Guildhall Library, Merchant
Taylors' Company Court Minute Book, vol. 5 (1601-1611), pp. 261-83 (no
foliation) Mfm. GL MF 327, vol. 5
Minutes dated 27 June 1607
detailing preparations for the entertainment; 7 July
1607, concerning the invitation of the king
and queen; 9
July 1607, declining to invite the
Lord Mayor
and Aldermen; 15 July 1607, confirming this decision, making arrangements
for the election of the master, and arranging gifts for the king
, queen and prince;
16 July 1607, describing the entertainment; 16 July
1607, noting expenditure of £300 and the admission of
John Bull
and
Nathaniel Giles
,
musicians, into the livery of the company; 20 July and
8 Aug. 1607, detailing the re-payment of monies spent
on the entertainment.
[p. 261]
A Court of Assistantes holden here vpon Saterday thexxvijth Day of Iune, Anno Domini 1607
...
Information giuen that the King
Queene
and Princce will dyne at our hall.
Whereas, the Company are informed, that
that
the
king
es moast excellent Majesty, with our gratious Queene, and the noble Prince, and diuerse honorable Lordes and others, determyne to Dyne at our hall, on the Day of th'eleccion of Master & wardens, Therefore this meeting was appointed to advise and consult, howe every
thinge may be performed for the reputacion and creditt of the company, and to give his majes ty best lyking and contentment.
The chardges.
And first concernyng the chardges it is agreed, that for the present, the whole money
shalbe laid out and disbursed out of the common stock of the company, And when it is knowne what the whole charges will amount
vnto, the maste r and wardens will referr themselues to the consideraci on of the Assistantes, what is
best
fytt for them to allowe out of their privatt purses, towardes the same chardge.
Comm ittees
And the company haue entreated and aucthorized our maste r and fower wardens
Mr Baron Sotherton
, our 4 Aldermen, and all the old mrs, and mr vernon, or any six of them, to be Comyttees
to determyne direct and appointe all matters concerning the said greate and noble
entertaynement, And what they or any six of them shall appointe, the company will
approve and allowe.
4 Stewards.
And they haue entreated and appointed mr Thomas Bowe
, one of the Assistauntes and Robert Ienkinson,Thomas Iohnson and
William
Greenewell, three of the lyvery to be Steward
es, to receaue money, and to make all provisions, and performe all other matters which belongeth to Steward
es to vndergoe.
2 Caters.
And they haue appointed Lansdale, (the Lord Maiors Cater,) and Sotherne, one of the
Sheriffes Caters) to be attendant vpon the Steward
es and to informe them of all thinges necessary for such an entertaynement and to consider
what number ofp. 262 messes are requisite and howe many, and what Dishes, and howe and where the same
shalbe disposed, and to drawe out billes of the Dyet to be considred of by the Commyttees, and to doe all such service as doth appertayne to Caters to performe.
One daily to attend at Court.
Also they haue entreated mr warden
Wright
from tyme to tyme t'attend at court to vnderstand from my Lord Chamberlen, and my
lord of Salisbury
what complementes are fytt to be performed by the company, and to knowe yf his majes ty hould his purpose and resoluci on to come.
Chief Butler
Also they haue entreated Mathewe Springham one of the Lyvery to be chief and mr Butler,
to comm aund all the Butlers, that shalbe vsed in this service.
A Poet for a speech
And Sir Iohn Swynnerton is entreated to conferr with mr Beniamyn Iohnson the Poet about a speech to be made to welcome his majes ty, and for musique and other inuentions which may giue liking and delight to his majes ty, by reason that the company doubt, that their schoole maste rs and schollers be not acquainted with such kinde of entertaynementes.
A window for ye king to looke into the hall
Alsoe it is agreed that the mason shall presently cutt a hole thorough the mayne wall
at the vpper end of the hall, and make a windowe out of the litle roome for the
king
to looke into the hall And mr warden Osborne
, and mr warden Albany
, to take care to see the same performed.
3 to prouide hanginges, stooles, carpettes, &ces
And william Iones,
Thomas Owen
and
Richard Scales
three of ye Assistantes, are entreated at the companies charge to make provision of hanginges Carpettes, curtens, stooles, chayres, pillowes, and such other necessaries, at the chardges
of the company.
8 to prouide plate
And
George Lidyat
,
Otho Mawditt
,
Richard Osmotherley
,
Georg Sotherton
, Iames Traves, Mathew Beadles Iohn Houghton, and
Henry Polsteede
, being all of the Lyvery of this company, are intreated and appointed to make provision
of plate at the companies charge, wherein it is not doubted but they will deale carefully
and frugally for the company And mr
Warden
wright
is intreated to move the Lord Chamberlen, for the vse of the king
es silver vessell.
Officers and yongmen to wayte.
And our maste r and wardens are intreated to provide a competent and sufficient number of the officers,
attending the Lord Maior and Sheriffes to wait at the same Dynner. And also personable yong men of the company to giue their attendaunce in gownes, and to carry
vp the meate to the inferior tables.
Discreete men to looke about the house.
Also our Master and wardens are intreated to cause discreete men, to make speciall serch in and
about all the howses and roomes adioyning to the hall to prevent all villany and danger,
from all which wee doe moast humbly beseech almighty God, to blesse and defend his majes ty.
3 tables at the vpper end of the hall.
And forasmuch as the company are informed, that the king
es Majesty will dyne in the king
es chamber, and the princes Highnes in the greate hall, it is therefore thought fytt,
that the long table at the vpper end of the hall shalbe taken away and three severall
tables whereby the princes highnes may sitt at a table by him self in state and the
noble men at two tables, at either end thereof.
Brickwall in ye garden to be raised &ces
Also it is concluded and agreed that the brickwall in the garden which adioyneth to the taverne, shall presently be raised vp, to take away the prospect
of such as vse to walke upon the leades of the taverne, and thereby may overlooke
the garden and the kinges chamber, and the garden wales, and the gate & the howses,
about the same to be aswell bewtified as tyme will admytt.
[p. 263]
Comyttees meete every day.
And be it remembred that divers of the Comyttees mett every day at the hall, and did
appoint officers to attend, and also did collect the most personable and proper men,
and appoint every one his service, aswell of such as were of the assistantes, lyvery & sixteene men, as also other yong men of the company and vshers, And they
were very carefull to see every thing performed for the creditt and reputaci on of the company.
...
[p. 264]
A Court of Assistants holdenhere vpon Tuesday thevijth day of Iuly Anno Domini 1607
...
2 Erles haue invited the King
Albeit the company are informed by maste r warden
Wright
, that
the right
the right honorable the Earle of
Suffolk
Lord Chamberlen, and the right honorable the Earle of Salisbury
the
king
es principall Secretarie; out of their honorable love to this company haue invited the
king
es moast excellent Majesty to our feast; soe as the company shall not neede to troble his Majesty any further, Yet it is both their honorable advise, and also thought very convenient,
that some of the chief of the company should ride to
Nonsuch
, to the princes court to invite his highnes, Wherevpon mr Baron Sotherton
,Si
r william Craven, mr Alderman Elwes, and mr warden Albany
haue vndertaken to performe that service, And mr Baron Sotherton
,Sir william Craven, S
i r Iohn Swynnerton, and mr mr Alderman Elwes haue also promised to invite all the
Lordes that are resident about
London
The Queenes Lord Cham
berlain to be moued to invite her Majestie
And mr warden
Wright
hath also promised to desire the Lord Chamberlen to the Queene, to invite her Majesty, and such honorable Ladies as vsually attend her highnes
...
[p. 265]
At a court of Assistantes holden here vpon Thursday thenynth day of Iuly Anno Domini 1607
...
Resolued not to invite either ye Lord Maior or any of the Aldermen,
that
that are not free of our Company
This court being specially appointed to consider and advise whether it were fytt and
convenient to invite the Lord maior and all the Aldermen and their Ladies, to th'eleccion Dynner this yere, yea or no, And vpon propounding thereof severall men deliuered
their severall concepites, and opynions, some houlding opynion that it would be an honor and grace to the company
to see soe many sitt togeather in their scarlett robes, other being of opynion that
it would much derogate from the privat company who should be at the whole chardge,
And so make it seeme as an entertaynement done at the charge of the whole cytty, And
some houlding opynion that yf wee preferred my Lord maior and Aldermen to a principall
table, it would offend the nobles and honorable gentlemen Who would reckon my Lord
Maior in the presence of the
king
, to be but as an ordinary knight
Quia in praesentia Maioris cessat potestas
minoris, Others houlding ^ ⎡it⎤ the duty of vscitizens to haue a very speciall care to giue satisfaccion and preferr the gouernors of the Citty, and some houlding opynion, that my lord
Maior for the present yere being a Clothworker and having procured the king
to grace that company and to cause his Majesties name to be entred, as one of that society, he would
doe his
endeavor to crosse our Company of that honor, which wee vnderstand the Princes highnes
meaneth to conferr vpon our company, and many other reasons and opynions were deliuered.
After which it was put to scruteny, and by moast voices agreed that neither my Lord
maior nor any of the Aldermen(saving such as be of our Company) should be invited
at this tyme, hoping that none of them shall haue any iust cause to except against
the Companies resolution herein.
...
[p. 266]
A Court of Assistants houlden here vpon wednesday thexvth day of Iuly 1607 (being the day before the Maisters feast
or eleccion Dynner)
...
Notwithstanding Master Recorders perswasion to invite ye Lord Mayor and Aldermen, yet it is not thought fitt.
To this court resorted maste r Recorder of
London
, and did vse many perswasive speeches to move the company to invite the right honorable
the lord Maior, and the right woorshipfu ll th'aldermen his bretheren to dyne at the hall, vpon the morrowe next ensuing,
Vpon whose earnest motion it was eftsoones put to question and scruteny whether they
should be invited or no: But the Maior parte remembring howe the same was debated
at the last court, doe stand constant in their former resolucions, And so by scruteny it was agreed that they should not be invited at this tyme,
And therevpon the company praied Master Recorder to conceave well of their resolucion, And to informe my lord Maior and Aldermen, that the company feared that the company
of noble men and ladies would be soe greate, that they should not possible giue his
Lordships and worships that entertaynement as would be fytt for Citizens to giue to their Magistrates Which was the cause they forbore to invite them at this tyme.
Th'election of Master and wardens this yere the day before the feast.
And forasmuch as there would be no tyme spared this yere, for theleccion of maste r and wardens vpon the mornyng before the feast, as in former yeres it hath ben vsed,
Therefore this court was specially called for theleccion of a newe maste r and wardens, and the rather because such as shalbe elected may be enioyned not
to be absent the next day at the publicacion of theleccion
... But th'eleccion was kept secrett vntill it was
kept secrett
openly published the next day at Dynner as hereafter at large shalbe declared.
[p. 267]
Purses and gould to be prouided, for ye King
Queene
and Prince &c
Also at this court it is agreed that the Steward
es shall make provision of three ritch purses, and of CCli in faier gould, Whereof one
hundred poundes to be presented to the king
, and Fyfty poundes to the Queene, and Fyfty poundes to
the
Prince
, And yf the Queene doe not come, then that Fyfty powndes to be saved.
...
A Quarter day, or day of publicacion or day of th'eleccion of the maister and wardens, holden here vpon Thursday thesixteenth day of Iuly
Anno Domini 1607
...
Lord Maior & Aldermen
And it is to be remembred that the Lord Maior and Aldermen (albeit they were not invited,
and some of them discontented therwith) came all to the hall in their scarlett, and
there staied vntill his majes ties coming, And then the Lord Maior and the maste r of our company and some of the Aldermen went to the gate next the streete, And the Lord
maior deliuered vp his sword to the king
, and the maste r of the company did welcome his majes ty and attended his majes ty vp into the hall
A speech to ye king.
And at the vpper end of the hall there was sett a chayer of estate, where his Majesty sate and Viewed the hall, and a very proper child Well spoken being clothed like
an Angell of gladnes, with a taper of Francinnsence burning in his hand, Deliuered a short speech contayning xviij verses, devised by mr Beniamyn Iohnson the Poet,
Which pleased his majes ty marvelously well,
Musique.
and vpon either side of the hall in the
[p. 268]
Windowe neere the vpper end were gallories or seates made for musique in either of
which were seaven singuler choice musitions playing on their lutes
Shipp.
And in the shipp which did hang aloft in the hall three rare men and very skilfull
who song to his majes ty And over the skreene cornettes and lowd musique, wherein it is to be remembred that the multitute and noyse was
soe greate that the lutes nor songes could hardly be heard or vnderstoode
King dyned in the kings chamber
.
And then his Majesty went vp into the kinges chamber where he dyned alone at a table which was provided
only for his majes ty and the Queene (but the Queene came not) In which chamber was placed a very ritch paier of Organs Wherevpon mr Iohn Bull Doctor of
musique, and a brother of this Company did play during all the Dynner tyme, And mr
Nathanyell Gyles, mr of the children of the kinges chappell, together with diuers
singing men and children of the said chappell did sing melodious songes at the said Dynner
The Prince
dyned in the hale.
And be it also remembred that
the Prince
did dyne in the greate hall, and that the long table at the vpper end of the hall
was taken away, and three tables distannt one from an other placed in the rome thereof
Viz one table in the middest where
the Prince
sate aloane in state, and the tables on either side were wholly furnished with Ambassadors and noble men
...
Knightes
Aldermen and Maisters caried ye service
... Three brace of Bucks sent by the
Prince.
... The Maister and wardens &ces resort to the King
with a Purse.
... A Role deliuered his Majest y
... The kings consent that
the prince
should be free
... A present deliuered the
Prince.
... The Princes speeche
...
[p. 269]
Ambassadors.
... Noblemen
... Freemen admytted when the king
and Prynce
dyned here.
...
[p. 271]
The publication of the Election of Master and Wardens.
And then the Master and wardens according to their vsuall manner went with their Garlandes on their heades to publish th'eleccion, it pleased the king
es moast excellent majes ty to resort into the litle lobby, out of which there was a faier windowe made of
purpose for his majes ty to looke into the hall, and there his majes ty observed the whole manner of the Ceremony, And it did moast gratiously please
the prince
, to call for the Maisters Garland, and to put the same vpon his owne heade, Whereat
the king
es majes ty did very hartely laugh, And so the old maste r and wardens proceeded to ye publicacion of th'eleccion of the newe Master and wardens, whoe were all here present, to the good liking of the company. After
all which his majes ty came downe into ye greate hall, and sitting in his chayre of state, did heare
a mellodious song of farwell, song by the three men in the shipp, being apparelled
in Watchett silke, like seamen; Which song so pleased his majes ty, that he caused the same to be sung three tymes over And his majes ty, and the noble Prince, and honorable Lordes gaue the Company harty thanckes and so departed.
Newe Master and wardens
...
[p. 272]
The Coppie of a role deliuered to the king
and a like to the Prynce
...
[p. 277]
A Court of Assistants houlden here
the
vpon Fryday theseaventeenth day of Iuly Anno Domini 1607.
...
Chardg CCCli
There was this day taken out of the Threasurory, the some of Three hundreth poundes which was deliuered to our Maister, to be ymployed towardes the charges expended for the entertaynement of the king
and Prince&ces
...
[p. 279]
Doctor Bull and mr Nathaniell Gyles admitted into ye Lyvery of this
Company.
At this court the Company haue accepted and taken
Mr Iohn Bull Doctor of
Musique and a brother of this company into the Clothing and lyvery of the Company, Also they
haue accepted, and taken mr Nathaniell Gyles, who hath his grace to be Doctor of musique, and is maste r of the children of the
king
es chappell into the freedome of this society, and also into the clothing and Lyvery
of the same, And it is ordred that they shalbe placed in the Lyvery next vnto the
Assistantes, And note that the Lyuery hoods were put vpon their shoulders but neither of them sworne And the Company are contented
to shewe this favor vnto them for their paynes, when the king
and prince
Dyned at our hall, and their love and kindnes in bestowing the musique which was performed
by them their assosiates and children in the Kinges chamber gratis, whereas the Musitians in the greate hall exacted vnreasonable somes of the company
for the same, And therefore the Company meane not that this calling of mr Doctor Bull
and mr Nathaniell Gyles into the Lyvery shalbe any burthen or charge vnto them, further
then shall stand with their owne good likinge.
An assembly houlden here vpon Munday theTwentieth day of Iuly Anno Domini 1607
...
Chardg CCviijl xv s j d
There was this day taken out of the Threasur ory the some of CCviijlixvsjdwhich was presently sent to Mr Iohn Swynnerton late Master towardes the payment of such money as is to be deliuered to the Steward
es for cleering of all Accomptes and disbursmentes which were expended in entertayning of the King
Prince and noble Parsonages&c
[p. 282]
A Court of Assistants holden hereupon Saterday theviijth day of August Anno Domini 1607
...
...
[p. 283]
Cxlli allowed by Mr Swynnerton.
The Company falling into consideracion and reckoning of their greate charges in the entertayning of the king
and prince, amounting to aboue one thowsand poundes, being all disbursed out of the
comon stock of the company, Doe therefore desire to vnderstand of mr Swynnerton late
maste r, what he will allowe towardes the same charges, whoe of his owne accord doth offer (that he being allowed the allowaunce
formerly allowed to other maste rs for his quarter Dynners, and also his wardens xxxli, and the brotherhood money) that then he will bestowe towardes the said chardges, the some of one hundreth and forty poundes, The which some (albe
it they hold it not so much as they expected), the company haue accepted, vppon hope
that mr Swynnerton wilbe a good member and benefactor to our Company.
Bibliography
Nichols (1828), 2.132-43
Clode (1875), 1.275-90
MSC, 3.168-71
H&S, 11.586-7