February 1587
On Wednesday the 15th day of February Anno
29° Regin Eliz. Anno Dom. 1586. (to which
day the Parliament had been on Friday the second day of December foregoing last Adjourned) The two Houses met in their several places
without any presence of the Queen or Solemnity
amongst the Lords by coming in their Robes or
any other Pomp whatsoever, because this was
neither new Parliament nor new Session, but a
meer new meeting of either House upon an Adjournment of the former meeting thereof, which
began on the 29th day of October being Saturday
in Anno 28 Regin. Eliz. as is aforesaid.
Memorandum that this day Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Lord Chief Justice of the CommonPleas shewed forth to be publickly read a Commission directed unto him from her Majesty, in
which appeared that the Lord Chancellor was so
visited at this time with sickness, that he was not
able to travel to the Upper House to supply his
room and place there; her Majesty minding the
said room and place to be supplied in all things
during the absence of the said Lord Chancellor,
hath appointed and authorized the said Sir Edmund Anderson during the absence of the said
Lord Chancellor to supply his Room, as by the
Tenour of the said Commission here ensuing
more fully appeareth.
Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of
England, France and Ireland, Defender of
the Faith, &c. To our Trusty and right Wellbeloved Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Chief
Justice of our Court of Common-Pleas, Greeting. Whereas our Right Trusty and Right Wellbeloved Chancellor Sir Thomas Bromley Knight
Lord Chancellor of England, is at this time so
visited with Sickness that he is not able to travel
to the Upper-House of this our present Parliament holden at Westminster, nor there to supply the room and place in the said Upper-House
among the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there
Assembled as to the Office of the said Lord
Chancellor or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of
England hath been accustomed: We minding the
same place and room to be supplied in all things
as appertaineth for and during every time of his
absence, have named and appointed you, and by
these presents do constitute, name, appoint and
Authorize you from day to day and time to
time, when and as often as the said Lord Chancellor shall happen at any time or times during
this present Parliament to be absent from his accustomed place in the said Upper House, to occupy, use and supply the room and place of the
said Lord Chancellor in the Upper House amongst the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there
Assembled, at every such day and time of his
absence; And then and there at every such time
to do and execute all such things as the said Lord
Chancellor of England should or might do if he
were there personally present, using and supplying the same room. Wherefore we Will and
Command you the said Sir Edmund Anderson to
supply the doing and Execution of the Premisses
with effect, and these our Letters Patents shall
be your sufficient Warrant and discharge for the
same in every behalf: In Witness whereof we
have caused these our Letters to be made Patents.
Witness our Self at Westminster the 15th day
of February in the twenty ninth year of our
Reign, &c.
As soon as the said Sir Edmund Anderson had
caused the foresaid Commission to be read, he
took his place on the Uppermost Woolsack
where the Lord Chancellor useth to sit, and in
the Original Journal-Book of this Parliament,
where the presence of the Lords is noted, he is
always ranked in the first place as the Lord
Chancellor should have been if he had been present; with this Addition after the setting down
of his name and place, Locum tenens Cancellarii,
in such Order as followeth, viz.
Archiepiscopus Cantuarien.
Edmundus Anderson Miles, Justiciar. de Communibus Placitis, Locum tenens Cancellarii.
Comes Sussex.
Comes Hartford.
Comes Lincoln.
Vice-Comes Bindon.
Episcopi.
Episcopus Winton.
Episcopus Sarisburien.
Episcopus Rossen.
Episcopus Hereforden.
Barones.
Dominus Howard Admirallus.
Dominus Hunsdon Camerarius.
Dominus Morley.
Dominus Cobham.
Dominus Stafford.
Dominus Grey de Wilton.
Dominus Stourton.
Dominus Sandes.
Dominus Cromwell.
Dominus Windsor.
Dominus Sheffield.
Dominus North.
Dominus St John de Bletsoe.
Dominus Compton.
Dominus Norris.
Which are all the Peers the Journal-Book noteth to have been present.
Nota, That though I do usually observe in all
these Journals never to have the presence of the
Lords transcribed but at the beginning only of
a new Parliament, or at least a new Session; yet
I have observed it here though but at the beginning of a new meeting: partly because it was after a long Adjournment, and partly because many Lords did send new Proxies: So that the presence of the Lords before set down at the beginning of this Parliament on the 29th day of
October being Saturday, could not serve to be any
rule for the presence of those that attended at
this new meeting. Which is for the most part
the chiefest reason why the presence of the said
Lords is marked on the first day of the Parliament, or on the next day from the first, on which
they be noted, if through the Clerk of the Upper House his negligence (as it often happeneth)
it be omitted on the said first day.
A second but less material cause why I have
their names transcribed, is to see the due places
and precedencies of the Lords Temporal.
On this 15th day of February lastly (although
this were neither new Parliament nor new Session, but meerly a second meeting of one and the
same Parliament, as hath been already observed)
was one unusual or extraordinary Proxy returned, which is Entred in the Original Journal-Book
of the Upper House in manner and form following, viz.
15 Die Februarii introductæ sunt literæ Procuratoriæ Thomæ Episcopi Bathonien' & Wellen',
in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Thomam Episcopum Wintonien', Thomam Episcopum Cicestren', & Willielmum Episcopum Coventrien' &
Litchfield'.
The difference between an usual and an unusual Proxy see before on Saturday the 29th day
of October in the latter end thereof (on which
said day this Parliament began) where also it is
set down why those ordinary ones are for the
most part omitted.
Other unusual Proxies returned also at this
new meeting of Parliament, vide on Friday the
17th day, on Sunday the 19th day, and on Saturday the 25th day of this instant February. All
which I have ever caused to be set down upon
the several days on which they were returned,
if the said day be particularly expressed, and not
altogether before the beginning of the Parliament, as is usually observed in the Original Journal-Books of the Upper House.
Nota Lastly, that John Archbishop of Canterbury was Constituted Joint Proctor with others
by five several Bishops this Parliament, of which
the first Proxy was returned on Sunday the 19th
day of this instant February from John Bishop
of Exeter; the second on the same Day from
Richard Bishop of Durham; the third on Saturday the 25th day of this instant February from
Edmund Bishop of Worcester; the fourth on
Thursday the 9th day of March next ensuing
from Hugh Bishop of Bangor, and the fifth and
last on the same day from William Bishop of St. Asaph. Which with many other precedents of a like
nature frequent almost in every Parliament, doth
plainly prove, that any Lord Spiritual or Temporal being a Member of the Upper House is
capable of as many Proxies as shall be sent unto
him, by the ancient Customs and Usages of that
House; although the contrary hath been of
late ordered upon the . . . . . day of ..... in the
Parliaments in Anno Secundo Regis Caroli.
Sir Edmund Anderson Lord Chief Justice of
the Common Pleas sitting in and supplying of
the place of Sir Thomas Bromley Lord Chancellor
absent (as is before observed) by reason of sick
ness, did by the Assent of the Lords Commissioners Adjourn the Parliament unto Wednesday
next at Nine of the Clock in the Morning being
a full se'night after.
Nota, That during this intervenient time of
Adjournment, three unusual Proxies were delivered in unto the Clerk of the Parliament; the
first of which is Entred in the Original JournalBook of the Upper House to have been returned
upon Friday the 17th day of this Instant February in manner and form following, viz.
17° Die Februarii introductæ sunt Literæ procuratoriæ Anthonii vicecomitis Mountague, in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Ambrosium Comitem
Warwici, & Robertum Comitem Leicestren.
19° Die Februarii introductæ sunt Literæ procuratoriæ Johannis Episcopi Exon, in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Johannem Archiepiscopum
Cantuarien', Thomas Episcopum Winton' &
Johannem Episcopum Rossen'.
Item introductæ sunt Literæ procuratoriæ Richardi Episcopi Dunelmen in quibus Procuratores
suos constituit Johannem Archiepiscopum Cautuarien', Johannem Episcopum London, & Thomam
Episcopum Wintonien.
Nota, That here a Temporal Lord constituted
two Proctors, and two Spiritual Lords nominated each of them three, which being extraordinary and unusual Proxies are well worthy the
observation. Vide intrationes Literarum consimilium procurator' die Saturni die 29° Octobris
præcedentis in fine diei, & die Mercurii die 15° Februar. jam instantis antea, & die Saturni die vicesimo quinto ejusdem Febr' postea.
On Wednesday the 22d day of February the
Bill toavoid fraudulent Assurances made or to
be made in certain cases by Traitors was read
primâvice.
Edmundus Anderson Capitalis Justiciarius de
placito communi continuavit præsens Parliamentum
usq; in diem crastinum horâ nonâ.
On Thursday the 23d day of February the
Lords met, but it seems nothing was done, but
only the Parliament continued unto a further day,
the Entrance whereof in the Original JournalBooks is in manner and form following, viz.
Edmundus Anderson Miles capitalis Justiciarius de placito communi continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem Sabbati prox. horâ nonâ.
On Saturday the 25th day of February Two
Bill of no great Moment had each of them
one reading; of which the second being a Bill
to avoid fraudulent Assurances made or to be
made in certain Cases by Traitors was upon the
second reading committed unto the Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Lord Steward and others.
This day was one unusual Proxy returned,
which is Entred in the Original Journal-Book
of the Upper House in manner and form following, viz.
25° Die Februarii introductæ sunt Literæ procuratoriæ Edmundi Episcopi Wigorn, in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Johannem Episcopum London,
Cantuariensem, Johannem Episcopum London,
& Johannem Episcopum Roffen.
Nota, That it doth not appear whether this
Proxy was delivered unto the Clerk of the Upper House in the said House sitting the Court,
or elsewhere; but it is probable that it might
be this Forenoon before the rising of the
Lords.
Dominus Capitalis Justiciarius de placito communi continuavit præsens Parliamentum usque in
diem Lunæ prox' horâ octavâ.
On Monday the 27th day of February the Bill
for Restraint of Horse-stealing and other Felonies was upon the second reading committed.
Dominus Capitalis Justiciarius de placito communi continuavit præsens Parliamentum usque in
diem Jovis prox' horâ nonâ.