Research in Progress

NOTES 1 I should like to thank Miss Jean Kennedy, county archivist, and the staff of the Norfolk Record Office whose active co-operation and interest have helped me so much during the past seven years . In particular, I should like to thank Mr Paul Rutledge, senior assistant archivist, who, with his eye for the significance of things, drew my attention to `The Seven Deadly Sins', and who helped me to make some sense of a few difficult readings . I am greatly indebted, also, to Dr Cameron Louis, editorial assistant with Records of Early English Drama, who, prudently, caused me to suppress some of my own `poetic' readings in favour of his paleographic ones . It was he who told me of À Fifteenth Century Didactic Poem in British Museum Add . MS. 29729,' which resembles the Norwich one and, during the past few months, he has made many other valuable suggestions. 2 For a brief survey of the various types of records of visitations, see Dorothy M . Owen, The Records of the Established Church in England (British Records Association, 1970), 30-5 . 3 By my count the folios are 132v and 133 . 4 For a brief discussion of the subject and a transcript of the poem, see A.S .G . Edwards, Neu- philologische Mitteilungen, 70 (1969), 702-6 . Research in progress AUDREY W . DOUGLAS Cumbria county has three record offices : Carlisle, which houses city of Carlisle and former Cumberland county documents ; Kendal, which holds its own materials and those of the former Westmorland ; and Barrow, a new deposit for the Furness area, until 1972 part of Lancashire but now incorporated in Cumbria. My research so far has been based at Kendal. I visited Carlisle in October 1978 for a brief review of possible materials, some of which were later temporarily transferred to Kendal for further use . Cumbria does not hold many materials of potential interest to REED for the period before 1642. A preliminary search suggests that the chief sources of interest are the Chamberlains' Accounts for Kendal and for Carlisle, which between them cover the period 1582-1642 . Although both towns had considerable guild activity, original materials for the REED period are sadly lacking . Similarly, among parish records, churchwardens' accounts prior to 1642 are very few, and Carlisle in fact holds none . In the category of manorial, estate and household records, of materials so far examined the Curwen accounts have yielded the most relevant material . I hope, however, to supplement this particular type of private household activity 13 with information gained from visits to the Department of Palaeography and Diplo- matic at Durham for the Howard accounts, Naworth Castle, Cumberland, Chats- worth House for the Bolton manuscripts and to Brougham and Appleby Castles, Westmorland . The Kendal Chamberlains' Books, with few gaps, cover the period 1582-1641 . The accounts are handled by two chamberlains elected annually, with other officers, at Michaelmas . Each book records income and expenditure under various cate- gorized headings. REED items are usually found among those listed as 'Extra- ordinary payments'. What follows here is based on a rough preliminary examination . Payments to the town's waits are recorded regularly throughout the period . Their main function appears to have been performance at dinners on the occasion of civic elections and the Easter and Michaelmas Court Leet, but also at venison feasts on five occasions, 1622-31, and `when mr . doctor robinson was hear', 1591-2 . While not receiving an annual stipend - they were rewarded on each occasion - they were apparently given a livery, described as 'cotes', 1584-1603, and 'cloks', from 1614-40 . Materials and colour varied : 'blu', 1595-6, 'gren ffrese', 1600-1, and `broad read', 1603-4 and 1618-9 . The accounts also record over thirty payments for `the drum' or `the drummer', the earlier ones in connection with `the queen's day', temp Elizabeth i, when ringers also celebrated each anniversary of the coronation . The drum was used as well for quasi-military purposes : for the musters dinner, 1592-3 ; when 'bekens' were burnt at Penrith, 1595-6, 1600-1 ; `when watch was sett', 1600-1 . Use of the drum was stepped up 1638-41, probably in connection with the levy of trained bands, and one Webster received special livery as drummer . Thirty-seven payments for `players' are found from 1585-1637 . These include players of Lord Morley, Lord Monteagle, the earl of Derby, Lord Wharton, the earl of Sussex, and Lord Dudley, as well as the king's, the queen's, the prince's, and players of the queen of Bohemia . King James visited Kendal in 1617 ; the accounts show only that his harbingers came to seek suitable accommodation, that a purse was presented, and that payments were made to grooms, litter men, and trumpeters. The accounts contain about a dozen unspecified references to plays or players, 1587-1611, with occasional detail as to individuals or locations involved : `the playe . .. at mr wilsons', 'mr Ingall play' (both 1587-8), and `the charges of the Staydge of Syr potters play', 1593-4 ; a play took place in James Calley's 'lofte', 1587-8, and in a 'stret', 1600-1 ; players are mentioned in the 'newe hall', 1592-3, and at `the dragon', 1593-4 ; there is a payment for `building the stage', 1613-14 . The Kendal Boke off Recorde, which also mentions a play, was begun in 1575 as a register or minute book for the newly formed corporation, being added to in the 1580s. These late sixteenth-century hands run throughout the book, with later hands interspersed. Many folios are blank . References to the play comprise an order prohibiting drinkings on occasions that include meetings of occupations àboute orders for their severall pagiandes', 1575 ; a constitution for shearman ordering that, prior to admission as freemen, they pay 12d `beside custome for 14 the playe', 1581 ; an order that burgesses wear violet gowns on days including the play day, 1586 ; and a statement that the staging of the Corpus Christi play, or any other stage play, must be with the consent of the chief burgesses and not the aldermen alone, 1586 . The extant Carlisle Chamberlains' Accounts cover eleven years between 1602 and 1644 and contain a variety of materials of interest to REED . Two chamberlains, elected annually at Michaelmas, recorded each year's accounts in a separate paper booklet. Carlisle also had a regular audit from 1597, on 24 March, interrupted only by the Civil War. The format of the Audit Book, however, with three summary heads annually, limits its interest for REED to three items, among them the waits' wages (4), 1612-13 . The Chamberlains' Accounts in Volume 1 vary in format . Those for the years 1602-3 and 1603-4 record disbursements under various heads, of which three (fees and annuities, benevolences to the poor, lame soldiers and minstrels, and expen- ditures on wine, ale and cakes) contain useful items . The last account, 1618-19, also categorizes disbursements, amongst which those headed Ordinary, Rewards and Presents, Annual Fees, and Liveries are useful . The accounts for 1608-9 and 1610-11 each present an uncategorized list of all disbursements on a chronological basis, distinguishing only fees and annuities under a separate head . The 1605-6 account is represented by its title only . References to Carlisle's own waits occur in 1602-3 and in 1618-19, both payments for livery . The accounts do, however, record payments to an interesting selection of waits from other communities : Penrith, Cockermouth, Appleby, and Kendal (all from the present Cumbria) ; Lancaster, Lincoln ; Newcastle (North- umberland) ; Barnard Castle and Durham ; Leeds, Richmond, Wakefield, Halifax, Ripon, 'Midlam' (?Middleham), all in Yorkshire, as well as York itself . An annual fee was paid to a drummer, from 1602-9 named as Nicholas Hudson . John, or John Burton, trumpeter, also received payments over the period 1602-19, including three for his part on election day, and once (1618-19) on All Hallows Day . Ascen-, sion Thursday is marked in the accounts by payments for cakes and wine served in the corporation chamber (1602-3, 1604-5, 1610-11), musicians' `powder' and `plaie' (1610-11), and for òne that was foole' (1604-5) . Elsewhere, various items of clothing `for the foole' are paid for (1610-11), and he is included under Liveries, 1618-19 . On 26 December 1610, payments were made for a coat, hat, and stockings , to my lord abbot', and for candles ; a Christmas lord of misrule may be inferred . Shrove Tuesday was marked by special celebrations : not only by cakes and ale to the chamber, 1602-3, but also by `play games', 1602-3, 1604-5, 1608-9, 1610-11 (when payments were also made for a football and the Penrith waits), and 1618-19 . Players and musicians visited the city . Named among the former are those of the king, Lord Morley, Lord Evers, Lord Stafford, Lord òf Lincoln', Lord Wharton, Lord Aubrey, and the Cockermouth and Penrith players . James Baines and his fellow players appeared in 1602-3 . Nine entries for musicians include a musician of `Mr. dudleys', Sir Wilfrid Lawson's musicians, and ì scots gentlewoman minstrell'! Of the guild records of Carlisle that have reference to the REED period, the 15 Butchers' Book contains nothing relevant . From 1625 to 1636 the undermasters of the Merchants' Guild kept detailed accounts, the annual term running from the Friday of the feast of St Peter (June-July) . The occupation's dinner was held on the Sunday after Our Lady's Nativity (f 2, order for same), and the accounts contain entries for music and musicians at these times, as well as occasional mention of banners .

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