Berkshire, Reading, 1556–7

St Mary's Churchwardens' Accounts

BRO: D/P 98/5/1

p 40 (3 April 1556–16 April 1557) (Gathering days and other receipts)

...

Item receaved of the mens Gathering wymens gathering and Maydens Gathering at Hoctyde and Vppon Mayday	xxxix s.
Item Receaved of the Gathering vppon all holloday	ij s. vij d.
Item Receaved of the gathering vppon Christmas day	iij s. vij d.
Item Receaved at Whytsontyde	xxxiij s. xj d.

...

pp 40–1 (Other payments)

...

Item payed to the minstrelles and the hobby horse vppon Mayday	iij s.
Item payed for the morys daunsers and the mynstrelles mete and drink at whitsontyde	iij s. iiij d.
payed to them the Sonday after mayday	xx d.\|

payed to the painter for paynting of ther Cottes	ij s. viij d.
payed to the painter for ij^C dimidium of Lyveryes	xx d.
payed the minstrilles the ix^th daye of Maye	vj s. viij d.
payed vppon holly thursday for the lords brekfast	ij s. j d.
payed for vj peir of Showes for the morrisdaunsers	iiij s.
payed more at that Tyme	viij d.
payed for iij bushells of Wheat	ix s.
payed for a Lode of ffagottes	ij s. viij d.
paied to willson the minstrell	xv d.
paied for Spice	xij d.
paied for iiij^r dosen belles for the morysdaunsers	ij s.
paied to hayles the Coke	xiiij d.
paied to one for Carying of the Tables and Trestells into the Church	ij d.
paied for the minstrilles bedd	iiij d.
paied for veniger and salte	ij d.
paied for meat at whitsontide	x s. iiij d.
paied for ij^o barrells of bere	vj s.
paied for Sowing of the Morryse Cottes	vij d.
paied for ale	iij d.

...

paied to Lyghtfote the Capper for a hatt and a Capp with a ffether

ij s. iiij d.

...

Footnotes
- Hoctyde: 13–14 April 1556
- Whytsontyde: 24–6 May 1556
- holly thursday: 14 May 1556
Glossed Terms
- alhollauday n All Hallows' Day; alhollausday; all hallodaye; allhollauday; allhollauueday; all holloday
- gatheryng vb n collection, here used to refer specifically to the act of collecting money for the parish; gaderyng gathering; gatheringe; gatherynge;
- lyverey n livery, here a badge used as proof of payment for entry to a fair; lever; liuerrei; lyueray; lyuerei; lyuerey; lyvere; lyverie; lyverye
- veniger n vinegar
Endnote

If the reference to the 'lords brekfast' is for Ascension Day, it would come midway in the lengthy summer celebrations. Easter was on 5 April in 1556, so the entries related to festive activities span the period from Hock Monday (13 April) to Whitsun (24 May). Ascension Day was 14 May in 1556. This is the only reference to a summer lord associated with the St Mary's festivities. Such a figure was a central part of St Giles' celebration and also appears in St Laurence's accounts.
Document Description

Record title: St Mary's Churchwardens' Accounts
Repository: BRO
Shelfmark: D/P 98/5/1
Repository location: Reading

The yearly accounts, in our period rendered on Good Friday, begin on p 33 with the accounts for 1555–6. The accounts to 1675 then follow on numbered pages. Subsequent accounts are also not paginated. The later parts of the book contain miscellaneous church records, including coloured plans for the church bound into the book at the year 1837. At the year 1885 there is a note on the improvement of the churchyard with a coloured plan.

1547–1907; English; paper with parchment flyleaves; ii + 415 + ii; 385mm x 275mm; modern pagination (4 unnumbered leaves, 128 leaves paginated 1–255 followed by 217 unnumbered leaves taking the accounts to 1907, these are followed by 66 blank leaves); some display capitals, later entries ruled in red; bound in tooled brown leather fraying at the edges, title stamped on front cover: 'Parish of St Mary | Reading | Churchwardens' Register | 1547 to (blank).'

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