Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/86

 66 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vm. JAN. 22, 1021. If your Lordship honours Me With a Letter, 'be pleas'd to direct it for Me, at his Excellency My Lord Whitworth's at Berlin, where I propose to be in a little Time, & from whence I shall have it convey'd to Me, wherever I am. I shall be very glad to find a a Summons hi it either to England or Cambray, but more so for y 6 News of vour JLps Welfare. C. S. B. BUCKLJLND. AMONG THE SHAKESPEARE ARCHIVES. (See ante, pp. 23, 45.) -CHANGES IN STRATFORD ON THE ACCESSION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. One of those pardoned at the Coronation of the new Queen on Jan. 15, 1559, was Alderman Jeffreys of Sheep Street. He was a staunch Catholic, had been Bailiff in the first year of Mary, and during her reign had been guilty of actions which made it advis- able to seek the royal clemency. He was forgiven everything committed before Nov. 1, 1558, except what might be of a treasonable nature, on payment of 26s. Sd. The same 'day, Coronation Day, William Smart, the Protestant Schoolmaster, who was in holy orders and therefore forbidden to marry under Mary, took unto himself a wife, Katherine Lewis. On Feb. 1 John Shakes- peare sued a neighbour for debt, Matthew Bramley, who was in the leather trade and lived in Rother Market. The case came up again on the 15th, when Shakespeare in- curred the usual penalty of 2d. for riot following his suit. Apparently he declined to prosecute in consequence of the illness of Bramley's wife, who died, and was buried on the 22nd. In the interval between the 1st and 22nd Feb. there was a change of Steward. Master Roger Edgeworth made his last signature as Senescallus on Feb. 1, and his successor, Master William Court, made his first on Feb. 20. Edgeworth was also Steward of Warwick, where he resided. He was recognised as "an adversary of Religion " that is, a Catholic. The Strat- ford Chamber parted with him and imme- diately appointed Court in his stead. William Court alias Smith, who was presumably a Protestant, lived in Alveston parish on the south bank of the Avon. He liad acted frequently as attorney in the Court of Record, once, on July 29, 1556, on t>ehalf of Thomas Siche of Arscote against John Shakespeare. He had a son, William, aged nine, who was to become a lawyer. He had also kinsmen in Stratford Richard Court alias Smith, who on May 2, 1558, married Juliana, daughter of the late Alderman Thomas Dickson alias Waterman ; John Court alias Smith, a well-to-do butcher and gentleman ; and Christopher Court alias Smith, a yeoman, living in High Street. On July 5, 1559, and on Aug. 19 following John Shakespeare sued Richard Court for a debt of 65. 8d. But if the Stratford Chamber was dis- satisfied with its Steward, it was yet more aggrieved by its Romanist Vicar. When Thomas At wood, nephew or grandnephew of the Thomas Atwcod, alias Taylor, who died in 1543, made his will on May 15, 1559, it was witnessed among others by David Tong, priest, probably the curate to Roger Dyos in succession to William Brogden. Atwood died a Catholic, as his bequests show I2d. to the holy mother church of Worcester, and 5s. to ""the whole choir with priests and clerks " of Stratford Church at his burial. Other legacies, like those of his namesake of 1543, show friendship with the Quynies 40s. "to Annes Q.uyny, widow in Stratford,"' probably widow of Richard Quyny and mother of Adrian Quyny ; 6s. Sd. to John Quyny, who may have been an uncle or a brother of Adrian ; 3s. 4rf. to Elizabeth Bainton, step-daughter of Adrian Quyny ; and the residue of his estate to Adrian Quyny and the Bailiff of 1558-9, Robert Perrott, "my trusty lovers, who I make to be my full executors. " The testator was buried on May 31, and his will was proved in the peculiar court of Stratford on June 8 before Roger Dyos. The latter date was rather more than a fortnight before St. John Baptist's Day when the Prayer - Book was to come again into use. We hear nothing more of the Vicar until the autumn, when on Oct. 14 a letter was addressed from Coughton by Sir Robert Throgmorton and Sir Edward Greville (of Milcote) to the Stratford Chamber in the following terms : ' And whereas we understand that there is stay made of the Vicar's wages which was due at Michaelmas last, upon what consideration we know not; and whether he mind to keep his benefice or to leave it. for any respect, it is no reason that you should keep it from him, which he hath served for, nor the law will not permit you so to do. Wherefore we shall both desire you to see him paid his duty, for otherwise we shall not think so well of you as we have done. So fare you well.' A f oojbnote informs us : " Master Vicar saith they owed him for half a year at his entry and one year they owed him at