[256] Kitchen, Manor of Manydown, 174. At this ale there were six tables and the receipts from each were tabulated separately. For other large receipts see the Wing, Bucks, Acc'ts, Archaeologia, xxxvi, 219 ff. In 1598 the ale here yielded £9 16s. 4d. At Morebath, a small and poor parish, an ale had produced £10 13s. 5d. in 1529. but the receipts from this source fell off here in Elizabeth's time. At Stratton, Cornwall, up to 1547, at any rate, if not later, ales were the chief source of income. Archaeologia, xlvi, 195-6.
[257] Devon Notes and Quer., iii (1905), 224. Cf. the Young Men Wardens' ales at Morebath (Binney, Morebath Acc'ts, 213 [1573], et passim). Also St. Anthony's Gild ales at Chagford. Devon Ass. for Adv. of Science, viii, 74 (1599). Various persons at Milton Abbot sold ale and bread. Op. cit., vol. xi (1879), 218.
[258] Notes and Quer. for Somer. and Dorset, v (1897), 48. The same year in these acc'ts we find three conduit wardens mentioned. These are to have "the assistance of William Ellis plomer [plumber]." Of them it is also determined that they "do kepe an alle for the comodetie of the [Transcriber's note: WORD ILLEGIBLE] dytts in the sayd Towne to be kept abowts the tyme of Shrofftyde," [Transcriber's note: WORD(S) ILLEGIBLE] just before Lent.
[259] Butcher, The Parish of Ashburton, 41. It would seem that there were special wardens here for ale drawing. (See p. 44 [1570-1].)
[260] Archaeologia, xxxvi, 235.
[261] "And because John Watts hath ben long sick, hit is agreed that if hee be not able to s[e]rve at the tyme of the Church ale, That then John Coward … shall s[e]rve and be king in his place for this yeare." Mere Acc'ts (Wilts Arch. Mag., l.c., 34) s.a. 1561. Cf. J.H. Matthews, History of St. Ives (1892), 144, et passim.
[262] Bishop Hobhouse, Churchwdn's Acc'ts of Croscombe, Pilton, etc., Somerset Rec. Soc., iv (1890), 80, where he says: "The [Yatton] wardens attended these festivals at Ken, Kingston, Wrington, Congresbury, etc., with more or less regularity, making their contributions, commonly xijd. in the name of the parish and at the cost of the parish …" Cf. Morebath Acc'ts (ed. Binney), 224: "It there was payd a trinite Sonday at the Churche ale at Bawnton [Bampton] for John Skynner … xjd." (1565). Mere Acc'ts (Wilts Arch. Mag.), 60: "Item paied for bread and drink to make the Sum[m]er Lord of Gillingham Drink … ijs. vjd." (1578-9). T. Nash, Hist. and Antiq. of Worcestershire, ii, appen., p. xxix (Halesowen Acc'ts: "Paid when we went to Frankley to the church ale 20d.").
[263] See the precedents given for the Western Circuit in Prynne, Canterburies' Doome, 152. Cf. also, ibid., 128 ff. That these ales died hard in Devon and Somerset is seen by the repeated judicial orders. See also J.W. Willis Bund, Social Life in Worcestershire illustrated by the Quarter Sess. Rec. in Assoc. Archit. Soc., xxiii, Pt. ii (1897), 373-4 (1617). A.H. Hamilton, Quarter Sessions from Elisabeth to Anne (1878), 28-9. Harrison, Descrip. of Engl., Bk. ii, New Shak. Soc., 32. Saml. Barfield, Thatcham, Berks, and its Manors, ii, 105 (Wardens Acc'ts 1598-9: "Item wee were bounde over by Mr. Dolman, Justice, to appeare at Reading Assizes, where it cost T.. L.. and R.. C.. conserning our business wee kept at Whitsuntide xvs. apece, somme xxxs.")
[264] Hale, Crim. Prec., 149 (Hornchurch wardens bringing players into church. 1566). Ibid., 156 ("Tromperie" and "paynted stuff for playes in the chefe parte of the [Rayleigh] church." 1574). Ibid., 158 (Two plays in Romford Chapel by "comon players." Wardens plead in extenuation that proceeds went to "a poore man in decay." 1577). Leverton, Lincolnshire, Acc'ts, Archæologia, xli, 333 ff. (Several examples of plays in the church. 1579-95).
[265] In the Chelmsford Acc'ts, Essex Arch. Soc., ii, 225-6 (1562), is a most interesting inventory showing an elaborate stage outfit. That it was used for miracle plays is seen on p. 227 (" Cotte of lether for Christe," and "lyne for the clowdes," etc.). From various towns the Chelmsford men received in 1563, and subsequently, large sums for the hire of these properties, e.g., £3 6s. 8d. from "Starford" (Bishop Stortford?); 43s. 4d. from Colchester.