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Cecil Papers: October 1606

Pages 90-92

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 24, Addenda, 1605-1668. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1976.

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Citation:

October 1606

Timothy Haies to the Earl of Salisbury.
[? Before October, 1606]. As he travelled from London to Staffordshire last December, he was arrested, sent up to London and committed by Salisbury to the Gatehouse, where he would have starved if Salisbury had not intervened with the King to succour him. He has neither family nor friends, and begs Salisbury to have pity on him and to grant him his liberty.—Undated.
½ p. (P. 37.)
Stone from Caen.
1606, October 10 to 1609, January 8. Robert Bell's account for Caen stone transported from France for the works at Salisbury House, Hatfield and the new buildings at Durham House (Britain's Burse). Total quantity amounted to 804 tons, which with freight and other charges came to £640. The lading of each ship is specified, and "all the ston was bought some part redy hewed, som part wholle in the quarry, for which was hired workemen to digg and hewe yt and carts to carry yt beinge tow mylles to the water syde".
Moreover, "yt is to be noted that thes stones wold have benn better cheape but that to make expedition to provyde ston for your honners several buyldings, wee were forsed to buy a quarry and hier workemen to digg out the ston, which was very chargable; and allso ther was lost and spoyle[d] at Caen the last great frost about fowerscore ton."
Endorsed: "Mr Bell the merchant his accommpt for Caine stone delivered for your honors works at Salysbury house, Hatfield and at the new buildings at Durhame house from the 10th of Octob. 1606 to the 14th Januarye, 1608." Receipt for outstanding sum of £180 dated April 20, 1609, and signed on behalf of Robert Bell by George Tooker, his employee. 1 p. (Accounts 8/3.)
Anne Graham (Graeme) to the King.
[Before October 26, 1606]. She has been a suitor to him for the release of her husband, George Graham, but has failed to obtain it. She is making this second appeal because she has been left with twelve children, not one of whom is able to provide for himself. She has no means of maintaining them unless the King allows her to continue to occupy the house and lands which she and her husband formerly rented from her brother, George Storey, Keeper of the King's park at Wandles. She begs for his permission to do so upon payment of the yearly rent.—Undated.
Signed at the bottom: Sir Roger Wilbraham.
1 p. (P. 845.)
[See H.M.C. Salisbury MSS, Vol. XVIII, p. 332.]
Timothy Haies to the Earl of Salisbury.
[October, 1606]. He is a prisoner in the Gatehouse and has none to intercede for him. He and Matthew Batty submitted petitions for their release on Saturday, the 4th of October, being the present month, and since then Batty has been given his liberty. He begs for a similar favour, and for the remission of all fees and dues to the keepers which he is too poor to pay.—Undated.
1 p. (P. 1.)
[See H.M.C. Salisbury MSS, Vol. XVIII, p. 323 and Cal. S.P. Dom., 1603–10, pp. 248, 256 and 268.]
Bearand Tege to the Earl of Salisbury.
[Before November 17, 1606]. He is a foreign merchant of Kinsbrowe. Theodore Tomlinson, a London merchant, is in debt to petitioner and others and, with intent to defrauding them, has fled from his house and concealed himself in the country. He requests that letters should be directed to Sir Thomas Beaufort, Sheriff of Warwickshire, (fn. 1) enjoining him to give his assistance in pursuing and arresting Tomlinson.—Undated.
¾ p. (P. 1235.)
George Hill, James Mootham, John Mootham and John Doves to the Earl of Salisbury.
[Before November 25, 1606]. They are mariners from London, and complain of the treatment to which they were subjected at Lisbon. There the Conde de Aguilar, who is in command of the troops in Portugal and is called "Castilaanes" by his officers, placed soldiers aboard their ships who abused the crews and forcibly removed victuals with drawn rapiers. When the English protested they were told that it "greived them [the soldiers] to see that wee had victuals and they had none". As for the cargoes, they were taken away to the Confiscation House, where those in authority stole them or charged excessive prices for their restitution. In addition, the Customs officials confiscated personal property from the mariners and forced them to surrender one half in return for the other. Apart from exacting onerous duties for merchandise, "yf they want any comoditie for the King as ropes, tarr, piche or leade, they will take it from us, and if the owners will not sell it them at their owne price, they will not suffer them to see the waight of their owne goods, but must stand to their accompt". The Conde, by the Duke of Lerma's means, takes two thirds of all goods which are considered to be from Holland and so confiscated. There are also complaints about Don Luis Fajardo, who seizes ships' boats at his pleasure, conscripts English mariners to work in Spanish galleys, and is guilty of other misdemeanours. On one occasion, when he had forcibly commandeered the services of a number of Englishmen, the Master of the ship accused him of violating the articles of peace. Don Luis retorted: "What, dost thou tell me of articles, you have broken the peace alredie in goeing to the West Indies, and I have hanged 100 of your men and hope to hang 100 more." Petitioners relate also that when the same Master asked him to release a mariner who was ill and likely to die if he were not freed from his hard labour, Don Luis replied, "that unless he gave him another in his steade, he should not have him, and for his life he did so litle esteeme of it as the life of a sheepe". Petitioners ask that these abuses and ill treatment of mariners be discussed by the Privy Council and measures taken accordingly.—Undated.
On reverse: A shorter version of the petition.
Signed: by petitioners. 1 p. (P. 1980.)

Footnotes

  • 1. From 2 February, 1606 to 17 November, 1606.