RIC. SMYTH, MAYOR, 1508.

1 [Election of officers.]

Joh. Duddesbury, Hen. Merler, Tho. Bayly, Ric. Lee, Joh. Padlonde, Tho. Churchman, Will. ffoorth, Joh. Haddon, Will. Pysford, Ric. Jakson, Tho. Wardelowe, Joh. Saunders, Joh. Derlyng, Joh. Clerk, Joh. Herdwen, Ric. Merler, Ric. ffoxhale, Will. Wygston, Rog. Chambur, Edw. Hulcote, Ric. Nores, Joh. Cysyll, Tho. fforth, Will. Banwell.

[m. Ric. Smyth; cor. Joh. Rastell; steward, Joh. Porter; ch. Tho. Hyll, Ric. Ryse; w. Will. Rokardyne, Hen. Wall; crier, Ric. ffereby; mace, Hen. Walker.]

Mem. it is agreed at this eleccion that the above-namyd Hen. Walker, comen seriaunt, shall kepe clene the Greyffrere yate, as well within as without, vnto a certeyn place callid the watryng-place; and in like-wyse the Cookstrete yate; and yf he do not to set in on his wages the carying a-way therof etc.

ROGER A LEE.

Mem. at this eleccion ther was on Rog. a Lee, Baker, elect & chosyn in-to the office of the Chamberleynship for the yere foloyng; which Roger, as sone as he herde he was chosen chamberleyn, came before Maister Meyre & his brethern, and shewid them he was not abull to occupy the seid Rome, and prayed them he myght be dischargid. Wheruppon ther was made ferther inquirre of hym whedir he were abull or noo. And ther it came to knolege afore them all that the seid Roger had with his wif, oon John Pachettes doughter, in redy money & plate xxxli., and also it was right well knowen that he hadde right largely of his owne, or els the seid Joh. Pachet wold not haue maried his doughter to hym; and also the seid Roger was for-boron and put of from the seid office by the space of iij yere afore at the instaunce of the seid Joh. Pachet; and so it was thought he was able y-nought for the rome,

"Civitas Couentre." Jan. 25.

Officers.

The common sergeant to keep clean Grey-friar and Cook Street gates. in spite of persuasion and offers of a loan

he persists in his refusal.

He is ordered on pain of £100 not to embezzle any of his goods.

Feb. 2.
The officers
come to S.
Mary's Hall,

and Roger is solemnly summoned,

"caled 6 times. Refused: ffined 100 li. (sic),

if he wold. And per he was louyngly entretid by dyuerse of my seid maisters, that is to sey, by Maister Rob. a Grene then Meire, Maister Will. ffoorth, Maister Joh. Haddon, Maister Will. Pysforde, Maister Ric. Jakson, to take the office appon hym, and they wold see he shuld haue no loose therby, but a forberyng a litell money for a tyme. Also they offerid hym to lene hym certeyn money tyll such tyme as he had gaderid it up a-geyn of the seid office, and so no loose to hym. Yet not-with-stondyng all thes offers he vtterly refusid the seid office and wold not take it uppon hym in no wyse.

Wheruppon Maister Meire & his brethern seyng his obstynacye and ffrowordnesse, commaundid hym in peyne of a Cli. that he shuld not depart the Citee nor inbesell1 noon of his goodes out berof, and also to be foorthcomyng at all tymes afore Maister Meyre & his brethern when he shal-be send fore, apon the peyne afore rehersid, and answere to such thynges as shuld be leyed to his charge. And after apon Candilmas day next foloyng Maister Meyre with Maister Ric. Smyth, then newe elect meire, and my maisters, the aldermen, went in-to seynt Mary hall a-bowte ix of the clok, with such oper officers as then & ther shuld be sworon, and take per charge accordyng to the olde custome of the cite afore-tyme vsid. And then & per in opyn audiance the seid Rog. a Lee was callid thryes solemply to com in and exercise the seid office of chamberleynship of the Citee which he was elect & chosyn in. And the seid Roger cam not but made defaute. And after that the seid Roger was callid a-yen thryes solemply to come and occupy the seid office apon peyn of Cli.; and the seid Roger cam not, but eftsons made defaute. Wheruppon Maister Rob. a Grene, then beyng meyre, by the aduyse of my maisters, the aldermen, cawsid a newe eleccion of xxiiij accordyng to the olde custome; which xxiiij aforenamyd went into the counsell house and ther inmediatly chosyn Tho. Hyll afor-namyd to be an of the Chamberleyns in the stede of the seid Rog. a Lee.

And then within a while after this new eleccion the

1 = convey away secretly.

2 This gloss is incorrect; Roger was only bound over in £100.

and imprisoned."

seid Rog. a Lee cam in-to the hall; and as sone as Maister Meyre saw hym he commaundid hym to warde, per to remayn vnto such tyme as they wold be aduysed what punyshement he shuld haue for his mysdemener, and also for the parlous example that he hath shewid 1 to other in like cas so to do, which was neuer seyn afore. And after at the especiall instaunce of his freyndes the seid Roger was let to bayll to certayn of his ffrendes, which were bounde for hym to Maister Meyre in an obligacion of a Cli. apon condicion that he shuld be foorth-comyng afore Maister Meyre & his brethern at eny tyme when he shalbe callid, and also to pay such fynes & mercimentes that shall hereafter be sett appon hym for his seid mysdemener & yl-example. And after the Wennysday the xxiiij day of May the xxiiij yere afore-rehersid at seynt Mary hall May 24, 1508. a-fore Maister Meire, Maister Duddesbury M.G.S.T.,2 Maister Merler, Maister Grene, Maister Baylly, Maister Churcheman, Maister Padlonde, Maister Haddon, Maister Pysford, Maister Saunders, Maister Strong, Maister Hassall, Maister Hulcote, Maister Barbour, Maister Clerk, Maister ffoxhale, Maister Grove, Maister Rogers, Maister Heynes, the foreseid mater was spokyn of amonges them all; and there they were fully agreed that the seid Rog. a Lee for his mysdemener and also for the yll example that he had giffen to oder shuld pay for his ffyne xx li. of lawfull money to be behoof & profet of the seid Citee, and yet not to be dischargid of the seid office for euer but to be at the plesure of Maister meyre & his brethern when they list to call hym to the seid office etc.

LEETS.

4 [V. f. p. held before Ric. Smyth, m., Tho. Grove, Hen. Rogers, b., on Tuesday after the feast of SS. Philip and James, 23 Hen. VII.]

Joh. Duddesbury, Hen. Merler, Rob. Grene, Tho. Baylly, Joh. Padlonde, Joh. Haddon, Will. Pysford, Ric. Jakson, Tho. Wardlowe, Joh. Saunders, Joh. Strong, Ric.

2 "maister of Trinite gilde."

1 leaf 300, back.
These two glosses are in different hands; hence tautology.
4 leaf 301.

3 "20 li. paid
ffor Refusing
to be
Chamberlin,
& yet Liable
to serue
when Again
Elected.",
"Roger Lee
ffyned for
Refusing to
be Chamber-
leyn." 3

"Couentre." May 2.

Electors.

Orders
of leet.
Tho. Empson
elected joint
recorder.

Draughthouses to be removed or 208. fine;

"Comen shores Clensed."

The Redditch not to be covered or 208. fine.

"Ride the
bounds of
the Countie."

"Comen serjant

Hassall, Edw. Hulcote, Joh. Derlyng, Rog. Chambur, Joh.
Clerk, Ric. ffoxhall, Will. Wygston, Hugo Dawes, Tho.
ffoorth, Joh. Mors, Will. Dawson, Tho. Kelyngworth,
Ric. Ryse.

ffirst, at this lete we amytt, elect, & chese Maister Tho. Empson to occupy and be in the office of Recordership in the Citee of Couentre ioyntly with Maister Sir Ric. Empson, his ffader; and he to occupy the seid office in the absens of his ffader as Recorder of the Citee etc.

Item, [ordained] that the shirreffs goo & vewe the Comen diche behynde the Pecok1 in the Crosse-chepyng that gooth from Maister Hen. Merlers vnto the Westorcherd, and see that the draughtes be takyn a-wey betwene this and Midsomer next, apon [peyn] of euery man that hath eny draught there after Midsomer to leese xx s., and if the shirreffes see this not doon they to lese for per nondoyng xx s. Also it is ordeyngned in like cas that no man haue eny draughtes or oder noyaunces in the Red-diche from Litell-parke-strete to the Jurdenwell, nor no grates except such as woll kepe out muk; and that the Couer no place of the seid dich or gutter, which of olde tyme hath be kept opyn, in peyn of every man doyng the contrarie for euery defaute to forfeit xxs., wherof vjs. viij d. to the shirreffes, vjs. viij d. to be Comen boxe, and vjs. viij d. to the Chamberleyns. And if on Joh. a Woode, or the owner of the grounde, cast not opyn the Comen diche as of olde tyme it hath be vsid by-twene this a[n]t Midsomer next to loose xxs. to be levyed in forme afore-rehersid etc.

Also it is ordeyngned at this lete that Maister Meire & his brethern shall ryde the Circuyte of the ffraunchese by-tweene this and Michelmas next comyng.

[Ordained] at this lete that Hen. Peynter, comen seriaunt, shall make clene, and see boron a-wey all such muk as lieth without the ffrere-yate to the Comen noysaunce, as it was commaundid hym at the last lete by-twene this & Whitsontyde next, uppon peyne of forfeture of his office; and that the seid Henre euery Saturday wayte apon the

1 This inn existed until comparatively recent times.

Chamburleyns to see per werkmen payed, that the seid Chamburleyn shall pay for the Comen wele of the Cite, and also to wayte apon theym at all tymes requisite when they goo to gedir their murage money, apon peyn aforerehersid.

17 [V. f. p. held on Tuesday after S. Dionysius' day 24 Hen. VII.]

Joh. Duddesbury, Hen. Merler, Rob. Grene, Tho. Bayly, Tho. Churchman, Joh. Padlonde, Joh. Haddon, Ric. Jakson, Joh. Saunders, Tho. Turner, sen., Joh. Strong, Ric. Hassall, Rog. Sutton, Rog. Chambur, Ed. Hulcote, Joh. Whitehede, Ric. Merler, Ric. ffoxhall, Nic. Burwey, Will. Wygston, Hen. Wall, Ed. Hadley, Tho. Hyll, Ric. Ryse.

[Humf. Grene, Dyer, Hen. Perkyns, Grasyer.]

ffirst, [ordained] that all such officers as longyn to the breusters yelde 2 and the stresse-rolles, and also the shirrefs officers, that thei shall from-hensforth fynde sufficient suerty to the sherreffs for executyng there offices and also for there good attendaunce.

Also [ordained) that if eny straunger hereafter be disposid to dwell in this Citee, what craft so euer he be of, that he shall dwelle frely within the Citee xij monethes & a day without any assessement of the maister of the craft of the occupacion that he is, apon the peyn of xls., but at his fre wyll.

[Ordained] that no boocher nor odur of the Citee suffre eny Mastyf dogges to goo at large after vij of the clok at nyght in the wynter and viij of the clok in somer; and in the morenyng vij a clok in wynter and v a clok in somer, [or 3s. 4d. fine at every default, "holf" to the common box.]

[Ordained] that no man fromhensforth by eny barley or odur greyne at the Townes-ende or els-where, but in the comen Market, or at his own durre, apon péyn of euery quarter so bought to leese xx d., the on half to the Comen boxe, the other to the shirrefes.

1 leaf 304.

2 The city officers apparently collected a quarterage from the victuallers, Corp. MSS. A. 3 (b), leaf 61. v. supra, p. 234, and Introduction.

to wait on be Chamberlins."

"Couentre." Oct. 10.

Sheriffs.

"Sergeantes to find suretys for their places & behauioris."

"Strangers to be ffree."

"Mastyffe Dogs."

Barley to be bought in the open market.