Will of Sir William Bulmer proved at York.

Extract by Mr Surtees.

Sir William Bulmer the elder, 6th Oct. 1531. To be buried in the church of Lethome if I die within the parish. To the churches of Lethome and Wilton; to the house of Guisburne; to the college of Staindrop and the priests there Xs; Hartlepool, &c., for the soules of my father and mother, and for my wyf's saull, and for all the saulls I am bound to pray for. To my son, Sir John Bulmer, my best chain of gould, which is in weight £100, and desire him to leave it to his son and heyr. To my son Sir Rauff Bulmer, my second gold chain, which is in weight, 100 marks, and desire him to leave it to his son and heyr, if he have any. My son, William Bulmer, to have one chain of gold worth 100 marks, and to leave it to Francis Bulmer his son. My son, Sir John Bulmer, my best gowne and doublet, and to his wife £20 to do what she will with. My son, (son-in-law) George Salvyn, my best tauney gowne, and to his wife (Margery) £20. My son, Sir Rauff, to have to his eldest daughter's marriage, 100 marks. To every gentleman that is my servant, taking wages or no wages, 20/-; every yeoman 13/4; every groom 10/-; concluding with a mention of an uncle at Hertilpool.

In the time of Bishop Bambrigge, the High Sheriff was Wm. Bulmer, Knt. ap. 10th Mar., 1507. He was re-appointed during the next vacancy, 18th April, 1509, and was again High Sheriff in the time Bishop Ruthall, 19th August 1509. In 1523, Wm. Bulmer, Knt., is appointed Lieutenant of the East March under the Marquis of Dorset. 10th March 1526, a negotiation for a treaty of peace between England and Scotland is on foot, and the name of W. Bulmer, Knt. appears in the commission.

Wolsey, when Bishop of Durham in 1526, issued commissions for arraying ships in the ports of the county palatine, to serve under the King's Admiral in the North Seas.

Also some arrangements were made to fortify Hartlepool. In connection with these matters the names of some Bulmers appear

Will Bulm. Mil. vic. com. Dun.

W. Bulm. sen. mil. rec de Norham, &c.

Will Bolm' mil. capitaneus castri de Norham. &c.

These names appear in connection with supplying money to the palatinate.

Under Bishop Cardinal Wolsey, the High Sheriffs were:

Wm. Bulmer, Knt. ap. 1st May 1523.

Wm. Bulmer, Knt sen. Knt. and John Bulmer sen. ap. jointly 4th Aug. 1527.

When Wm. Bulmer was Sheriff of Dunelm, he is mentioned as taking part in the settlement of a dispute between Cardinal Wolsey and the Chapter, as to the boundaries of their adjoining properties.

In 1528 a dispute arose between Cardinal Wolsey and Lord Lumley, relative to their respective boundaries in Tunstall, William Bulmer, Knt., Sheriff of the Bishopric, was one of the parties of the agreement.

During the episcopacy of Bishop Fox, (about 1522) the name of Sir William Bulmer appears in Commissio Pacis.

In the time of Bishop Sever, one of the Sheriffs of the See was Wm. Bulmer, Knt. ap. 16th Jan. 1502. During the vacancy after Sever's death, the crown filled up all the great offices of the Palatinate. On the 21st May 1505, Wm. Bulmer, with Thomas Castill, Prior of Durham, were appointed guardians of the temporalities. Bulmer, who was High Sheriff in Sever's time, was re-appointed on 13th day of June. The See was vacant for two years, the reason for this neglect of the palatinate being the avarice of Henry VIII, who sought by every means to get the vast revenues of the bishopric into his own hands.

Palatine Act 1544. Commission to Sir William Bulmer, Knt., Sheriff of Durham and Sadberge, to seize the goods of all subjects of the King of Scotland within the said franchise.

Ellis' Letter. Vol. II. p. 118.

A joint letter from Sir William Bulmer and Sir Thos. Tempest to Cardinal Wolsey, apprising him of the affairs of the Duke of Richmond.

"Written at Pountefret, the VIIth. day of February, by youre moste humble servaunts, W.B. and T.T. (1527 probably).

This Duke of Richmond was an illegitimate son of Henry VIII, and at this period, then only a boy of eight, was living in great state at Pontefract Castle.

Sir Wm. Bulmer was steward of the household, and it is mentioned that he had "4 servants, £33 6s. 8d."

The expenses of the establishment seem to have been threatening to go beyond the income, and Sir William recites and devises various methods of reducing the out-go. It should be noticed that this young Richmond married the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, by his second wife, (who was a daughter of Stafford, Duke of Buckingham).

This lady was half-sister to Margaret Bulmer, (wife of Sir John Bulmer) who was burnt at Smithfield after her participation in the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Swallow's House of Neville, p. 53.

In a letter from Ralph Nevill, 4th E. of Westmoreland, to Lord Cromwell about the living of Brancepeth, allusion is made to "old Sir William Bulmer, Knt."