1 Rog. Wales, Will. Dawson, Joh. Hickes, Joh. Cramp, Will. Towres, Ric. Rise, Tho. Gopsill, Ric. Wethers, Tho. Spenser, Will. Smyth, Ric. Townesend, Hugo Lawton, Will. Banwell,1 Rob. Kirvyn, Ric. Niclyne, Joh. Somerland, Joh. Jett.2]

[Rob. Seny, dier, Tho. Gardenour, Baker.] Item, wheras on Tho. Reives of Berkeswell, wekelie selleth Cowpers wares within this Citie beyng vnlawfull stuff & disceavablie maid havyng a shope at the Spicers Stoke, wherin all his wares do lie; which Thomas beireth no maner of Charges with the Craft of Cowpers of this Citie; Wherfor it is enacted that the seid Reives shall not occupie eny shop within this Citie oneles he agre with the Cowpers of this Citie; and it is further prouided that the seid Cowpers shall not take for eny agrement or fyne of the seid Reives aboue ijs. a yeire etc.

[Enacted] that no persone that occupieth the Craft of a Tiler within this Citie shall fromehensfurth occupie or vse the Crafte of a plomner or Soderyng, vpon the peyne to forfeit for euery defaut iijs. iiij d.

[Enacted] that the Craft of Cappers of this Citie shall pay yeirelie fromehensfurth to the Craft of Gurdelers xiij s. iiij d., and that the Craft of Walkers shal-be fromehensfurth discharged of all paymentes to the Craft & feliship of Girdelers & clerelie dismyssed frome the seid Craft; and that the seid Craft of Walkers shall pay yeirelie a Sevennyght before Corpus Christi day to the Crafte of Weyvers tene shelynges in Consideracion of ther gret Charges etc.

4 ffor-asmoche as the Citizyns & Inhabitauntes of this Citie & also foreners & estraungers beyng pleyntiffes in accions personelles sued within the kynges Court in this Citie be by long tyme tracted & delayed frome ther dettes & rightes by reason of the long & dilatorie course & custome of the same Court: for remedie & reformacion wherof Itt is enacted, ordeyned & establisshed (etc.) that if the

1-1 Magister prefixed to these names.

2 Untitled.

3 To the south of Butcher Row, to which it runs at right angles. 4 leaf 352.

5

= drawn out, protracted. On the "tedious forbearance" of mediæval law see Pollock and Maitland, II, 591-2.

Sheriffs.

"Reives, Cowper," sells deceitfully made wares;

and pays nothing to the coopers' craft;

he is ordered to pay 28. a year.

"No Tyler
to occupie the
Craft of a
plummer."

"Cappers"
pay to
"Girdelers";

and "walkers" leave girdlers,

and pay to "weyuers."

"For sute of accions in the Courte."

Remedy against protracted suits. "Ciuitas Couentrie." Jan. 25.

Officers.

Apr. 7.

On whose soul Jesus have mercy!

Apr. 18.

defendaunt in eny accion personell sued in this Court do
not appere vppon the first distresse serued & returned that
thene he shall lesse the issues 1 returned and a Capias 2
awarded for his body ageynst the next Court; and if the
pleyntif in eny suche accion do not sue his distresse 3
before the defendaunt be foure Court dayes Called in the
distresse roll that then the seid pleyntif shal-be non-suyt.

WILL. DAWSON, MAYOR, 1530.
4[Election of officers.]

[Magister Tho. Dodd,5 Joh. Humfrey, Tho. Waren,
Will. Wicame, Jul. Nethermyll, Tho. Banwell, Hen.
Wall, Ric. Herryng, Joh. Cramp, Will. Towres, Tho.
Gopsill, Tho. Wethers, Tho. Spenser, Will. Smyth, Ric.
Townesend, Hugo Lawton, Will. Banwell, Rog. Palmer,
Ric. Niclyn, Joh. Somerfeld, Tho. Burdon, Joh. Jett,
Joh. Saunders, Geo. Philips.]

6

[Will. Dawson, draper; rec. Rog. Wigston, cor. Rob. Grene; steward, Baldw. Porter; ch. Hug. Gregory, whittawer, Rad. Dale, Gresier; w. Ric. Ley, Mercer, Cuthbert Joynour, draper; mace, Will. Alen; crier, Joh. West.]

DEATH OF THE MAYOR.

Mem. this meire supplied the rome of Meire frome the feist of the Purificion of our ladie in the yeire aforseid vnto the vijth day of Aprile thene next folowyng, by which tyme he gouerned this Citie well & worshipfull and then he departed this worlde.

On whose soule Jhesu haue mercy.

ROG. WALES, MAYOR, 1530.

9 [Election of a new mayor and coroner on Wednesday, April 13, 21 Hen. VIII, before Rog. Wigston, rec., Rob.

1 i. e. the profits of the distress seized by the sheriff in order to secure his appearance at court.

2 A writ directing the officer to seize the person of the defendant. 3 i. e. set the law in motion.

4 leaf 352, back. 5 Magister prefixed to all names until note 6. • Untitled. 7 Magister prefixed.

8 The Wigstons were a Leicestershire family. Roger represented the city in parliament 1529-36. Whitley, Representation of Coventry, Seny and Tho. Gardenour, b., by the citizens and burgesses underwritten.]

[Magister Tho. Dodd,1 Joh. Humfrey, Joh. Bonde, Will. Wicame, Jul. Nethermyll, Tho. Banwell, Hen. Wall, Ric. Herryng, Tho. Astelen, Ric. Rise, Joh. Crampe, Will. Towres, Tho. Gopsill, Ric. Wethers, Tho. Spenser, Ric. Townesend, Hugo Lawton, Will. Banwell, Rog. Palmer, Rob. Kyrvyn, 2 Hug. Gregory, 2 Rad. Dale, 2 Ric. Ley, 2 Joh. Jett.]

[m. Rog. Wales, Irenmonger, "until the next feast of the Conversion of S. Paul"; cor. Tho. Gregory] vsque proximam letam hic post festum Pasche proximo futurum tenendam, ea intencione quod predictus Thomas exhibeat prefato nouo Maiori Juramentum suum quia Rob. Grene absentus est3 etc.

LEETS.

4 [V. f. p. held before Rog. Wales, m., Rob. Seny, Tho. Gardenour, b., on Tuesday the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 22 Hen. VIII.]

[Magister Tho. Dodd, Joh. Humfrey, Joh. Bonde, Will. Wicame, Jul. Nethermyll, Tho. Banwell, Hen. Wall, Ric. Herryng, Tho. Astelen, Ric. Rise, Tho. Smyth, Joh. Cramp, Will. Towres, Tho. Gopsill, Ric. Wethers, Tho. Spenser, Will. Smyth, Ric. Townesend, Hug. Lawton, Will. Banwell, Rog. Palmer, Jas. Gilbert, Will. Coton, 6 Rad. Dale.]

[Who elected Rob. Grene, gentleman, coroner, and Tho. Banwell and Ric. Herryng to aid and assist the aforesaid mayor in assessing the price of victuals.]

Electors.

Officers,
A temporary
coroner is
chosen to
serve until
the next leet
to be held
here after
Easter for the
purpose of
tendering the
oath to the
new mayor
because Rob.
Grene is
absent.3

Sept. 14.

Jury.

Qui Eligerunt (sic) Rob. Grene, generosum in officium Coronatoris huius Ciuitatis: Et Tho. Banwell & Ric. Herryng esse assistentes & auxiliantes prefato Maiori in assessando precia victualium.

Item, wher-as the Craft of Cappers of this Citie haue vsed to pay yeirelie vnto the Craft of Girdelers vjs. viijd. towardes ther pagiaunt: Itt is now enacted that the seid

1 Magister prefixed until note 2. 2 Untitled.

"A discharge of vj s. viij d. paid by the Cappers to the Girdelers."

"No Tyler
to occupie the
Craft of a
plummer."

"For flokkyng of Cappes."

"Carvers to be associat with peynters."

"For the

Redd-diche."

It is to be cleansed every quarter.

Craft of Cappers fromehensfurth for certeyn consideracions alleged shall not pay the seid vjs. viijd. in fourme aforseid.

Item, it is enacted that no persone of this Citie occupieng or vsyng the Misterie & Craft of plummers shall fromehensfurth vse the Craft of a Tyler, ner no Tyler to vse the Craft of a plummer, vpon peyn to forfett for euery defaut contrarie to this present acte vjs. viijd. to be leuyed, immediatlie vpon the seid offence commytted, by the Shireffes for the tyme beyng; the on half of the same to ther owne vse, & the other half to the vse of the Maister or Maisters of the Craft to whome the seid offence is doon contrarie to this acte.

1 Item, it is enacted that no persone or persones of the Crafte of Cappers of this Citie shall dresse eny Cappes with flokkes 2 in desseit of the people, vpon peyn to forfett for euery Capp so disceavablie dressed & flokked xij d. to be leuyed by the Shireffes of the Citie for the tyme beyng, the on half to thuse of the seid Shireffes & the other half to thuse of the Maisterz of the seid Craft of Cappers.

[Enacted] that such persones as fromehensfurth woll onelie vse & occupie the Craft of Carvers shal-be contributories to the Crafts of peynters & not to the Craft of Carpenters.

Item, it is also enacted that the Chamberleyns of this Citie for the tyme beyng fromehensfurth shall ouerse & commaunde euery man havyng eny landes or tenementes, Gardens or vake 4 groundes adioynyng on bothe sydes the Red-diche shall Cast,5 clense & make cleyne the seid diche so fare as ther grounde doith extend yeirelie before the feist of Pentecost, vpon peyne of every defaut iij s. iiij d. to be leuyed by the Shireffes to ther owne vse; and further it is enacted that ther shal-be an able persone assigned by Maister Meire & his brethern, which shall quarterlie clense the seid diche in all other places defectyue, & he to haue for his labour yeirelie iiijs. to be paid by the Chamberleyns for the tyme beyng.

1 leaf 354. 2 i. e. to powder with flock or cloth-shearings.

3-3 Repcated.

5

4

= to dig or clear out.

= vacant, unoccupied.

[Enacted] that no persone shall occupie the Craft of a Chaundeler within this Citie but such as shal-be1 admytted by Maister Meire for the tyme beyng & his brethern; and that no Craftesman or housholder of this Citie shall by eny more talow within this Citie then shall suffice or serue his housholde for his owne expensez, vpon peyn to forfeit vj s. viij d. to be levied by the Shireffes for the tyme beyng to ther owne vse; and also that Maister Meire for the tyme beying shall yeirelie elect & chose ij kepers which shall haue auctoritie to entre into euery chaundelers house & wey ther Candelles, to thentent the people be not disceaved, and to try whether the Stuff be good & laufull or not.

3 [Ordained] that euery persone that occupieth the Craft of Chaundeler within this Citie shal-be redie to come to the kepers of the seid occupacion at ther warnyng or commaundement at an houre appoynted at all commonicacions & metynges of the seid Craft for the Comen welth of this Citie, vpon peyne of xijd. for euery defaut to be leuyed to thuse of the seid Crafte.

[Ordained] that no Chaundeler ne fishemonger, 4 ner non other persone or persones for theme or in ther name, fromehensfurth shall Carie eny Candelles to be sold out of this Citie in eny Markett or faire, vpon peyne to forfett for euery defaut xxs., the on half therof to Maister Meire for the tyme beyng, & the other half to be divided betwene the Shireffes, & the kepers of the seid Craft of Chaunders (sic) for the yiere beyng, without eny further deley.

[Ordained] that no Chaundeler, ner other persone that maketh eny Candell to sell, shall by eny talowe, ner make eny bargeyne with eny bocher of this Citie for talowe betwene Guttyde & Midsomer, but onelie of such price as shal-be lymytt by Maister Meire & his assistaunce & the kepers of the seid Craft of Chaundelers, vpon peyn of xiij s. iiij d. to be payed half therof to the shireffes for the tyme beyng & the other half to the kepers of the seid

1 MS. shabe.

2 The gloss as written in the MS. is erroneous. The mayor did

not personally weigh the candles. The handwriting is late.

3 leaf 354, back. 4 See p. 632.

5 Good-tide Monday is the day before Shrove Tuesday.

"Chaundelers."

"Mayor" to appoint two keepers "to weigh their Candles." 2

"Chaundelers" to attend at the summons of the keepers of the craft.

"Chaundelers" and fishmongers are forbidden to sell candles outside the city.

"Chaundelers" between Good-tide and Midsummer

to pay for tallow the price fixed by the mayor and keepers;