Documents relating to charter of incorporation, 1616
BODLEIAN LIBRARY, MS. RAWLINSON D51
[Rawl. D51, p. 7 edited transcript] (fn. 1)
To the Right Honourable Sir John
Holies,
(fn. 2)
knight, Lord Maior of the Citty of London and the Right Worshipfull
the Aldermen of the same Citty
The humble petition of William Dodd, Master, and Francis Kemp &
Robert Griffith, Wardens of the Company of Writers of the Court
Letter of the Citty of London
Shewing That where the petitioners this yeare and the late Wardens the
last yeare by severall precepts by (fn. 3) your Lordship and the Court of Aldermen for the levying of £150, £75 and £50 imposed upon their Company by
act of Common Councill for the generall Plantation in Ireland, and of £73
required of them by the Iremongers (with whom they are joyned in divident) (fn. 4) for their private Plantation there, have made severall cessments upon
their Company for raiseing thereof (haveing noe lands nor stocke wherewith to beare out any charge)
And the petitioners in performance of their obedience to this Court
have in their owne persons upon every cessment travelled three or foure
times from house to house through the Citty to collect the said summes to
their great paines and neglect of their private affaires which they have been
enforced to doe for that most of the Company (except some of the
Assistants and ancients[)] have not onely refused to send in their moneys
charged upon them but have also omitted to appeare at the Quarter dayes
being summoned
That notwithstanding the petitioners' care and travell therein there is
yet uncollected of the severall cessments £87 8s. 8d. due by the severall
persons named in the noate within this petition which they refuse to pay, a
great part of which money uncollected is already disbursed by the petitioners
and the late Wardens in payment of the £150 and £75: and if this Court
shall enjoyne us to make payment of the £50 and £73 to the Iremongers
the rest of this £87 8s. 8d. must be by the petitioners also disbursed, and
they remedilesse for recovery of what they have and shall disburse (except
by the favour and assistance of this honourable Court releived) And if any
other payments hereafter should be required either for the Irish businesse
or any other occasions, the petitioners are out of hope ever to collect any
more cessments, such is the disorder of the Company by reason they are
not incorporate and thereby want both orders and power to governe
For redresse whereof and of divers other abuses and enormities the
petitioners with full consent of the ancients and Assistants of their Company have resolved to become suitors to the King's Majesty for the
obteyning of a Corporation if the same may stand with the likeing of this
honourable Court not doubting but thereby to reduce their Company to a
more civill government amongst themselves and to a more conformable
obedience to this honourable Court
And therefore humbly pray that they may have the assistance of this
honourable Court for the collecting of the moneyes unpaid, And likewise that with the favour and good likeing of your Lordshipp and the
Court they may proceed in their intended purpose for procureing a
Corporation
And according to their duty they shall ever pray for your Lordship and Worships
[Rawl. D51, p. 8] Jolles Maior Jovis xj° die Julii 1616 Annoq' xiiij°
Jacobi Regis
This day upon the humble petition of the Master and Wardens of the
Company of Writers of the Court Letter of London and for the especiall
causes and motives therein conteyned, And forasmuch as the petitioners
have this day paid into the Chamber of London all arrearages that were
unpaid by the said Company for severall taxations for the Plantation in
Ireland, this Court is well pleased that the petitioners shall become suitors
to the King's Majesty for the o[b]teyning of a Corporation And a draught
of their intended pattent and other proceedings to be first perused and considered of by Mr Common Serjeant and Mr Stone and then the same being
by them perused to be presented to this Court that the same may receive
the approbation and allowance of this Court And John Savage to warne
and attend them
Welde
The report of the committees
We have perused and considered the draught of the intended pattent
according to the order of this honourable Court, whereunto our names are
subscribed, and are of opinion that the passing of it will not be prejudiciall
to the Citty or the liberties thereof, But it is very requisite to be passed for
the good government of the scriveners in and about this Citty.
Tho:Jones Jo:Stone
Jolles Maior Martis x° Septembris 1616 Annoq' Jacobi Regis xiiij°
For asmuch as upon the reading of the Company of Scriveners for a
Corporation which hath been perused and considered of by Mr Common
Serjeant and Mr Stone this Court doth thinke fitt that the same be corrected
and amended in some points And therefore doe order that Mr Coventry
shall joyne with the said Mr Common Serjeant and Mr Stone and they to
amend and carefully pen the same as they shall thinke fitt to passe, and the
same pattent being by them so perused and amended and subscribed under
their hands as fitting and allowable to be passed, It is thought fitt and soe
ordered that the same shall remaine in the office of Mr Towne Clarke of
this Citty, and that a copy thereof shall be by him delivered unto the said
Company of Scriveners who thereupon may proceed with their suite to his
Majestie to graunt the same unto them under seale. For effecting whereof
this Court will give their best furtherance approveing of what the said
Committees shall do therein
Welde
The report of all the committees
We have perused this patent and corrected the same in those points
which this honourable Court did thinke fitt to be reformed And [are] of
opinion that this intended patent subscribed by us may passe without prejudice to the Citty
Tho: Jones Tho:Coventrye Jo:Stone
[Rawl. D51, p. 9] To the King's most Excellent Majesty
The humble petition of William Dod, Master, Francis Kemp and
Robert Griffith, Wardens of the Company of Scriveners of the Citty of
London
Shewing That whereas the Scriveners of London tyme out of minde have
been an ancient Company by reputation and in that respect are charged
with all manner of taxes and payments as other Companies of the Citty
which are incorporated, And of late have disbursed by order and comaundement for their parts towards the generall Plantation of Coleran & London
Derry in Ireland £445 and in the private plantation of that part which is
allotted unto them and others £73 in toto £523:
For raiseing whereof (haveing noe land nor stocke to beare out any
charge [)] they have been forced to make severall cessments throughout the
Company and many perticular persons have refused to pay the cessments
alleadging that for want of a Corporation the Company is not capable to
receive or hold such part in the Plantation as is or shall be allotted unto
them So that there is yet uncollected of those severall cessments about £100
which the Master and Wardens that now are and their p[r]edecessors the
late Wardens have disbursed out of their private estates and are likely to
loose being out of hope to collect the same or any other cessment hereafter
to be made for that or any other service to be comaunded them either by
your Majesty or the Citty unlesse they were incorporate.
Such and so great is the disorders of the Company by reason they are
not incorporated and thereby want both orders and power to governe, that
the greatest part of them doe refuse to[ge]ther to appeare at their Quarter
dayes or to pay quarterage or any other duties whatsoever as formerly they
have done, and as all other Companyes use to do so that the Company is
likely to be dissolved for want of meanes to the ancients and better sort to
governe the ruder and irregular part of the same.
For redresse of which disorders and of divers other abuses and
enormities And that the Company may be reduced to a settled and
civill government amongst themselves and to a conformable obedience
to authority over them and may be made capable to hold and enjoy
such part in the Plantation in Ireland as is or shall be allotted unto
them
The petitioners most humbly beseech your Royall Majesty of your
accustomed clemency to vouchsafe to graunt unto them a Corporation, And that your Highnesse will be pleased to give warrant
to your learned councell to draw up your Majesty's letters pattents
in that behalfe, the rather for that the Lord Maior and Aldermen
of your Citty of London have given their good likeing and consent
to the petitioners to become suitors to your Majesty herein; So
shall the petitioners and the whole Company [(] as in duty they
are already bounden) daily pray unto the Almighty God for the
long life and prosperous reigne of your Majesty over these your
kingdomes
[Rawl. D51, p. 10a] At the Court at Theobalds the Second of October 1616
His Majesty referreth the consideration of this petition to the Lords of
this most honourable Privy Councill
Daniell Dun[n]e
The reference of the Lords to the Lord Maior & Recorder of London
My Lords of the Councell thinke fitt the Lord Maior and Recorder of
London consider of this petition and certifie their opinions of the conveniency of the suite.
Tho: Lake
The certificate of the Lord Maior & Recorder to the Lords
To the Right Honourable the Lords and others of his Majesty's
most honourable Privy Counsell
It may please your goods [sic] Lordships we have considered of this
petition and finde the informations therein to be true, and in respect the
petitioners are and have been an ancient brotherhood of this City, and of
later time growne to a greater number and many of them able men that use
the said art and much employed in the services of the Citty, that they may
the better governe and rule the persons useing their arte and observe orders
amongst themselves We hold their suite very convenient and desire to have
them incorporated if it may stand with his Majesty's good pleasure
Your Lordships most humble
Jn°: Jolles. Maior. H: Mountague. Recorder.
The King's warrant to . . . draw up a bill
The King's Majesty is pleased upon sight of this certificate that the
said Scriveners may be incorporated as other Companyes of London are
And upon such orders and paines for their government as his Majesty's
attorney or sollicitor shall thinke reasonable, And thereupon either of them
to make a booke for his Majesty's signature
Tho: Lake
The docquett to the bill signed under the King's sollicitor's hand
It may please your excellent Majesty—
Whereas the Scriveners of London being by reputation onely an ancient
fraternity did humb[l]y petition your Majesty to be graciously pleased to
incorporate them whereby they might be invested as well with power to
redresse the abuses now practiced in that Company, As with capacity to
take such lands as should be allotted them in the late Plantation in Ireland
wherein they had bin equally charged with other Companies of the said
Citty.
The consideration of which petition was by your Majesty referred to
the Lords of your most honourable Privy Councell and by them to the
Lord Maior and the now Lord Cheife Justice then being Recorder of
London to certefie their opinions of the [Rawl. D51, p. 11] conveniency of
that suite who accordingly did certefie they held the same convenient and
desired also they might be incorporated.
Your Majestie thereupon is graciously pleased hereby to incorporate
the said Scrivenors and to enable them with government over all persons
useing that art within London and the liberties and three miles thereof, and
with power to take lands to them and their successors not holden in capite
or knight service to the value of two hundred markes per annum, And with
such other clauses as are used in graunts of this nature
Signified to be your Majesty's pleasure by the Right Honourable
Sir Thomas Lake, knight, one of your Majesty's principall secretaries
Henry Yelverton