Middlesex Sessions Rolls: 1623

1623

15 January, 20 James I.—Order touching Teams drawing carriages upon the Highways.—Whereas since His Majesties Proclamasion against Carriers and Wagonners that bringe great loades to the Citie of London from manye partes of this Kingdome with aboue v horses in a teame to the decaie of his Majesties Highewayes, many haue notwithstandinge by subtiltie instead of horses drawen their said Loades with oxen and horses above the said nomber, thinkinge thereby to avoyde the danger of the said Proclamacion; It is nowe ordered and soe determined that from henceforth three oxen shalbe taken in that case for two horses, and iiii^or. oxen for three horses and soe after such rate. S. P. Reg.

15 January, 20 James I.—True Bill that, at the parish of St. Margaret in Westminster co. Midd. in the night of the said day, Thomas Tempeste labourer, John Boulton yoman, William Clapham yoman, Edward Rawsome yoman and Gamaliel Alsoppe yoman, all five late of Westminster aforesaid, broke burglariously into the dwelling-house of the Most Noble William Earl Darbie, and putting the said Earl's wife Elizabeth Countess Darbie and all the said Earl's family being in the said dwellinghouse in fear and peril, stole therefrom one silver chafingdish worth thirty shillings, a silver sugar-box worth thirty shillings, two silver-gilt bolles with silver-gilt covers worth five pounds, foure parcellgilt silver tunnes worth four pounds, two silver flagons worth three pounds, three silver saltes worth three pounds, thyrtie silver trencher plates worth fifteen pounds, "thirteene Apostle silver spoones" worth forty shillings, twelve plaine silver spoones worth ten shillings, one silver Bason worth five pounds, one silver ewer worth . . . pounds, "et duas patinas argenti anglice two great silver voyders" worth ten pounds, of the goods and chattels of the said Most Noble William, Earl Darbie. Found 'Guilty,' John Boulton, Edward Rawsome and Gamaliel Alsoppe were sentenced to be hung. Thomas Tempeste and William Clapham were at large. G. D. R., 19 Feb., 20 James I.

17 January, 20 James I.—Order touching Lord North's purpose to cut down the Weild Wood in Harrowhill co. Midd.—Forasmuch as the Right Hon^ble Dudley Lord North informed this Courte that his Lordship haveinge lately had a desire to sell and cutt downe the Wood (sic) lyeing and being within the parishe of Harrowhill in the county of Middlesex, Whereof his Lordship is both Lord and Owner; In which Woodes (sic) diverse of his Lordship's Customary Tenauntes and other Inhabitantes there bee commoners did not longe since call together the more parte of the said Tenauntes and Inhabitauntes being Commoners and upon his Lordship's assembly and meetinge with the said Tenauntes and Inhabitauntes did signifie vnto them his said intent and desire, and then and there moved them to the severinge divideing setting out meeting and bound (sic) of the Fourthe Parte of the said wood called Weild Wood, according to the forme of the statute in that case made and provided, For and to the doeinge and effectinge whereof the said Lord North and the said Tenauntes and Inhabitauntes could not nor did then consent and agree, In regard whereof His Lordship made request and suite unto this Courte that they would bee pleased to appoint two Justices of Peace of this County according to the Statutes in that case likewise provided to doe and performe on their partes what the said statute herein prescribeth and commaundeth;—It is therefore in this open Quarter Sessions by the Justices assembled now Ordered and they doe appointe that Sir John Bingley knt., Ralfe Hawtrey and Edward Carre esqrs. three of his Majesties Justices of Peace of this countye or any two of them not beinge of the kinde alliance counsell and fee of the said Lord North shall effectually proceed to doe, execute and perfourme What the Lawe in this case further prescribeth and commaundeth them.—By the Court. G. D. Reg.—It is noteworthy, that, though entered in the G. D. Reg., this Order was made at a General Session of the Peace; and that the same G. S. P. is spoken of as "this open Quarter Sessions," though it was not the practice of the Justices of the Peace for Middlesex to hold more than two, and had not for generations held more than three, General Sessions in the same year.

4 February, 20 James I.—True Bill that, at Goswell Street co. Midd. on the said day, George White late of Goswell Street aforesaid laborer stole twentie thousand tacke nayles worth twenty shillings, of the goods and chattels of Joan Parkes. Found 'Guilty,' George White pleaded his clergy, read the book and was branded. G. D. R., 19 Feb., 20 James I.

14 February, 20 James I.—Recognizances, taken before Simon Muskett esq. J.P., of Edward Newton of St. Martyn's Lane London merchant-tayler, in the sum of ten pounds, and Ralphe Hopkyns of Rosemarylane co. Midd. tayler, in the sum of twenty pounds; For the said Ralphe Hopkyns's appearance at the next Session of the Peace, to answer to a charge of "being a comon dogg-stealer and" of having "secretlye taken away from John Warner a spaniell dogg with a coller about his necke." G. D. R., 19 Feb., 20 James I.

6 March, 20 James I.—True Bill that John (sic) Gill late of Clerkenwell co. Midd. feltmaker, on the said day at Clarkenwell aforesaid maliciously devised and wrote a turbulent and rebellious (rebelliosu') writing, running in these words, "Mr. Blackster (sic) So it is that vppon Monday last it . . . . to be uppon your stage intendinge noe hurte to any one, Wheere I was greeuously wounded in the head as may appeare, And in the surgeones handes who is to have xs. for the cure, and in the meane tyme, my Mr. [Master] to giue me maintenaunce . . . . greate losse and hinderance, And therefore in kindnes I desire you to giue mee satisfaccion seeing I was wounded by your owne hand . . . . weapon. If you refuse then looke to your selfe and avoyde the daunger which shall this day ensue upon your Company and House For . . . . as you can, for I am a Feltmakers prentice and have made it knowne to at the least one hundred and fortye of our . . . . who are all here present readie to take revenge vppon you vnles willingly you will give present satisfaction. Consider there . . . . thinke fittinge, And as you have a care for your owne safeties, so let me have Answere forthwith," and that Further, to give effect to the malicious purpose expressed in this letter the said John Gill and a certain Roger . . . . late of Clarkenwell aforesaid felt-maker, with other disturbers of the Peace to the number of one hundred persons on the said day assembled riotously at Clerkenwell aforesaid to the terror and disquiet of persons dwelling there.— Notes on the bill show that the matter was postponed to the next Session, and that at yet later Session viz. on 9 July 21 James I. (John Gyll failing to appear even as he failed to appear at the last Session of Gaol Delivery) Roger . . . . put himself 'Not Guilty' and was acquitted, and that Richard Gyll gave evidence on the side of Richard Baxter. The numerous indicatory points in the above transcript of the threat ening letter will enable the reader to conceive how greatly the bill is defaced. G. D. R., 25 April, 21 James I.

27 August, 21 James I.—Order that Edward Skelton aged four years, the son of Edward Skelton "one of y^e pages to the Kinges Majestie" be reconveyed to the parish of St. Margaret's Westminster from Endfeid co. Midd., to which last-named parish he was late unduly sent[by the Churchwardens and Overseers of St. Margaret's aforesaid, and that the said Churchwardens and Overseers "receive the said Edward againe, and maintaine and provide for him accordinge to ye Lawe." S. P. Reg.

2 October, 21 James I.—Order (made at Michaelmas G. S. P., Westminster), "that from henceforth the Treasurers for the mahemed Soldiers shall not give any money out of that stock to any Souldier which shall bring any passports or testimonialls vnles it shall manifestly appeare to the Treasurer, that he shall worthily deserve to be releaved and that his passport or testimoniall be duely obteyned and procured"; It having been discovered that much of the money raised for the relief of maimed soldiers has in late years "beene given hand over heade without any examinacion to whomsoever resorted unto" the said Treasurers under pretence of being soldiers, "whereby the money collected for that purpose was unduly and unadvisedly given to divers persons, whoe brought counterfett pasports letters and testimonialls from beyond the seas." S. P. Reg.

23 December, 21 James I.—True Bill that, at St. Andrew's in Holborne co. Midd. on the said day, William Sleeper late of St. Andrew's aforesaid, by force and hurtfully took and carried away Mary Nudigate, only daughter and coheir of Thomas Nudigate late of Nudigate co. Surrey esquire, she being under sixteen years of age and as a ward being during her minority in the possession of Henry Dorrill esq., and afterwards without the assent of the said Henry Dorrill contracted marriage with the same Mary Nudigate on the 24th of the said December at St. James's-in-Clerkenwell. William Sleeper was at large G. D. R., 9 April, 22 James I.

29 December, 21 James I.—Recognizances, taken before Sir Nicholas Kempe knt. J.P., of Robert Wade gentleman and Roger Beane shoemaker, both of Seacole Lane in St. Sepulchre's London, in the sum of twenty pounds each, and Alexander Cottrell of London merchanttaylor, in the sum of forty pounds; For the said Alexander Cottrell's appearance at the next Session of the Peace for Middlesex, to answer "for breaking into my Lord of London's groundes at Fulham within his mote neere his dwelling-house there to kill and take his conies." G. D. R., 15 Jan., 21 James I.