Stratford-upon-Avon: Guild of the Holy Cross: Masters' and proctors' accounts

Description

Account of Geoffrey Webbe and William Brasyer, Proctors of the Guild of the Holy Cross, the Blessed Mary, and St. John the Baptist of Stratford, from the Morrow of the Feast of the same Guild, 12 Henry IV. to the Morrow of the Feast of the same Guild 13 Henry IV The Account is rendered under the following headings Arrears Rents. (Tenements of John Dister, John Mayel, senior, William Westyngton, John Huberd, Geoffry Fretter, John Dounton, John Chebbessey, John Daunceprowd, and John West.) [Receipt of moneys.] (£10 4s 2d collected from 245 Brothers and Sisters of the said Guild for the remission and release of their light money, each of them giving 10d; 34s 3d also received for light money, being the arrears of divers men, c.) Receipt of moneys. (54s received from 108 Brothers and Sisters being at the Feast of the Guild this year; money received by sale of skins of beasts killed for the Feast, c.) Cost of the lights and the lamps. (24lb. of wax bought for light before the High Cross, 12s; making the said wax, 13d; "Wekezerne," 1d; 2lb. of wax, 12d; for making therewith small candels to burn before the cross. Wax also bought for light before the image (ymagine) of S. Mary; for Adam, a poor man, c.; 13lb. of candels for the Chaplains therewith to celebrate, 2s 2d; 7 gallons of oil for the three lamps, 7s; 4lb. of wax for small tapers to burn before the image of S. Mary, on festival days, 2s; making the same, 1d.) Cost of the houses. (1500 stones for a house in Shepustrete, 5s; "battering" the said stones, 21d; carriage of the stones from Grafton to Stratford, 2s 2d; white straw for covering the kitchen within the same house, 2s 4d; carriage of the straw from the grange of Geoffry Webbe, 2d; stipend of a "Stipator" working there for 4½ days, 18d; paid to his servant, 9d; 6 rafters for "evespollis" and for "gabul" rafters, 8d; stipend of a carpenter "pynnyng de la evespollis," 1d; 100 "strawlatten," 3d; 200 "lattenayle," 3d; 4 "crestes" for the Hall of the Guild, 6d; 1 "courbbe" (curb) around the well in the Guild garden, 8d; stipend of a plumber "sowdyng" unius "guttar," 10d; keeping the horse of the said "plumbar" for 1 day and 1 night, 1d; payment for stopping holes around the gutter with tiles; a lock with a key for the house in which John Daunceprowd lives, 4d; "hokkis and stapull" for the window of a shop (sic) in the said house, 4d; making a window in "le walschrew," 1d; "twyst hockus" and nails, 22d; 2 "syddus" for a "stayr," 16d; "rendhordes" for a window, 16d; 1 "rafter" for the "ruynes" of a window, 2d; stipend of a carpenter making the said "stayr," "gabul wyndows," with "ruynus," and two other windows, 2s 10d; making a bench with "scolpus," 4d; 1 "mensa" for a bench, 10d.) Payment of moneys. (Paid by the advice of the Master for a new cross, 10s 6d; 7 ells "de le hair cloth" for the three altars, price 6½d per ell; paid Henry Brounmon for keeping the light of S. Mary in the chancel, 12d; 20d for a hood for John Horspath, Chaplain; 20d also for a hood for Robert Thorn, and paid to the same Robert 3s 6d for making a book of accounts and other matters connected with the Guild for 1 year; paid the Chief Bailiff for the Hall of the Guild, 3s 2d; for the house of S. Mary "in le Old town," 4d; paid Thomas Sclatter, working at the same house, 8s.) Small necessaries. (Washing the vestments of the three altars this year, 4d; linen cloth bought for the aid of a poor man in the Almshouses, 14d; payment for a "wyndyngshete" and for a linen cloth for "Henley"; paid Henry Bedmon for journeying to the towns of these two poor men, 2d; offering, 1d; parchment for the account roll for 2 years, 2d; making "le clappus" for the bell of the Holy Cross, 2d; cord for the said bell, 3d; mending "le payes" lamp, 2d.) Expenses of the Feast. These items are subdivided under the heads of Corn. (20 bushels of corn, 10s; corn also bought for the pullets.) Ale. (8 dozen good ale bought of Agnes Iremonger, 12s; "smalle ale," bought of the same Agnes, 3s; 9 gallons of good ale bought of Agnes Mayel, 18d; "smalle ale," 9d.) Meat. (4 calves, 11s; 2 "legges" of veal, 8d; 2 "buttus" of pork, 8½d; 2 "multon" sheep, 5s; 1 calf, 3s 4d; 9 small pigs, 3s 9d; 10 "kyddus lambe," bought at Shresesbury, 5s 10d; carriage of the same to Stratford, 20d.) Pullets. (113 pullets, 9s 11½d; 3 capons, 3d.) Spice. (1½lb of pepper, 5s 6d; ½ "quatron" of saffron, 2s; 1 "quatron" of ginger, 7d; 1 "quatron" of clowes, 14d; 3lb. of "Rayseus de Courance," 12d; 6lb. of almonds, 18d; 3lb. of "rysse," 8d; 12lb. of figs, 12d; cloth bought for the "napres," 21d; paper bought for certain necessaries for the feast, 1d; "graynus," 9d.) No heading. (5 quarters of "charecole," 2s 9d; 1 cartload of fuel, 12d; 1 bushel of salt, 7d; 2 gallons of red wine, 16d; 1 gallon of "Osey," 12d; vinegar, 6d; stipend of two cooks, 4s; washing the vessels, 4d; 2 "turners," 2d; "Risshyn," for the Hall, 3d; payments also for milk, "creme," eggs, honey, c.) On the back of the roll Necessary expenses. (Expenses of the Master, Aldermen, and others being present for the account of the Proctors of the Guild, viz., bread, ale, beef, 5 "Marybonus," 5d; veal, mutton, pullets, c., 5½ gallons of wine, 3s 6d. Expenses also when John Leeke was elected Master in the place of Thomas Chacomb.) Allowance of rent Fines for light money, (paid by, amongst many others, Thomas Mason and Agnes his wife, Lucy Brasyer, Hugh Salford and Margaret his wife, John Chebbesse, his wife, and Robert their son, Felicia Hichcokkes, "Ralf" Hopper, Thomas Reynold and Margaret his wife, Richard Cowper and Edith his wife, John Mayel, baiker, and Alice his wife, John Clyfford, Richard Fretter and Joan his wife, Agnes Baugresse, Elizabeth Huberd, Roger Chelcot and Alice his wife, Thomas Grene and Joan his wife, Richard Wotton ... "plowmaker," Margery Ilmyngdon, Thomas and Richard Corpley, the wife of William Callow, Hugh Baly and Joan his wife, William Baly, Chaplain, Peter Slowley, John Rose, Chaplain, Thomas Wheler, Chaplain, William Wait, Rector of Clifford, A man of Straton-super-Fosse and his wife, William Fretter, Warren Richardus, John Webbe de Alveston, John Jonkyns, Vicar of the same place, William Reve de Bureley, Richard Gilberd, Peter Lyndraper, John Crowenhale, John Inggement, John Garet, Henry Milleward de Halleford, Thomas Halford, Chaplain, John Portor, John Holder, John Wylkins, John Couper, the wife of William Clerk, John Piper, Agnes Rolf, the wife of Thomas Mayel, Matilda, servant of Henry atte Yate, John Browmon, Thomas Broke, John Broke, junior, Richard, son of Richard Broke, Thomas Chacomb. The greater part of these were married men) Light-money in arrear. (Many of the names just mentioned occur. The fine in some instances had been due for seven years.)