XXXIV. "THE LOVING BROTHER OF THIS MYSTERIE, JOHN STOWE." (fn. 1)
1. In the history of Stowe's life as given by Strype (in his
edition of the "Survey of London," published in 1720) and
by Thoms (in his edition of the "Survey," published in 1842),
it is suggested that he was connected with the trade, if not
with the Company, of Tailors; but the "Records" of the Company place these facts beyond dispute.
2. He was admitted to the freedom on 25th November 1547,
but does not appear to have been ever called to the "Livery,"
or any office in the Fraternity. In the year 1568 he twice fell
under suspicion of the Council; Commissioners were sent to
examine him and others as to the Spanish Ambassador's (fn. 2) manifesto on one, and to search his house for superstitious books
on another, occasion. In 1570 he was again accused before the
Ecclesiastical Commission, but escaped the danger which his
own brother had exposed him to. And, strange as it may
appear, in the same year the Company's records show him
appealing to the Master and Wardens to protect the fair fame
of his own wife against the slanderous tongue of the wife of
one Holmes, another Brother of the Mystery:—
"For the pacyfienge of a controversy depending here
betweene Thomas Stowe, pt of the one ptie, and Thomas
Holmes, deft of the other ptie, bothe brethenne of this mystery,
as well for and concerning undesent and unseemly words
spoken, uttered and reported by the wyfe of the said Holmes
againste the wyfe of the said Stowe, as hath beene here
witnessed by certen credible psons. It is agreed here by the
said Mr and Wardens, by and wth thassente and consente of
bothe the said pties as followeth, vizt: That the wyfe of the
said Holmes shall forthwth in this place before the wyfe of the
said Stowe utter, declare and speak these woords as followeth,
vizt.: 'I am sorry for those undesent woords wch I have heretofore spoken of you, and therefore 1 praye you to forgive me,'
wch being done accordinglie, the wyfe of the said Stowe shall
forgive her accordinglie. Further, it is agreed that the said
Holmes shall paye to the said Stowe 20s. of lawfull money of
England, in satisfaction of all lawe and other charges incurred
by him, and that being done, either of the said pties shall re-
lease the one to thother of all manner of actions, &c. &c., as
well spiritual as temporal whatsoen heretofore rysen between
the said pties at any tyme synce the beginninge of the world
untill this pnte daye. Whereupon the wyfe of the said Holmes
in the psens of the said Mr and Wardens and dyvrse others of
honest neighbors of both the said pties did accomplish the said
order in asking the wyfe of the said Stowe forgivenes accordinglie; and Holmes paid 20s., and so bothe the said pties
were made friends by taken of hands the one of the other."—
[20th October 1570.]
3. He became a pensioner in a few years after, and in the
Account Books of the Company (for the year 1578–79) is this
entry:—
"Item, paid to John Stowe, Cronickler, for one half-yeare's
Pension, ending at Midsomer 1579, graunted to him per Courte
of Assistants, xls. (40s.)"
The Court Records of this period have been searched for the
order relating to this grant, but none such can be found; but
the payment of 4l. a year to John Stowe out of the Company's
funds goes on with regularity until Midsummer 1600, sometimes being called his "Fee" and sometimes his "Pension." (fn. 3)
4. It will be seen that in 1592, Stowe presented to "the
House" his "Annals," "as a small monument given in token of
his thankfulness." Thus, "at this Court (5th July 1592), John
Stowe p'sented to this Howse a Booke called the Annalles
which is a breife Chronicle of Actes and things sett downe and
collected by him the said John Stowe, the which he praieth
maie be accepted as a small monument given to this Corporac[i]on
by him, in token of his thankfulness to this Companie."
5. In the year 1593, and for some time afterwards, he had a
further sum of 4l. a-year as a pensioner under Mr. Robert
Dowe's benefaction; but for how many years he held this
pension cannot be traced, as the names of the pensioners soon
ceased to be recorded. It may, however, be presumed with
tolerable certainty that it was until the year 1600, as the Company deemed it proper in that year to increase their own gift to
him to 6l. per annum, as appears by the following entries—
first in the Court, and second in the Account Books of the
Company:—
"March 12th, 1600.
"Upon the moc[i]on of Mr. Robert Dowe an ancient Master,
and one of the Assistants of this Howse, in favour of John Stowe
a loving Brother of this Company, who taketh much paynes in
wryting of Chronicles and matters of Antiquities. It is granted
and agreed that the penc[i]on of iiijl. per ann' gyven him owt of
the com[m]on stocke of this Howse shalbe encreased xls. (40s.) and
made up vjl. per ann', to begine at our Ladie daye nexte—soe
as with the iiijl. he receaveth out of this Howse (as one of the
Almesmen of the said Mr. Robert Dowe) he is in the whole to
receave yerely duringe his life, a penc[i]on out of, and from this
Companye, amounting to the sum of tenn pounds per annum."
Master's Payments, 1600–1.
"Item, paid to John Stowe for his yerelie pencion—viz.,
for ij. quarters after the rate of xxs. the quarter, and for
th'other twoe quarters ending at Midsomer 1601, after the rate
of xxxs. the quarter, according to order taken at a Court of
Assistents xijth Martii 1600.
6. The particulars of Robert Dowe's Charity will be found
printed elsewhere, (fn. 4) but in an earlier deed of 20th June 1602,
still in possession of the Company, which was revoked by that
of August 1605, these passages are found:—
7. It sets forth by way of recital that Dowe, "knowing the
great number of his poore brethren, the Merchant Taylors, using
the handycraft of Taylory to be decayed many waies, chiefley
by a number of forreins that have entred the Citty of London,
and are divers waies placed and sett on worke in open shoppes
and private howses within the liberties there by want of good
foresight, care and diligence to reform the same, being moved
with a zealous and charitable care to relieve the decayed
estate of the said poore handycraft so much as he might."
8. The deed then provides that the Company shall pay a
yearly pension of 5l. 2s. to certain Tailors, and to John Stowe,
who was not then a working tailor, setting forth that those
holding the pension should be qualified as such, "saving only
the said John Stowe, whoe yet notwithstanding in his begynnyng was of the handycraft, and now for many yeres hath
spent great labor and study in wryting of Chronicles and
other memorable matters for the good of all posterity, and
therefore the said Robt. Dowe hath thought fitt for his better
maynetennance to make him partaker of the benefit of one of
the said Pensions."
9. This pension Stowe (fn. 5) received until his death on the 5th
April 1605, and his successor Howes (if he can be called such),
received encouragement in his labours from the Company, as
this entry proves:—
"There was freely and lovingly given by this Court to
Mr. Edmond Howes the Chronicler, who sithence the death of
Mr. John Stowe hath sett forth an abridgement or summary of
the English Chronicles, to thend the better to encourage him
to proceed in the course which he hath begun, the some of
Tenn pounds."—[20th February 1607.]
At a subsequent Court (4th April 1615) he presented a copy
of his work to the Company.