17 Babington v Atkyns

The Court of Chivalry 1634-1640.

This free content was Born digital. All rights reserved.

'17 Babington v Atkyns', in The Court of Chivalry 1634-1640, (, ) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/court-of-chivalry/17-babington-atkyns [accessed 18 March 2024]

In this section

17 BABINGTON V ATKYNS

Henry Babington, gent v John Atkyns, tailor

No date

Abstract

Babington, who claimed to be a Merchant Adventuer, complained that Atkyns called him 'Base rascall, base fellow, and not worthy to wipe his shoes', in 'a publike scandalous and revileing manner.' No further proceedings survive.

Initial proceedings

EM266, Petition

'Sheweth unto your Lordship that your petitioner being a Merchant Adventurer and being borne and descended of a worthy and noble family of gentry parentage, one John Atkyns, a t[a]ylor by trade, hath of late, in a publike scandalous and revileing manner, abused your petitioner, often saying and calling your petitioner, Base rascall, base fellow, and not worthy to wipe his shoes, to the apparent and manifest disgrace of your petitioner's birth and family, with many more scandalous words, tending to the discredit of your petitioner, and provoking your petitioner thereby unto a duell.'

Petitioned that process be granted.

No date.

Notes

Babington did not appear in the London Visitations: J. Jackson Howard and J. L. Chester (eds.), The Visitation of London, 1633, 1634 and, 1635, vol. I (Publications of the Harleian Society, 15, 1880); J. Jackson Howard (ed.), The Visitation of London, 1633, 1634 and, 1635, vol. II (Publications of the Harleian Society, 17, 1883); J. B. Whitmore and A. W. Hughes Clarke (eds.), London Visitation Pedigrees, 1664 (Publications of the Harleian Society, 92, 1940).

Documents

  • Initial proceedings
    • Petition: EM266 (no date)

People mentioned in the case

  • Atkyns, John, tailor
  • Babington, Henry, gent

Places mentioned in the case

  • London

Topics of the case

  • city company
  • denial of gentility
  • provocative of a duel