Cecil Papers: July 1604

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 23, Addenda, 1562-1605. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1973.

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'Cecil Papers: July 1604', in Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 23, Addenda, 1562-1605, (London, 1973) pp. 161-162. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-cecil-papers/vol23/pp161-162 [accessed 18 March 2024]

July 1604

Francis Heaton to Lord Cecil.
[July 8, 1604]. He is one of the customary tenants on the Queen's manor of Kingsnorton. He and his predecessors have long enjoyed a piece of ground of some two acres, which formerly belonged to the common or waste of the manor, and for which no rent was paid. Some years ago, he expressed a wish to hold the same by copy of court roll, and to pay a fine and yearly rent for it. He obtained a warrant from Sir John Fortescue, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the steward of the manor to that effect, and was granted the land in question by copy of court roll. Recently, however, after the conveyance of the manor to Queen Anne as a part of her jointure, some of the tenants have insisted that he be fined and amerced in the manor court for laying the land open contrary to the said copy of court roll. He asks that letters be sent to the tenants and keeper of the manor court, directing them to refrain from subjecting him to fines or interfering with his enjoyment of the land.—Undated.
Note by Cecil: "Let this petitioner repaire to the Queens Chancelour and her counsaile lerned uppon whose report I will take order."
Note by Sir Roger Wilbraham: "Yf he hath bin of contynuance and by tolleration of the late Queenes officers tenant hertofore, I think it not inconvenient that he be continued in his dwellinge beinge but two acres, except the steward of the mannor and bailiff ther doe fynde it prejudiciall and a cause of great inconvenience to the rest of the tenants ther."—8° July, 1604.
Note by Robert Hitcham: "I think fitte that the petitioner should injoye his estate accordinge to his grant by copy untill the steward do certefie cause to the contrary."
1½ pp. (P. 1250.)
Richard Worden to the Countess of Derby.
1604, July 10. About twenty-five years ago, he entered the service of John Bannester as his clerk, and after his death he became Deputy-Clerk of the Peace in Cheshire. He married Bannester's daughter, and has been able to maintain her and his eleven children decently. Now his position is being jeopardised by the treachery of an intimate friend of his, Robert Whitly, who is Clerk of the Pentice in Chester and an attorney at the Assizes and Exchequer there. Whitly has taken advantage of his close acquaintance with Henry Jones, Clerk of the Peace, who is constantly in attendance on the Lord Chancellor of England, and with Sir John Egerton, Custos Rotulorum of Cheshire, to obtain the Clerkship of the Peace and deprive Worden of his post. He requests the Countess of Derby to procure letters for him from the Earl of Derby to the effect that Whitly should restore his office to him.—July 10, 1604.
1 p. (P. 14.)
Thomas Henshaw to the Queen.
[Before July 23, 1604]. He has delivered to her goods to the value of £11,000, for the payment of which the King gave instructions by Privy Seal. Nevertheless, he has still received no payment, and is in danger of losing his credit. He begs her to intervene with the King for the discharge of some of his debts, "to releeve his present extreme necessitie which he little suspected he should have encurred by his faithfull and loyal service to your Highnes".—Undated.
½ p. (P. 247.)
[See Cal. S.P. Dom., 1603–10, p. 136.]