Merchant Taylors' Entertainment 1

Guildhall Library, Merchant Taylors' Accounts, vol. 9 (1604-9) Accounts for 1606-7 (no foliation; no pagination in main account) Mfm. GL MF 300

Note of payment to the four stewards in anticipation of the entertainment; note indicating the difficulties the Stewards were experiencing in concluding their account. (The accounts also include detailed listings of expenses incurred in preparing the house for the arrival of the king and queen; these are omitted from the following transcription.) Account drawn up by the four stewards, separately paginated, detailing materials purchased for the entertainment and payment to performers. The bulk of the account relates to food and plate purchased for the banquet; there are also payments to waitingmen, porters, stewards and others, as well as gifts to the king , prince, and their men (including the king's trumpeters and drummers). The account concludes with an abstract.

Memorandum that whereas th'election Dynner this yere by reason of thentertayning of the King es Majesty and the prynce was provided by Steward es appointed by the Company, who receaued money of the Companies stock to defray the same charges, The said mr Iohn Swynnerton late maste r and nowe accomptant doth allowe of his owne free offer towardes the said chardges (he being allowed his wardens money and the brotherhood money) I say then he doth allowe the some of One hundreth and Forty poundes and so chargeth himself with Cxlli
...
Item Deliuered at severall tymes vnto Mr Thomas Rowe one of the Assistanntes of this company and to Robert Ienkinson,Thomas Iohnson and william Greenewell 3 of the lyvery of this company being all 4 appointed Steward es to provide the Dynner for th'entertayning of ye king Queene and prince, the some of Nyne hundreth poundes, For the ymploying whereof, they they are to deliuer a particuler and perfect Accompt which they cannot yet fynish, by reason they cannot conclude with some that demaund vnreasonable somes, I say paid vnto them ixC li
[p. 1]
The Accompt of Thomas Row, Robert Ienkinson, Thomas Iohnson, and william Greenewell, the 4 Stewards, elected to make preparation of a Dynner for the King entertayning of the kings Majesty, the Queene and Prynce &ces.
Receiptes .
The said Accomptauntes doe charge them selues to haue receaued of the right worshipfu ll mr Iohn SwynnertonMaister, at seuerall tymes, the some of Nyne hundred powndes I say receaued ixC li
Su mm a pa rticulares
...
[p. 17]
For the Shipp.
for xixll of Rope at iij^dthe pound, & 31ll of Rope at iij^dxij^s
More for three pullies for to hoise vp the shipp vj^dthe peece xviij^d
xiij^svj^d
For taffita for ye garmentes of the Singers in the shipp and robes for the speaker.
To mr Springham for xix elles 1/2 of Taffite to make clothes for the three singers in the shipp, and for him that made the speech to his majes ty, at xiij^siiij^dthe ell, the some of xiij^li
To Iohn Allen the chief singer in the shipp iiij^li
To Thomas Lupo the chief singer in the shipp being his majes ties Musitian iij^li
To Iohn Richard es the third singer in the shipp iij^li
To mr Hemmyng es for his direcci on of his boy that made the speech to his majes ty xls and v^sgiven to Iohn Rise the speaker xlv^s
To Iohn mr Swynnertons man for thinges for the boy that made the speech Viz for garters, stockinges shooes, Ribons and gloves xiij^s
To ye Tayler
for making of the two Robes vj^sviij^dfor the Ribons and tapes ij^svj^d, and for the fring viij^sviij^dxvij^sx^dfor buckroms for the Cabes xviij^dfor flowers for the garlandes iij^svj^dv^s
for sowing silke ij^siiij^dfor makinge of ye garmentes xxv^sxxvij^siiij^d
for setting of the songes that were songe to his majes ty to mr Copiararioxij^li
To mr Iohnsons man for writing out copies of the speech and songes to be giuen to the king and Lordes with others xv^s
To mr Iohnson for the Musitians Dynner, the Day before the feast xls
To Powles singing men by mr Ben: Iohnson xxv^s
xliiij^liviij^sij^d
To them that plaid on the Lute .
To Thomas Robinson xxx^s, and to Iohn Done xls iij^lix^s
To George Roseler xls, and to Tho: Sturgon xls iiij^liTo willia m Fregosie by mr Roselor xls, and by Io: Robson xls iiij^li
To Nicholas Sturt for himself and his sonne iiij^li
To william Browne by Sturt xls & to Ioseph sherly xls iiij^li
To william Morley for himselfe xls, & for Rob ert Kenn er sly xls iiij^li
To Rob ert Bateman, and Stephen Thomas who plaid on the treble violens, by Nicholas Sturt and Richard morley xx^s
To mr Beniamyn Iohnson the Poett for inventing the speech to his majes ty, and for making the songes, and his direccions to others in that speech busines xx^li
xliiij^lix^s
Sum ma iiijxx ix^lixj^sviij^d
...
[p. 20]
To ^ ⎡mr⎤ Iohn Bull Doctor of musique to pay to him that sett vp the winde instrumentes in the king es chamber where the king dyned and for tuning it, with the cariage of it, from and to Ruccolds lviij^s
To mr Edney, mr Laneere, and fower others of his majes ties musitions players of wynde instrumentes, being placed over the Skreene x^li
...
Summa totalis of these Acconmptantes Whole paymentes doth amount to the somme of Nyne hundreth and six powndes xvij^svij^dI say ixC vj^lixvij^svij^d
Whereby it appeareth they haue disbursed more then they receaved And which is to be paid them by mr Johnson maste r vj^lixvij^svij^d
Examined by v^s Thomas Iuxon Ino vernon Tho: Henshaw Auditores.
...
[(p. 23)]
Memorandum that over and aboue this some of nyne hundreth, six poundes seaventeene shillinges and seaven pence, there was disbursed about the repayring and bewtifying of the howse, as by the Accompt of mr Swynnerton Maister appeareth the some of One hundreth fyfty fower poundes seaven shillinges and six pence, Wherevnto add the ixC vj^lixvij^svij^dAnd it maketh iust mlxj^liv^sj^d

Bibliography
Clode (1875), [Extra masque bib.] 1.276, 280 n., 290
H&S, 11.587
MSC, 3.171-4
Nichols (1828), 2.143-5