APPENDIX X.

Lo.

Keeper.

Lo. Trear.

Extracts from the Privy Council Register (continued). Letter concerning the disturbances in Rutlandshire (Privy Council Register, Vol. VI. f. 345. 15th Feb. 163).

This entry illustrates the connection between efforts to improve poor relief and the maintenance of order.

A Lre to St Edward Harrington, Sir Hen. Mackworth Bart Sr Guy Palmer Kt and Basill Fielding Esq' or any twoe of them. Whereas we have beene made acquainted wth a lre written by John Wildbore a Minister in and aboute Tinwell wthin that Lo. Privie County to a friend of his here wherein after some mencon by him made of the present want and miserie sustayned by the poorer sorte in those parts through the dearth of Corne and the want of worke, he doth advertize in particular some speeches uttered by a worth. shoomaker of Uppingham (whose name wee finde not) tending to Lo. Bp of Winton. the stirring upp of the poore theraboute to a mutiny and

Seale.

Ea. Mar. shall.

Lo. V. Went

troler.

Mr Trear. insurreccon. Wch informacon was as followeth in hæc verba Mr Comp-Hearest thou" saith a Shoomaker of Uppingham to a poore Mr Secre. man of Liddington "if thou wilte be secrett I will make a mocon Coke. to thee." "What is yo1 Mocon?" saith the other. Then said the Shoomaker "The poore men of Okeham have sent to us poore men of Uppingham and if you poore men of Liddington will ioyne with us wee will rise and the poore of Okeham say they can have all the Armour of the Countrie in theire power wthin halfe an hower, and (in faith saith he) we will ryfle the churles." Upon consideracon had therof however this Board is not easily credilous of light reports nor apte to take impression from the vaine speeches or eiaculacons of some meane and contemptible persons. Yet because it sorts well wth the care and providence of a State to prevent all occasions wch ill affected persons may otherwise lay hold of under pretence and collour of the necessitie of the tyme, we have thought good hereby to will and require you the Deputy Lieuts. and Justices of peace next adioyneing

forthwth to apprehend and take a more particular examinacon aswell of the said Shoomaker as of such others as you shall thinke fitt concerning the advertizement aforesaid. And that you take especial care that the Armes of that County in and aboute those parts be safely disposed of. And lykewise (wch is indeede most considerable and the best meanes to prevent all disorders in this kinde) that you deale effectually in causeing the markett to be well supplyed wth corne and the poore to be served at reasonable prices and sett on worke by those of the richer sorte and by rayseing of stocke to releeve and sett them on worke according to the lawes. All wch we recomende to yo' especiall care and require an account from you of yo' doeings and proceedings herein wth all convenient expedicon. And soe &c.

APPENDIX XI.

Letter from Sir Thomas Barrington concerning the eight hundreds of Yorkshire (Dom. State Papers, Chas. I. Vol. 177, No. 31. 21st Dec. 1630).

The following letter is substantially like many other justices' reports relating to the corn measures of 1629-1631. This document, like a few others of the same kind, preceded the issue of the Book of Orders of Jan. 1639; and was sent in answer to previous orders of the Privy Council'. It is addressed on the back "To the right Honle my most hond Lo. the Lo. viceCount Dorchester at his lodgings in Whitehall"; and has attached to it a seal with a crest and also the date 1630.

My Lo., the assurance yt I haue of yo' Los desyre to understand ye carefull and successfull execution of ye late commaunds wch we haue receiued, and feareing least ye high Sheriff may delay ye retourning of owr certifficates; I shall take the bouldnes to aduertize yo' LoP that haueing attended the seruice inioyned by his Mats instructions and yo' LoPS letters in eight hundreds of this Countie, (as yo' Lo" will find when ye Cirtificates are retourned) we haue followed those directions giuen us conserneing Badgers3, Millers etc. a sort of people yt did much rayse ye prizes of Corne ; but I hope we haue preuented it for ye future, som of them being bound to ye Sessions, others ouerlooked wth a strict eye that theay offend not as theay haue done; we find the Marketts to be well serued; and tharefor no compulsion yet needes to be used as yet ; we haue furthermore taken care (wch I conceiue to be yo' Los chiefe ayme) that the poorer sort be prouided for by y laying in of Corne in euery Toune sufficient to satisfy them for this yeear, and yt at such rates, as ye scarcytye and dirth of theise times will

1 See above, p. 172.

* Lord Dorchester had been appointed one of the special commissioners for the poor in June 1630. See above, pp. 156, 164.

3 See note App. V.

be y less bitter unto them, when theay shall haue it 18. and 25. in ye Bushell cheaper then ye Markett can afford, as vpon calling ye countrye together we haue easyly perswaded them heearunto, & ye most parishes haue allready begun this worke, weh if it answar not yo' Los desyres I shall be sorye yt I was one of ye first moouers heearin; in ye same forme yt I exprest unto yo1 Lop when I wayted upon you; wch haueing tendred to yr Lo and other Justices in theise parts I found them so well to approoue it (as yt yo' LoP will find) we haue followed yt way wth a ioynct consent; by wch meanes it appears playnely yt ye prizes of ye marketts are fallne and doe weekely fall, wheate being in diuerse Marketts where I haue attended this seruice at 78. ye bushell and vi3. vid. whare lately it was sold at 8*. vid.; for ye laborers and all ye poorer sort being supplyed at home who are the greater nomber, the rates of graine must of necessytye fall to be less. My Lo. I feare I haue ben toe troublesom in this tedious discourse, but yo' Lo knowes circumstances make ye busines of no small consequence, wch it hath pleased his May so gratiously to consider & yo' Lo so carefully to order, wharein if thare be any thing yt yo' Lo" will be pleased to commaund me, I shall willing obaye, and so shall yo' Lo" euer find me deuoted to yo desyres in any thing, whareby I may becom seruiceable to ye Countye, or to y' LoP in particular, whose fauors have ingaged me to study how I may any way express myselfe most,

Hatf. Bro.

10. 21, 1630.

Yor Lops faithfull seruant
Tho. Barrington.

My wife wth me offers yor LoP and yo' noble La. obliged seruice thare being nothing we more desyre then to heear of yo good healthes.

APPENDIX XII.

Southht.

Justices' reports on the execution of the Book of Orders of January, 16391.

A.

Dom. Stute Papers, Chas. I. Vol. 188. 85.

Questions sent by the justices responsible for the division of Fawley, Hants. to the constables etc. of their district.

This copy of the inquiries was sent by Sir Richard Tychborne, Sir Thomas Stukeley, Henry Clerke and William Rolfe, the justices responsible for Fawley, to the High Sheriff of the county, together with a report on the measures taken to improve poor relief in the division of Fawley. The justices state they have sent these inquiries to the "officers of everie parish," but have so far not obtained satisfactory replies.

The document is directed "To the right wor" Thomas Cotele Esq. high Sheriffe of the county of South(amp)ton."

"The perticuler of such things as by vertue of divers statutes menconed in his Mat's Commission are given in charge to the severall officers vizt.

Touching the poore.

1.

2.

What poore are releived that cannott worke.
What poore are sett to worke that want it.

3. What stocks are provided to sett the poore on worke.

4.

The names of such poore as want stocks to worke.

5. The names of such men or women children that are

6.

7.

8.

above the age of 10 yeres & not bound apprentice. The names of such householders as are fitt to take apprentices.

What monies or lands have bine given to charitable

vses.

Whether the Churchwardens & overseers for theis things have mett monethly.

1 See p. 172 seq.