Livery Company Records: the Drapers and the Mercers (nos 420-23)

LIVERY COMPANY RECORDS: THE DRAPERS AND THE MERCERS

Copies of two certificates in the Corporation of London Records Office collection (158–9) are bound into the Drapers' Company's first surviving minutes and records book, at Drapers' Hall. For the period covered by this volume, the Mercers' Company records contain copies of three known-certificates (87, 117, 221), three more not found elsewhere (420, 422–3), and one which is related to but not an exact copy of a certificate in the CLRO collection (421; see 116). There are copies of certificates from the reign of Elizabeth, for which the Corporation of London has no originals, in the Mercers' Company Register of Writings, vol. II, ff. 196v, 198–199v, 200v–201 and the Register of Benefactors' Wills, vol. I, ff. cxx v, cxxi v. The Mercers' Company records are at Mercers' Hall.

the Drapers and the Mercers (nos 420-23)

420. [Mercers' Company Book of Ordinances, f. 221] 1500. To the right honourabull Lorde the Maior and Aldremen of the Citie of London

Shewen unto your good Lordeship and Wysdomes Thomas Wade, John Burton, Robert Crosby, and Thomas Maunsey, the iiii maisters of Masons and Carpenters sworne unto the said Citie that where they late were charged by your honorable commaundement to oversee a noyance of a comon sewer beyng in the kyngs highway in the parish of Seynt Buttolphes without Byshoppesgate of London Now beyng in varyaunce betwene the Maister, Wardens and Feliship of the Craft or Mistier of the Mercers in the Citie of London and the Priour and covent of the hospitall of Our Lady Saynt Mary Virgine called Saynt Mary Spetyll withoute by Bisshopesgate of London aforenamed, Which noyance the same iiii maisters have seen, serched, and examyned by all their dyscressions, And thereupon they say that they fynd by the sight and due serche made of the olde arches and sluses ther nowe being that the said common sewer oweth to have his course estward into a comon lane ther called Barward Lane. Onless they ther can be shewed any other Evydence or specialtie unto the contrary. Sir John Sha thanne being Mayre. Anno xv c. (fn. 1)

Endorsed: Sir John Shaa . . . his testibus . . . et inherer . . . erth

421. [Mercers' Company Register of Benefactors' Wills, vol. I, f. cxvii] 13 March 1536.

John Hylmer, Philip Cosyn, Thomas Newell, and William Walker, viewers.

Parish of St. Mary Colechurch. No variance stated. The view is a party view of ground and buildings belonging to the Master, Wardens, and Fellowship of the Mercers, made by assent, consent and agreement of the Mercers and the Master of St. Thomas of Acon. The viewers say that the chapel and new building of the Mercers in Westcheap is 32 ft. in wideness in the E end against 'the Myter' and 60 ft. in length from E to W. There the ground is 26 ft. 8 in. in wideness between the street and the SW corner of the church of St. Thomas. Stretching more W 39 ft. 10½ in. along Westcheap to the SW quoin and corner of the new building and from there more N 26 ft. 8 in., the ground is 40 ft. in wideness between the W end of the church and the E side of a tenement belonging to the Prior of Elsing. Stretching more N 62 ft., the ground is 40 ft. 2 in. in wideness between the NW quoin and corner of the church and a tenement of the Master of St. Thomas on the W. Stretching more northward 27 ft. 7 in. to the S side of a house of the Master of St. Thomas, now in tenure of Henry Fitzherbert, the ground belonging to the Mercers is 46 ft. 4½ in. in wideness between a tenement belonging to the Master of St. Thomas on the W and the NW corner post of a little house of the Master on the E. Stretching southward from that corner post of the little house, along the W side of the same house and the W end of a little chapel there 27 ft. to the NW corner of the church, there the ground is 45 ft. 6 in. in wideness between the W end of the chapel on the E and the tenement of the Master of St. Thomas on the W. And the ground of the Mercers is 25 ft. in breadth between a SE corner post of the house in tenure of Fitzherbert and the great tenement of the Master of St. Thomas now in tenure of Nicholas Wythers on the N. And from the NE corner post of Fitzherbert's house stretching eastward by the S side of Wythers' house to the W end of a stone wall bearing another house of the Master of St. Thomas, [it is] 40 ft. 4 in. in size. From the SE corner post of Wythers' tenement stretching southward to the N side of the little house of the Master of St. Thomas, the Mercers' ground is 25 ft. 4 in. in wideness. From the SW corner post of the stone wall of the Master on the E stretching westward to a SE principal post of Fitzherbert's house, the ground is 42 ft. 4 in. in length on its S side. Also, there is an entry coming out of Ironmonger Lane into the Mercers' ground, which is 6 ft. 4 in. in wideness at the E end and 6 ft. 2 in. in wideness at the W; it is 34 ft. 9 in. in length. All the ground belongs to the Mercers line right and plumb from place to place as limited, except the buttresses of the church as they now stand and the lights of the church always reserved as they now are. Without etc.

Heading at top of folio: Irr' in Rotuli Memorand' tempore Joh[ann]is Aleyn militis, maioris Civitatis London secunda vice anno RR Henrici Octavi xxvii quiquidem Rotuli sunt Annex' Rotuli memorand' Temporibus Joh[ann]is Rudston, Rad[ulf]i Dodmer, Thome Pergettor, Nich[ol]i Lambert, Steph[an]i Peco, Christoferi Ascue, Joh[ann]is Champeneys etc.

Margin: A view of ten[eme]nts & buyldyngs in West Chepe betwene the M[aste]r of St. Thomas of Acon & the Company of the Mercers for the Chappel benethe the buildings.

422. [Mercers' Company Register of Writings, vol. II, f. 197] 9 May 1558. John Russell, Thomas Pecock, Walter Cowper, and John Humfrey, viewers.

Parishes of St. Peter and St. Michael in Cornhill. No variance stated. The wardens have been charged to view and oversee certain grounds and buildings between the Mercers and Sir Andrew Judd, knight and Alderman, so that they should by their discretions 'butte, bounde and measure' certain tenements belonging to the Mercers. The viewers say that the tenements are set, lying, butted and bounded as follows: From a brick wall of a house called 'the Helmet' at the NW corner of the ground of the Mercers stretching S 29 ft. 3 in. to an angle and NW corner post of a house of Judd; the angle there contains 15 ft. 6 in. in breadth E and W. From the N end of the angle and corner post stretching 55 ft. further S to a brick wall belonging to the parish church of St. Michael in Cornhill. From a brick wall belonging to St. Michael's on the W to the king's street called Gracechurch Street (Gracyoustrete) on the E. The ground and tenements of the Mercers contain 89 ft. 8 in. along the street, N and S. Further, Judd ought of right to have his lights and ground for his eaves' dropping according to an indenture of bargain and sale made to him before the Mercers had any interest in their ground. And Judd or his tenants ought not of right to annoy the Mercers or their tenants with laying of dung there. Except etc.

Margin: The vewe of the greate place in Saint Antonines parish which Mr. William Dauntsey, Alderman, dwelled and the ten[emen]ts within and on eyther seyde of the utter grate gate there. And also of the ten[emen]ts in gracious strete also.

423. [Mercers' Company Register of Writings, vol. II, f. 197v] 9 May 1558. John Russell, Thomas Peacocke, Walter Cowper, and John Humfrey, viewers.

Parishes of St. Antony and St. Thomas the Apostle. Variances between the Mercers, pls., and Thomas Lambart, citizen and mercer. The viewers have viewed, searched, seen, and measured and they say that the tenements of pls. contain 79 ft. 9 in. E to W along the street called Budge Row. There is a broad gate in the street, with two leaves leading into the house of def. within the same gate. Pls.' tenants ought at all times to have free ingress and egress through the utter gate without interruption of def. or his assigns. Pls. ought of right to maintain and uphold the gate as often as need requires and to pave the ground within it. Def. ought of right to have a key to pass in and out of the gate at his pleasure when it chances to be shut. Both parties ought of right to have all their lights, water courses, privies, rooms, and other commodities as they were held and occupied, upward and downward, at the time of the death of William Dauntesey, late citizen and Alderman. Finally, pls. have certain other tenements in the street called Turnebase Lane which contain 76 ft. E and W along the lane. Except etc.

Margin: A vewe of ten[emen]ts in St Athoines parish