Forasmuche as we are crediblie informed that many Colledges, Hospitalles and Almeshouses, and other roomes and places within this our Realme which have ben founded and ordeyned, some of them by us and our progenitors and some of them by divers other godlie and weldisposed persons, for the charitable reliefe of the poore, aged and impotent people, are of late yeares greatlie decaied and impoverished, and that the possessions and revenues therof, and divers other landes, tenements and hereditamentes, leases, sommes of money, goodes and chattelles, which have bin given, assigned and appoynted to and for other the like good and charitable uses, are unlawfully and moste uncharitablie converted to the private lucre and gayne of some fewe greedye and covetous persons, contrarie to the godlie intent and meaninge of the founders and givers therof, and to the greate offence of Almightie God: Knowe ye that we, beinge moved withe a moste godlie zeale to have all suche poore, aged and impotent people, and specially souldiers and marryners, and other our good subjectes whiche have bin or maie be hurte or mayemed in the warres for mayntenance of God's true religion, and for the defence of us and their native countrye, to be godly and charitablie provided for, relieved and mayneteyned; and havinge a princely care and regard to have all suche Colledges, Hospitalles and Almeshowses, and other places, and all landes, tenements, revenewes, leases, sommes of money, goodes and chattelles whatsoever within this our Realme as have bin founded, ordeyned, given or appoynted to or for any suche godly and charitable use or purpose, to be ordered, disposed, used and imploied according to the true intent and meaninge of the founders and givers, and all such enormities, offences and abuses as have bin committed or suffered for or touchinge the same, to be with all convenient speede corrected and reformed; and reposing in that behalfe speciall trust and confidence in your fidelities and wisdomes, have therefore chosen you to be our Commissioners, and doe by these presentes assigne and appoynte, and give full power and authoritie unto you, or any three or more of you, to doe and CAMD. SOC. 12. Y execute for and touchinge the premisses, by searche and view of evidences, examination of witnesses upon othe to be produced or called before you, or any three or more of you as aforesaid, by your preceptes or commaundment, inquisition by verdict of twelve or more lawfull men, and by any other good and lawfull waies and meanes whatsoever, as to your wisedomes and discretions shalbe thought mete, all thinges and matters whiche are conteyned and specified in certen articles annexed to this our Commission, accordinge to the effect and true meaninge of the same articles, and in such manner and forme as in and by the same articles is prescribed and appoynted. And further our will and pleasure is, that whatsover you, or any three or more of you as aforesaid, shall doe in or concerning the premisses by vertue of this Commission, the same shalbe certified into our Courte of Chauncerye under the hand and seales of you, or three or more of you as aforesaid, without delaye. And also by authoritie hereof we commaund our Sheriff of our Countye of Yorke, that at suche daies and places as you or any three or more of you as aforesaid shall appoynte to him, he shall cause to come before you, or any three or more of you as aforesaid, suche and as many able, sufficient and honest freeholders of the partes of Northridinge in the said Countie, by whome the trothe in the premisses maie best be knowne, as you, or any three or more of you as aforesaid, shall give him in chardge to inquier of the premisses. Willing, chardging and commaunding all other our subjectes, of what estate, degree and condition soever theie be, to whome in this case it shall apperteyne, to be aiding, helping and assistinge to you, or any three or more of you as aforesaid, in the due execution of this our Commission in all thinges as apperteyneth, as theie and every of them tender our pleasure, and will aunswere to the contrarie at their perilles. Provided nevertheles that this our Commission, or any thinge therein conteyned shall not in any wise extende to any Colledge, Hall or Howses of Learninge within the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford, or either of them, for any matter concerninge the order or government of any suche Colledges, Hall or Houses there, but only to inquier what landes, tenementes, rents or profitts have bin given to the said Colledges, Halles or Houses for the maynetenance or reliefe of almes people, or amending of bridges or highe waies, or for exhibition or maynetenance to poore schollers. In witnes whereof we have caused these our Letters of Commission to be sealed with our great seale. Witnes our selfe at Kewe, the thirtenth daye of September in the five and thirtith yeare of our raigne. Per dom. Custod. magni sigilli Angl. virtute Warranti Regii. POWLE. SEARCH FOR ROMAN CATHOLICS. [The following serves to shew the rigid and minute nature of the inquiries made in the year 1592, into the number and conduct of the Roman Catholic subjects of Elizabeth, and into the Jesuits and seminary Priests lurking in different parts of the kingdom. On the 10th December prior to the date of the succeeding document three seminary priests and four of their abettors were hanged in Gray's Inn Field, as it was then called, and at Tyburn. Vide Stowe, An. Reg. Eliz. 34.] An Inventorie of such superstitious thinges as were founde in Sir John Sothworthe his howse at Samlesburie, by Richard Brereton, esquier, one of her Maties Justices of the Peace, at a Searche made there by the said Richard Brereton, esquier, vicesimo primo die Novembris, anno regni dñæ præ Elizabeth Reginæ, &c. xxxvto., 1592. Imp. one canabie to hang over the alter, founde in a secrett vawlte over the dyninge chamber and an other chamber. Itm. two candlestickes of brasse, of the fashion used in the tyme of superstition, founde in the same place. Itm. fourteene Images, of divers fashions, founde in the same vawlte. All which thinges were delivered to the Constable of Samlesburie to deliver to my L. Honour. Itm. eleven bookes of papistrie founde in a chamber, delivered to the said Constable to deliver to my L. Honour. to my Itm. one head peece delivered to the said Constable to deliver L. Honour. All the rest of the armour is in the custodie of James Cooke, of Preston, who hath a yearelie pension given him to score and keepe faire the same. Itm. founde in an other chamber thirteene bookes of papistrie; that is to saye, A Rhemes Testamente. An apologie of the Englishe Seminaryes. A defence of the censure given upon two bookes written against Edmund Campyon, prieste. A treatise of Schisme, shewinge that all Catholickes must absent theymselves from hereticall conventicles, to witt, prayer and sermons. A discoverie of John Nichols. All the rest of the bookes are written. Itm. founde in the same chamber one blewe coate, with Sir John Sotheworthe his cognisaunce upon the same. Itm. a dublett and paire of hose. Itm. a frize gowne without a pocked, and yet devises secretlye to keepe letters in, and certeyne other ould apparell. All which bookes and apparell was reported to be the goodes of one Edward Sager. The Answeare of John Wright, Servant to Sir John Sothworthe, knight. John Wright, servant to Sir John Sothworthe, beynge exa myned saith, that there be dwellinge and remayninge in the howse of the said Sir John Sothworthe, called Samlesburie, these persons whos names are underwritten. And this examynat, beinge asked when he sawe anye Jesuite or Semynarie prieste in his masters howse, saith that he sawe none there for the space of fyve yeares laste paste; and for the space of xiiij yeares this examinat saith that he sawe noe unknowne person or straunger in his masters howse. The names of the persons dwellinge in Sir John Sothworthe his howse at Samlesburie. Mrs. Standley, wydowe. Mrs. Anne Sothworth, daughter to Sir John Sothworth. Mr. Singleton, of Broxhall. Ric. Lyvesley, servingman. Water Sideweeke, butler. John Singleton, keeper of the parke. William Sothworth, senior, brewer. John Snape, cooke. Lawrence Bownon, porter. Ric. Alcor, brewer. Robert Stanton, servingman. John Eccleston, servingman. William Sothworth, junior, laborer. John Aspell, laborer. John Burye, laborer. Ric. Bretton, senior, laborer. Ric. Bretton, junior, laborer. |