BRU15/7/56 recto
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Title: Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon Miscellaneous documents, Vol. 7
Date: May 4, 1561
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/7/56
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BRU15/7/56 verso
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Creator:
Title: Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon Miscellaneous documents, Vol. 7
Date: May 4, 1561
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/7/56
View online bibliographic record
BRU15/7/56 page view
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Creator:
Title: Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon Miscellaneous documents, Vol. 7
Date: May 4, 1561
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/7/56
View online bibliographic record
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Creator:
Title: Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon Miscellaneous documents, Vol. 7
Date: May 4, 1561
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/7/56
View online bibliographic record
Robert Bearman, "John Shakespeare, as one of four affeerors, attests to the level of fines imposed at the manorial court," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/478.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU15/7/56. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/478.
The fines which John Shakespeare would be expected to assess over the following twelve months would be of the type listed at this court against the marginal note “mercia,” with the amount of the fine inserted above the offenders’ names.
Here, John is thought to have signed by mark. At this date there would have been nothing exceptional about John’s apparent illiteracy. Further, an inability to write fluently did not necessarily mean that those who made marks were necessarily unable to read. In 1564, at least 13 members of the Corporation still preferred to sign by mark, all men from the town’s commercial elite and who were clearly able to conduct their businesses and fill civic office without the ability to write (or even, by implication, to read).
It is not clear, however, whether John Shakespeare had his own distinctive mark. Previously, October 6, 1559 (BRU 15/7/39), two of the four affeerors (Richard Biddle and John Wheler) signed by name. The other two, Lewis ap Williams and John Shakespeare, made marks. Lewis’s mark is more elaborate and was said to represent a church tower or gable; he repeated the mark in 1561, as shown here, and again in 1564. Another mark, two concentric circles bisected by a cross, has not been found elsewhere but could have been added by John Shakespeare. However, scholars traditionally attributed an apparent third mark, said to resemble a pair of glover’s compasses, to John Shakespeare.
As shown here, in 1561, all four affeerors apparently made their marks. Lewis ap Williams’s “church gable,” is instantly recognizable. The other three are a cross, a letter T, and a mark similar to the “glover’s compasses” of 1559, attributed to John Shakespeare. It also resembles another mark which may be his, dating from 1564. However, another mark allegedly made by him in January 1563 is different. Finally, and confusingly, the only marks we can be certain are John Shakespeare’s are the simple crosses that occur on the sale, with accompanying bond, of his and his wife’s Snitterfield estate in 1579, and on a conveyance of 1597.
[recto]
Stratford
Burgus
The Court ther holdon quarto die Maij Anno domine
regine tercio &c.
Commen fynez
mercia William trout iij s iiij d chrystouer smythe iij s iiij d Thomas dycson xij d william flecher viij d thomas dedge iiij d artor boys xvj d thomas rychardsone ij s Robert archard iiij d
mawd harbadge vidua iijs iiijd Iohn granam xx d arter newell Iohn Samson iij s iiij d george banester vj d Roger banester vj d Iohn Wyrral iiij d Humfrey ranoldes xij d william hyll viij d
for syllynge aell & havynge & kepynge gamynge contrary to thorder of the court they stand amerced
mercia mr bely that now ys Roger sadler iij s iiij d Richard Aunge xx d Iohn Aunge ij d Iohn Cartwryght xij d Commen bacares & for brekynge thassyez they stand amerced &c.
mercia Anthony bocher iiij d for Syllynge messell porke he Standes amerced
mercia Roger grene iiij d for syllynge candylles lakynge wyght he standes a merced
mercia Robert mylles xij d & mr whatley iiij d for not sending for the tasters befor they tunyed furthe the aell they stand amerced
mercia Robert perot vj s viij d for makynge & syllynge vn wholsum aell he standes a merced
mercia Roger grene viij d for makynge vn wholsum aell he standes amerced
mercia Iohn Icheuer ij s for makynge afray vppon brodshaw the Curryer he standes amerced
mercia Thomas dycson viij d for makynge a fray vppon Richard hys brother he standes amerced
mercia Iohn lane xij d for makynge afray vppon tybbyns of Langley he standes a merced
mercia Thomas dycson vj d for makynge a fray vppon Edward walford he standes amerced
mercia Iohn Grannam xx d for makynge a fray & drawynge blood vppon Thomas beytes he standes a merced
mercia Thomas beytes xx d for makynge a fray & drawynge blood vppon a straunge man of byrmycham he standes a merced
mercia thomas knight the younger xx d for makynge a fray & drawynge blood vppon a straunger in edmund barrettes hous he standes amerced
mercia master bely xii d gylbart bradley xii d William smythe habardasshar xii d William perrot xii d William Hyll xii d William brookes xij d Richard lane xij d for havynge & Suffrynge mukhylles
befor ther Soylles they standes a merced
mercia William rausson xij d gryffyn ap Robert chrystouer smythe xij d humfrey plymley xij d for leyenge muke at Richard lane barne doore in swyn stret they stand amerced
mercia Richard Wagstaf xij d Robert mylles xij d Richard Sponer xij d Edward younge xij d Iohn bell xij d for leyenge muke at tyncar land end next to the chappell they stand amerced
mercia byllentone Iohn Stanley for leyeng muk at Bradleys mukhyll they stand amerced
mercia Richard court xij d for leyenge muke at William Whoodes barne in henley stret he standes amerced
mercia Robert mylles xij d & Robert salesberry xij d for gryndynge other mens malt & they beynge commen bruares they stand amerced
mercia steven the thatchar xii d iiijd for havynge & sufferynge yn makes in hys hous he standes a merced
mercia Robert Salesberry xx d Thomas hunt viij d chrystouer smyth viij d Iohn bell vj d iiij d for havynge ther shyp fedynge in the bancroft they stand amerced
mercia Richard charnoke xx d for not makynge a yat on the bac syed of coryares hous he standes amerced
mercia Thomas dycson xij d mr smythe xii ij s Humfrey plymley xij d chrystouer smythe xij d William Whatley iiij d Iohn bell xij d Thomas rogeres xij d Iohn Wheler xij d
Iohn bell for havynge their ban dogges un moseyled & bytches in sawt thei stand amerced
mercia Iohn Sadler mylner xvj d for wynnowynge his peys in ded lone & leavynge the chaf in the lone & bryngynge his swine into the
Same lane & not Scowrynge the dyche ther he standes amerced
peyne that euery tenaunt havynge men chyldren beyng xij yeres of age & vpward & not sworone
that ther parent or masteres do present the person of euery suche manchyld at the next let sub pena vjs viijd
mercia Thomas rychardson William Slo
peyne that euery bruar bringing aell to syl shall syll from hensfurthe new aell vnder the hersyve for ijd ob vnder the hersyve xiij galons y galo to the dossen good & wholsum
clere & Staell for iijd ij galons Small aell for a penny Sub pene xls for euery defalt
peyne that euery bacar that shall bake bred to Syll shall syll ij loves for a penny j lof for ijd & that they kep thassyez & bultyd with a lauffal
bulter
mercia Iohn Henshaw for Richard lane, mr belyf gilbert Bradley William Smythe whod William peret
William hyll William brookes for having mukhylles contrary to thordor
of the Court they are amerced
mercia peyne thomas caell iiij d for settynge hys cart in the Stret contrary to thorder of the Court
he standes amerced
Provyded always that yt yt shall & may be lauffull at all tyme hearafter for mr belyf & mr alderman at eny tyme hearafter as he
shall se Cawse as the price of malt shall ryez & fall to let Call xij men & to Seas the
priseys of aell at ther dyscressyones
peyne & that Thomas hunt of Studley do suffycyently make hys mound betwene hys ground in roder stret
& the quenez ground now in the tenure of Henry bedell beforwytsonday Sub pena vjs viijd
peyne that no ynhabytant within the burro of stratford have or suffur eny vnlauffull gamnynge in hys or ther housses contrary to the statute
provyded for the Same Sub pena xxs
peyne that no tenaunt have ^ or suffur to be made vppon hys or ther soylles in the stretes eny mukhyll but only thos that ar appwyntyd by thordor of the iij men
Sub pena vjs viijd
peyne that no person nor ther family ley from hensfurthe eny muke furthe of ther oune housses in the stretes but vppon the commen mukhylles Sub pena iijs iiijd tociens quociens
peyne that euery commen bruar befor they twne furthe ther aell do send for the tasters to a say therof vnder peyne xxs
peyne that no bruar havynge horsmyll of his owne do grynd eny other mens malt but only his oune malt vnder peyne xls tociens quociens
peyne that no persone revyell eny offecer Sub pena xxs
peyne that no tenant receve eny ynmake without Specyell lysaunce of mr belyf & thalderman or on of them vnder peyne xxs
peyne that euery tenant now havynge eny Inmake do put them away within xiiij days next after this court vnder peyne xxs
peyne that non receve & kep in ther housses eny [s]traunger woman beynge with chyld ther to be brought to bed of chyld peyne xxs
peyne that euery tenant kep cleane ther gutteres & dyches as well in the stretes as in dedlone vnder peyne vjs viijd
peyne that no person havynge goynge fedynge & pasturynge in the bancroft eny shyp not ouer & above iij owres in a day vnder peyne vjs viijd
peyne that Richard charnoke of welcum do let make & set vp a yat on the bake syd of the curryares hous in gylpyttes within iij wyx next after this court vnder peyne vjs viijd
peyne that no tenaunt suffer to go at lardge on moseled ther ban doges nor bytchys beynge in saw sawt vnder peyne vjs viijd
peyne that euery tenant in swynstret & ded lane do scour ther dyches & gutteres over & agenynst ther Soylles befor holy thursday & so from thensfurth
to kep them cleane from tyme to tyme under peyne vjs viijd
peyne that no ynhabytaunt from hensfurth have eny shyp goynge fedynge or pasturynge ijnbancroft not ouer & above ij oures vnder peyne vjs viijd
tociens quociens
ffur' Henry bydyll
lews ap willm Iur
Wm mynske
Iohn shakspeyr
[Four marks applied]
[Note at foot, dated by the Clerk May 5th, probably acting as an endorsement when it was stored as a roll. ]
[Anno tercio Elizabethe
regine quinto die Maij]
Written by Robert Bearman
Last updated July 14, 2020
