No. 37.
Letter from King Henry VIII to Alderman Monoux desiring him to part with certain property whereon to erect an Exchange. Dated Chichester, 13 August [1538].
Journal 14, fo. 124.
By the Kynge
Trusty and welbelovyd we grete you well. And where as we under stande that ye have certeyn howsyng and tenementes abowt lombard strete in our Citye of london whiche ar veray mete and expedyent for certeyn intended purposes to the weale and commen furtherance of merchauntes and entrecours of the same wtyn that or Cytye lyke as or trusty and Ryght welbelovyd servaunt Sr Rychard Gresham maior of the same and other hys brethern there can declare unto you Forasmoche as we tender moche that theyre good mynde and purpose in that byhalf may take effect And not dowbtyng but beyng brought up there ye have a good zeale and affeccõn to the same we have therfore thought hartely to requyre you that nowe shewyng the same ye woll nowe vouchesave at or intercessyon to bestowe upon suche a common weale and furtheraunce so moche of yor sayd howsyng as shall nede for thaccomplysshement of the same freely and frankely Or at the least wt so reasonable an agreament indelayedly to be made betwene you and the sayd Gresham as they maye have cawse to thynke that ye want no good affeccõn towardes the sayd cytye And also that ye have suche good respect to our requisicõn herein as apperteigneth Assuryng you that yor gentle confirmite so to doo shalbe by us thankfully accepted and remembred accordyngly Yeven under or signet at or citye of Chichestre the xiij daye of August.
No. 38.
Another letter from King Henry VIII to the same urging him to part with property required for an Exchange, on reasonable terms. No Date [1538].
Id. ibid.
By the Kyng
Trusty and welbelovyd we grete you well And where as we have lately dyrected to you or letters hartely desyeryng you at or request frankely and frely to gyve certeyn yor howses that ye have in lombardstrete yn that or Cytye of London for a burse or place apte for merchauntes to resorte to orelles upon suche a reasonable agreament and convencõn as ye cowlde fynde yn your harte for or sake to conclude wt theym yn that byhalf wheryn ye shulde doo unto us acceptable pleasure not to be forgotten whensoever oportunytye shall requyre Wherupon as we be enformed or trusty and Ryght welbelovyd servaunt Sir Rychard Gresham Knight late Maior of or sayd Cytye have wt other of hys brethern Aldermen of the same bene lately wt you for thaccomplysshement therof at whiche tyme ye hooly remytted the matter to thorderyng of or trusty and welbelovyd counsailor Sir Richard Ryche chauncelor of or corte thaugmentacõns of or crowne wt whome also the sayd Sir Rychard Gresham wt other of hys brethern thaldermen of that or Cytye concluded and agreed to pay yerely for ever an annuall rent of twenty markes by yere for the sayd howses yet thys notwtstandyng thorough the evell counsayll and dethortacõn of certayn persones of frowarde disposicõn whiche lytle regarde or pleasure and yor estymacõn contrary to or expectacõn and lesse to the furtherance of the common wealth of that or Cytye have dysturbed the sayd good purpose to or no lytill marvell we therfore muche desyeryng the same to take effect do eftsones desyre and hartely requyre you that ponderyng and weyng wt yorself the benefite and commodytye that shall ensue therof to or common wealth and to the beautifitye of that or cytie and chamber of London to condescende to or desyre and conclude the sayd graunte accordyngly wtout further delaye Requyryng you that of yor gentle conformytie herein to be used on yor behalf (the contrary wherof we nothyng loke for) ye woll advertyse us wt convenyent dylygence by thys brynger Sir Rychard Gresham to thintent that accordyng to yor procedynges hereyn we maye gyve unto you or condigne thankes and also remember the same whan occasyon shall serve to yor no lytle benefit accordyngly Yeven under or Signet &c.