The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson

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  • LR31 - Corporation of London Records Office - Sessions of Gaol Delivery of Newgate, Sessions Files for 9 Jan. 1606 - SF8, no. 65

LR31 - Corporation of London Records Office - Sessions of Gaol Delivery of Newgate, Sessions Files for 9 Jan. 1606 - SF8, no. 65

Indictment against Jonson for recusancy, 9 January 1606 , in the Sessions of Gaol Delivery of Newgate   . Others mentioned in the document include Thomas Lodge (?1558-1625, poet, latterly physician and recusant)   and Edmund Bolton (?1575-?1633, antiquary, historian, and poet).   . Jonson is listed as living in the parish of St Anne 's, Blackfriars   . The delivery notices are on pieces of parchment of various sizes secured together by a single strip of parchment.
Eugene Giddens




[No. 65]
Juratores pro domino Rege praesentant quod Jacobus Prynne nuper de parochia sancti Andree in Holbourne in warda de Farringdon [ <ext> ] ra London Aurifaber, Robertus dannett de parochia et warda praedicta Carpenter nicholaus Warner de parochia et warda praedicta Taylor Owen Browne de parochia et warda praedicta Aurifaber Nicholaus Borgrove de parochia et warda praedicta generose Sara dauncer nuperde parochia omnium sanctorum in honye lane in warda de Cheape London ⎡praedicta ⎤ Spinster alius Sara dauncer vxor Roberti dauncer de London ⎡praedictus ⎤ mercer, Henricus dorrell de parochia sancte Anne infra praecinctumnuper fratrumpraedicatorum iamdudumdissolutum vulgo vocatur le Blackfryars London praedictus Armiger Beniaminus Johnson nuperde praedicta parochia sancte Anne infra ⎡praedictum ⎤ praecinctum nuper fratrum praedicatorum iamdudum dissolutum vulgo vocatur le Blackfryers London praedictum in warda de farringdon infra London praedicta generose , Henricus Wyse nuperde parochia sancte Bride alius Brigette in warda de farringdon extra London praedicta Textor Williemus [E] dwardsde parochia sancti Botolphi extra Aldersgate in warda de Aldersgate London praedicta generose ⎡exoneratus quia pertulit sertificaco quod conformitat &c⎤ Edwardus Wilton de praedicta parochia sancti Botolphi extra Aldersgate in praedicta warda de Aldersgate London praedicta generosa Elizbetha Sotherton de praedicta parochia Sancti Botolphi extra Aldersgate in warda de Aldersgate London praedicta Spinster alius Elizabetha Sotherton vxor Johannis Sotherton de London praedictus Armigeri Thomas Lodge de parochia Ecclesiae Christi in praedicta warda de farringdon infra London praedictus in medicinis doctor Thomas Reade de parochia Sancti Michaelis in warda de Cornhill London praedicta generosus Radulphus Everard de parochia Sancte Marie Magdalene in warda de Creplegate London praedicta generosus Humfridus ffield de parochia sancte Margarete Moyses in warda de Broadstrete London praedicta generose Martinus Pearson de parochia Sancti Olavi in Silverstrete in warda de Creplegate london praedicta musicon Edmund Bolton de parochia sancti Thome Apostoli in warda de Vinetria london praedicta generosus Thomas Nicholls de parochia sancti Petri pauperi in warda de Broadstrete London praedicta yoman, Ac Williemus Higgins nuperde parochia sancti Sepulchri in praedicta warda de farringdon extra London praedictus yoman ⎡qui⎤ quinto die octobris Anno regni domini nostri Jacobi dei gratia Anglie francie et Hybernie Regis fidei defensoris etc. Tertio ac Scotie xxxix o fuer et eorum quilibet fuit etatis sexdecim annorumet vltra non accesser anglice, did not repaire nec eorumaliquis accessit ecclesiys suis parochialis p is nec alicui alie ecclesie capelle aut vsuali loco communis praecationis et ibidem fuer aut aliquis eorumfuit tempore communis precationis ad aliquod tempus infra tres menses proxime sequentes dictum quintum diem octobris annis tertio et tricesimo nono supradictis sed abstinuerant ab eisdem Anglice have forborne the same a praedicto quinto die [octo]bris Annis tertio et tricesimo nono supradictis per praedictum spacium praedictorum trium mensium extunc proxime sequentium contra tenorem cuiusdam statuti apud Westmonasterium in Comitatu Middlesex anno regni domine Elizabethe nupper Regine Anglie primo pro vniformitate communis precationis et contra formam Statuti apud Westmonasterium in comitatu middlesex Anno regni dice domine Elizabethe nuperRegine Anglie vicesimo tertio in huiusmodi casu editiet provisiin dicti domini Regis nunc et legum suarum contemptum manifestum Ac contra pacem dicti domini Regis nunc coronamet dignitatem suas.

Ad sessiones tentum nono die Januarij anno iij o Regni Regis Jacobi etc supradicti Jacobus Prynne Robertus dannett Nicholaus Warn [ <er> ] Owinus Browne Nicholaus Burgone Sara Dauncer Henricus Dorrell Beniaminus Johnson Henricus Wyse Williemus Edwards Edwardus Wilton Elizabeth Sotherton Thomas Lodge Thomas Rede, Radulphus Everard Humfridus ffield Martinus Pierson Edmondus Bolton Thomas Nicholls & williemus Higgyns proclamati fuerant secundum formam statuti in huiusmodo casu editi [ <& provisi> ]

[No. 65v] Hallidaye m

ix o die Januarij anno iij o Regni Regis Jacobi infertur hoc record per Simonem Sedgwick et sociis suos.


[Trans.: The jurors for the lord King present that James Prynne late of the parish of St Andrew in Holborn in the ward of Farringdon without London goldsmith, Robert dannett of the parish and ward aforesaid carpenter Nicholas Warner of the parish and ward aforesaid tailor Owen Browne of the parish and ward aforesaid goldsmith Nicholas Borgrove of the parish and ward aforesaid gentleman Sara Dancer late of the parish of All Saints in Honey Lane in the ward of Cheap London aforesaid spinster alias Sara Dancer wife of Robert Dancer of London aforesaid mercer, Henry Dorrell of the parish of St Anne within the Precinct of the late friars preachers since dissolved commonly called the Blackfriars London aforesaid esquire Benjamin Johnson late of the aforesaid parish of St Anne within the aforesaid precinct of the late friars preachers since dissolved commonly called the Blackfriars London aforesaid in the ward of Farringdon within London gentleman Henry Wyse late of the parish of St Bride otherwise Brigette in the ward of Farringdon without London aforesaid weaver William Edwards of the parish of St Botolph without Aldersgate in the ward of Aldersgate London aforesaid gentleman excused because he bears a certificate that he conforms etc. Edward Wilton of the aforesaid parish of St Botolph without Aldersgate in the aforesaid ward of Aldersgate London aforesaid gentleman Elizabeth Sotherton of the aforesaid parish of St Botolph without Aldersgate in the ward of Aldersgate London aforesaid spinster otherwise Elizabeth Sotherton wife of John Sotherton of London aforesaid esquire Thomas Lodge of the parish of Christ Church in the aforesaid ward of Farringdon within London aforesaid doctor of medicine Thomas Reade of the parish of St Michael in the ward of Cornhill London aforesaid gentleman Radulphus Everard of the parish of St Mary Magdalene in the ward of Cripplegate London aforesaid gentleman Humfrey Field of the parish of St Margaret Moyses in the ward of Broadstreet London aforesaid gentleman Martin Pearson of the parish of St Olaf in Silverstreet in the ward of Cripplegate London aforesaid musician Edmund Bolton of the parish of St Thomas the Apostle in the ward of Vintry London aforesaid gentleman Thomas Nicholls of the parish of St Peter le Poer in the ward of Broadstrete London aforesaid yeoman, and William Higgins late of the parish of St Sepulchre in the aforesaid ward of Farringdon without London aforesaid yeoman who the fifth day of October in the third year of the reign of our lord James by the grace of God of England France and Ireland King, defender of the faith etc. and of Scotland the thirty-fourth being and each of them being of the age of sixteen years and above non accesserunt in English did not repair nor did any of them repair to their own parish church nor to any other church chapel or usual place of common prayer and there were or any of them were there at the time of common prayer at any time within three months next following the said fifth day of October in the third and thirty-ninth year abovesaid but abstinuerant ab eisdem in English have forborne the same from the aforesaid fifth day of October in the third and thirty-ninth year abovesaid for the aforesaid space of the aforesaid three months then next following against the meaning of a certain statute at Westminster in the County of Middlesex in the first year of the reign of the lady Elizabeth late Queen of England for the uniformity of common prayer and against the form of the statute at Westminster in the County of Middlesex in the twenty-third year of the reign of the said lady Elizabeth late Queen of England therefore enacted and provided in manifest contempt of the said now lord King and his law and against the peace of the said now lord King his crown and dignity.

At the sessions held the ninth day of January in the third year of the reign of King James etc abovesaid James Prynne Robert Dannett Nicholas Warner Owen Browne Nicholas Burgone Sara Dancer Henry Dorrell Benjamin Johnson Henry Wyse William Edwards Edward Wilton Elizabeth Sotherton Thomas Lodge Thomas Rede, Radulphus Everard Humphry Field Martin Pierson Edmond Bolton Thomas Nicholls and William Higgins were proclaimed according to the form of the statute therefore enacted and provided

Hallidaye m

The ninth day of January in the third year of the reign of King James this record is brought in by Simon Sedgwick and his fellows.]

Bibliography
Bowler,London Session Records, 6-8
H&S, 11.579-80

Newgate was one of London 's main prisons, occupying one of the seven City gates. It housed criminals, both felons and debtors, from the thirteenth century.

Lodge was the son of Sir Thomas Lodge , Lord Mayor of London , and educated at Merchant Taylors School and Trinity College, Oxford (B.A. 1577, M.A. 1581). Although he entered Lincoln's Inn in 1578 his study of the law did not apparently last long, and he became a writer and part of the circle of Lyly, Drayton , Daniel, and Greene. Lodge's first works were plays, and he wrote a defence of the stage in 1581, in response to Gosson, which saw him summoned to appear before the Privy Council, although apparently with no punishment. His lyric poems appear in contemporary anthologies such as England 's Helicon (1600), but he is chiefly remembered for his verse romance Rosalind , whence Shakespeare drew the plot of AYLI . Lodge wrote no more literary works after 1596. Instead he trained as a doctor (MD from Oxford in 1602). He did however translate works by Josephus, Seneca and Du Bartas towards the end of his life. Lodge was apparently converted to Catholicism by his second wife, Jane Aldred, and his recusant status periodically brought him into conflict with the authorities, as this document attests. He died in London in 1625.

Some of Bolton's verses appeared in England 's Helicon (1600). He proposed a royal academy in 1617, of which the details were settled in 1624, but this floundered when Buckingham (who had supported it) and Charles did not ultimately support it. He was a lifelong recusant, and died in poverty.

Blackfriars was the former location of the Dominican foundation in London , south-west of St Paul's. It retained the right of sanctuary, and in the early seventeenth century was home to many fashionable people (including, for example, the earl and countess of Somerset , and Jonson 's patron and friend Esmè Stuart, Lord Aubigny), many of whom lived in converted monastic buildings. Two parts of the former monastery housed the first and second Blackfriars theatres, in 1577-1584 and 1596- respectively; a number of Jonson 's plays were first performed here by the resident boys' companies. Blackfriars was also known as a Puritan neighbourhood, with many of its Puritan residents being engaged in the trade of feathermaking.