Berkshire, Reading, 1519–20

St Laurence's Churchwardens' Accounts

BRO: D/P 97/5/2

p 128 (29 September–29 September) (Receipts)

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Item for hokmoney gatheryd by men & women

xxv s. ob.

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p 129

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Item of the gatheryng at the kyng play

xxiiij s.

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p 131 (Expenses)

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Item paid Thomas Taberer for the kyng play at witsontide	x s.
Item paid for his mete & drynk At Thomas Barbours	ij s. iiij d.
Item paid for lyuereis for this yere & the last yere	viij d.

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Footnotes
- hokmoney gatheryd: ie, during Hocktide, 16–17 April 1520
- kyng play: likely held at Whitsuntide, 27–9 May 1520
- witsontide: 27–9 May 1520
Glossed Terms
- gatheryng vb n collection, here used to refer specifically to the act of collecting money for the parish; gaderyng gathering; gatheringe; gatherynge;
- kinge n in phr kinge ale, kingal, kingale, kingalle, kingeale, kyng ale, kyngale, kyngalle, kynge ale, kyngeale king ale, an inversion of order event in which a king — typically a local young man or farmer — was appointed to preside over the festival; kyng game, kynges game, king play, kynges play, kyng play synonymous with king ale; in phr king halle, kyng halle king hall, likely a bower built for the king of the king ale
- lyverey n livery, here a badge used as proof of payment for entry to a fair; lever; liuerrei; lyueray; lyuerei; lyuerey; lyvere; lyverie; lyverye
Endnote

There are two Thomas Barbours in the Reading records. One was a servant of the mayor and the other, younger man, was a wealthy landowner and served at least once as cofferer in 1460–1 (Slade, Reading Gild Accounts, pt 2, pp 50–1, 213). This Thomas Barbour is probably the latter. He died in this year and the parish paid for both his death knell (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 129; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 110) and his grave (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 130; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 111).
Document Description

Record title: St Laurence's Churchwardens' Accounts
Repository: BRO
Shelfmark: D/P 97/5/2
Repository location: Reading

The churchwardens rendered their accounts on the feast of the Annunciation (25 March) until 1516 when they adopted the Michaelmas–Michaelmas pattern rendering their accounts on 29 September.

1498–1626; English; paper; 250 leaves; 330mm x 225mm; modern pagination; some display capitals; pp 1–2, 490–3 are separated but have been repaired and put separately in a brown paper wrapper; bound in boards covered in parchment, title on front cover: 'The Book of the | Church-Wardens Accounts | of the Parish | of | St Laurence.'

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