William Rastall

Son of John Rastall of London Printer, by Elizabeth his Wife, Sister to Sir Thomas More Knight, sometimes Lord Chancellour of England, was born in the City of London, and educated in Grammar learning there. In 1525 or thereabouts, being then in the year of his age 17, he was sent to the Univers. of Oxon, where laying a considerable foundation in Logick and Philosophy, left it without a Degree, went to Lincolns Inn, and there by the help of his Academical education, he made a considerable progress in the municipal Laws of the Nation, and in 1 Edw. 6. he became Autumn or Summer Reader of that House. But Religion being then about to be alter’d, he, with his ingenious and learned Wife Wenefrid Daughter of Jo. Clement (of whom I shall speak in 1572.) left the Nation and went to the University of Lovaine in Brabant, where continuing all the time of that Kings Reign, returned when Qu. Mary came to the Crown, was made Serjeant at Law in 1554, and a little before the said Queens death, one of the Justices of the Common-pleas. At length Religion altering again after Elizab. became Queen of England, he returned to Lovaine before mention’d, where he continued till the time of his death. He hath written,

The Chartuary. Lond. 1534.

A Table collected of the years of our Lord God, and of the years of the Kings of England, from the first of Will. the Conquerour: shewing how the years of our Lord God, and the years of the Kings of England, concurr and agree together; by which table it may quickly be accompted how many years, months, and days be past since the making of any evidences. Lond. 1563. oct. Continued by another hand and printed there again in oct. 1607. It was also printed there a third time 1639. in a large oct. corrected and continued by the famous Almanack-maker John Booker born at Manchester in Lancashire, 23. Mar. 1601. and bred a Clark under an Alderman of London; who, after he had published several matters of his Profession (of which The bloody Irish Almanack, was one, printed at London, 1646. in 11. Sh. in qu.) gave way to fate on the sixth of the ides of April an. 1667. and received sepulture in the Church of St. James in Dukeplace, Lond. Whereupon a Marble-stone was soon after laid over-his grave at the charge of his great admirer Elias Ashmole Esq. The said Table of years, is now involved and swallowed up in a Book entituled Chronica juridicalia: or, a general Calender of the Years of our Lord God, and those of several Kings of England, &c. with a Chronological table of the Lord Chancellours and Lord Keepers, Justices of the Kings-bench, Common pleas, Barons of the Exehecquer, &c. Lond. 1685. oct. By whom this Book was transcrib’d, I know not yet: evident it is, that it consists only of Rastalls Tables, and Sir Will. Dugdale’s Chronica series, &c. at the end of his Origines juridiciales, &c. and published by some down-right plagiary purposely to get a little money. Our Author Rastall hath also written and published,

Termes of the English Law: Or les termes de la ley— several times printed.

A collection in English, of the statutes now in force, continued from the beginning of Magna Charta, made 9. Hen. 3. to the 4 and 5 of Phil. and Mary. Lond. 1559. 83. fol. Continued by another hand to the 43 of Queen Elizab. Lond. 1603. &c. fol.

A collection of entries, of declarations, barres, replications, rejoynders, issues, verdicts, &c. Lond. 1566. 96. &c. fol. He also corrected and published a Book entit. La Novel natura brevium Monsier Anton. Fitzherbert, &c. des choses notabiles contenus en ycel novelment, &c. To which he also added a table. This Book was printed several times; one of which editions came out at Lond. 1598. oct. He also composed two tables, one of which contains the principal matters concerning pleas of the Crown, and the other of all the principal cases contained in a Book called, The book of affizes and pleas of the Crown, &c. and a Table to Fitzherbert’s Grand abridgment of the Law.

Life of Sir Thom. More Knight.—Whether printed I cannot tell. Sure I am that Rastall collected all such works of Sir Tho. More that were wrot in English—Lond. 1557. fol. As for those things written against Jewell, which go under the name of Rastall, are not to be understood as written by this Will. Rastall, as a certain Author (m)(m) Joh. Pits. De illustr. Angl. Script. aet. 16. nu. 1014. would have it, but by John Rastal a Theologist, as I shall tell you under the Year 1600. This our Author Will. Rastall, who was accounted a most eminent Lawyer of his time and a grand zealot for the R. Catholick Religion, died at Lovaine before-mention’d 27. Aug. in Fifteen hundred sixty and five: 1565 whereupon his body was buried within the Church of St. Peter there, on the right hand of the Altar of the Virgin Mary, near to the body of Wenefred his Wife, who was buried there in July 1553. He had a Brother named Joh. Rastall who was a Justice of the Peace, Father to Elizabeth Rastall, the Wife of Rob. Longher LL. D. as I have elsewhere told you.