Memorial XVII: Payments for Superstitious Uses, 1547

XVII. PAYMENTS FOR SUPERSTITIOUS USES MADE BY THE COMPANY IN 1547.

1. With reference to the brief "Declaration," (fn. 1) printed at the close of this notice, it may be remarked that the Statute under which it was made (1 Edward VI., c. 14) confiscated the property of all Guilds (fn. 2) to the Crown, "other than such of mysteryes or craftes" (fn. 3) which, as a rule, saved the City Companies from confiscation. As to these latter Guilds the Act authorized Commissioners (fn. 4) appointed by the Crown to survey and examine their records, in order that they might ascertain what endowments the Guilds held for the maintenance "of any priest, anniversary or obit, or other like thing, light or lamp," and certify the same to the Augmentation (fn. 5) Office.

2. Interrogations were exhibited to the several companies to this effect:—

"1st. Whether they had any peculiar Brotherhood or Guild within their Corporation"? An enquiry directed to any Guild which not being a Mysterie or Craft would have become forfeited under the 7th Section of the Act.

2nd. (a) Whether they had any College, Chantry, Chapel or Fraternity, Brotherhood or Guild, within the same ? An enquiry directed to the discovery of property forfeitable to the Crown under the 37 Henry VIII., c. 4.

(b) What number of stipendiary priests they paid from bequests, and what were the amounts of such stipends ?

(c) Who were the donors, and what were the particulars of the estates left, with their yearly value, and the payments and deductions to be made from them?

3rd. Whether they possessed any and what jewels, goods, ornaments, chattels, and other things, pertaining to any chantry, or stipendiary priests, and if so to return all the particulars concerning them?

Lastly, whether they had any other yearly profits or advantages (exclusive of those above mentioned) which to their knowledge the King ought to have under the operation of the Act?

3. Herbert purports to give the certificate or answer returned to these enquiries by the Company; which from the payments of the Company for 1547–8 appears to have been prepared with some care under the advice of "Mr. Brooke, the Recorder of London, by John Huchenson, their clerk." (fn. 6) I have made the following extracts relating to landed property, thinking it scarcely necessary to print the certificate entire, as the substance of it is to be found in the "Declaration" of the King's Commissioners, or in the "Memorials" printed under the title of the "Associated Charities":—

"THE CERTIFICATE OF THE COMPANY OF MERCHAUNTAYLO^RS.

"To the King's Commissioners touching Chaunteryes and such like, onno 1° E. 6.

"First, they certifie that w^thin there gennerall corporac'on of the Master and Wardens of the Merchaunt Taylo^rs and Fraternitie aforesaide, they have no p^rticuler brotherhood nor guyle.

"To the seconde article they certefie in like manner vnto yo^w that w^thin there said corporac'on they have no colledge, chappell, fraternytie, brotherhood, nor guylde, but they have ix stipendiarie preistis, to whom they doe geve towardes theire lyvynge, out of certein landes and ten'ts certen stipendes, in manner and forme hereafter followinge, that is to say—

THOMAS CARLETON,

"Citezein and broderer of London, by his last will and testament, dated the xx^th of Decemb^r, in the year of o^r Lorde God 1382, did geve and bequeath to the foresaid Master and Wardens, and to their successors for ever, one yearly rent of x m^rkes, goinge owt off all those his ten'ts w^th app^rtenaunc^s w^ch he had upon the corner off Ad lane, in the p^rish off St. Albone, in Wood strete, in London, To the intente that they therew^th shoulde fynde a preist to singe for him, w^thin a chappell at the north dore at Paules. And, further, by his saide will, he gave vnto them x^s quite rent, for ever, owt off the said landes and ten'ts, to kepe one yearely anniv^rsary, in the saide chappell w^thin Pawles, for him and other in the said will comprized, as amonge other thinges in the said will is expressed.

JOHN CHURCHMAN, (fn. 7)

"Citizen and grocer of London, by his deed indented, bearinge date the xx^th daie of July, in the yeare of the reigne of kinge Henry the Fourth after the Conquest, the sixth, did geve vnto the saide M^r and Wardens, and there successors, for evermore, fowre messuages and xvii shoppes, w^th th' app^rtenaunc^s, beinge in the p^rish of St. Marten Owtewich, of London. And vij^s viij^d off rente goinge owt off the ten'ts of Richarde Bedwyn, in the p^rishe of S^t Michaell, in Croked lane, of London. And also the advowson of the churche of S^t Martyn Owtwich, To th' entent that they should fynde a preist to singe for his sowle and others in the saide churche of S^t Martin's Owtwiche; and that they should pay yearely to the saide preists, x m^rkes. And further, by the said deed indented, he willed and devised that they should fynde vnto one other preist there founded in the said churche, for the sowle off one Will'm off Owtwiche, and other in the saide dede comprized. And also willed and devised that they shoulde fynde a lampe contynually breunynge in the said churche for evermore. And further, willed and ordeyned that they shoulde fynde and keepe, for evermore, every yeare, one anniv^rsary in the saide churche, for him and other expressed in the said deed. And allowe and pay the resolutes and deduc'ons hearafter expressed; and the residue off the profitts to be imployed vpon suche poore men as they of almes doe kepe.

"The yearely value off the said landes, p' ann' is xxx^li vj^s viij^d over and besides certen almes-howses.

"Resolutes and Deduc'ons inde.

"To the iiij^th article they aunswere, that they haue no jeuells, plate, goods, money, ornaments, cattalls, nor other things w^ch haue bene belonginge, or ought to be exercised about any chantry or stipendiary preists, other than is heareafter p'ticularly expressed—That is to say,—

"In the custody of S^r Rob'te Waterall, preist, servinge at Abchurch for Mr. Howden:

"First, A challes of sylver, w^th a patent of the Trynitie, guylt, waying xv oz. lackinge dj oz.

"It'm, A pax of sylver and guylte, w^th an image of o^r Lady, wayinge iiij oz. dj q^rter.

"It'm, A vestment of crymesyn velvet, w^th the Alb, and all belonginge to it.

"It'm, A vestement (fn. 8) of redd sarsenet and all apparell to yt.

"A vestement of grene S^t Thomas wosted [worsted], w^th all apparell to yt.

"It'm ij curteins of blewe sarsenet.

"It'm ij alter clothes, blewe sarsenet, etc. Ut patet quoad bona et ornamenta in . . . . . . . p^red."

"To the last article they aunswere, that they have no other yerely p^rfitts, advantages, or comodities w^ch, to their knowledges, the Kinges Grace ought or may lawfully be intituled vnto, by reason of the p^rmises, or any p^rcell thereof."

[Here is set out an enumeration of all the tenements held under the wills of Carleton, Churchman, and others previously set forth, with the names of the tenants, their rents, &c. Churchman's gift is thus entered:—

Also there is certain small tenements enclosed within one great gate which they have transposed and thereof made their almeshowses for the relief of theire poor people, not valued."

"Summa, 30l. 6s. 8d."]

4. It appears from the plea pleaded by the Corporation of London, to the Charge of Concealment (fn. 9) which was afterwards (1582) raised against the Corporation and the Guilds, that the Commissioners did not simply accept these returns, but that they came to the several Halls and made an examination there into the evidences which the Company laid before them. "Upon this Statute (the plea states), commissions were directed for London, to certein persons of the king's counsell learned, and other greate learned men in lawe, and suche as were of parliament, and prevye to the makynge of the lawe, and so beste understandinge the true meaninge of the statute.

"These commissioners came to the Halles of London, (fn. 10) and there had all the evidences of the companies laide before them, that they mighte, accordinge to theire understandinge, sett downe the rightes of the kinge.

"They, accordinge to the said exposition, did sett downe and certifie those profittes to bee the kinge's, as rentes-charge, and did not entitle the kinge to the landes themselves.

"The certificates were so accepted and allowed in the kinge's courts, no doubt, with the advise of the kinge's officers and judges and counsel learned.

"These rents were were accordingly paid to the kinge by the space of certen yeres, without question.

"Afterward the kinge, in the thirde yere of his raigne, having occasion to levie a great masse of money, did require the companies to purchase those rentes, which they were lothe to doe, but beinge urged by their dutie of love and service to the kinge.

"The companies accordingly purchased those rents, for which they paied to the kinge allmost xix thousand pounds.

"For the raisinge of this somme of 18,700l. they were enforced to sell divers of the said landes and tenements to paye for the reste." (fn. 11)

The "Declaration" of the Royal Commissioners (fn. 12) returned to the Augmentation Office was in these words:—

Nono lie Januarii Anno primo R. R. Edwardi vj°.

The Corporacions and Companyes w^tin the Citie of London.

[Note.—The estates marked * were purchased by the Company, of the King, under Patent 4 Edward IV.]