Berkshire, Reading, 1516

St Laurence's Churchwardens' Accounts

BRO: D/P 97/5/2

p 109 (25 March–29 September) (Receipts)

...

Of the men & women for the gatheryng at hocktyde	xxv s. v d.
Of the yong men for the kyng play at wytsontyde with a quarter of malt gyven by Roger Iohnson preysed at iiij s.	xxxj s.
Of the tree sold in the mercatplace	iij d.

...

Footnotes
- hocktyde: 31 March–1 April 1516
- wytsontyde: 11–13 May 1516
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
- tree n maypole; tre
Endnote

This year the accounting year changes from 25 March–25 March to 29 September–29 September. This account is for six months from 25 March to 29 September 1516. The antiquarian who wrote the years in the margin by each heading (Kerry?) missed this detail and has caused some confusion among researchers who have used the book.

There are many Johnsons in the records of the parish. Roger was a currier who rented a house in the market place from the parish from 1513–4 to Christmas 1520 (Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, pp 73, 117). He died and was buried in the church in 1542–3 (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 229; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 39). He had two wives, both of whom were buried in the church in 1502–3 and 1536–7 (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 9; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 11).
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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