Steward's Accounts

Southampton City Archives: SC5/1/3

f 5 (29 September–29 September)

...

solutum Iohanni Emery die dominica xviijo die Octobris pro mynstrell' domini de Bedford vj s. viij d.

...

f 5v

Item solutum minstrell' Comitis de huntyngton per preceptum Iohannis Emery iij s. iiij d.
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Solutum minstrell' Cardinalis per preceptum Iohannis Emery iij s. iiij d.

...

f 6

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solutum Iohanni Emery xiij die ffebruarij ⸢Ianuarij⸣ vz. die sabati in denarijs datis minstrellis de Wynchester qui modo sunt apud suthampton xx d.
solutum <....> xvjo die Ianuarij per Iohannem preceptum Iohannis Emery predictis minstrellis vz. Ricardo mersche & Iohanni Godissond in partem solucionis vadiorum vnius anni<.> vj s. viij d.

...

f 7v

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Solutum vndecimo die maij apud Wyntoniam per preceptum Iohannis Emery pro foedis vicecomitis vz. pro ricardo march Iohanne Godissond Willelmo (blank) minstrellis Suthamptonie existentibus in persona apud Wintoniam pro canendo in castello ad sectam maioris Received on account viij s. iij d.

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f 8

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Item solutum Iacobo Thirletheramp pro v vergis & j quarter d<...>a panni pro minstrellis nostris a ij s. iiij d. le verge summa xij s. iij d.
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Item pro minstrell' domini mei de Warvike eodem tempore <..> v s.

f 8v

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Item solutum pro exspensis ffactis apud Wyntoniam apud sisaz coram vicecomiti Iohanni Ovedale pro minstrellis per Georgium huste & me manucaptis & on in beueragijs datis diuersis generosis in presencia Radulphi Chamberleyn Ville iiij s.

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f 10v (Wages for town officers)

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Ricardo mersch Iohanni Goddisond & Willelmo minstrellis ibidem xx s.

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  • Marginalia
  • Footnotes
    • eodem tempore: ie, in the absence of the mayor
  • Record Translation

    f 5 (29 September–29 September)

    ...

    Paid to John Emery on Sunday 18 October for minstrels/a minstrel of the lord of Bedford 6s 8d

    ...

    f 5v

    Likewise paid to minstrels/a minstrel of the earl of Huntington by order of John Emery 3s 4d
    ...
    Paid to minstrels/a minstrel of the cardinal by order of John Emery 3s 4d

    ...

    f 6

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    Paid to John Emery 13 January, that is to say, Saturday in cash given to minstrels of Winchester who are now at Southampton 20d
    Paid 16 January by order of John Emery to the aforesaid minstrels, namely, Richard Mersch and John Godissond, in part payment of one year's wages 6s 8d

    ...

    f 7v

    ...

    Paid 11 May at Winchester by order of John Emery for the sheriff's fee, that is to say for Richard Mersch, John Godissond, William (blank), minstrels of Southampton being in person at Winchester to sing in the castle at the suit of the mayor Received on account 8s 3d

    ...

    f 8

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    Likewise paid to James Thirletheramp for five rods and one quarter of cloth for our minstrels at 2s 4d a rod, in total 12s 3d
    ...
    Likewise for minstrels/a minstrel of my lord of Warwick at the same time 5s

    f 8v

    ...

    Likewise paid for expenses incurred at Winchester at the assizes before the sherrif, John Ovedale, for minstrels mainprized by George Huste and me and on drinks given to various noblemen in the presence of Ralph, chamberlain of the town 4s

    ...

    f 10v (Wages for town officers)

    ...

    To Richard Mersch, John Godissond, and William, minstrels there 20s

    ...

  • Glossed Terms
    • sises n pl assizessisaz
    • Wintonia, -ie n f Winchester; Wyntonia, -ie
  • Endnote

    The entry on f 6 of these draft accounts reveals what SC5/1/2 (Steward's Accounts, 1433–4) does not, that the minstrels given partial wages on 16 January and thereafter paid as Southampton's minstrels were given a reward on 13 January as minstrels 'de Wynchester.' Whether 'de' means 'of' or 'from,' it seems that these entries record the hiring of at least these two men, who were not residents of Southampton, to become the civic minstrels. Perhaps the performance on 13 January was a kind of audition. The entries on this page are not written all the way to the bottom of the page as they are elsewhere in this manuscript. Instead only five entries follow the heading: 'Item conss concessum est die die dominica vz. xvijo die Ianuarij per Iohannem Emery tunc maiorem & omnes Burgenses tunc ibidem presentes in gilhalda.' It appears then that the recording of these payments indicates the adoption by the mayor and burgesses of this new set of minstrels.

  • Document Description

    Record title: Steward's Accounts
    Repository: Southampton City Archives
    Shelfmark: SC5/1/3
    Repository location: Southampton

    The steward's accounts run from Michaelmas to Michaelmas and cover all areas of civic receipt and expenditure, from land rents to annual payments to civic officials, costs of construction and repair of town structures, and rewards to visiting performers. See the introduction to Gidden (ed), Stewards' Books of Southampton, vol 1, pp iii–xvii, for further discussion. Gidden's edition of the accounts for 1428–34 and 1434–9 includes full transcriptions of those documents, including records relating to drama and minstrelsy. SC5/1/3 is a set of draft accounts for SC5/1/2 (see Steward's Accounts, 1433–4) but has been separately included because the draft contains information not included in the final copy, while the final copy includes records that do not appear in the draft accounts.

    1433–4; Latin; paper; 0 + 10 + 0; 300mm x 220mm; modern pencil foliation; leaves repaired; modern cardboard cover. Draft of SC5/1/2 with many corrections and additions.

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