Illuminating the Chorus in the Shadows: Elizabethan and Jacobean Exeter 1550-1610 Vol 2 of 3 volumes. Submitted by Kate Osborne to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History March 2016. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature …………………………………………………………………………………… 312 Biography 1: Richard Addis, miller 17/7/1583 owed 9s for malt by Juddery, Exeter Orphans’s Court Nicholas Glanfield Inventories, Electronic Files, OCI 33. 1586 assessed on goods value £3 3s Rowe, Tudor Exeter, p.71. in the parish of St Edmunds 3/11/1587 his mother Agnes is Nesbit, St Edmund’s Parish Register buried, recorded in the parish of St Burials, p.8. Edmund 1590/91 appears in session rolls DHC, ECA, N13-09 Quarter Session Rolls, Eliz 33 image 7. 1592 holds the lease on Bonhay Mills DHC, ECA Chamber Act Book B1/5, of Sir Robert Dennis p.219. 1593-5 assessed on goods value £4 Rowe, Tudor Exeter, p.74. in St Edmunds 26/9/1593 inventory appraiser for Juddery, Exeter Orphans’s Court Richard Wills, dyer of Exe Island Inventories, Electronic Files, OCI 55. 1593/4 appears in sessions rolls and DHC, ECA, N13-09 Quarter Session described as a miller Rolls, Eliz 36 image 4. 6/11/1596 mentioned in St Edmunds Nesbit, St Edmund’s Parish Register burial register in association with the Burials, p.18. burial of John Parriton his late employee 20/5/1600 burial recorded in the Nesbit, St Edmund’s Parish Register parish of St Edmund Burials, p.21. 1602 [still] assessed on goods value Hoskins, Seventeenth Century £4 4s in the parish of St Edmunds Exeter, p.6. 313 Biography 2: Digory Baker, weaver 1564, 1566/7 and 1576 listed as a DHC, Youings Unpublished Card weaver and member of the Tuckers Index. Guild 20/2/1565, appointed to search the DHC, ECA, Chamber Act Book B1/3, Merchant’s Hall for sales that p.171. ‘Londoners’ are making – receives 5s for this, with Richard Smith and John Tucker 18/3/1565 appointed as one of the DHC, ECA, Chamber Act Book B1/3, Sergeants after John Dyer dies p.173. 25/3/1566 gains freedom of the city Rowe and Jackson, Exeter Freemen, as a weaver, by fine of £1 p.87. 1567/8 possibly absent from Tuckers DHC, Youings, Unpublished Card Guild Index. 1570 assessed at 0d contribution for DHC, ECA, Accounts of the Poor poor relief in the parish of St Olave Book 157, f.179. 1572 provides surety for George Binn DHC, Youings Unpublished Card as a member of the Tuckers Guild Index. 1572 also George Brown providing surety for Digory Baker 17/11/1573 provides surety at the city DHC, ECA, N13-09 Quarter Session quarter sessions for John Denner[?] Rolls, Eliz 16 image 2. smith 23/2/1574 acting as sergeant, DHC, ECA, Chamber Act Book B1/3, accompanies Reginald Digby to Peter p.275. Carew in London having arrived from Spain with secrets to be disclosed to the Council. The city covers the cost of Baker’s horse 1577 assessed on land in St George Rowe, Tudor Exeter, p.62. value £3 3s 1584 signatory to the Bond of Cresswell, ‘The Exeter Bond of Association Association’, pp.226-277. 1584 named on John Hooker’s gift list Snow, ‘John Hooker’s Circle’, pp.273- 277 and 317-324. 1593 removed from the position of DHC, ECA, Chamber Act Book B1/5, having charge of the House of p.248. Correction ‘havinge not perfomed the covennte toching the house of correcon & beinge of no abilitie to pforme …’ 22/12/1595 and they agree that DHC, ECA, Chamber Act Book B1/5, Digory Baker shall have a gowne p.345. clothe delivered him by Mr Recevr in consideration of all challenge & demands wch he makes to theme of the cittie for a full recompense & Mr Recer to be allowed thereof his accompte 314 16/1/1593 debtor of Thomas Juddery, Exeter Orphans’s Court Greenwood, deceased owing 5s Inventories, Electronic Files, OCI 51. 1603 burial recorded in the parish of Nesbit, Holy Trinity Parish Register Holy Trinity Burials, p.55. 315 Biography 3: Peter Benson, stationer 1573-4 gains freedom of the city, the Rowe and Jackson, Exeter Freemen, son of Nicholas [possibly Nicholas p.91. Benson of Holy Trinity who dies 5th October 1572] 25/4/1575 marries Agnes Nicholas in Nesbit, St Petrock Parish Register St Petrocks Marriages, p.8. 1/1/1576 Elizabeth Benson daughter Nesbit, St Kerrian Parish Register of Peter baptized in St Kerrian Marriages, Baptisms and Burials, p.7. 1577 assessed in St Kerrians on Rowe, Tudor Exeter, p.64. goods value £3 3s 7/6/1577 Henry Benson, son of Peter Nesbit, St Kerrian Parish Register is baptized in St Kerrians but is buried Marriages, Baptisms and Burials, p.7. on 3rd August 1580 in St Petrock aged 3 years 2 months. Nesbit and Langford, St Petrock Parish Register Burials, p.13. 6/8/1578 daughter Joan is baptized in Nesbit, St Petrock Parish Register the parish of St Petrock but is buried Baptisms, p.20. on 12th August Nesbit and Langford, St Petrock Parish Register Burials, p.12. 4/9/1579 Peter Benson, son of Peter Nesbit, St Petrock Parish Register is baptized in St Petrock Baptisms, p.20. 1582-3 made Churchwarden of St Shorto, Some notes on the church of Petrocks St Petrock Exeter, p. 37. 3/6/1583 writes his will TNA, PROB 11/65, image ref 382. 17/6/1583 burial recorded in the Nesbit, and Langford, St Petrock parish of St Petrock, although in his Parish Register Burials, p.13. will he had requested to be buried in St George and left money to the poor of that parish. Dymond, ‘The History of the Parish of St Petrock’, p.468. 1583-4 noted as a deceased Churchwarden 2/9/1583 William Holmes gains his Rowe and Jackson, Exeter Freemen, freedom as a stationer by fine of £2 p.97. 16/9/1583 John Dight gains his Tapley-Soper, ‘Exeter Parish freedom of the city as a stationer, Registers AHGS, St Pancras and St apprentice of Peter Benson [he is Paul’, p.157. already the father of a child in 1572 and fathers more in 1584 and 1586] Nesbit, St Martin’s Parish Register, pp.4-5. 7/9/1583 Agnes Benson marries Nesbit, St Petrock Parish Register William Holmes in the parish of St Marriages, p.9. Petrock 316 1585-87 Peter Benson is listed as DHC, Receiver’s Account Rolls, E10- being the tenant of the plot in the F5, 28-29 Eliz. west part of the entry to High Street, by Broad Gate – in St Petrocks parish. This cannot be his son who is only 3. 1586 William Holmes is valued for tax Rowe, Tudor Exeter, p.71. on goods at £4 in the parish of St Petrock William Holmes baptizes: Nesbit, St Petrock Parish Register 6/7/1584 John Baptisms, pp. 22-25. 5/7/1585 Deborah 26/6/1586 Mary 2/7/1587 William 5/12/1588 William (2) all in the parish of St Petrock Will of Peter Benson In the name of God amen, the thirde daie of June in the yeare of oure Lorde god one thousande five hundred eightie three. I Peter Benson of the citye of Exeter stationer beinge of whole mynde and in perfecte memorye (laude and praise be unto allmightie god) doe make and ordaine this my present testament conteyninge herein my laste will in manner and fourme followinge, this is to saie, ffyrste I commende my sowle unto allmightie God my savioure and onelye Redemer, and my bodye to by buried in the parrisshe churche of Sainte Georges within the cittie of Exeter, and I bequeathe to the same parrishe churche sixe shillings eight pence. Item I give to the poore of the same parrishe sixe shillings eighte pence. Item I will at my burial [to] have a sermon for the whiche I doe gyve sixe shillings eight pence. Item I give unto my sister Elizabeth Benson thirteen poundes sixe shillings eighte pence, to be paide her at her daie of her marriage. And yf yt happen that the saide Elizabeth Benson decease before she be married, then the sayde thirteene poundes sixe shillings eighte pence to remayne to Agnes Benson my wife. Also I give to my mother in lawe Grace Nicholls one gowne of blacke clothe for a mourninge gowne. Item I geve of [sic] the cittie of Exeter twentie shillings. Item I give unto Peter Benson my sonne over and above his childes parte accordinge to the custome of the cittie aforesaide the somme of twentie shillings. Item my will and whole intente is that if annye of my saide children doe happen to decease before theye comme to the age of one and twentie yeares or be married, aswell his and theire parte of him or her so deceassinge before bequeathed as also theire childes parte by the custome of the saide Cittie of Exeter shall remayne to the other childe then lyvinge. Item the residue of all my goodes chattels and debts (after my debtes paide my ffuneralls and expenses performed, and theise my legacies conteyned in this my present testament fulfilled) I wholye give and bequeathe to Agnes Benson my saide wyffe whome I make my full and whole executrixe.