single membrane (20 June)
⸢in parochia Sancti Saluatoris
in comite
Surrie⸣
Iuratores pro domina Regina presentant
quod Iohannes
Napton de Parrys Garden,
yoman xxo die Maij Iunij Anno Regni
domine nostre Elizabethe dei gracia Anglie
ffrancie et hibernie Regine fidei defensor &c: xxjo et diuersis diebus tam antea quam postea et
Maxime in diebus Sabbati tempore celebracionis divine
servicie populum et subditos dicte
domine Regine in magnum
numer numerum cum sonitu
vnius le drum
congregat et magnas pecununie Summas de dictis
subditis dicte
domine Regine tunc et ibidem calide exigit/ Ac vrsos et Canes
e Mordantes sub custodia dicti Iohannis
existentes et per ipsum soluo custoditos inter
subditos dicte domine Regine ad largum currere
permisit racione cuius diuersi
subditi dicte domine Regine tunc et
ibidem Morsi et interfecti sunt et bona sua
spoliata in magnum gravaminem
dictorum subditorum dicte domine
Regine et pernicios's periculam vite
eorum ac per contra pacem
&c.
Surrie
sessiones
Surrey
sessions
single membrane (20 June)
⸢In the parish of St Saviour in the county of
Surrey⸣
The jurors for the lady queen present that John Napton of Paris
Garden, yeoman, on the 20th day of May June, in the 21st year of the
reign of our lady Elizabeth by grace of God queen of England, France and Ireland,
defender of the faith, etc, and on many days both before and after, and especially
on the Sabbath days and at times of celebration of the divine service, assembles the
people and the subjects of the said lady queen in great number with the sound of a
drum and then and there vehemently demands large sums of money from the said
subjects of the said lady queen. And he permitted bears and biting dogs, which were
under the guardianship of the said John and in his sole custody, to run at liberty
among the subjects of the said lady queen, for which reason many subjects of the
said lady queen then and there were bitten and killed and their goods
were plundered in great hardship to the said subjects of the said lady queen and
dangerous in danger to their lives and in breach of the peace,
etc.
Record title: Assizes Norfolk and South-Eastern Circuits Surrey
Indictments
Repository:
TNA
Shelfmark: Assi 35/21/6
Repository location: Kew
John Napton, who was managing the Bear Garden on the Bankside property of the Bell and Cock – see Court of Requests: Edward Bowes v. John Digges and John Gape – was indicted at Croydon for organizing a bearbaiting on 20 June 1579 as well as on other occasions in breach of the peace and in the time of divine service.
20 June 1579; Latin and English; parchment; single membrane; 105mm x 285mm; written on 1 side only; endorsed: 'billa vera.' Archival pencil numbering 30 on recto, stamped 31 on dorse; mounted on a binding strip and bound collected with other indictments numbered 1–39, all tied together with string in a gray cardboard cover.
The National Archives (UK), ref. Assizes 35/21/6, 30 July 1579