St Laurence's Churchwardens' Accounts

'Maister Clech' was Richard Cleche, draper, one of the leading citizens of Reading. He was mayor three times – 1487–8, 1498–9, and 1505–6 (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, pp xxxix–xl) maintaining a prominent position within the Gild Merchant during the years he was not mayor. He stood surety for the entrance of Henry Sutton into the Gild Merchant in 1496, and also for John Cokk who became the guild clerk when he joined the guild in 1498/9 (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, pp 90, 97). It was Cleche who brought the dispute with the abbey over the stocks in the mid-1490s to a satisfactory conclusion (see VCH: Berkshire, vol 3, pp 352–4). He contributed 20s to the renewal of the charter of the Gild Merchant in 1510 (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p 114). In 1513 he shared the cost of one soldier in Henry's levy with a man called Robert Slan (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p 127). In 1516–7 he stood pledge for a debt of Willim Davy (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p 133). He was also a prominent member of the parish of St Laurence. He is named as witness to the will of Henry Kelsall in 1493 (Kerry, Municipal Church of St Lawrence, p 173). Kelsall's will established a guild within the parish called the Brethren of the Mass of Jesus of which Cleche was a founding member. He seems to have stood surety for the guild because in 1505–6 the churchwardens pay him £4 'for old det du to Iesu masse' (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 25; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 29). The inventory of 1517 records two items on the high altar as gifts from him – 'a shipp of Siluer weying xl vnc' and 'ij^o Canstick of Siluer weying xl vnc di' (BRO: D/P 97/ 5/2, p 47; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 186). In 1498–9 the new tenor bell provided for in Kelsall's will was dedicated and Cleche with two others stood 'godfather and godmothers' to the new bell called 'Harry' (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 3; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 4). Cleche's wife died in 1523–4 (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 152; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 135). Cleche himself died before the accounts were reckoned for 1524–5 since in that year the sum of 10s is recorded as a bequest from him for the maintenance of his grave (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 155; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 140). That year he was assessed in the subsidy rolls at £66 13s 4d. Only eighteen inhabitants of Reading were assessed at more then £40 that year (Martin, 'People of Reading,' pp 218–19). Both he and his wife are buried in the church.

William Stamford, alias Melvyn, churchwarden 1504–6, was a pewterer (Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 213). He was paid 3d in 1507–8 'for mending and setting on of a lyon upon a grete candlestyck before St Thomas Aulter' (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 37; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 43). He was a warden of the Gild Merchant in 1511 (Guilding, Reading Records, vol 1, p 122). The 1517 inventory lists a 'chalice of silver parcell gylt weying xviij vnc di' as a gift from him (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 48; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 186). He died in 1516–17 at which time he was styled benefactor and is buried in the church (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 114; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 1, p 93).

'Hendley' is Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire.