Exchequer (LTR) Enrolled Accounts (E 359), no. 14, mem. 12

III. Exchequer (LTR) Enrolled Accounts (E 359), no. 14, mem. 12.

Compotus Aldermannorum Ciuitatis London' Collectormn predicte duodecime concesse dicto anno .xii.o in eadem Ciuitate.

The account of the Subsidy of 1319 was handed in by Hugh de Waltham, Town Clerk, in 1320, apparently in Trinity term (c.May 25-July 31). The aldermen, who rendered account each for his ward, were all those of the spring and (early) summer 1320. Henry Nasard was alderman of BroadSt till after Feb. 1, 1319-20, and his successor is first known to have acted on Aug. 7, 1320.

Under each ward are given 1. the sum total collected, 2. the amount delivered at the Exchequer (<<in thesauro>>), 3. (in most wards) a sum returned to the City in part payment of a loan of £1,000 granted to the King in 1316. Some further special items are found under certain wards. As a specimen of the entries the account for Tower is added here.

Warda Turris. Simon de Abyndone Aldermannus Warde Turris .r. comp. de .lx.lj. iiii.d. de duodecima bonorum mobilium diuersorum hominum eiusdem Warde quorum nominibus preponitur litera .t. In predicto Rotulo taxacionis duodecime predicte. In thesauro .xl.lj. Et Maiori et Aldermannis Ciuitatis London' in partem solucionis predictarum Mille librarum .xx.lj. iiij.d. per manus predicti Simonis per predicta duo breuia Regis et per literas patentes sub sigillo communi predicte Ciuitatis recepcionem earundem .xx.lj. iiij.d. testificantes. De quibus .xx.lj. iiij.d. iidem Maior et Ciues respondent in Ro' .xij. in Item Lond'. Et quietus est.

The <<t>> placed before the majority of names in the Subsidy Roll of 1319 (cf. p. 19) is explicitly referred to under each ward. Its meaning is thus perfectly clear. It will have been entered by the collectors.

The taxpayers with <<in R(o).>> before their names in the Subsidy Roll are enumerated at the end of the Account with the same amounts as in the Roll. The entries have this form:

Johannes de Triple debet .xl.lj. de duodecima sua concessa anno .xij. in Warda de Walebrok ... Et respondet in R' .xij. in Resid' Lond'.

The order of the wards in the list agrees with that in the Subsidy Roll, except that Tower and Billingsgate are in the Account placed as nos. 2 and 3 after Walbrook, and Queenhithe and Castle Baynard have changed places.

A surplus or a deficit, generally slight, is sometimes found. Bridge had a surplus of 12s. 11¾d., which were carried over to Queenhithe, where there was a deficit. Bassishaw had a surplus of 4¼d., out of which 2½d. were carried over to Aldgate, which had a deficit of that amount, and Bishopsgate had a surplus of 3d., that were transferred to Lime St, which was just 3d. short. The alderman of Langbourn had a debt of 13¾d., which were delivered at the Exchequer.

Three aldermen had large arrears.

Henry Nasard of Broad St owed £8 18s. 4¾d. and was not quit.

Simon de Parys of Cheap had a debt of £25, for which, however, his predecessor, John de Wennegraue, was held responsible, and Simon was quit.

Hamo de Chigwell of Queenhithe (Mayor for the year) originally declared a debt of £23, for which, however, he subsequently rendered account with £21 <<in thesauro>> and 27s. ¼d. as part payment of the loan. He was quit. This supplementary account comes immediately after the original one.

The net sums for the wards are not added up in the Account, but total £783 8s. 3½d. (cf. also p. 126). Out of this sum only about £435 seem actually to have been delivered at the Exchequer, the remainder being returned to the City in part payment of the loan of 1316.