f 140v (1 July)
veredictum.
Iuratores pro domino Rege presentant vt
sequitur
The Iurie for our sovereigne Lord the king vponn their oathes present & finde that William Gascoigne of Hutton bushell had a metinge of younge people on St Peters day last, and a piper with them one Lawrence Iohnson of Scarbrough.
The Iury: &c. do present & finde that Emott Iackson of Pickering vidua had a metinge of younge people and a piper with them called Lawrence Hicke on midsomer day last:
The Iury &c. do present & finde that Iames Sparke of Pickeringe had a metinge of young people and a piper with them named William Ward of Middleton on St Peters day last.
The Iury &c. do present & finde
that Nicholas Wood of Pickeringe for the like: (verbatim)
The Iury &c. do present and finde that Richard Elles of Thornton had a metinge of younge people and a piper with them called Gilbert Theaker on Whitsonday last.
William Gascoigne
Emott: Iackson[Footnote: debet feodum: 'she owes a fee']
Iames Sparke[Footnote: exoneratur … Curiam: 'He is exonerated by the court']
Nicholas Woodd:- Richard Ellis:-Record title: Quarter Sessions Records
Repository:
NYCRO
Shelfmark: QSM 2/2
Repository location: Northallerton
Itinerant performers in the North Riding ranged from individual pipers, fiddlers, jugglers, and others living close to or below the poverty line, to organized companies of travelling players. Most of these did not play under gentry patronage and so were vulnerable to arrest and punishment under the Elizabethan and Stuart poor laws governing 'rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars' (see the Introduction and 39 Eliz c4; Great Britain, Statutes of the Realm, vol 4, pt 2 (London, 1819; rpt 1963), 899–902). When these companies were apprehended, the court normally recorded not only the names of all the members but also prosecuted those who provided lodging and performance space for them, allowing us to map their touring routes. The Simpson company of Egton (North Riding) appeared before the court on several occasions (see the Quarter Session Records). These appearances give us considerable information on their local organization. Notably, however, Gouthwaite Hall – the site of their best-known performance on 2 February 1608/9 – was in the West Riding until 1974, when the county boundaries were redrawn. That performance brought their host, Sir John Yorke, before the court of Star Chamber; the documentation of that case will appear in the forthcoming Yorkshire West Riding collection. Documents presented here concern the local organization of the company, with special reference to the position of boy players.
17 April 1610–12 January 1615/16; English and Latin; paper; iv + 254 + iv ; 300mm x 180mm; contemporary foliation 1–221 (ff [4, 6, 12, 19, 22, 27–33] blank, ff 216–21 also blank); contemporary calfskin binding, 2 leather labels on spine, upper red, lower black, with gold lettering, respectively 'Minutes | and | Orders' and '1610 | to | 1615.'