1674. October 2d. Eleven hor. 30 min. ante merid. I and my wife first entered my house at South Lambeth. 5th. This night Mrs. Tradescant was in danger of being robbed, but most strangely prevented. Nov. 26. Mrs. Tradescant being willing to deliver up her rarities to me, I carried several of them to my house. Dec. 1. I began to remove the rest of the rarities to my house at South Lambeth. 1675. April 17. The same morning I agreed with my carpenter for building the additional rooms I made to my house at South Lambeth. May 1. 10 hor. 30 min. ante merid. I and my wife came to my house at South Lambeth to lie there. 5th. Ten hor. 20 min. ante merid. I laid the first stone of my new building there. July 15th. This morning a jury of sewers set out my brick wall made towards the highway at my house at South Lambeth. Aug. 28. One hour 40 min. post merid. I and my wife came to dwell at my house in South Lambeth. Nov. 16. Eleven hor. ante merid. I began to plant my garden walls with fruit-trees. 1677. Mar. 28. 7 hor. ante merid. I laid the foundation of my back buildings to my house at South Lambeth. July 10. I made a feast at my house in South Lambeth in honour of my benefactors to my work of the Garter. 17th. Count Wallenstein, envoy extraordinary from the Emperor; Marquis de Este, Borgainianiers, envoy extraordinary from the King of Spain; Mons. Swerene, envoy extraordinary from the Prince Elector of Brandenburgh, and the Count of Flamburgh, bestowed a visit on me at my house at South Lambeth. 1678. April 4. 11 hor. 30 min. ante merid. My wife told me that Mrs. Tradescant was found drowned in her pond. She was drowned the day before, about noon, as appeared by some circumstances. 6th. 8th hor. post merid. She was buried in a vault in Lambeth churchyard, where her husband and his son John had been formerly laid. 22d. I removed the pictures from Mrs. Tradescant's house to mine. May 11th. My Lord Bishop of Oxford (Dr. John Fell), and Dr. Nicholas, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, gave me a visit at my house. 7 hor. 30 min. ante merid. June 18. Mr. Lea and his wife's release to me of the one hundred pounds I was to pay after Mrs. Tradescant's death bears date. 1679. Mar. 25. I entered upon the house adjoining to my house at South Lambeth, which Mr. Bartholmew let me a lease of. 31. 9 hor. 45 min. ante merid. Mr. Bartholmew sealed my lease. Aug. 15. My Lord Grace of Canterbury (Dr. Saucroft) came to visit me at my house, and spent a great part of the day with me in my study. 1680. Nov. 4. Mr. Bartholomew sealed me a new lease of my house, &c., in South Lambeth. 1685. Nov. 10. This morning I had some discourse with Mr. Gerard about purchasing Mr. Plummer's farm. 1686. May 26. Mr. Plummer sealed his part of the conveyance of the farm to me, and his wife acknowledged a fine before the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. July 13. I began to repair my barn at South Lambeth for Goodman Ingram. 23. 5 hor. 30 min. post merid. I agreed upon conditions with Goodman Ingram to make him a lease of the farm I bought of Mr. Plummer, except the oat-field. 25. 6 hor. post merid. I sealed the lease of John Ingram. At the same meeting, the Rev. T. A. Wills, of Laleham, exhibited another deed, being a lease for a year, dated 28th January, 2nd James II., A.D. 1686, from Matthew Ashmole, of Beverley, in the county of York, Gentleman (a brother of Elias Ashmole), to Michael Warton, of the same town, Esquire, of a close of pasture ground containing two acres, near Beverley, without the North Gate, commonly called "Saint Ebbitt's." IV. ON THE CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS, AND OTHER RECORDS RELATING TO THE PARISHES OF SEAL AND ELSTEAD, IN THE COUNTY OF SURREY. BY WILLIAM HENRY HART, Esq., F.S.A. READ AT THE Annual GENERAL MEETING, HELD AT FARNHAM CASTLE, JULY 13, 1858. THE parishes of Seal and Elstead, in this county, are but so briefly descanted upon in the history of Manning and Bray, that a few observations on some features of interest which relate to these localities, and which are derived from hitherto almost unworked sources, may not be unacceptable to the meeting now assembled. These materials consist of a valuable set of Churchwardens' accounts, and other records of these parishes, which, by the kind permission of Henry Lawes Long, Esq., in whose possession these volumes now remain, I am enabled to exhibit to this meeting, and to call attention to some of the more remarkable entries therein. The accounts of Seal parish commence in the year 1559, the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth; so that we pass over that important era in our ecclesiastical history when the Catholic Church in England rejected the authority of the bishop of Rome, and reasserted her independence and her catholicity, irrespective of any foreign diocese. Had these accounts extended farther back, we should doubtless have seen many curious entries relative to this change; but, fortunately, I can from other sources supply the deficiency to some extent; namely, by giving the lists of the church ornaments in the time of Edward VI., both for this parish as well as for that of Elstead; the nature and occasion of which documents it will be expedient briefly to explain. In the course of the reign of Edward VI., various commissions were issued for the purpose of taking surveys and inventories of the goods, plate, jewels, vestments, bells, and other ornaments belonging to all the churches, chapels, brotherhoods, guilds, or fraternities within the realm, in order that the same might be safely kept and placed in charge of proper persons ready to answer for the same to the Crown. In the sixth year of his reign another commission was issued, wherein the commissioners were directed to make perfect inventories of the goods, comparing them with the former inventories, and to make inquiry by oath or otherwise of all such property as might be concealed or embezzled, and to certify their proceedings to the Privy Council. And another commission, issued shortly afterwards, gives further power for the same purpose, and specifies what ornaments are to be allowed to be retained for the administration of the holy communion: thus, in every cathedral or collegiate church, where chalices "be remayning," there were to be left one or two chalices, at the discretion of the commissioners; and in every great parish one or two chalices, and in every small parish one chalice to be left. And after leaving "the honest and comely furnyture of coverynges for the communyon table and surples or surplesses for the mynyster or mynysters in the said churches or chapells," the commissioners were directed to distribute to the poor the residue of the linen ornaments and implements of the said churches; and they were to sell all copes, vestments, altar-cloths, and other ornaments, not appointed by the commission to be left; and also to sell to the use of the Crown, by weight, all parcels or pieces of metal, except the metal of "greatt bell saunse bells" in every of the churches. Under these commissions returns were made for the parishes of Seal and Elstead. I will now read the inventory for Seal Church:— Seale pishe In p'mis j chalice of Tynne foure aullte clothes. Itin ij towell®. Itm iij vestement and ij aubbes. Itm iij Coopes and ij Surplussis. Itm iij Belles and one Sante Bell. Itm ij Sens's. Itm j Crosse. Itm ij Crosse cloithes. Itm ij Crewitte. All that lackinge of the former invitorie were stolen bie thevis when the Churche was robbid. But we will now return to the Churchwardens' Accounts. The first account appears to be imperfect: it is headed "The reconynge and accompt made by John Skynner to Willm Cranlye for charges laide out for tymber worke for the howse before Mychelmas 1559 and from the same feaste untill Michelmas then next following;" and it contains payments to the "tymber hewers and for ther meate and drinck," two shillings; to “ye sawyers for sawinge and for ther meate & drinck," two shillings; and various payments to thatchers, for their work, and also for their meat and drink, or board, which |