April 18. Levied upon Roger Gaunt by virtue of a warrant from Mr Edward Robinson, maior, for neglecting and refusing to serve overseer being chosen, 1l.
Nov. 4. Levied upon Peter Dixon, a baker, by warrant from Tho. Toll, maior, for travelling on the Lord’s day 10s. whereof 12d. to John Gray informer.
Nov. 22. Levied upon one Smith, a smith, of Wisbeach, for the like offence 10s. whereof to a soldier that informed 12d. and to the Court of Guard 12d.
Nov. 23. Levied upon William Tabbott and Francis Pollard for the like offence 20s. whereof to John Rainer and William Disborough informers 2s. 6d.
Nov. 24. Levied upon Mr. William Edwards of Swinstead, for the like offence 10s. whereof to Thomas Lyny, a soldier, informer, was given 12d.
Feb. 9. Levied upon Daniell Rose for drunkeness 5s. and for 3 oathes sworne before Mr. maior 3s. but because he was poor he had 4s. given him, as to the poor.
Feb. 24. Levied upon a servant of William Marches, innkeeper, for convicted drunkenness 5s.
March 10. Levied upon James Yates for 2 oathes 2s. whereof to Miles Lawes, poor lame and blind, 12d.
March 12. Levied upon a stranger at Peeter Lawes, innkeeper, for travilling on a fast day, 5s.
March 26. Levied upon another stranger, for the same offence, 5s. to Brian Middleton, informer, 12d.
Aprill 15. Levied more upon Richard Paule, alehousekeeper, for suffering tipling in his house, 10s.
May 22. Levied more upon the said Richard Paule, alehousekeeper, for breaking of the assize of beere for six quarts 6l. convicted by oath of John Gibson, woolcomber.—More upon Katherine the wife of the said Rich: Paule, for swearing ten oathes, 10s.
May 24. Levied upon Thomas Forster, Christopher Pert, and Dorothy Goreing widdow, three alehousekeepers, for drawing beere without licence, each of them 20s.—3l.
June 22, Levied upon a stranger, for profanely sweareing one oath, 1s.
July 21 Levied upon Edward Arther, alias Logstone, and John Mason, alehousekeepers, for drawing beere without licence, each of them 20s.
July 26. Levied more upon William Medcalfe, alehousekeeper, for the same offence 1l.
Oct. 15. Levied upon William Greene, alehousekeeper, for the same offence 1l.
[779] “Mony collected in St. Margaret’s Church for charitable uses by breifes, since the feast of Easter 1653, to the feast of Easter 1654, by the then present Churchwardens, for the said yeare, Thomas Grinnell and Robart Greene.
Imprimis—Collected for the poore inhabitants of Drayton in Shropsheire, for a loss sustained by fyre, and paid the 13th. of October 1653, to Robt. Blessed of King’s Lynn 1l. 17s. 4d.
Collected for the poore inhabitants of Newmarkett, in Southfolk, for a losse sustained by fyre, and paid the 9th. of February, 1653, to George Howard of the same towne, 1l. 9s. 3d.
Collected for the poore inhabitants of Long Sutton, in the county of Lincolnsheire, for a losse sustained by fyre, and paid the 28th. of Febr. 1653: to Elizabeth Plunkett of the same towne 1l. 13s.
Collected for the poore inhabitants of the towne of Bungaye, in Southfolke, for a losse sustained by fyre, 1l. 15s.—[N.B. This is said not to have been paid; but no reason is assigned for that.]
Collected for the poore inhabitants of Malborowe, in Wiltsheire, for a losse sustained by fyre: 224 houses and a church being consumed by the said fyre, which losse did amount to 70,000l. and was collected in the church, and paid 11th. of March 1653, to John Basset Esq. then maior, appointed to receive the same, the sum of 6l. 13s. 10d.
Collected for the natives and distressed people of Newe England, and that from house to house, within this parish, and paid unto Mr. Joshua Greene the 20th. of November 1653, 25l. 13s.
“Moneys collected in St. Margaret’s Church for charitable uses, in the year 1654.
Collected for the inhabitants of Glosco, (Glasgow) in Scotland, for a losse sustained by fyre to the vallew of 1,000000l. the 23d. of Aprill 1654, which was paid unto Mr. John Basset, then maior, the sume of 3l. 10s. 10d.
Collected for a Greation, (grecian) towards the redemption of those that were prisoners in Argeare (Algier): their ransome amounting to 12,000 dollers; and paid unto him 13th. Sept. 1654. 5l. 4s. 6d.
Collected (again) for the towne of Drayton, county of Salop, for a losse by fyre, and paid unto Pollicarpus Tooke, the 4th. of February 1654, 2l. 3s. 1d.
Collected by the ministers and church-wardens, from house to house, for the poore Prodestance (protestants) in Savoy, the 17th. of June 1655, and paid to Mr. Tho. Greene, then maior, 47l. 15s. 9d.
Among subsequent collections we find 10l. 1s. for the relief of the distressed protestants in Poland.
[783] The number, if we mistake not, is eight; the recorder, three aldermen, and four common-council-men. What blame is imputable to them, may not be easy to say. We are willing to suppose it may not be very much; at least, not so much as what belongs to their resident brethren, who have it in their power to strike off their names from the list of members: and though it may not be of any material consequence to the community at large if they be still continued on the list of members, or if eight, or even eighteen more were to become absentees and retain their respective memberships; yet in point of good policy it may not be quite the thing, lest the unprivileged part of the townsmen should by decrees take it into their heads, that it would be no very serious cause of alarm if the whole corporation, except the mayor, recorder, and town clerk, were to set out in a body to make the tour of Europe, or to perform a voyage round the world.
[787] We also learn that the expense at this period of taking up one’s freedom in this town (according to ancient custom) amounted to only 7s. 3d. which was divided as follows, viz. To the prisoners 4d.—to the poor 1s.—to the officers 1s.—to Mrs. Mayoress 1s.—to the town-clerk 1s.—for the Seal and Burgess-Letter 3s. 4d.—(whereof 1s. 8d. to Mr. Mayor, and 1s. 8d. to the town-clerk,) total 7s. 8d.—The expense is a good deal more now; but to those who obtain their freedom by inheritance, or servitude, it is far from being exorbitant.
[790] See Laing’s excellent History of Scotland, where the fact here alluded to is clearly stated and established.
[792a] Kimber.