VIEWERS' CERTIFICATES
CORPORATION OF LONDON RECORDS OFFICE MISC. MSS BOX 91 [A] (Envelope marked 'Viewers' Certificates circa 1508')
The envelope contains five certificates. All are undated and only one (3)
has a visible endorsement: 21 June 1 Henry VIII (1509). It is impossible to
know their exact chronological order, although a rough order can be
imposed based on the names of the viewers and other internal evidence.
1. [A.1; undated; between 22 October 1479 and 6 December 1500] (fn. 1) To
the right honourable lord and worshipfull sovereynes the Mayer and
Aldermen of the Noble Citee of London
Shewen unto your honourable lordship and discrete Wisedomes Thomas
Wade John Burton Robert Crosby and Thomas Mauncell, the fower
maysters of Fremasons and carpenters sworn to the said Citee, That
where they were late charged by your honourable comaundement to
oversee a Noysaunce of a Wall of stone & breeke beyng part therof under
the plates of the side of a ten[emen]t now pertayning to Robt Tate of
London, Alderman, sett & beyng in the parissh of Seynt Mighell Pater
Noster beside the Vyntree in London and [another] parte of the said Wall
beyng sett and fixed in the void grounde hereafore beyng ten[emen]tes
next adioynyng thereto, now beyng perteyning to the Wardeyns and
[Fellowship] of the Craft of Vyntners of the Citee of London. And the
said wall is in variance betwene the same Robt Tate on the oon partie and
the said Wardeyns and Felaship of Vyntners on the other partie, Which
Noysaunce the same iiii maisters by oon assent will and agrement of the
said parties have serched seen and ripely examyned by all their discrecions. And thereupon they say that they fynde the same Wall New made
to thentent behove and ease aswele of the same tenement perteynyng to
the same Robt Tate As of the same voide grounde . . . ten[emen]ts
perteyning to the said Wardeyns and Felaship. Also the said iiii maisters
say that they fynde by all their discrecions as all manner Lightes there owe
to be contynewed reserved . . . kept . . . as of old tyme have been
accustomed and used unto the ease profit and Wele of both the parties on
lesse than ther can be shewed any evidence or specialtie unto the
contrary. Also they fynde by their discrecions that the said Wall conteyneth in length by measure in the Este there stretchyng by the side of
the grete ten[emen]t there of . . . Robt Tate now in the tenure of the
Felaship of Inneholders from a principall post in a part of the ten[emen]t
Brewhouse next adioynyng to the said Wall set & beyng in the parish of
Alhalowes the More beside Dowgate in Theamstrete of London, unto the
comon lande there called the Bowe lane in the West, xxxv fote ix ynches
and an half of assyse. Also they fynde by measure the said voide ground
stretchyng on the Est side thereof from the north to the South to a corner
post there perteynyng to a ten[emen]t belongyng to the Abbot and
Covent of the [place] of Our Lady of Grace beside the Tower Hill xlvi fote
& iii ynches of assise. Also they fynde by measure the same voide grounde
stretchyng by the Southsyde from the Este to the West to the said lane
called Bowe Lane xlvii fote vi ynches. And an half of assise. And also they
fynde the same voide grounde by measure strechyng in the same Bow
Lane from the South to the North xlvi fote x ynches and an half of assise.
2. [A.2; undated]
To the full noble lord and Right Worshipfull Soverains the Mare and
Aldermen of the Citee of London
Shewen unto your good lordship and maisterships Thomas Wade John
Burton Robert Crosby and William Chacom, the four maisters of Masons
and Carpenters sworn to the seid Citee [that where they were late]
charged by your honorable comaundement to oversee a noysaunce in the
parish of Seint Sepulcre without Newgate of london betwene Robert
Laverok, John Goldyngton, Sadiller, William Heyward . . . Baker,
wardeyns of the Fraternite of our lady and seint John Baptist founded in
the parissh Churche of Seint Sepulcre aforesaid, plaintifs on that oon
partie, and John Walden, Gentilman, defendant on the other partie,
Whiche noysaunce the seid iiii maisters have serched sene and ripely
examined by their alther discrecions And thereupon they say that they
fynde there how the seid defendant hath buryed a Foreyn . . . a Siege, in
the West part of his Gardyn abuttyng upon a Stonewall belonging to the
seid plaintifs. And the seid iiii maisters seyen also by their alther
discrecions that the seid Foreyn hath a . . . wall and caused it to go down
and so it hath put the housyng of the seid plaintifs stondyng upon their
seid stone wall in iepde [jeopardy] of fallyng down contrary to the
constitucions of this honorable Citee . . . Furthermore that the seid
defendant by their discrecions owed not to have buryed his seid Foreyn
ageynst the seid stonewall without he had made a lawfull defence upon
hym self to defende the seid . . . of lesse thanne he have or can shewe any
evidence or specialte unto the contrarie.
3. [A.3] (fn. 2) 21 June 1509
To the full honourable lord and right wise sovereignes the maire of [sic]
Aldermen of the Citie of London
Shewen unto your good lordship and wise discretions Thomas Wade
Thomas Smart John Hilmer and Philip Cosyn the iiii Maisters of
Fremasons & Carpenters sworne to the [said City that whereas they were]
late charged by your honorable commaundement to oversee a gate hows
with certayn grounde therto perteyning set & being in the parisshe of
seynt Andrew Undershaft . . . belonging to Henry Hichecok of London, Baker, partie playntif, being in variance betwene the same Henry on that
oon partie and Robert Fenrother of london, Goldsmith . . . Pasteler,
defendauntes on that other partie. Whiche gate hows and grounde the
same iiii maisters have seen serched and examyned by all their discretions
and . . . Gatehows ys in brede Est and West by the kynges high wey there
xii fote ii ynches of assise perteynyng and belongyng all the same . . . to
the same party [plaintiff] . . . poste there the grounde stretching in length
Northward xxxiiti fote & vii ynches of assise. Also they say from a south
Est poste there the grounde . . . lengeth . . . ynches of assise. And they say
at the ende of the saide length upon bothe sides of the same grounde there
it is in brede xi fote & x ynches belonging to the . . . that the same xxxiiti
fote & vii ynches of lengith Northwarde the said grounde stretcheth in
lengith upon the bothe sides of the same grounde xxti fote & fyve ynches
. . . north part of the same grounde xi fote & ii ynches and a half of assise
belonging to the same partie playntif. All the lengith and bredeth afore
rehersed line right and plombe . . . or specialties shewed unto the
contrary.
Endorsed: Importat[ur] ista bill[a] xxi Junii A[nn]o r[egni] r[egis]
Henrfici] VIII primo
4. [A.4; undated]
To the right honourable lord maire of this Citee of London and to his
Bretheryn Aldermen of the same Citee
In right humble wyse shewen unto your good lordship and wyse discrecions Thomas Wade Thomas Smart John Helmer and Philip Cosyn, the
iiii maisters of Fremasons and Carpenters sworn to the said Citie that
whereas they . . . comaunded by your honourable comaundment to
oversee a variance now beyng between Maist[er] Nicholas Mattok,
Chamberleyn of the Citie of London, and the comonaltie of the Warde of
Dowgate in London in the . . . right . . . and Comons of the said Citie,
playntyfes on the oon partie, And the Wardeyns and Felaship of the Craft
of Dyers of the said Citie of London, defendauntes on the other partie,
touchyng to a certeyn ground . . . the edificacion upon the same, late . . .
[Robert] Tate, Alderman, now perteyning to the same Craft and Felaship
of Dyers in the parish of Alhallowes the Little in Theamstreet of London
within the Warde of Dowgate aforesaid being next adioining to the
comon hall of the said Craft and [Felaship of Dyers] on the Est parte, and
the landes and ten[emen]ts perteyning to Roger Lee, Gentilman, on the
West partie. The which grounde the same iiii maisters have seen
examyned and serched by all their discretions. And thereupon they say
that the said . . . the Theames side upon the South partie xxxviiiti fote and i
ynches of assyse and so stretchyng in length Northwest lixti fote fyve
ynches of assise. And the said ground . . . xxxti fote . . . and strechyng . . .
in length strechyng Northward viiixx and ix fote of assise. And the said
grounde is in brede East and West xix fote iiii ynches of assise and ys from
the said . . . strechyng in length . . . Thamestrete hundredth and six fote of
assyse. And the said grounde is in brede East and West xviii fote Which
forsaid grounde so beyng in variance . . . belongyth to the foresaid Craft
or Felaship of Dyers Without there can be any other evydence or
specialtie shewed to the contrary.
5. [A.5; undated]
To the full honourable lord the Mayre and Aldermen of the Citie of
London
Shewen unto your good Lordship and discrete wysedomes Thomas Wade
Thomas Smart John Helmer and Philip Cosyn the iiii maisters of the
Fremasons and Carpenters [sworne to the said Citie that where] as they
were late charged by your honourable comaundement to oversee a . . . in
the parish of Alhalows the . . . of London in the . . . variance bitwene
Thomas Bulstrode, Gentilman, and William Grene . . . defendant on the
other partie, Which stonewalle the said iiii maisters have . . . by all their
discretions . . . that the said stone wall is . . . defendant strechyng in length
from the Kynges highwey there Eastward . . . to the place called the . . .
Stywards [?Inn] . . . the said stone wall as it is nowe builded and edefied
from the Northside of the said [?stonewall] . . . all the said length in
thyknes xxiiii ynches of assyse. Also they say that plaintiff oweth to
withdraw his wall from the Southside of the aforesaid stonewall perteyning to the partie defendant all the said length of xxvii [?fote]. . . defendant
may make his said stone Wall all the said lengith, lyne right and plome.
Also the said iiii maisters say that . . . to bere his own house withoute
there can be any other evydence or specialtie shewed to the contrary.