Bailiffs', Churchwardens', and Mayors' Accounts

• Eleccion daie: 22 October 1621

• performance by Lord Dudley's players, 5th, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance by Lady Elizabeth's players, Elizabeth Stuart, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance by prince's players, Charles I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance by king's players, James I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622 [1]
• performance by children of the revels, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance by king's players, James I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622 [2]
• performance payment to Lord Dudley's players, 5th, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance payment to Lady Elizabeth's players, Elizabeth Stuart, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance payment to prince's players, Charles I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance payment to king's players, James I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622 [1]
• performance payment to children of the revels, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622
• performance payment to king's players, James I, Stafford, Staffordshire, 1621–1622 [2]

Record title: Bailiffs', Churchwardens', and Mayors' Accounts
Repository: STRO
Shelfmark: D1323/E/1
Repository location: Stafford

This volume contains (a) copies of earlier accounts, beginning in 1519, which are in the same hand as entries for the years 1611 onwards, so they presumably were copied by the town clerk or his scribe; (b) accounts of bailiffs, chamberlains, churchwardens, and schoolwardens, because the accounts of the minor officials were presented and approved by the corporation officials before being entered into the town book. In the transcriptions, the entries from the churchwardens are differentiated from the bailiffs' (later the mayors') accounts because they originated from different authorities. The churchwardens' accounting year was 21 December–20 December, with the accounts presented to the bailiffs between 13 February and 19 March, the Friday following Quadragesima Sunday. The bailiffs' accounting year was 18 October–17 October, with the accounts similarly being presented between 13 February and 19 March. The mayoral accounting year was later adjusted slightly to begin the next Monday after St Luke's Day (ie, 27 October).

1611–62; English; paper; v + 353; 350mm x 225mm (text area variable); modern pencil foliation to f 310 (ff 5–19, 21, 152, 161, 179, 250, 305–53 blank; 60–2, 142–7, 149–50, 153–7, 168, 244–7, and 253 missing; 158, 166, 167, 193, and 201 foliated twice [a/b]; 221 foliated thrice [a/b/c]); early tooled calf binding, much worn, with loose leather cover; remains of brass closures; also preserved is an older (perhaps original?) parchment binding which has title on inside front and back covers: 'Burgiis Stafford Liber Compotus This book was bought and In<.>veded by Richard Drakeford and Iohn Wilson Bailiffes of the said Borough vicesimo die Novembris Anno regn Domini Iacobi vnum Regis Anglie & Nono Scocie <......> gracias. 1611 IS R Drakeford I Willson Bailliffs.' On f [ii] is written: 'The Old Book of Accounts.'