(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 Jer[=l][=m]. Be it
knawen to all men to whom this p'sent writyng (endented) shall come,
that whereas a certeyn Co[=m]ission 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 Co[=m]issioners of the seyd Co[=m]ission
it was p'sented by William Neuby and other of our te[=n][=n]tz 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 S^r 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
te[=n][=n]tz 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
te[=n][=n]tz 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:
"Right Ho^e, oure humble dewties remeberd, &c., may yt please yo^r good
Lpp. to be c'tified, that upon Tuesday morninge laste, being assembled
for the choice of o^r Burgesses, Mr. George Belgrave p'sented himselfe
amongest us, in a blewe coat w^{th} a bull head, affirminge and
protestinge he was yo^r L[=p]'s s'[=v]t, and that S^r Henrie
Harrington, verye late the night before, had obteyned that favour of
yo^r ho^r in his behalfe; and muche bemoned his former undewtifull
cariage towards yo^r L[=p], w^{th} a remorsive remembrance of many most
ho. favours receaved from yo^r L[=p] and yo^r house, towards his
auncestors, him, and his; and, recommendinge his former suite to be one
of oure Burgesses, being demanded whether he had any letter from yo^r
L[=p], answered, that this (poyntinge at his coat and cognizance) he
hoped was a sufficient testimonie of y^r L[=p]'s favour towards him,
and of his submission towards yo^r ho^r; and further, that it was so
late before S^r Henrie cold [p=]cure yo^r L[=p]'s said favour, as that
you cold not well write, and, for the truth of the [p=]mises, he
offered his corporal oathe. Whereupon we, thinkinge all this to be
true, made choyce of him, w^{th} Mr. Will[=m] Herricke, to be o^r
Burgesses. And now, this evening, wee are credibly certified that y^r
L[=p] hath geven him no suche entertaynem^t; and thus by his said lewde
and most dishonest dealinge, being much abused, we thought it o^r
dewties forthew^{th} to signifie the same unto yo^r L[=p], humbly
cravinge yo^r L[=p]'s most ho^rable favor for some reformacon of this
vile practize. And thus, w^{th} remembrance of oure dewties, wee humbly
take o^r leaves. From Leic^r, this xx^{th} day of October, 1601.
"Youre honor's most humble to co[=m]aunde,
Signed by "Will[=m] ROWES, Maior,
ROBERT HEYRICKE,"
And ten others.
An angry and characteristic reply from the earl follows, but with which, as
it is printed in Thompson's _History of Leicester_ (p. 318.), I will not
trespass upon your valuable space. It may be sufficient to say, that he
tells the mayor that--
"Notwithstanding this treacherous devise of that cunninge practisore, I
feare it will appeare, upon due scanninge of this accydent, y^t there
remaynes a false brother amongst you.... And as for y^e p'sone hymself
whoe hathe thus shameleslye sought to dishonoure me and deceave you, I
will, by the grace of God, take suche order as in honor and lawfullye I
maye, bothe {572} for y^e better unfouldinge of this, as also for suche
punnyshm^t as the law will inflict."
In pursuance of this determination, the earl exhibited an information
against Mr. Belgrave in the Star Chamber. The subsequent proceedings which
took place on the subject in parliament will be found noticed in D'Ewes's
_Journal_, and quoted in Thompson's _History of Leicester_, pp. 319-323.