was probably _Sir Baldewyn Fulford_, Knt. a zealous Lancastrian, who
was executed at Bristol in the latter end of 1461, the first year of
Edward the Fourth. He was attainted, with many others, in the general
act of Attainder, 1 Edw. IV. but he seems to have been executed under
a special commission for the trial of treasons, &c. within the town of
Bristol. The fragment of the old chronicle, published by Hearne at the
end of _Sprotti Chronica_, p. 289, says only; "Item _the same yere_ (1
Edw. IV.) _was takin Sir Baldewine Fulford and behedid att Bristow_."
But the matter is more fully stated in the act which passed in 7 Edw.
IV. for the restitution in blood and estate of Thomas Fulford, Knt.
eldest son of Baldewyn Fulford, late of Fulford, in the county of
Devonshire, Knt. _Rot. Pat._ 8 Edw. IV. p. 1, m. 13. The preamble of
this act, after stating the attainder by the act 1 Edw. IV. goes on
thus: "And also the said Baldewyn, the said first yere of your noble
reign, at Bristowe in the shere of Bristowe, before Henry Erle of
Essex William Hastyngs of Hastyngs Knt. Richard Chock William Canyng
Maire of the said towne of Bristowe and Thomas Yong, by force of your
letters patentes to theym and other directe to here and determine all
treesons &c. doon withyn the said towne of Bristowe before the vth day
of September the first yere of your said reign, was atteynt of dyvers
tresons by him doon ayenst your Highnes &c." If the commission sate
soon after the vth of September, as is most probable, King Edward
might very possibly be at Bristol at the time of Sir Baldewyn's
execution; for, in the interval between his coronation and the
parliament which met in November, he made a progress (as the
Continuator of Stowe informs us, p. 416.) by the South coast into
the West, and was (among other places) at Bristol. Indeed there is a
circumstance which might lead us to believe, that he was actually a
spectator of the execution from the minster-window, as described in
the poem. In an old accompt of the Procurators of St. Ewin's church,