Title:
Entry book
Level: Category
Borough records
Level: Fonds
COLCHESTER, PRE-1835
Level: Sub-Fonds
ENTRY, PRECEDENT BOOKS
Scope and Content:
Minutes of Foreign (Thursday) Court, with other doccuments important to the administration of the borough. Comprises:

Folios 5-131, minutes of the Foreign (Thursday) court, 25 October 1571 - 29 November 1576. The amount of detail given, especially as regards process, is similar to D/B 5 R7.

Includes enrolments of freeburgess admissions and writs (mostly in memorandum form). Other enrolments include juries to inquire into the eating of flesh in Lent and the sufficient tanning of leather, also of assizes of bread (folios 60, 62) and a sergeant's recognizance of office (folio 129).

Folios 132, 133 are blank.

Folios 134-137, contemporary copies of letters patent, Privy Council letters and orders, and orders of Essex Commissioners for suppression of pirates and their abetters, September - November 1577, as follows: (i) royal commission by letters patent, dated Windsor 24 October, to Robert, Lord Riche, John, Lord Darcy of Chichele [St Osyth], Sir Thomas Mildmay, Sir John Petre, Sir Thomas Lucas, Sir William Waldegrave, William Ayliffe, sergeant-at-law, the Bailliffs of Colchester, James Morice, Edmund Pirton and Arthur Harysse, esquires, for the suppression of pirates and their abetters within the county of Essex and for compliance with instructions of not less than six of the Privy Council (folios 134-135r); (ii) Privy Council letter, dated Windsor 29 September, sent with (i) above to the Commissioners for taking order against pirates and their abetters (folios 135v-136r); (iii) Privy Council's instructions (undated because annexed to (i) and (ii) above) to Commissioners on how to carry out their duties (folios 136r-137r); (iv) orders of the Commissioners, dated Chelmsford 5 November, giving names of Commissioners and their deputies for the area of Colchester and its Liberties (folio 137v).

Folios 138-140 are blank.

Folios 140v-142, contemporary copies of orders for suppression of rogues, November 1577: (i) instructions to sheriff and justices in Essex for supression of rogues, vagabonds, masterless men and highwaymen (folios 140v-141r); (ii) recognizances of Adam Holland of Old Hythe, constable, to execute (i) by making twice weekly searches as specified and recognizances of constable(s) and of eight persons (names given) for each of eight parishes to ensure that constable does his duty (folios 141r-142).

Folios 143r-145, further contemporary copies of documents relating to supression of piracy, July 1578: (i) royal commission by letters patent, dated Greenwich 10 July, to Rich, Darcy, Mildmay, Lucas, Pirton [all as at folio 134], Thomas Teye esquire, and the Bailliffs of Colchester for suppression of pirates as before and to follow Privy Council instructions (undated because annexed to (i)) for the above Commissioners in authorising certain persons to be sent to sea to capture pirates (folios 143v-145r).

Folios 145v- 146v, contemporary copy of order, 13 March 1567 [thus in manuscript, ?mistake for 1577], to Justices of Assize at Brentwood in dispute between the Bailiffs of Colchester and fishermen of surrounding villages not in the Liberties over oyster dredging in River Colne.

Folios 147r-165v, contemporary copies of documents relating to musters and provision of horse, 1580-1584: (i) royal commission by letters patent, 18 April 1580, for musters to Thomas, Earl of Sussex, Robert, Lord Riche, John, Lord Darcy of Chiche, and Robert Mott and Thomas Cooke, Bailiffs of Colchester, and also to Francis Walsingham, Sir Thomas Lucas, Sir William Waldegrave, James Morris, Town Clerk, William Cardinall and Edmund Pirton, esquires, Robert Lambert, Robert Middleton, Thomas Lawrence and John Pye, aldermen (folio 147 r-v); annexed directions from Privy Council for the above Commissioners for musters in town of Colchester (folio 148 r-v); (iii) undated instructions from Privy Council to Commissioners for general musters in Essex (folios 149-159r); (iv) letter from Privy Council sent to the Sheriff and the Commissioners with royal commission under the Great Seal for general musters, dated Westminster 18 March [no year is given and it is unclear whether this letter relates to (i)], referring to certificates of musters between 15 and 20 Elizabeth I, requiring musters of horse by 1 June following and giving names of Essex commissioners (folios 159r- 162 r); (v) undated letter to the Bailiffs from the Essex Commissioners with a list of those charged with the provision of lances and light horse (folios 162v- 163r); (vi) petition of Bailiffs and Aldermen, 31 January 1581, for relief from (v) on account of lack of grazing for support of horses in Colchester - marginal annotation that petition referred back, 16 February 1581, to Essex Commissioners to report (folio 163 r); (vii) letter, 19 February 1581, of local Commissioners to others of their number in support of (vi) (folio 163 v); (viii) order (September 1583) from Commissioners to muster at Chelmsford on 20 September with names of those to provide light horse (folio 164r); (ix) instructions and orders from Privy Council and others empowered by the royal commission, 1 March 1584, to those appointed for county of Essex to see the performance of Statute for the Keeping of Horses and Geldings for service and of Horses and Mares for Increase and Breeding (folios 164v-165v).

Folios 166-172r are blank.

Folios 172v-186v, general recognizances, April 1572 - November 1576 (e.g. to keep the peace, for appearance, in bastardy, etc.). Also includes those of tallow chandlers for proper conduct of their trade (folios 176,184) and a few depositions (folios 181, 186).

Folios 187-188r are blank.

Folios 188v-279v, contemporary copies of letters from Privy Council and the Sheriff of Essex concerning the restraint of eating flesh in Lent and on other prohibited days; associated trademen's recognizances and warrants for the sick to eat flesh; other recognizances as described below: (i) letter from Privy Council, 27 January 1577, to the Bailiffs concerning application of (ii) below in Colchester and the Liberties (folio 188v); (ii) letter from Privy Council, 28 December 1576, to Sheriff and Justices of Essex urging restraint of eating flesh in Lent and on fish and fast days, giving instructions for the performance of this duty including the taking of recognizances from victuallers and butchers (folios 189r- 190r); (iii) recognizances 21 January - 11 March 1577, of butchers, innholders, tiplers, victuallers and vintners not to kill, dress or eat (or permit the same upon their premises) flesh during Lent or on other fish or fast days, giving occupation of tradesman bound and sometimes ward of residence (folios190v-196v; folios 197- 200 are blank); (iv) six recognizances, 14 March 1577, not to brew wheat, corn or meal in brewing or in the production of any kind of beer or ale until 29 September following (existing stocks excluded) and tallow chandler's recognizances, April 1577 (folios 201r- 204 r); (v) recognizances of tradesmen as in (iii) taken at beginning of Lent in every year 1578-1581, 1583-1586 (folios 250v-247r); (vi) letter,19 February 1586, from Privy Council to Sheriff and Justices of Essex urging tighter regulation of eating flesh in Lent with annexed orders thereon and precept to keep register of warrants issued to the sick to eat flesh at prohibited times (folios 247v-249r); (vii) recognizances of butchers licensed to kill and sell flesh in Lent and seven warrants to same to sell flesh to nominated sick persons, March 1586 (folios 249v-250r); (viii) letter from Arthur Harris, Sheriff, 14 February 1587, enclosing letters (see below) from Privy Council, 10 February 1587, on subject of corn and restraint of eating flesh in Lent, addressed to himself and Justices commending the orders of the previous year (folios 250r-251r); (ix) further series of trademen's recognizances, as in (iii) and (v), taken annually at beginning of Lent 1587-1590, 1592 (folios 251v-279v, except letter, 21 March 1577, from Earl of Warwick to Justices in Essex concerning saltpetre (folio 270v)).

Folios 280-283r are blank.

Folios 283v-287r, contemporary copies of documents concerning transport of grain and prevention of armed persons putting to sea, October 1576 - February 1586: (i) letter, 19 October 1576, from Privy Council concerning regulation of transport of grain and persons employed in the market according to the late Statute, preventing the export of grain, etc., and for prevention of armed persons putting to sea without licence. Enrolled above are names of the Colchester jurors appointed to search the market and port (folios 283v-284v); (ii) orders for performance of (i) made by the Sheriff and Justices of the Peace at Chelmsford, 2 November 1576, with, at foot, list of names of those licensed for the 'badging, lodging, carrying, buying and selling' of corn and grain in Essex (folios 285r- 286r); (iii) names of jurors sworn to inquire into transport of grain and victuals in Colchester on five occasions up to and including February 1586 (folios 286v- 287r).

Folios 287v- 292r are blank; folio 292v contains only ephemera.

Folio 293, (i) ' The Viewe of the Dutchmen' taken 24 September 1584, giving numbers only (no names) of males and females, male and female servants and children born within and without the realm, and total number in each ward (in all 1148); (ii) 'The Viewe of the Strangers and Dutchmen' taken 2 June 1586, giving figures as before but no totals for the wards (in all 1293).

Folios 294- 296r are blank.

Folio 296v, a note of town leases and of their expiry, 7 November 1571.

Folio 297r, a deposition, 11 February 1574.
Dates of Creation:
1571-1592
Extent:
1 volume
Physical Characteristics:
Foliated (i) and 298 [by Essex Record Office, 1981] and 1-297 in 20th-century numeration (folios 125-136 are also foliated 121-132 in a 19th-century hand). Repaired in what is apparently an ancient and presumably its original binding. To the stubs (i) and 298 are attached two halves of one page of what appears to be an illuminated Italian commentary on Roman Law, 13th-14th centuries, presumably pastedowns or front or end papers found at time of repair by British Museum, 1904.
Existence of Copies:
For microfilm copy of Thursday Court minutes see T/A 465/281 in ERO Searchroom.
Related Unit of Description:
Listed in H. Harrod, Repertory of the Records and Evidences of the Borough of Colchester (1865), page 25, number 1, where it appears among the Thursday Court books.

Key terms

TypeKey termsDescription
Subjects Dutch 'The Viewe of the Duchemen', 1584, and 'The Viewe of the Strangers and Duchemen', 1586, in Colchester Borough entry book
Subjects Fisheries Copy of order, 1567 [?1577], in dispute concerning oyster dredging in River Colne
Subjects Freeburgesses Admissions, Colchester, 1571-1592
Subjects Grain Copies of documents relating to transport of grain, 1576-1586, in Borough of Colchester entry book
Subjects Horses Copies of documents relating to musters and provision of horse, Colchester, 1580-1584
Subjects Lent Copies of documents relating to restraint of eating meat, Colchester, 1576-1587
Subjects Lent Copies of documents relating to restraint of eating meat, Colchester, 1576-1587
Subjects Meat Copies of documents relating to restraint of eating meat, Colchester, 1576-1587
Subjects Oysters Copy of order, 1567 [?recte 1577] in dispute concerning oyster dredging in River Colne
Subjects Piracy Copies of Privy Council letters etc., 1577, 1578, in Borough of Colchester entry book
Subjects Refugees 'The Viewe of the Duchemen', 1584, and 'The Viewe of the Strangers and Duchemen', 1586, in Colchester Borough entry book
Subjects Vagabonds Copies of orders for suppression of rogues, vagabonds, etc., Colchester, 1577
Place Names Colchester Borough entry book, 1571-1592
Document Types Entry book Borough of Colchester, 1571-1592
Document Types Recognizance Tradesmen's recognizances, Borough of Colchester, 1571-1592