlaine that she is there and that a person of Honour a Lord of this Nation by the false information of her Father in Law is invited to believe her a great Heire and not married is to give her a visit for marriage and that if the marriage take effect the conspirators shall have 12000 l. Then Mr. Chamberlaine her Husband is advised and doth apply himselfe to the Lord Chiefe Justice who grants his Warrant to take the said Mâ—ssey for his misdemeanors Mr. Chamberlaine with the Warrant takes a Coach and goes with the Warrant to Wimbleton takes a Constable with some other friends and in a peaceable manner searches the house of William Massey for the body of the said Samuel Massey and in that search findes his lawfull wife courts her into the Coach and brings her to London as was just and lawfull so to doe the perfidious Father in Law and the rest of the Conspirators have notice of this suddaine change they use instruments to be in the Chamber with them to keep man and wife from lying together or from having any private conference the Conspirators pretend a force and a Riot and charge the husband and the wife before a Justice of the Peace one Mr. Peter Bradshaw this Justice it being Sessions time at Hicks Hall directs a Constable to bring Mr. Chamberlaines wife in custody to that Sessions which was the very last Sessions held in July 1653. there the said Jone is brought and her husband goes in voluntarily expecting good justice to be done and for that it did appeare to that Court and for all there were divers witnesses to prove that the said Master Chamberlaine and the said Jone were lawfully married together and so became lawfull man and wife yet by the strong influence of one Colonell Gravener who now liveth in the green Mewes by Charing-crosse and who formerly did live in Pater noster row London I say by this Colonels procurement the said Mr. George Chamberlaine was taken from his lawfull wife and committed to the New Prison when if there was any force or Riot at all the fact was committed in Surrey at Wimbleton and not in Middlesex So that the said Colonell Gâ—avener taking part with the said Massey the father in law having gotten the lawfull husband of the said Jone in the Goale being a courteous kinde Gentleman doeth take away the lawfull wife of the said Mr. Chamberlaine from him and in his Coach carries her away without any lawfull Warrant or Authority whatsoever to his house at the Mewes where she is now mewed up from her husband my conscience tells me that there is not such another courteous person in this Common-wealth that hath such a conscience to take away a mans lawfull wife from him and to imprison him and to measure out so much and so large London measure of oppression and although hee bee reported to be Quarter-Master Generall to this noble Army yet that ever Heroick and honoured Lord Generall nor all nor any his worthy Officers of the Army will bee pleased to think it fit or reasonable that Quarter-Master Generall Gravener should be so wanton with his wits or so far to go beyond his Commission as to rend man and wife asunder and then to take up quarters for another mans wife whether her husband will or no it is not the way to be Quarter-Master but to be whole Master of another mans wife therefore every man had need have a care of his wife if the Col. go on with such a trade and if he go so far beyond his Commission it may please the noble Governours of this Nation to give him a Writ of ease But