Hampshire, Wootton St Lawrence, 1599/1600–1600/1

St Lawrence's Churchwardens' Accounts

HRO: 75M72/PW1
SHOW OR HIDE
VIEW TAGS

pp 47–9 (15 March–14 March) (Receipts)

Receiptes for the Church of wotton at the makinge of the

kingeale there kept

ffirst received on the sonday senight before midsomer iij s. iiij d
Item received on the sonday next before midsomer as followeth.
Received at the first receipt xij s. x d.
Received at the seconde ix s. 0
Received at the thirde x s. vj d.
Received at the ffowerth iij s. iiij d.
Received at the ffifte vj s. ix d.
Received at the sixth vij s. iiij d.
Received at the seuenth xij s. x d./
Received at the eight viij s. x d.
Received at the nynth xxij s. j d.
Received at the tenth v s. ix d. ob.
Received at the eleuenth iiij s. 0
Received for pewter the same day ix s. v d.
Received of them that kept the drink the same day out of the churchhouse viij s. viij d.
Item received the same day for two lambe skinnes one kaulfes skinne and a shepes skynne iij s. vj d.
Item received at the tronkes the same day xj s. vj d./

Summa vj lib. xix s. viij d. ob.

the receiptes on monnday next after viz.

Received at the first receipt xv s. ij d.
Received at the seconde viij s. vj d.
Received at the thirde vij s. iij d.
Received out of the Churchhowse the same day xiij d.

Summa j lib. xij s. 0 0

the receiptes on Midsomer day following viz.

Received at dinner iij s. iiij d.
Received at supper at the first receipt v s. ij d.
Received at the seconde viij s. j d.
Received at the thirde vij s. iiij d.
Received at the ffowerth xj s. iiij d.
Received at Tronkes the same day ix s. iiij d.
Received for the play at Pewter x s. vj d.
Received out of the buttrie or churchhouse iiij s. ij d.

Summa ij lib. xix s. iij d.|

Receiptes for the kingale as followeth for
the sonnday after Midsomer day. Iunij. xxixti

Received at the first table xv s.
Received at the seconde ij s. viij d.
Received at the thirde xj s. ii d.
Received at the ffowerth x s. iij d.
Received at the ffifte viij s. iiij d.
Received at the sixth xj s. 0
Received the same day at the tronkes ij s. x d./
Received for pewter the same day xij s. vj d. 0
Received out of the churchowse for drink thear xij d.
Received for the selles xvj d
Received more out of the churchowse viij d.

Summa iij lib. xiij s. ix d.

Receiptes for the sonnday next after vjo Iulij

Received at the first receipt xxiiij s. vj d.
Received at the seconde vij s. x d.
Received at the thirde x s. viij d.
Received at the ffowerth v s. 0
Received at the ffift xj s.
Received at the sixth iiij s.
Received for the tronkes vj s. x d.
Received for pewter ix s. x d.
Received of mistris kingsmill the same day xij d
Received for lambe skinnes xvj d.

Summa iiij lib. ij s./.

Item received for wheat solde lefte of the gathering xiiij s. viij d.
Item received for a quarter of Lambe xv d/.
Item for a brest of veale x d.
Item for thre peces of pewter xxj d./|

Paymentes for the said king ale as followeth

To the minstrilles for minstrelsie xxiij s. x d.
paid to the LL back againe vij s.
paid for a caulf to Thomas Hardinge x s.
paid for an other to Iohn Palmer xj s.
paid for two lambes fatte to Mr Coperthwaite viij s. viij d.
paid for a couple of chicken vj d.
paid for a caulf to Thomas Lee viij s.
paid for a shepe to Richard Ailiff viij s.
paid for haulf a lambe to him ij s. vj d.
paid for a barraine ewe to ‸ ⸢Richard⸣ ffremantle vj s. viij d.
paid for a lambe bought of the same v s. iiij d.
paid for a lambe to Iohn Towne vj s.
paid to Symon Cuttle for a fatt shepe vij s. 0
paid for a ling and haulf xx d.
paid for fresh fyshe xviij d.
paid for egges and butter ij s. xj d.
paid for for fruit and spice ix s. 0
paid for the Pewter xiij s. j d.
paid for the Ladyes Lyueries iij s. vj d.
paid for the Lordes Lyueries v s. 0
paid to Whitburne for his play ij s. 0
paid for a libra of suett iiij d.
paid to Richard Ailiff for fiue bush of mault xj s. viij d.
paid to Richard wyther for two peckes of mault xiiij d.
paid for hoppes xviij d.
paid for moe hoppes vj d.
paid for demi hundred of ffaggottes xviij d.
paid to Iohn Towne for his Labour xij d.

p 50

...

the Church rent for hir stocke receaued viz.

ffirst of Richard Ailefe for the rent of two kyne ij s.
Item of Richard Hall for the rent of one cowe j s.
Item of Richard Browne for the rent of fowre shepe x d.
Item of Thomas Ale senior for the rent of thre ewe shepe vij d. ob. del<.....>
Item of Brian Rabnat for the rent of iij ewe shepe vij d. ob.
Item of Iohn Poinder for ye rent of two weather shepe v s.
Item of Richard Wareham for one shepe ij d. ob.
Item of Iohn Wissam for the like ij d. ob.
Item of Richard ffremantle for ye rent of iiijor ewe shepe x d.
⸢Item paid of Iohn Primmer for two ewe shepe⸣ ⸢v d.⸣
Item of Iohn Palmer for ye rent of a Cowe j s.
Item of Iohn Ale for ye rent of vj ewe shepe xv d.
Item of Iane Mortmer for ye rent ofe one ewe shepe ij d. ob.
Item received for the holie loaf pay for bred and wyne iiij s. ⸢v s.⸣ ij d.
Item of mony receaued and to be receaued from the former churchwardens by vs iij lib. xvij s. j d. ob.
Receaued by our kingale all thinges discharged xij li. xiiij s. .j d. ob.

Summa xvij li. iiij s. viij d. ob.

the Church expences the same yeare./

ffirst for bread and wine for the Communions on palme sunday, shere thrusday, on Easter even, on the day of Easter on the first day of the new yeare and after the kingale viij s.

...

  • Marginalia
  • Footnotes
    • 1600: underlined in MS
    • xij s.: written over other characters
    • 1600: underlined in MS
    • bush: forbushels; abbreviation mark missing
    • Summa: 2 minims for m
    • Easter: 23 March 1599/1600
  • Glossed Terms
    • kinge n in phr kinge ale, kingal, kingale, kingalle, kingeale, kyng ale, kyngale, kyngalle, kynge ale, kyngeale king ale, an inversion of order event in which a king — typically a local young man or farmer — was appointed to preside over the festival; kyng game, kynges game, king play, kynges play, kyng play synonymous with king ale; in phr king halle, kyng halle king hall, likely a bower built for the king of the king ale
    • kaulf n calf
    • trunkes n pl trunks, a game resembling bagatelle; tronkes[OEDOtrunkn 16]
    • gatheryng vb n collection, here used to refer specifically to the act of collecting money for the parish; gaderyng gathering; gatheringe; gatherynge;
  • Endnote

    The churchwarden Richard Wither was one of the family that held the lease of Manydown manor from the dean and chapter of Winchester, though John Wither was the lease holder at this time. The other churchwarden, Richard Ayliffe, was of the family that leased a property in the parish called Skeyers Farm from Magdalen College from the late fifteenth century until 1674 (VCH: Hampshire, vol 4, pp 239–42, British History Online, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol4/pp239-242 [accessed 28 October 2018]).

    'mistris kingsmill' was likely the wife or mother of Sir William Kingsmill of Sydmonton Court in Kingsclere parish, a few miles north. The Kingsmills, who were considerable landowners in the northern part of Hampshire, leased the manor known as Fabians in the parish of Wootton St Lawrence (initially from the prior and convent of St Swithun's, and after the Dissolution from the dean and chapter of Winchester Cathedral) (VCH: Hampshire, vol 4, pp 239–42, 249–67, British History Online, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol4/pp249-267 [accessed 28 October 2018]).

    The payment 'to the LL back againe'(p 49) may refer to the 'Ladyes' and 'Lordes' whose liveries are recorded further down that page, but it is uncertain whether that is the correct reading of the abbreviation or what it meant for 'LL' to be 'back againe.'

    It is not certain what the churchwardens meant by their payment 'to Whitburne for his play' (p 49). The other 'play' mentioned in the accounts is the 'play at Pewter' that appears to be some kind of gambling game, and perhaps Whitburne had organized or led the gambling. King ales did not normally have written play texts, so it is very unlikely the payment was for writing such a text. However, it could mean that Whitburne was being rewarded for playing in the sense of playing an instrument, as parishes often paid minstrels to contribute to the festivities. Or it might even mean that Whitburne had played the 'king' of the king ale, and was being rewarded for taking on that central role in the celebration.

    The name of 'Whitburne,' who was paid 'for his play,' does not occur elsewhere in the churchwardens' accounts, nor in the parish registers, nor in the indexes of wills from Hampshire at the Hampshire Record Office. Families named Whitchurch and Wither (or Wyther) do appear in the register (75M72/PR1) but since Richard Wither was one of the churchwardens in this year, it is unlikely the accounts would misspell Wither as 'Whitburne.' A Robert 'Whithorne' was buried in the parish on 10 June 1621, but the person paid for his play in this year very clearly has a 'b' following the 't.'

    The notation 'paid' next to most of the rent items on p 50 was obviously added later – the 'Items' line up under 'ffirst' as the original left margin. The 'paid' in the line about John Ale's sheep rent and the note 'forgeuen' in the margin of the following entry are in a fainter ink and possibly a different hand than above. The John Primmer line was inserted between original lines.

  • Document Description

    Record title: St Lawrence's Churchwardens' Accounts
    Repository: HRO
    Shelfmark: 75M72/PW1
    Repository location: Winchester

    The village of Wootton St Lawrence is located about three miles west of the centre of Basingstoke. In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries the Wither family held the lease of the manor of Wootton (or Manydown) from the dean and chapter of Winchester . Other important landowners in the parish were the Kingsmills and Ayliffes (VCH: Hampshire, vol 4, pp 239–42, British History Online, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol4/pp239-242, accessed 28 October 2018).

    The accounts were at first rendered in November, on 2 November and, later, the 17th. In 1595 they moved to 10 January and then to 14 March 1596, 12 March 1597, 14 March 1600 and 1601, 3 April 1602, and 18 March 1603. After that the particular day was no longer recorded. All Saints' Day remained (or returned to being) an important accounting day, because a memorandum of 1613 indicates that anyone holding any of the church stock must on All Saints' Day produce either the stock or a pledge for its security. The churchwardens did not try to balance their budget each year but would allow the church stock to decrease until they felt it needed a boost: the first rate was collected in 1610, when there had been no ale or other big money maker for five years. Other rates followed in 1616, 1619, 1623, 1625, 1635, 1636, 1637, 1638, and 1640 – suggesting that in the late 1630s they decided to make the rate an annual one, as it became after the Restoration.

    Bound inside the manuscript are two leaves of parchment front and back, the original cover. They were identified by the assistant keeper of manuscripts at the British Library in 1951 as fragments of a fourteenth-century manuscript of a philosophical treatise in Latin. In a blank space on the dorse of the last parchment leaf is written, 'The chourche booke off Wotton/ made by thomas Aylyff the ffirst and second yere/ of Pelyp & mary Kyng & quene/ and in ye xx day of ffebryare/ In ye yere of ower lord God .1.5.5.4.' Other originally blank areas of the parchment manuscript contain memoranda, including a list of goods lent to the church by Thomas Ayleffe (no date, p 4).

    1558–87, 1594–7, 1600–40, 1662–75; English; paper; iii + 128 + ii; 270mm x 194mm; modern pencil pagination (pagination at front includes the two parchment leaves probably originally used as cover); good condition but pages giving accounts of 1598 and 1599 have been torn out, as stubs with writing on them can be seen in between pp 46 and 47 (other gaps may be similarly explained, although the one from 1641 to 1661 may be due to the Civil War interrupting the keeping of records); brown leather binding, probably contemporary with the last quire of paper (accounts from 1662 on), cover tied shut with white leather thongs, title on front cover in black ink and a late 17th-c. hand: '1558–1675 | Churchwardens Book | Wootton St Lawrence.'

TOOLS
TOOLS
HELPFUL LINKS
HELPFUL LINKS
Back To Top
SHOW OR HIDE
VIEW ENTITIES
Back to top
SHOW OR HIDE
VIEW ENTITIES
TOOLS
HELPFUL LINKS
Footnote