It seems that John Issell (my 10 x gt grandfather) died in debt to one Joan Issell, and Joan was having trouble getting the money back from his widow (his executrix).

Joan tried to recover her money in the Court of the King’s Bench; the documentation (up to when it was agreed it should be put before a jury) can be viewed on the AALT website. It is in Latin but I have had it transcribed and translated, and both follow.

John Doo and Richard Roo were not real people but part of a legal fiction, as was the claim that John had died in the Marshalsea Prison (the latter enabled the case to be heard in the Court of the King’s Bench, when John had not been resident in Middlesex).     

Transcription

(go to translation)

Devon[ia]

Memorand[um] q[uo]d al[ia]s scil[ice]t T[er]mi[n]o Pasche ultimo p[re]t[er]ito coram d[omi]no Rege apud Westm[onasterium] ven[it] Johanna Issell p[er] Thomam Lethbridge Attorn[atum] suu[m]
Et p[ro]tulit hic in Cur[ia] d[i]c[t]i d[omi]ni Regis tunc ib[ide]m quand[a]m billam suam v[er]sus Thomam Winter et Agnet[am] ux[or]em eius executric[em] test[ament]i & ultime voluntatis Joh[ann]is Issell nup[er] d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is Issell de Stockingham in Com[itatu] Devon[ie] yoman defuncti in Custod[ia] Marr[escalli] etc de pl[ac]ito deb[i]t[i]s
Et sunt Pleg[ii] de p[ro]s]equendo] scil[ice]t Joh[ann]es Doo & Ric[hard]us Roo
Que quid[e]m billa sequit[ur] in hec v[er]ba
// Devon[ia] //
Johanna Issell querit[ur] de Thoma Winter et Agnet[a] ux[or]e eius executrice test[ament]i & ultime voluntatis Joh[ann]is Issell nup[er] d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is Issel de Stockingham in Com[itatu] Devon[ie] yoman defuncti in Custod[ia] Marr[escalli] Mares[calcie] d[omi]ni Regis coram ip[s]o Rege existen[tis]
De pl[ac]ito q[uo]d reddant ei viginti et sex libras leg[a]lis monete Angl[ie] quas ei iniuste detinent p[ro] eo videl[ice]t q[uo]d
Cum p[re]d[i]c[t]us Joh[ann]es in vita sua scil[ice]t decimo octavo die Octobris Anno regni d[omi]ni Caroli nunc Regis Angl[ie] decimo t[er]cio apud Totnes in Com[itatu] p[re]d[i]c[t]o p[er] quoddam scriptu[m] suu[m] obligatoriu[m] sigill[o] ip[s]ius Joh[ann]is in vita sua sigillat[um] Cur[ie]q[ue] d[i]c[t]i d[omi]ni Regis nunc hic ostens cuius dat[a] est eisd[e]m die et anno cogn[ovit] se ten[er]i & firmit[er] obligari p[re]fat[e] Johanne in p[re]d[ictis] viginti & sex libr[is] solvend[is] eid[e]m Johanne
Cum inde requisit[us] esset p[re]d[i]c[t]us tamen Joh[ann]es in vita sua & p[re]d[icti] Thomas & Agnes post p[re]d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is mortem licet sepius requisit[i] &c p[re]d[ictas] viginti & sex libras p[re]fat[e] Johanne p[re]d[ictus] Joh[ann]es in vita sua seu p[re]d[icti] Thomas et Agnes post p[re]d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is mortem nondum solv[er]unt nec eor[um] aliquis solvit
Sed ill[as] p[re]fat[e] Johanne p[re]d[ictus] Joh[ann]es in vita sua & p[re]d[icti] Thomas & Agnes post p[re]d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is mortem hucusq[ue] solv[er]e om[n]i[n]o cont[ra]dixer[unt]
Et p[re]d[icti] Thomas et Agnes adhuc solv[er]e cont[ra]dicunt & iniuste detine[n]t ad dampnu[m] ip[s]ius Johanne decem libr[arum]
Et inde p[ro]duc[it] sect[am] &c
Et modo ad hunc diem scil[ice]t diem ven[er]is p[ro]x[imum] post Cr[astinu]m S[an]c[t]e Trinitat[is] isto eod[e]m T[er]mi[n]o usq[ue] quem diem p[re]d[icti] Thomas {Winter} & Agnet[a] h[ab]uer[unt] licenciam ad billam p[re]d[ictam] interloquend[um] & tunc ad respondend[um] &c coram d[omi]no Rege apud Westm[onasterium] ven[iunt] t[a]m p[re]d[icta] Johanna Issell p[er] attorn[atum] suu[m] p[re]d[i]c[tu]m q[ua]m p[re]d[i]c[t]i Thomas {Winter} & Agnet[a] p[er] Georgiu[m] Richards attorn[atum] suu[m]
Et iid[e]m Thomas {Winter} et Agnes defend[unt] vim & iniur[iam] quando &c
Et dic[unt] q[uo]d p[re]d[i]c[t]a Johanna acc[i]onem suam p[re]d[ictam] inde v[er]sus eos h[ab]ere seu manuten[er]e non debet quia dicunt q[uo]d ip[s]i tempore impetrac[i]onis bille p[re]d[icte] plene administraver[unt] om[n]ia bona & catall[a] que fuer[unt] p[re]d[icti] Joh[ann]is tempore mortis sue in manib[us] {suis} administrand[a]
Et q[uo]d ip[s]i non h[ab]ent nec d[i]c[t]o tempore impetrac[i]onis bille p[re]d[icte] vel unq[ua]m postea h[ab]uer[unt] aliqua bona {seu} catall[a] que fuer[unt] p[re]d[i]c[t]i Joh[ann]is tempore mortis sue in manib[us] suis administrand[a] p[er] quod p[re]d[icti] Thomas {Winter} & Agnes deb[i]t[u]m p[re]d[ictum] p[re]fat[e] Johanne solv[er]e ei potuer[unt]
Et hoc parat[i] sunt v[er]ificare
Unde pet[unt] iud[ic]iu[m] si p[re]d[icta] Johanna acc[i]onem suam p[re]d[ictam] inde v[er]sus eos h[ab]ere seu manuten[er]e debeat &c

Et p[re]d[i]c[t]a Johanna dicit q[uo]d ip[s]a p[er] aliqua p[er] p[re]d[ictos] Thomam Winter & Agnet[am] sup[er]ius pl[ac]itand[a] & allegat[a] ab acc[i]one sua p[re]d[icta] inde v[er]sus ip[s]os Thomam & Agnetem h[ab]end[o] p[re]cludi non debent
Quia dic[it] q[uo]d p[re]dicti Thomas & Agnes die impetrac[i]onis bille p[re]d[icte] scil[ice]t die M[er]curii p[ro]x[imo] post xv[i]m Pasche Anno regni d[i]c[t]i d[omi]ni Reg[is] nunc decimo octavo h[ab]uer[unt] div[er]sa bona & catalla que fuer[unt] p[re]d[icti] Joh[ann]is tempore mortis sue in manib[us] suis administrand[a] ad valenciam deb[i]ti p[re]d[icti] videl[ice]t apud Totnes p[re]d[ictum]
Et hoc pet[it] q[uo]d inquirat[ur] p[er] p[at]riam

Et p[re]d[icti] Thomas {Winter} & Agnet[a] s[im]ilit[er] &c I[de]o ven[iant] inde Jur[atores] coram d[omi]no Rege apud Westm[onasterium] die Martis p[ro]x[imo] post tres septi[m]anas S[an]c[t]e Trinitatis Et qui nec &c ad recogn[izandum] &c Quia t[a]m &c
Id[e]m dies dat[a] est p[ar]tib[us] p[re]d[ictis] ib[ide]m &c

Translation:

Devon

Memorandum that at another time, that is to say, in Easter term last past [1642], Joan Issell, through Thomas Lethbridge her attorney, came before our Lord the King at Westminster,
And there and then, here in the court of our said Lord the King, proffered a certain bill of hers against Thomas Winter and Agnes his wife, executrix of the testament and last will of John Issell, lately called John Issell of Stockingham in the county of Devon, yeoman, deceased in the custody of the Marshal, in a plea of debt,
And these are the pledges for prosecution, that is to say, John Doo and Richard Roo,
Which bill, indeed, follows in these words.

// Devon //
Joan Issell complains of Thomas Winter and Agnes his wife, executrix of the testament and last will of John Issell, lately called John Issell of Stockingham in the county of Devon, yeoman, deceased in the custody of the Marshal of our Lord the King’s Marshalsea, being before the same King,
In a plea that they should render to her twenty six pounds of lawful money of England which they are unjustly withholding from her, because, that is to say,
Whereas the aforesaid John, in his lifetime, that is to say, on the eighteenth day of October in the thirteenth year of the reign of our Lord Charles, the now King of England [18 Oct 1637], at Totnes in the county aforesaid, by a certain writing obligatory of his, sealed with the seal of the same John in his lifetime, and now shown here to the court of our said Lord the King, the date of which is on the same day and year, acknowledged himself to be held and firmly obliged to the aforenamed Joan for the aforesaid twenty six pounds to be paid to the same Joan,
Nonetheless, when there was a request in respect thereof, the aforesaid John in his lifetime, and the aforesaid Thomas and Agnes after the death of the aforesaid John, albeit often asked etc, have not yet paid the aforesaid twenty six pounds to the aforesaid Joan, and nor has any of them, the aforesaid John in his lifetime, or the aforesaid Thomas and Agnes after the death of the aforesaid John, paid it,
But the aforesaid John in his lifetime, and the aforesaid Thomas and Agnes after the death of the aforesaid John, have thus far utterly refused to pay it to the aforenamed Joan,
And the aforesaid Thomas et Agnes still refuse to pay it, and unjustly withhold it, to the damage of the same Joan of ten pounds,

And thus she pleads her suit etc.

And now on this day, that is to say, on the Friday next after the day after Holy Trinity [10 Jun 1642] in this same term (until which day the aforesaid Thomas {Winter} and Agnes had leave to imparl upon the aforesaid bill, and then to answer etc before our said Lord the King at Westminster), come both the aforesaid Joan Issell, through her aforesaid attorney, and the aforesaid Thomas {Winter} and Agnes, through George Richards their attorney,

And the same Thomas {Winter} et Agnes defend the wrong and injury when [and where it shall behove them] &c

And they say that the aforesaid Joan ought not to have or maintain her aforesaid action against them in respect thereof, because they say that at the time of the petition of the aforesaid bill they had fully administered all the goods and chattels which belonged to the aforesaid John at the time of his death and were in {their} hands to be administered,

And that they do not have, nor at the said time of the petition of the aforesaid bill or ever afterwards did have, any goods {or} chattels which belonged to the aforesaid John at the time of his death, in their hands to be administered, by which the aforesaid Thomas {Winter} and Agnes were able to pay the aforesaid debt to the aforenamed Joan,

In respect whereof they seek judgment whether the aforesaid Joan ought to have or maintain her aforesaid action against them in respect thereof etc,

And they are prepared to verify this.

And the aforesaid Joan says that she ought not to be precluded from having her aforesaid action in respect thereof against the same Thomas and Agnes by anything impleaded and alleged above by the aforesaid Thomas Winter and Agnes,

Because she says that the aforesaid Thomas and Agnes, on the day of the petition of the aforesaid bill, that is to say, on the Wednesday next after the quindene of Easter in the eighteenth year of the reign of our said Lord the now King [27 Apr 1642], had various goods and chattels which belonged to the aforesaid John at the time of his death in their hands to be administered, to the value of the aforesaid debt, that is to say, at Totnes aforesaid,

And she seeks that this be inquired into by a local jury.

And the aforesaid Thomas {Winter} and Agnes say similarly etc.

Therefore let jurors come before our Lord the King in respect thereof at Westminster on the Tuesday next after the three weeks following Holy Trinity [28 Jun 1642], and who neither etc, to investigate etc, because both etc.

The same date is given to the aforesaid parties, to be in the same place etc.


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