IV. [THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS' INQUIRIES RESPECTING CHURCH PLATE, Etc., IN 1552–3.]

(fn. 1) The Kynges Maiestes Commission derected by the lord meire and other of our Souerangne lord the kinges Commissionars vnto vs, Edmonde Candishe and Robert Yong, Churchwardins, for the trew sertificathe of all the Churche goodes and Ornamenttes.

We Charge yow, on the King our Soverangne lordes behaf, trewlli and plaineli to sertifie, declare and bring vnto vs ye seid Commissionars, in writing, at our next Sessions here to be hollden the xx^te daie of this present Ivlli, y^e wholle trevthe & sertente of all & eueri Tharticles here vnder written:—

1. ffirst, whoe were Churchwardins of your seid paroch in the first yere of the Kinges Maiestes Reign yat nowe is.

2. Itym, what goodes, plate, Ivelles, westmenttes, belles & other ornamenttes, yow or anie other person or persones nowe have or hathe in your possessions beloning & apertaining to your Churche.

3. Itym, to bring fovrth, and delliver vnto vs, the Covnterpayn of the Inventory of your seid Churche goodes, plate, Ivelles and other ornamenttes by the late Churchwardins of your seid paroche, maed and sertified to y^e officers of the late bovshope of london, or to any other, & in defavte & lacke of souche Inventoris trew & whole [scratched out] transcriptes & Copies of all souche bokes & Reitsters as yow have or kepe in your seid Church, wherin y^e particvlars of your seid Churche goodes were then sertenli menssioned and expressed.

4. Itym, what part or parsell of your seid Church goodes, plate, Ivelles & other Ornamenttes hathe byn sovld or pvt awaie sence the first yere of y^e Reign of our souerangne Lorde y^e king yat now is, & to whome, when, by whome & for what preic y^e same were pvt awaie, & wher and in whoes handes & keping y^e monie & other profite therof Coming nowe is or to what vse the same hathe byn ymploied & bestowed & by whome & whoes apoyntment or consent. geven at the Gild hall of the seid Cytte, the xiij^th daie of Ivlli 1552.

(fn. 2) Saint Mary at Hill, in billingesgate warde in London.

The ansever of Edmonde Candishe and Robert Yovng, churchewardins of the parishe Churche of Saint Mary at Hill in London.

To the Right honorable the Lord Maire of the Citte of London & other of our souerangne Lord the kinges maiestes Commissioners assined to take the ssvrwaye & knowledge of all' the Churche goodes & ornamenttes within the sayd Citte of London of and apon sertayne articles ssent vnto them by the said Commissionars.

To the ffirst article we, the saide Churche wardins, saye that William broke and Andryan Serle were Churche wardins of owr said parishe Churche In the firste yere of the kinges maiestes Reign yat now is.

To the seconde article we saie that we have in our possession all' sovche goodes, plate, westmementes, belles and ornamenttes of the said Churche, as Churche wardins, wherof the particvlars Immediatly Insuethe. [Two Inventories follow, which for all practical purposes are virtually represented by those of 1553 above.]

(fn. 3) To the thirde article we say yat we nether have, ne knowe of any Covnterterpayn of any Invetory of our saide Churche goodes deliverid vnto the late bushope of London or to any other, nor have any boke or Reisters In our keping, in our sayd Churche or elswhere, wherin the particvlars of our sayd churche goodes ar menssioned and expressed, to owr knowledge, Save an Inventory of ssouche gooddes, plate, and ornamenttes as we have above menssioned.

To the ffovrthe article we saye yat in the Seconde yere of the kinges maiestes Reign that nowe is, Audryan Serle and Nicolas Austhorpe were churchwardins of owr said Churche, which Searle and Austhorpe deliuerid to hevghe Losse, esquire, the xx^te daye of marche, in the said Second yere, a Challis of silluer, parsell gilt, waing xij o, Then beloning to the Late Chantres & stipendary pristes of owr Sayd Churche.

Wiche audryan Searle, by whoves conssent we knowe not, soulde In the Seconde yere thes parssells of plate & gooddes Insving Then apartayning to our said Church, bvt to what vse the mony & proffittes thereof was Imployed & bestowed we knowe not:—

ffirst, to William Tilsworthe, a pix of ssiluer, wainge xlv o, at ffyve shillinges ffyve pence the ownce, Svmma xijl'i iijs viijd, & to Thomas Clarke, pevterar, a deske with other lattin vaying v o. at xixs le o, Svm iiijl'i xvs.

Svma totalis xvjl'i xvijs viijd.

But the said Nicolas Austhorpe, then one of y^e Churche wardins of owr Saide Churche, as afore said, by the conssent of the maist anssient of owr Said parisshe Sovlde thes parssels of goodes Inssving then apartayning to our said Churche:—

ffirst, to Iesper, the basket maker, vij o a halfe of alliblaster, at ij s iiij d le o, Svmma xvj s vj d.

To garret bvrton, the wexe-chandelar, ffyve skore povnd owlde wexe, at fyve pence The povnd, Summa xljs & viijd.

To Henry bet, a C of owlde yron at vjs, and to William Tvrke, ij Round barres of yron at xvjd.

Svmma totales iij l'i vij s vj d.

(fn. 4) Wiche iijl'i vijs vjd, was, by the Consent of the mooste avncient of the sayd parishe, layd ovt and paid by the said Nicolas Austhorpe Towardes the whitting & other necessary Charges apartayning to our sayd Churche.

Nycolas Austhorpe and Thomas Lvcas were Churche wardins of our said Churche in the iij^e yere of the kinges maiestes Reign That nowe is, & the said Thomas Lvcas then, by the Consent of The said parisheners, Sovlde thes parssels of goodes Insving Then apartayning To the sayd Churche:—

ffirst, to [blank] the gilt of iij^e Images at xijs and to [blank] xiiij^ten povnde of pevter at iiijs viijd.

Svmma is xvjs viijd.

Wiche xvj s viij d was Imployede by the said Thomas Lvcas, by the Consent aforesaid, Towardes the necessary Chargis of the said Churche.

Thomas Lvcas & William stewen were Churche wardins of y^e sayd churche in the iiij^th yere of the kinges maiesties Reign yat nowe is, and the said Williem stewen Then, by the Conssent of y^e parisheners aforesaid, Soulde thes parsels of plate & goodes Insving Then apartayning to owr said Churche:—

ffirst, to [blank] Red, govldsmithe, xij o of ssillver, being Clasppes of bokes & the plate of a miter, at v s viij d the ownce, Svmma iij l'i viij s.

a bell of ssillver, waing ix o a di. at v s the ownce, Svmma xlvij s vj d.

one Challis of Sillver & gilt & a pax parssel gilt waying xxiij^te o, at vs xjd the ownce, Svmma vjl'i xvjs jd.

and to [blank] ij bokes of owld servis, at xlvj^te shillinges & eight pence, Svmma totales xiiijl'i xviijs iijd.

Wiche xiiij l'i xviij s iij d was, by the Sayd william stewen, by the Consent of The mooste avncient of our said parishe, ymployede towardes y^e payment of ye waiges of sertayne singing men In our Sayd Churche and for ye The Reprayions and other necessary Chargis apertayning to ye same.

(fn. 5) Also the Churche Douthe owe vnto Edmond Candisshe ffor diwars necessarye Chargis bovrn & layd owt by hym for the vse of the sayd Churche, as aperethe by his acompt, the Svmma of xlijs.

(fn. 6) Sir Georg barne, knight, Lord Mere of the Cytte of London, Nicolas, bovsshe of London, Sir Rogier Chamlle, knight, Chif Ivstis of Yngland, & other, owr seid souerangne lord y^e kinges Commissioners. To the Church wardins of the parishe Churche of seynt mari at hill within the seid ward & to eueri of them, greting:—

(fn. 7) On the king our souerangne lordes behaf, we streittly Charge & Commande yow, yat all excvses & other thinges set apart, ye faille not personalli to apere before vs & other our seid souerang lordes the kinges Commissioners at the Gvild hall of the seid Citte vpon mvndae next Comming, which shal be the xvij^th daie of this present monethe of Aprell: at one of the Clocke in the after none of y^e same daie, bring with yow the weri trewe & Ivst sertificathe of all your Church goodes, plate, Ivelles, Ornamenttes & belles of y^e seid parishe, which y^e of late or your predissessers maid & presented vnto vs of y^e same; then & ther to doe, vnderstond, & accomplishe all & eueri souche thing & thinges as to yow on our seid souerangne Lord the kinges behalf shal be ther declared & emoveved; faile ye not hereof as ye will ansvere at your perrell. geven at Gvild havll the xv^th daie of Aprell 1553.

The effect of the kinges maiestes Letters of Commission derected to the Commissioners for the Churche goodes ys:—

That all y^e lennen of y^e Churchis within this Citte of London and Subvrbes of the same, saving yat which shal be necessari for the present vsaiges of the seid Churchis, shovld be deliverid forthwithe to y^e vse of y^e pooer in the hospitall in Christes Churche in the seid Citte of London vnto the gouerners & ouersears therof.

To y^e Cvrat & Church wardins of St. mari at hill.

After our harte Commendacions, thes ar to desire yow to consider the kinges maiestes Letters of Commission lateli derected vnto vs the effect wherof we have sent herewith vnto yow, & will & chardg you, bi vcrtvs of the same, acording to y^e trew mening therof, yat y^e will Cavll or Cavse to be Cavlled, with expedicion, a vestre of your parochiners, & then & ther to declare the effect of the seid Letters vnto them, yat the godli pvrpose and intent maie be acomplished acordinglie, & yer yow make or cavse to be made, a trew sertificathe in writting of all y^e lennen beloming or in ani wise apertayning to your Church, & the same sertificathe to be brovght by yow or som of yow vnto vs before the xxiiij^th daie of this present moneth of Ianvari, at the bovsshope of London's hovs within y^e seid Citte beside pawlles Churche; & this we bidd yow harteli well to fare, the xxiiij^th daie Ianvari, in y^e Sixt yere of y^e Reign of our souerangne lord, King Edward y^e Sixt.

Nicolas London, Rowland Hill, Richard Do[. . ?].

Footnotes