These entries record payments from the royal accounts to entertainers in Berkshire who were not members of the royal household. They were made when the court was moving through the county. The records of the court when they were resident in Windsor are not included here.
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Item donne par commaundement du Roi pur lour anys desuisditz a les heraldes pur leure largeis pur le ffeste de Noel. C s. Et auxi a les ministralles pur leure regardes. lxvj s. viij d. Et a Iakke Trauaill & ses compaignons faisans diuerses iewes & entreludes dedeins le ffeste de noel Deuant nostre d<..> sire le Roi. iiij li. Et as autres iewers de Abyndon feisantz autres entreludes dedeins le dit ffeste de Noell. xx s. en tout xiij li. vj s. viij d.
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Item given at the command of the king to the heralds for their aforesaid years (ie, of service) as their rewards at Christmas, 100 s. And also to the minstrels for their stipends, 66s 8d. And to Jack Travaill and his companions making various plays and interludes during the feast of Christmas before our lord the king, £4. And also to the other players from Abingdon making other interludes during the said feast of Christmas, 20s. In all, £13 6s 8d.
This reference to players from Abingdon playing before the king has led to unfortunate misconstruction. Thomas Rymer in Foedera, vol 10 (London, 1739–45), 387, transcribes 'iewers de Abyndon' or 'players from Abingdon' as 'Jeweis de Abyndon.' This misunderstanding of the Anglo-Norman has led to notations in the history of English Jewry.
Record title: Household Accounts of Henry VI
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: E 28/50
Repository location: Kew
1428; Anglo-Norman; parchment; single mb; 272mm x 278mm. Now bound with others in green cardboard-covered binder.
f 26 (27 July)
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| Musicions at Newberie the xxvijth of Iulie aforesaid her highnes comaundment signified by mr Piers | xx s. expensum |
| More to another Company of Musicions the same day | xx s./ expensum |
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In July 1615 Queen Anne began her progress from London to Bath, joining King James in Salisbury before continuing her journey. On 26 July she was in Reading and the next day in Newbury (John Nichols, The Progresses, Processions, and Magnificent Festivities of King James the First, vol 3 (London, 1828), 97). On both occasions she paid local musicians for her entertainment. The payments are recorded in the accounts of her household for that year. The wages of her personal musicians (called her majesty's French musicians) – Lewes Richart, John Chanter, Camille Prevost, Peter de la Mare, and Claud Oliver – totalled £550 for the year (f 23). Despite the many payments to local musicians during her progress to Bath (4 July to 12 September), she seems to have taken her own musicians with her since John Mallery, coachman, was paid £32 10s for the period of the trip 'for carrieing her Maiestes Musicions' (f 29v).
The Mr Piers may be David Percy, named a groom of her majesty's chamber with an annual salary of £43 4s (f 20).
Record title: Household Accounts of Anne of Denmark
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: E 315/107
Repository location: Kew
1615; English; paper; ii + 40 + ii with 1 small leaf of additional expenses bound in at the end; 451mm x 371mm (414mm x 200mm); modern foliation; originally written on folios top to bottom and bottom to top as a roll (the MS must be reversed to consult the accounts sequentially); 5 ruled columns, only right 3 written in; ink used for ruling has eaten through many pages, condition fragile; bound in brown cloth with kid corners and spine, stamped on spine in gold: 'E/315 | AUGMN | OFFICE | ACCOUNT | OF | RECEIVER | GENERAL | OF | QUEEN ANNE | A.D.1615 | 107 | 107.'
f 26 (26 July)
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| Musicions and Singers at Reading two companies by her Maiestes pleasure signified by Mr Piers the xxvj⸢th⸣ of Iulie aforesaid | xlij s./ expensum |
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| The seruante of the house where her Maiestie lay at Reading being the sagne of the beare her highnes comaundment signified by mr Piers the same day | xl s./ expensum |
| Sir ffrancis knollis man that brought her Maiestie a present vpon her highnes Comaundment signified by mr Tunstall | x s./ expensum |
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In July 1615 Queen Anne began her progress from London to Bath, joining King James in Salisbury before continuing her journey. On 26 July she was in Reading and the next day in Newbury (Nichols, Progresses of James I, vol III, p 97). On both occasions she paid local musicians for her entertainment. The payments are recorded in the accounts of her household for that year. The wages of her personal musicians (called her majesty's French musicians) – Lewes Richart, John Chanter, Camille Prevost, Peter de la Mare, and Claud Oliver – totalled £550 for the year (f 23). Despite the many payments to local musicians during her progress to Bath (4 July to 12 September), she seems to have taken her own musicians with her since John Mallery, coachman, was paid £32 10s for the period of the trip 'for carrieing her Maiestes Musicions' (f 29v).
The Mr Piers may be David Percy, named a groom of her majesty's chamber with an annual salary of £43 4s (f 20). Mr Tunstall is named as a gentleman usher with an annual wage of £20. By 1615 Sir Francis Knollys was the second Sir Francis, the sixth son of Elizabeth's minister and member of parliament, who was living in the former royal residence of Reading Abbey. He was a parishioner of St Laurence and is buried there.
Record title: Household Accounts of Anne of Denmark
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: E 315/107
Repository location: Kew
1615; English; paper; ii + 40 + ii with 1 small leaf of additional expenses bound in at the end; 451mm x 371mm (414mm x 200mm); modern foliation; originally written on folios top to bottom and bottom to top as a roll (the MS must be reversed to consult the accounts sequentially); 5 ruled columns, only right 3 written in; ink used for ruling has eaten through many pages, condition fragile; bound in brown cloth with kid corners and spine, stamped on spine in gold: 'E/315 | AUGMN | OFFICE | ACCOUNT | OF | RECEIVER | GENERAL | OF | QUEEN ANNE | A.D.1615 | 107 | 107.'
f 45 (23 April)
Vltimo die Aprilis Anno vjto apud Westmonasterium concordatum fuit quod fiat warrantum Thesaurij & Camerarij de soluendo... Et eciam de soluendo certis lusoribus & tripudiatoribus de francia qui in festo sancti Georgij apud Wyndesore luserunt coram Reg<..> decem marcas...
f 45 (23 April)
On 30 April in the sixth year (of the reign of Henry VI) at Westminster, it was agreed that a warrant of the treasurer and chancellor of the Exchequer be made regarding a payment... And also regarding a payment of ten marks to certain players and dancers from France who played before the king at Windsor on the feast of St George...
Sir Harris Nicolas (ed) (Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council of England, Volume 3: 1 Henry VI. MCCCCXXII. to 7 Henry VI. MCCCCXXIX. (London, 1834), 294) dates this payment 30 April.
Record title: Household Accounts of Henry VI
Repository:
BL
Shelfmark: Cotton Cleopatra F.iv
Repository location: London
1422–41; Latin; parchment, some paper; iv +
149 + iii; 270mm x 196mm pasted on larger sheet of parchment 282mm x
205mm; modern foliation (followed here) in pencil; no decoration.
Miscellaneous collection of documents with individual documents bound on
stubs and bound in brown cloth with leather edges and tooled leather
spine; stamped in gold on black patch on the spine: 'Acts of the | Privy
Council | 1–19 Henry VI | Brit Mus | Cotton MS | Cleopatra f
iv.'