Cambridgeshire, Bassingbourn, 1511

Sts Peter and Paul Churchwardens' Accounts

Cambridgeshire Archives: P 11/5/2
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ff 30v–32 (20 July) (St George Play receipts)

Memorandum Received atte the playe had on seynte Margaretes daye anno domini .Ml. vC. & xjmo. and the iijde yer off the Reign off kyng harrye the viijth. had in bassingburn off the holy martir seynt georg. Att þat tyme Chirchewardeyns Iohn ayworthe & Iohn good than the elder in bassingburn in þe Westend. by theym received than as affter folowith

ffirst received off the Townshyppe off Royston Summa xij s.
Item received off the townshyppe off Tharffeld Summa vj s. viij d.
Item received off Melbourne v s. iiij d. off lyttyllyngton v s. ij d. ob. summa x s. vj d. ob.
Item received off whaddon iiij s. iiij d. ob. off Stepulmordon iiij s. j d. summa viij s. v d. ob.
Item received off Berly iiij s. j d. off asshewell iiij s. Summa viij s. j d.
Item received off Abyngton iij s. iiij d. off Orwell iij s. Summa vj s. iiij d.
Item received off Wendey ij s. ix d. Off wyndpole ij s. vij d. summa v s. iiij d.
Item received off Meldreth ij s. iiij d. off Arryngton ij s. iiij d. Summa iiij s. viij d.
Item received off shepreth ij s. iiij d. off kelsey ij s. v d. Summa iiijs. ix d.
Item received off wyllyngham xxij d. off ffulmar xx d. summa iij s. vj d.
Item received off gyldynmordon xvj d. off Taddelowe xij d. summa ij s. iiij d.
Item received off Crawdeyn xvj d. off hattely x d. Summa ij s. ij d.
Item received off wrastlyngworthe ix d. off hasselyngffeld ix d. summa xviij d.
Item received off Barkwey viij d. off ffoxtun iiij d. Summa xij d.
Item Received off kneseworthe with vj d. of hekys ȝefft þer summa ij s. vj d.
Item received off the townshype off bassingbourne on the mondaye. and on the Tewysday next affter the playe. Summa togeder with other commeres vn the mondaye xiiij s. v d.
Item received vppon þe wednesdaye next affter the playye with a potte off ale att kneseworthe all costes deduct and content summa xix d.
Item received ffor good ale. and small ale sold out summa x d. ob.
Item received off Thomas taylor in bassingbourne bocher in mony of his ȝefft xx d.
Item received off William pynk off hys ȝefft in mony x d.
Item received off Iohn Daber iiij d. off Thomas marchall suant of Master Malery iiij d. summa viij d.
Item received off Robert ffreman iiij d. off Iohn good at crosse iij d. Summa vij d.
Item received off ffrankleon & Robert serle ayther of þem ij d. Summa iiij d.
Item received off william lamkyn ij d. ⸤& Iohn Dykon⸥ off Iohn comeȝ ij d. & ⸤Item of william tayler⸥ Summa iiij d.
Item received of Robert blandes ȝefft of buntfford summa xij d.
In <....> receiued in mony <.......>
<......><...> <......>
In <.......> <......>
Item received off Iohn good karpenter & whelewhryght off his ȝefft in workeman shippe off falchons & tourmentoures axis parte of the stuffyff of his own and ffor a Rymbyll of a whele Summa togeder xvj d.
Item received off Iohn hobard preste towardes theys costes in all out of his labour for berying the play booke with iij d. for a boshel of malte summa xxj d.
Memorandum þe ȝefftes in Brewing of the maltes. ffirst vxor Egidij asshewell j quarter x d.
Item vxor Thome tayler bocher a j quarter malte brewing x d.
Item vxor Iohannis good the Elder gaff the brewing of iiij boshels v d.
Item vxor Roberti serle gaff the brewing off iiij boshels v d.
Item vxor walteri taylore gaff the brewing of iiij boshels v d.
Item vxor Iohannis Thomas brewing a quarter gaffe v d.
Item vxor georgij Noorthe gaffe the brewing of demi a quarter v d.
Item vxor Thome bolnest ȝaff þe brewing of demi a quarter v d.
Item maryon lorkyn wydowe gaff brewing of demi a quarter v d.
Item vxor Roberti bolnest in the brewing of a quarter gaffe ij d.
Item vxor Iohannis good at Cross gafe in brewing of a quarter ij d.
Item vxor gyleȝ asshewell gaff þe baking of a quarter of whet she hauyng þe goriones.
Item vxor Iohannis pynk (blank)
Item
Item
Item received off morgon gyft of gylden mordon a shepe price xxij d.
Item received off Iohn gosselyn ȝeft in bassingbourn a Shepe price xx d.
Item received ffor ale leffte Summa more þan afore receyved vj d. ob.

col 1

memorandum received in maltes ffirst of master antony malare j quarter
Item off Iohn lyon corsir ij quarteres
Item off Robert bolnest j quarter
Item off Thomas bolnest & his wiff & Robert laurence v boshels
Item off Thomas assheewell iiij boshels
Item off george noorthe iiij boshels
Item of william Thomas of wyndpole iiij boshels
Item off Iohn ayworthe iiij boshels
Item of Iohn Thomas of bassingbourn iiij boshels
Item Rooger hasyldeyn iiij boshels
Item of william podde paryshclerk iiij boshels
Item off iohn game of knesworthe iij boshels
Item off william Edeyn ij boshels
Item of Iohn Catell ij boshels
Item off good senior in westend iiij boshels

col 2

Item of william asshewell j boshel
Item of Robert taddeleue j boshel
Item of william soyleȝard j boshel
Item of Robert crane j boshel
Item off iohn pynk j boshel
Item maryon lorkyn j boshel
Item Richard gibbe j boshel
Item of Iohn Crane j boshel
Item of iohn gibson j boshel
Item of Robert skampion j boshel
Item Robert lane & gronger ij boshels
Item harre laveȝok j boshel
Item iohn stephenson iij pekes
Item william good & Euerard iij pekes
Item agnes katell j pek
Summa in maltes xj quarter iij bosshels iij pekes

Memorandum in wheetes received of master malary iiij boshels. Item of gyleȝ asshewell iiij boshels. Item of william soylard of william waller. off Thomas gybbe in knesworth of Iohn hobard prest ayþer of þem a boshel summa xij boshels |

Expenses and Charges off the sayde playe as ffolowith

ffyrst paid to the garnement man ffor garnementes & propyrtes & play booke xx s. ij d.
Item payd to mynystrelles & iij waytes of cambrigge for the wednesdaye sondaye & monday. ij off theym þe first day & iij þe other days v s. xj d.
Item in Expenses on the playeres whan that þe playe was shewed in bred & ale and ffor other vytalles att royston on those playeres iij s. ij d.
Item in Expenses on the playday ffor the bodyes off vj shepe one off theym of morgon ȝefft of mordon price þe shepe xxij d. Summa ix s. ij d.
Item ffor iij Calffis & halffe a lambe price viij s. ij d.
Item a Shepe gyffen off Iohn gosselyn price xxij d.
Item payd to Thomas taylor & gyles asshewell ffor ij quarters of whete viij s.
Item payde to Iohn goode off the westend for j lode off woode ij s. viij d.
Item payde ffor v days bord off one pyke propyrtes making ffor hymselfe & hys siruante one daye & ffor his horsses pasture vj days summa xvj d.
Item payde to Thomas palgraue Coke ix d. Item to ffrank asselar iiij d. Summa xiij d.
Item payde to turneres off spittes & ffor salte ij d. summa to geder ix d.
Item payde to ame ayworthe for iiij Chekynes ⸢to þe gentylmen⸣ iiij d.
Item paide to yssabell asshewell ffor ffysshe & bred setting vp stages iiij d.
Item ffor naylis to lamkyn smyth paid j d. & for a Iorny to westmell ij d.
Item payde to Iohn bocher ffor peynting off iij. ffawchones & iiij. tormentoures axis xvj d.
Item payde to gyles asshewell ffor Easement of his Crofft to play in xij d.
Item payd to Iohn hobarde brotherid preste for þe pley book beryng ij s. viij d.
memorandum brewinges of maltes to ame ayworthe for demi quarter paid summa v d.
Item to kateryn taylor ffor demi quarter malte brewing payd v d.
Item to Ione bolnest vxor Roberti for j quarter brewing x d.
Item to Ione taylor vxor Thome taylor for j quarter brewing x d.
Item to maryon lorkyn wydowe for demi quarter v d.
Item to helyn good ffor j quarter malte brewing x d.
Item to yssabell asshewell for j quarter brewyng x d.
Item to Ione serle ffor demi a quarter brewing v d.
Item to agnes good vxor Iohannis senior for demi a quarter v d.
Item to margarett Thomas ffor j quarter brewing x d.
Item to alice noorthe vxor georgij for demi a quarter v d.
Item to Ione bolnest vxor Thome ffor demi a quarter v d.
Item to kateryn lyon for a quarter & to Elyn pynke for demi a quarter xv d.
Item payd ffor halffe a shepe more on the tewysdaye after þe playe x d.
Item payd ffor Spyces to that sayd besynes & pley xij d.
Item payd ffor bred bought off Ione bolnest vxor Roberti iij d.
Item payd ffor ffetting þe dragon in expenses biside þe carriage viij d.
Item payd ffor gryndyng off x quarters malte & demi ix d.
Item payd ffor bred & vitalles & ale setting vppe þe stages v d.
Item payde ffor ffetting a quarter malt from wyndpole j d.
Item payde ffor pottes to the playe summa ix d.
Item payde ffor beeffe to Thomas taylor setting vppe þe stages ij d.
Item payd to william gronger one of þe asselares on þe play day ij d.
Item payde ffor pastes vppon the tewysdaye as for þe fflower iiij d.

memorandum þe bakyng off the wheetes viȝ iij quarters ⸢& demi⸣ ny vppon gyffen. except þe gorgons þei had vxor Thome Taylor demi a quarter. Item vxor gyleȝ j quarter. Item vxor Iohannis pynk demi quarter. Item vxor Iohannis good senior Demi quarter. Item vxor Iohannis lyon Corsir demi quarter./ Item vxor Thome bolnest & the wyff off george noorth, bitwix theym demi a quarter.

Memorandum all thynges allowed & accowntyd the Summa totalis off the Remanȝ xxxiij s. preter ob.

memorandum the summeȝ off mony gaderid towardes an ymage off george primo die marcij anno domini ML VC & xjo. ffirst delyueryd at þis datte by Iohn ayworthe to Thomas taylor þan Electe Chircheward þe sayd xxxiij s. ob.
Item at this daye in the handes off gyles asshewell xj s. Summa iij Li. viij s. iij d. ob.
Item at þis daye In the handes off Kateryn lyon vxor Iohannis xxiiij s. iij d. ob.
memorandum dettes bysyde owing grauntid to seynt george
ffyrst Iohn ayworthe debit with with vj bosshels maltes grauntyd for þe mony occuping his tyme summa xiiij bossels maltes
Item thomas soylard in bassingbourn debit in Rye ij boshels
Item the same Thomas soylard & Iohn gosselyn ffor Thomas Rooger off kneseworthe j boshel malte
Item Rychard buckenell off his promysses debit iiij d.
Item Richard Wightnye debit off his promysses ij d.
Summa in malte xv. boshels
Item in Rye ij boshels
Item in mony vj d.
  • Marginalia
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  • Footnotes
  • Glossed Terms
    • asselar n hastler, one who roasts meat on a spit, one who turns a spit; asselares pl
    • falchon n falchion, a single-edged sword; fawchones pl
    • garnement n garment
    • gorgons n pl gurgeons, coarse refuse from flour, pollards; goriones
    • ny adv nigh; in adv phr ny vppon near or close to
    • paste n pastry; pastes
    • rymbyll n possibly rim (of a wheel)
    • stuffyff n possibly an error for, or variant of stuff
  • Endnote

    Dymond offers identities for many of the people named in the accounts and is the source used for identification, unless otherwise noted (Churchwardens' Book, pp 238–256). Kneesworth became incorporated into Bassingbourn from the fifteenth century on, a process that was completed in 1966 (VCH: Cambridgeshire, vol 8, pp 12–30, British History Online, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol8/pp12-30, accessed 22 September 2021). On f 30v Thomas Taylor was a butcher, churchwarden, 1512–14, and married to Joan. William Pynk was churchwarden before 1496, and may be William Pynk of Babraham in 1517–18. Thomas Marchall (d. 1539) was servant to Antony Malary of Papworth Agnes, Cambridgeshire, JP and royal commissioner, and the second husband of Alice Lynne. This Thomas Marchall may be the same person recorded later in the churchwarden's accounts as donating 8d for the replacement of the first bell of Bassingbourn with a clock in 1496–7 (f 77), and who appeared in the lay subsidy of 1524. John Good at the Cross cannot be definitively identified but shares a name with John Good, carpenter, who made falchions and axes for the play, John Good the Elder of West End, churchwarden, 1510–12, and warden in charge of the play in 1511, John Good of Walton Green, and John Good, clerk. John Frankelon was a resident of Bassingbourn. Robert Serle was a blacksmith of Bassingbourn, also known as 'Robert Smyth,' married to Joan. William Lampton, also a blacksmith, was also known as 'William Lamkyn.' John Dykon of Bassingbourn, was the stepson of Richard Sely, churchwarden before 1497, and possibly son to Sely's wife Katherine. John Comes cannot be definitively identified, but appears several times in the accounts for a variety of payments and donations. Robert Bland was a chandler of Buntingford, likely son of William Bland. On the centered text, Dymond notes '[t]hese totals appear to have been deliberately rubbed out. The total of money received was £5 2s 1 1/2d' (Dymond, Churchwardens' Book, p 72, n 526).

    On f 31 John Hobard was a priest of Holy Trinity Guild, a member of a local Bassingbourn family; in 1518 he was buried alongside his mother (d. 1503–7) in the church porch. George Noorthe was married first to Alice (d. c 1499), and then to a second Alice, who paid for his burial in 1517–18. Sir Thomas Bolnest (d. c 1516–17) was a priest at Bassingbourn, and son to Agnes (d. 1528), who was head of the prominent Bolnest family after her husband's death after 1503. Robert Bolnest was churchwarden, 1508–10 and 1516–18, and married to Joan. Helen Pynk was a launderer of church linens and mender of vestments. John Goslyng, churchwarden, 1522–3 and 1523–6, was active in the barley and malt trade. John Lyon, horse dealer, was churchwarden, 1501–2 and 1508–10, and was married to Katherine. Robert Laurence was churchwarden, 1534–6, and was 'still a leading parishioner in 1553' (Dymond, Churchwardens' Book, p 248, citing CUL, EDR B2/2, 74). Thomas Ashwell was churchwarden, 1497–9. Roger Hasyldeyn was churchwarden, 1516–18 and 1520–2. William Podde was parish clerk, replacing John Best in 1502–3; he made, repaired, wrote, and updated the church liturgical books with two servants, Thomas Wightished and William Hervy. William Eden (d. 1516–17) was survived by his wife, Agnes. John Crane was sexton of the church, and lived with his wife Cecily in Fen End by Frenchbridge, and was survived by his daughter Sybil. Robert Lane was churchwarden, 1514–16, and was married to and survived by Eleanor. John Stephenson was bell keeper in 1508 and 'may also be the John Stephenson who in 1536–8 was paid for mending the church "alese"' (Dymond, Churchwardens' Book, p 253). William Good (fl. 1519–28) was a member of the prominent Good family. Agnes Catell assisted Agnes Bolnest in mending vestments and may be related to John Catell. William Waller was churchwarden, 1527–8. Thomas Gybbe was under-bailiff of the Richmond Fee.

    On f 31v the 'waytes of cambrigge' are presumably the town waits of Cambridge, under John Martyn, rather than the independent group later led by Benet Prime (Nelson, Cambridgeshire, vol 2, pp 738–44; J.C. Cox, Churchwardens' Accounts, p, 272). Thomas Palgrave was a cook who likely also cooked at the May Ale in 1515. John Bocher was a painter by trade. Helen Good is another member of the prominent Good family. Joan Serle was married to Robert Serle, blacksmith. Alice Noorthe (d. aft. 1518), was the second wife of George Noorthe. Joan Bolnest was married to Robert Bolnest. Katherine Lyon was married to John Lyon, horse dealer and churchwarden.

    On f 32 Thomas Soylard was churchwarden from 1514–16.

  • Document Description

    Record title: Sts Peter and Paul Churchwardens' Accounts
    Repository: Cambridgeshire Archives
    Shelfmark: P 11/5/2
    Repository location: Ely

    The manuscript is a collection of receipts and expenses from 4 May 1497–31 March 1538. Bassingbourn usually had two churchwardens, always male, elected at the same time for two to four years, save once in 1499–1501 when three wardens served a single term, 'probably because one died in office and had to be replaced' (Dymond, Churchwardens' Book, p xxx). The play accounts were kept separately from the accounts for the rest of that year. Most significant for dramatic records are folios 30v–2, recording the receipts and payments in connection with a play on St Margaret's Day (20 July) 1511 of the holy martyr Saint George, with twenty-eight parishes or townships in the surrounding area contributing to the endeavour. See the Introduction, ‘Performance Traditions: Civic Entertainment’ for further details of this performance.

    The accounts are included in the churchwardens' yearly accounts, made on 28 February 1511/12.

    The accounts are fully transcribed and edited by Dymond, Churchwardens' Book. There is a manuscript transcript by Alfred Rogers for Henry Bradshaw, c 1870, in CUL: Add. 2792.

    1496–1540; English; paper; iii + 59 + iii; 273mm x 190mm; modern pencil foliation 21–70, 70*, 71–80, earlier ink foliation (used here) 14–48, 56–69, 13, 70–77; in good condition but 4 leaves of the original 63 have been torn out.

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