'Prises limitted by the foresaid Lord Great Master, and others, to be received and paid betwixt William Gurley aforesaid and the Wardens of the Poultry of London, as well for such Poultry-stuff as the said William shall buy of any of the said Fellowship of Poultry for the furniture of his proporcion, when need shall be, as alsoe for such Poultry-stuff as the said William shall deliver unto the said Wardens, when and as often as he shall have any Stuff remaineing in his hands, more than shall be needful for the furnishing of his said proporcion, as followeth. And the same to performe, they, by this Recognizance following, are bound from time to time soe to doe. Memorandum, quod die Lune, tertio die mensis Aprilis, anno 33° Henrici 8. [A.D. 1542], Thomas Fisher Willelmus Mathew, Willelmus Lytchfield, Gardiani Misterii seu occupationis vocate Pulterers Civitatis Londinensis, venerunt coram Johanne Gage, Milite, Contra-rotulatore Hospiti Domini Regis, Thomæ Weldon, Gulielmo Thynne, Jacobo Sutton et Anthonio Bucks, apud Westminstre, et recognoverint cuilibet eorum debere Domino Regi decem Libras, solvendas in bona et legali moneta Anglie proximo futuro post datum presenti, ad opus et usum dicti Domini Regis Henrici Svi, sub condicione sequente.' Thirdly, evidently in the same year 1542 (H. Ord. p. 226), in "A Composition made betwixt Sir Edmond Peckham, Knight, Officer1 of the Kings Most honourable Household, Wm Thynne, and other Officers of the Greencloth, on the behalfe of our Souveraigne Lord the King, and one Thomas Hewyt of Hythe in Kent, for the better serving his Majestie, and his Household, of Sea-Fish to be by him provided and made in the places hereafter expressed, that is, Lydd, Hythe, Folkston, Romney, and soe to the chamber point, at convenient prices, viz." Fourthly, in 1545, at the end of "An Order of the 18th day of January, Anno 33° Hen. VIII [A.D. 1542] for washing and cleane keeping of the Napery which shall serve for the Kings owne table", is (H. Ord. p. 216), 66 Item, it was agreed by Mr Cofferer, Mr Thyne, and others of the Greencloth, that the Cofferers Clerke that rideth to pay Carriages shall have 8d. per day, at such time as he wayteth for the payment of Carriages (the Cofferer being absent from the Court, nor his chamber having none allowance), at Hampton-Court, the 28th day of December, Anno 37° H. VIII." (22 April 1545 to 21 April 1546.) Assuming, then, that the words "and others of the Greencloth" in the last quotation, do not imply that William Thynne had changd his post of one of the two Clerks Controllers of the Counting-house (that is, Examiners of the accounts of the Officers of the King's Household, and Superintendents of the kitchen and offices generally) for the nearly-allied one of Clerk of the Greencloth (in which he'd have been concernd more with entering and posting the accounts that the Clerks Comptrollers passt), let us take out the particulars of the duties, in 1540 A.D., of our 'Clerke Comptroller.' The editor,1 like his author, lookt after accounts; and even as Chaucer wrote with his own hand counter-rolls of wool-fells and hides, if not of wine and groceries too, at the Custom-House in Thames St, London, so Thynne may there also, as Collector of Customs, have written like accounts; and he must have examind and passt the accounts of the Household Officers for meat, fowls, fish, &c., for King and Queen, at Windsor, Westminster, Hampton-Court and other dwellings royal. (See H. Ord., p. 228-231.) 'Ordinances appointed for all Officers of Household, upon the makeing an Establishment of the new 2 Booke of Household, made by the Kings Majesty in the 31st yeare of his most Gracious Reigne. [22 April 1539, to 21 April 1540.] "The Compting-House. A.M. daily, one is to assist his day-before's ac First, That the Lord Great Master, the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Kings Household, or one of them at the least (other great causes of Councell not letting), shall be dayly in the Compting-house between the hours of 8 Between 8 and 9 and 9 in the morning, calling unto them the Cofferer, Clerk-Comptroller Clerke of the Greencloth, and one of the Clerkes-Comp- superior Officer in trollers at the least, the other being occupied in the Kings examining the Service otherwise; and to sitt and to have brought before counts, them all the Bookes of briefments of all the Officers of the Household for the day before passed; and in case they shall find any wastfull expences to have been made by any that waste may be Minister in his Office, that then he, by whom such wast hath been made, to be called before the said Officers, to make answer to the same; and as he or they shall be thought culpable, soe to be punished therefore, as shall be and the waster thought necessary or meete by the said Officers.3 checkt, punisht. 1 William Thynne had at least one fellow-writer in the King's household. 'Bryan Anslay, yeoman of the siller with the eyght kinge Henry," translated The Cyte of Ladyes (H. Pepwell, 1521), from the French of Cristine de Pise (?) : see my Captain Cox, 1871, p. xliii, clxxvi. 2 The old book, or the "Ordinances made at Eltham in 17 Hen. VIII.” (1526 A.D.) say only (H. Ord., p. 140), "Item, it is ordeyned that the clerkes of the Greenecloath, or one of them, be dayly attendant in the compting-house for the engrossment of dayly bookes of the expences of the day before, in the time of the household keeping; according to the old usage and auntient customes of the King's house. "Item the chiefe clerke of comptrollment to be there in like wise for the oversight and comptrolling of the said booke." 3 The Cofferer's duties follow. Clerk-Comp trollers, &c., to be daily in the Greencloth from 8 to 9 A.M., accounts of all (p. 229) The Clerkes of the Greencloth, and Clerkes Comptrollers, in the absence of the great officers, shall be Compting-house, dayly in the Compting-house, and to sitt at the Greencloth between the houres of eight and nine in the Morning; and to cause to be brought before them the Bookes and Breifments of all Officers of Household, for the expences of the said Household for the day before passed; and to peruse the same substantially, in considering whether any wastfull expences have been made in any to check wasteful of the said Offices, or not; and in case any such wast shall be found to have been made, that then they doe call before them the Officers who had the ministration of the said Office where such wast hath been made, to answer unto the same; and to punish them for their offence done therein, as by their discretion shall be thought fitt. expenses, and punish the offenders. One Clerk Larder, Item, the said Clerkes of the Greencloth and ClerkesComptrollers, or two of them at the least, that is to say one Clerke of the Greencloth, and one Clerke-Compto be daily in the troller, shall be dayly in the Larder, as well to view and see that the Victualls be good, sweete, and meete to serve the Kings Highnesse and the Queens Grace withall, as alsoe to see the deliverie of the same into the Cookes hands, for the serving of the Kings Grace, the Queens, and Household. see that Victuals are good, and given to the Cook. Clerk-Comptroller to see that the King's and Queen's food is well cookt and not stolen; in the Household be reformd; Item, the said Clerkes of the Greencloth, and ClerkesComptrollers, and Clerke of the Kitchen, shall as well give great charge dayly to the Cookes for the well dressing of the Kings Meate, and the Queenes; and also to see the said Meate sett out at the Dresser dayly, at every Meale, like as it was put into the Cookes hands; and to attend and follow the same at every Meale, and at every Course. [for fear the Cook should steal any, or any man run away with the dishes from the dresser: see H. Ord. p. 37, 45.] Item, the said Clerkes of the Greencloth and Clerkesalso that disorders Comptrollers, shall see that all the disorders of the Household shall be reformed as much as they conveniently may, in punishing the offenders thereof according to their merretts. that no strangers be allowd at meals. Item, the said Clerkes of the Greencloth and ClerkesComptrollers, shall weekly, once or twice in the weeke, view all the Offices and Chambers of the Household, to see if there be any Strangers eating in the said Offices or Chambers at the Meale times, or at any other time, contrary to the Kings Ordinance; and in case they shall finde any offending therein, to make relation thereof to the Souveraignes of the House. to search their And that the Chamberlaines of the Kings side and of The Chamberlains the Queenes shall cause like search to be made within all chambers, the Chambers belonging to every of their sides; and if they shall finde any disorders therein, then they to see the same reformed, as it shall require. [DUTIES OF THE Clerks of the GREENCLOTH (put-in as Thynne may have been a Clerk).] and reform to sit in the Counting-house, and engross and examind accounts, and enter them cast up daily all The Clerke of the Greencloth shall sitt dayly in the Greencloth-Clerk Compting-house at the Greencloth, there to ingrosse and cast up all the particular Breifments of the House after they shall be comptrolled, and the same, soe cast up, to enter in the Parchment docquett called the Maine Docquet; and the same Docquet so entred and engrossed, to remaine in the Compting-house for record, without taking it away from thence by any officers. in the Main Household, Item, that they do monthly, within six dayes after the Then to make up expirement of every Moneth, call into the Compting-house Accounts of all the parcells indented of all the particular provisions, made stores for the in every Office of the Household, for the expence of the said Household for the month passed; and after they have been perused and seen by the Clerke-Comptroller, then they to engrosse them up, and to enter them into their Ledger, called the Booke of Foote of Parcells. Item, that they shall yearly make the Cofferers booke of Accompt for the expence of the Yeares passed, soe the same may be made perfect to be put into the Exchequer yearly, within the terme of St Hillary, upon paine to lose one Quarters Wages, defaulting the same. submit 'em to the Clerk-Comp leger or Book of Foot of Pa ceis. Then to make a the cost of the Household for the Yearly Account of Exchequer. to keep their examind yearly Item the said Clerkes of the Greencloth shall safely Greencloth-Clerks keep all their Bookes concerning their Office, after they books private, have ingrossed them up, privately to themselves, without the view or sight of them to any other Officer unto the and have 'em And the said Booke shall be examined with by Accountants. yeares end. the Accomptants and particular Clerkes for the perfecting of the same. And likewise shall the Clerks Comptrollers Clerks Comptroland Clerkes Accomptants order all their Bookes touching their Offices. Item, that they shall make every halfe yeare a view of the expence of the Household, that it may be seen what the Charge thereof amounteth to for the said half lers' books to be kept and examind. Greencloth clerks to make a Half Household yeare. expenses. Comptrollers [The Clerks-Comptrollers' Duties again.] The Clerkes Comptrolers, or one of them, shall Clerkdayly, as well view the Kings Chamber and the Queens, as all the Offices of the Household, to advise and see the to check the absence or attendance of all them which be appointed Household under check of Household, and not onely to default and Officers, attendance of absentees, and of those dock the wages of check the Wages of all such as he shall finde to be absent without lycence, but also to default and check the Wages of all them which be in the House, who by the Kings order should sitt at Dinner and Souper within the Kings Chamber, and the Queens, and do note, but be absent from thence without lycence, soe to be eating in places as they're orderd contrary to the Kings Ordinances, and against his honour. Officers who don't dine and sup in the King's or Queen's Chamber to.1 To note daily whether any extra servants, strangers or vagabonds, are in the Household Offices. If so, to have 'em turnd out by the To make quarterly a Check Roll Item, the said Clerkes-Comptrollers, in soe peruseing the house dayly, shall note well in everie Office, if that there be any more number of Servants in any of the said Offices then is appointed to be by the Kings Ordinances, or else any Strangers or Vagabonds within the same; and in case he shall find any such, that then he for the first time shall admonish and warne the Serjeant, or in his absence, the Hedd of the same Office, who shall give attendance where such shall be found, that they be avoyded, and no more thither to resort; and being after of new there found againe after such warning given, that then everie of the said Servants or Hedd of the Office to be checked of two dayes wages, for every time being soe found culpable. Item, the said Clerkes-Comptrollers shall make for every Quarter in the Yeare, a Roule of Parchment that shall be called the Check-Roll, which shall containe the names of all them which shall be of the Ordinarie, and within the Check of the Household; and dayly to present in the same Roule the allowance of the Wages of all them and the wages of which shall be attendant, and the defaulkation and check of Wages of all them which shall be absent. of all the Household (?) attendants. One Clerk to inspect Daily all provisions, Item, the said Clerkes-Comptrollers, or one of them at the least, shall be at the Green-Cloth with other Officers, as is before mentioned; and one of them dayly to see the Venit and comeing in of all Provisions in every Office of the Household; discreetly adviseing that the said Provisions be good stuff, and meete to be spent within reject all that are the House for the Kings honour, or else to reject and returne it back again unto the Purveyors, and to make relation thereof at the Greencloth of the badnesse of the that they may be stuff; to the intent that the Purveyors which brought in the same may be punished as they shall deserve in that behalfe, soe disappointing the House. bad, and report the Purveyors, punisht. To enter all good provisions And that the said Clerkes-Comptrollers, upon the view and sight of the comeing in of the said premises being good stuff, shall make Entry and Record of the same into 1 Absence from the public Hall, and taking meals in private rooms, was a great offence. See H. Ord. p. 153. |