LIVERIES WORN BY GENTLEMEN.
(Vol. vi., p. 146.; Vol. viii., p. 473.)
The prevalence of the custom of the liveries of noble and other persons being worn by others than the retainers of the family, in the reigns of Henry VI. and Elizabeth, is exemplified by two documents preserved amongst the MSS. of the corporation of this borough. The first, which is also curious as a specimen of the language of the period, is an award under the seal of Margaret of Anjou; under whom, as they had previously done under Katherine, queen of Henry V., the corporation farmed the bailiwick of the town:
"Margaret, by the grace of God, Quene of England and of Ffraunce and Lady of Irland, Doughter of the Kyng of Sicile and Jerlm. Be it knawen to all men to whom this p'sent writyng (endented) shall come, that whereas a certeyn Comission of my fuldoutfull Lord was directed to c'teyn p¯sones to enquere as well of yevyng of lyu'e, as of other diu's articles ... before the Comissioners of the seyd Comission it was p'sented by William Neuby and other of our tenntz of Leycestre ... that c'teyn p¯sones, in Leycestre, had taken clothyng of diu'rez p'sones, ayenst the forme of the statut; that ys to wete, that some of hem had taken clothyng of the Viscount Beaumont, and some of Sr Edward Grey, Lord Fferrers of Growby, and some of hem had taken clothyng of other diu'res p¯sones, by cause of which p'sentement diu'res p¯sones, some of the houshold of the seyd Lord Fferrers, and some of the clothing of the said Lord, with other wele wilners to the said Lord, as yet not to us knawen, by supportacon and favour, and for pleasance to the said Lord, as we ben enfo'med ... betyn and sore woundetyn the said William Neuby, and manesten to bete other of our tenntz of Leycestre." ... She doth therefore "ordeyn, deme, and awarde" that the said Lord Ferrers pay c. marks to William Neuby, that he "be goode lorde to the said William Neuby; and to all other tenntz in our lordship of Leycestre; and that the said lord shall not geve any clothyng or liue'y to any p¯sone dwellyng within our said lordship," &c.... "Yeven the xx day of May, the yere of the reign of my most douted Lord Kyng Henr' the Sext, xxvii."
The above extracts show one of the evils to which the practice led; another, mentioned in the deed, was that of deerstealing. William Newby was mayor of the town in 1425, 1433, and 1444-5.
The second document is a curious letter from the mayor and some members of the corporation to George Earl of Huntington, lord-lieutenant of the county, and a frequent resident in the town, where a part of his mansion, called "Lord's Place," and in which James I. was entertained, still exists. The draft of this letter forms part of an interesting series of correspondence between the corporation and the earl, respecting the nomination of the parliamentary representatives of the town in 1601.
The earl recommended that Mr. (afterwards Sir) William Herrick and Mr. Bromley should be chosen, and in strong language warned them against electing Mr. George Belgrave of Belgrave (who had greatly offended him), as he hears "that Belgrave still contineweth his great practising in labouring to be chosen;" and he adds, "Goode Mr. Mayor, be carefull of this, as you and the rest will looke to make accompt of me."
It appears that many members of the corporation were secretly favourable to Mr. Belgrave, and he was elected, as explained in the following letter: