p 92 (25 March–25 March) (Receipts)
...
| Item receyvid of money gaderid at hocktyd of the mennys parte | x s. j d. ob. |
| Item receyvid of money gaderid at the same hocktyde of the wymens parte | xxxj s. j d. |
| Item receyued of money gaderid at witsontyde of the kyng play remaynyng in the hondes of Thomas Carpenter | iij li. viij s. viij d. |
...
Thomas Carpenter became a member of the Gild Merchant in 1488, served as cofferer of the guild in 1490–1 and 1496–1501, was named constable October 3, 1494, warden of New Ward in 1497, and an assessor for the guild the same year (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, pp 88, 90, 92–3; Slade, Reading Gild Accounts, pt 1, pp 198–9). He was chosen mayor of Reading 1504–5, 1506–7, and 1508–9, sharing the important years of the dispute with the abbey with Richard Cleche (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p xl). He hosted the breakfast in 1495–6, a year when the abbot refused to appoint a mayor (Slade, Reading Gild Accounts, pt 1, p lxxxix; pt 2, pp 140–1). The abbot again refused to appoint in 1509–10, so Carpenter stayed in office for that year (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p xl). He died and was buried in the church in 1520–1 (Kerry, Municipal Church of St Lawrence, p 188).
Kerry suggests that the dedication of the original church (destroyed when the abbey was built in 1121) was St Matthew (Municipal Church of St Lawrence, pp 4–5). If the original patronal day was kept, the date would be the feast of St Matthew, 21 September. The feast of St Laurence is 10 August. The dedication day was a favourite time for parish festivities in the early sixteenth century (see, for example, 1503–4 and 1513–14).
Kerry agrees with the reading of 'Ioyaunt,' but Dils has transcribed the word as 'Ioycoint' but does not gloss it although she writes in a footnote, 'This was an entertainer associated with morris dancers' (Municipal Church of St Lawrence, p 226; St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 68). The letter shapes after the 'y' are obscure but neither the MED nor the OEDO attest to any word with 'co' following 'y' or 'i.' An effigy of a giant that was carrried was part of the Coventry cappers' Midsummer celebrations. See the Cappers' Accounts in Ingram, Coventry, passim.
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.'