79. PROCEEDINGS OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL (1526-57)

(A) Regulations for the Council (1526)

... To the intent that as well matters of justice and complaints touching 
the griefs of the king's subjects and disorder of his realm and otherwise 
... as also other great occurrences concerning his own particular affairs 
may be the better ordered and with his grace more ripely debated, digested, 
and resolved from time to time, as the case shall require; it is ordered and 
appointed by his highness, that a good number of honourable, virtuous, sad, 
wise, expert, and discreet persons of his council shall give their 
attendance upon his most royal person, whose names hereafter follow: that is 
to say, the lord cardinal, chancellor of England; the duke of Norfolk, 
treasurer of England; the bishop of London, keeper of the king's privy seal; 
the duke of Suffolk, marshal of England; the marquess Dorset; the marquess 
Exeter; the earl of Shrewsbury, steward of the king's household; the lord 
chamberlain; the bishop of Bath; the bishop of Lincoln; Lord Sandys; Sir 
William Fitz-William, treasurer of the king's household; Sir Henry Guilford, 
comptroller; the secretary; Sir Thomas More, chancellor of the duchy; the 
dean of the king's chapel; Sir Henry Wyat, treasurer of the king's chamber; 
the vice-chamberlain; the captain of the guard; Doctor Wolman.

And forasmuch as the said lord cardinal, the lord treasurer of England, lord 
privy seal, lord steward, and divers other lords and personages before 
mentioned, by reason of their attendance at the terms for administration of 
justice and exercising of their offices and other reasonable impediments, 
shall many seasons fortune to be absent from the king's court, and specially 
in term times; to the intent the king's highness shall not be at any season 
unfurnished of an honourable presence of councillors about his grace, with 
whom his highness may confer upon the premises, at his pleasure: it is 
ordered that the persons hereafter mentioned shall give their continual 
attendance in the causes of his said council, unto what place soever his 
highness shall resort — that is to say, the lord chamberlain, the bishop of 
Bath, the treasurer and comptroller of the king's household, the secretary, 
the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, the dean of the king's chapel, the 
vice-chamberlain, the captain of the guard; and (for ordering of poor men's 
complaints and causes) Doctor Wolman.

And because ... it may chance some of these aforenamed persons to be absent 
for some reasonable cause; be it always provided and foreseen that either 
the bishop of Bath, the secretary, Sir Thomas More, and the dean of the 
chapel, or two of them at the least, always be present, except the king's 
grace give licence to any of them of the contrary. Which said councillors, 
so appointed for continual attendance, shall apply themselves effectually, 
diligently, uprightly, and justly in the premises; being every day, in the 
forenoon by ten of the clock at the furthest and at afternoon by two of the 
clock, in the king's dining-chamber, or in such other place as shall fortune 
to be appointed for the council chamber, there to be in readiness, not only 
in case the king's pleasure shall be to commune or confer with them upon any 
cause or matter, but also for hearing and direction of poor men's complaints 
on matters of justice; which direction well observed, the king's highness 
shall always be furnished of an honourable presence of councillors about his 
grace, as to his high honour doth appertain.

              Nicolas, Proceedings of the Privy Council, VII, v-viii.

(B) Letters of the Council (1547)

[24 March.] Letters to my lord Wharton: that, being advertised by his 
letters of a late raid of the Scots ... , the lords here thought good ... to 
require him that, by one letter apart, he should inform them of the very 
certainty of their number and damage done by them at that time as truly as 
he himself was instructed therein; and by another letter to enlarge the 
matter, describing their number to have been upon seven hundred, and that 
they burned three or four villages on our borders, took notable Grays,[1] 
prisoners, and cattle away, with such other aggravations of that their raid 
as his wisdom in that behalf could set forth.

[28 August.] To Sir Thomas Chenye, lord warden of the Cinque Ports: to 
recommend Sir John Baker so to those that have the naming of knights of the 
shire as at the next parliament he may be made knight of the shire of Kent 
accordingly.

[28 September.] To the sheriff of Kent: that, where the lords wrote to him 
afore to the end to make his friends for the election of Sir John Baker to 
be knight of the shire, understanding that he did abuse towards those of the 
shire their request into a commandment, their lordships advertise him that, 
as they meant not nor mean to deprive the shire by any their commandment of 
their liberty of election whom they should think meet, so nevertheless if 
they would in satisfaction of their lordship's request grant their voices to 
Mr. Baker, they would take it thankfully. A like letter written to the lord 
warden of the Cinque Ports with this addition, that, being informed he 
should abuse their request to menace them of the shire of Kent, as they 
would not believe it, so they advised him to use things in such sort as the 
shire might have free election.

                Acts of the Privy Council, N.S., II, 461, 516, 518 f.

(C) Minutes of 28-29 April 1550

At the star chamber. The lord chancellor, the lord high treasurer, the lord 
privy seal, the bishop of Ely, the lord Paget, the lord Mountague, Sir John 
Baker, Sir John Gage, Sir Edward North....

Complaint was made by certain clothiers that the Merchants Adventurers by 
agreement had set such a price upon their cloths that, without the loss of 
20s. in a piece, they could not utter them; for the more perfect knowledge 
whereof all manner of clothiers that then were in London appeared in the 
star chamber by commandment, where the more part denied to be privy or of 
counsel with the said complaint, finding great fault with the multitude of 
clothiers lately increased in the realm, affirming that, as long as every 
man that would had liberty to be a clothier, as they have now, it was 
impossible to have good cloth made in the realm. For he that is not bred up 
in that faculty must trust his factors, and so is commonly deceived; and now 
the good making is decayed, the cloths are out of estimation, by reason 
whereof the prices must also decay. Wherefore it was concluded that some 
device should be had for a law that none should meddle with cloth-making but 
such as have been apprentices to the occupation.

For the clothiers' matter the Merchants Adventurers were called before the 
council, for whom the mayor of London with certain of the chiefest of the 
company appeared, and to the complaint of the clothiers answered that they 
agreed not together to hinder the clothiers' prices; but the truth is that 
there lie at Antwerp such a number of our cloths unsold, that till they were 
uttered these here would not well be bought, which, together with the 
naughtiness of the making, hindered the prices; and besides that it was 
commonly not used to ship any between Easter and Whitsuntide.

Further divers reasons were made by them touching the decay of our money by 
exchange, with other devices touching the commonwealth, which they were 
commanded to put in writing....

Upon a letter received from the mayor and citizens of Newcastle, declaring 
the restraint made for uttering of coal into strange parts, and desiring now 
to know whether they might sell any to such Frenchmen as were already come 
thither for them: it was agreed that for the present time, to the intent we 
should not seem uncourteous to the French upon the conclusion of this 
peace,[2] they therefore that were there might carry coals away; 
nevertheless, forasmuch as the price of coal is wonderfully increased within 
the realm, and will daily be dearer if strangers may carry it oversea, 
therefore the restraint shall continue, and warning be given to the 
Frenchmen that be there now to come no more, and to warn their countrymen 
not to lose their travail; with further commandment to the mayor and his 
brethren to write the names of the carriers and the quantity of the coal 
that should be sent to Calais or Dover, that if it be transported otherwise 
the parties may be punished, for the more surety whereof they that do ship 
it shall at their return bring a testimony in writing where and how they 
have delivered it....

                                             Ibid., III, 19 f.

(D) Report to the Council on Princess Mary (1551)[3]

First having received commandment and instructions from the king's majesty, 
we repaired to the said Lady Mary's house ... , where shortly after our 
coming I, the lord chancellor, delivered his majesty's letters unto her, 
which she received upon her knees, saying that, for the honour of the king's 
majesty's hand wherewith the said letters were signed, she would kiss the 
letter, and not for the matter contained within them. "For the matter," said 
she, "I take to proceed not from his majesty but from you of the council." 
In reading of the letter, which she did read secretly to herself, she said 
these words in our hearing: "Ah! Good Master Cecil took much pain here." ... 
We told her ... that the king's majesty's pleasure was we should give 
straight charge to her chaplains that none of them should presume to say any 
mass or other divine service than is set forth by the laws of the realm.... 
Hereunto her answer was this: first, she protested that to the king's 
majesty she was, is, and ever will be his majesty's most humble and most 
obedient subject and poor sister, and would most willingly obey all his 
commandments in anything, her conscience saved; yea, and would willingly and 
gladly suffer death to do his majesty good. But rather than she would agree 
to use any other service than was used at the death of the late king her 
father, she would lay her head on a block and suffer death. "But," said she, 
"I am unworthy to suffer death in so good a quarrel. When the king's 
majesty," said she, "shall come to such years that he may be able to judge 
these things himself, his majesty shall find me ready to obey his orders in 
religion; but now in these years, although he, good sweet king, had more 
knowledge than any other of his years, yet is it not possible that he can be 
a judge in these things...." Finally, when we had said and done as is 
aforesaid and were gone out of the house, tarrying there for one of her 
chaplains who was not with the rest when we gave the charge aforesaid unto 
them, the lady Mary's grace sent to us to speak with her one word at a 
window. When we were come into the court, notwithstanding that we offered to 
come up to her chamber, she would needs speak out of the window, and prayed 
us to speak to the lords of the council that her comptroller might shortly 
return. "For," said she, "since his departing I take the account myself of 
my expenses and learn how many loaves of bread be made out of a bushel of 
wheat, and I wis my father and my mother never brought me up with baking and 
brewing; and, to be plain with you, I am weary with my office, and 
therefore, if my lords will send my officer home, they shall so give me 
pleasure.... And I pray God to send you to do well in your souls, and your 
bodies, too, for some of you have but weak bodies."

                                            Ibid., III, 347 f.

(E) Letters of the Council (1552-53)

[19 January 1552.] A letter to the sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire: to 
elect a new knight of that shire in lieu of Sir Henry Parker, deceased, at 
the next county day; and to use the matter in such sort as Mr. Sadlier may 
be elected and returned, for that he seemeth most fittest of any other 
person thereabouts.

[31 December 1552.] A letter to Thomas Gresham: to take order for the 
sending over of the king's majesty fustians by piecemeal by forty or fifty 
bales at once; so as thereby the matter may be so warily and circumspectly 
handled as the prices of the same fustians may be in any wise furthered to 
the king's majesty's best advantage.

[15 March 1553.] A letter to the lord treasurer: to suffer Thomas Galiard to 
transport beyond the seas 200,000 pair of old shoes; providing that under 
colour thereof he do convey beyond the seas nothing prohibited to be carried 
out of the realm.

                                  Ibid., III, 459; IV, 199, 236.

(F) Committees of the Council (1554)

The names of all such as be appointed for the purposes following. To call in 
debts and provide for money: my lord chancellor, my lord Paget, my lord 
chamberlain, Mr. Comptroller. To give order for supply of all wants at 
Calais, Guisnes, and all other pieces of those marches; to give like order 
for Berwick and other places upon the borders of the north; to give like 
order for Ireland, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and the islands: my lord 
treasurer, my lord steward, my lord privy seal, my lord of Sussex, my lord 
of Pembroke, Sir John Bourne, master of the horse, Sir Richard Southwell, 
Sir Thomas Cornewalles. To give order for the ships and to appoint captains 
and others to serve in them: my lord admiral. To give order for victuals 
necessary to be sent to Calais, Berwick, etc.: Mr. Comptroller, Sir Thomas 
Cornewalles, Sir William Drury. To consider what laws shall be established 
in this parliament and to name men that shall make the books thereof: my 
lord chancellor, my lord treasurer, my lord of Durham, my lord Paget, Mr. 
Petre, Mr. Baker, Mr. Hare. To appoint men to continue in the examination of 
the prisoners: [left blank]. To consider what lands shall be sold and who 
shall be in commission for that purpose: [left blank]. To moderate the 
excessive charges: my lord steward, etc., for the household; my lord 
chamberlain, etc., for the chamber. To consider the patents and annuities 
payable in sundry places, so as the same may be paid all in one place: my 
lord chancellor, my lord treasurer, my lord steward, Mr. Baker, my lord 
Paget, Mr. Petre. To appoint a council to attend and remain at London: my 
lord Riche, Mr. Peckham, the master of the rolls, Sir Thomas Pope, Sir John 
Mordant, the lieutenant of the Tower.

                                            Ibid., IV, 397 f.

(G) Letters of the Council (1555-57)

[3 May 1555.] A letter to George Colte and Thomas Danyell: to make search 
for John Barnarde and John Walshe, who have used to repair to Sudbury and, 
carrying the bones of one Pygott that was burned about them, do show the 
same to the people as relics and persuade them to stand in their error; and 
upon their apprehension to examine them and, if they be found faulty herein, 
to commit them to ward; and further to order them according to the laws, and 
to signify their doings hither.

[29 June 1555.] Several letters to the sheriffs of Kent, Bucks, Berks, and 
Oxon: to make search for one Francis Baringden, who is thought to lurk in 
those counties with the wife of one Fallowfelde, merchant of London, whom he 
hath enticed from her husband; and to apprehend them both and to commit them 
to ward, and to signify what they shall have done herein hither.

[7 January 1556.] A letter to the mayor and aldermen of the city of 
Coventry: to cause some Catholic and grave man to be chosen to their mayor 
for this year coming; and for that the queen's majesty is advertised that 
John Fitzherbert, Richard Whestler, and one Colman, of the said city, are 
Catholic and honest persons, they are required to give their voices to one 
of them to be mayor.

[14 January 1556.] A letter to the lord mayor and sheriffs of London: to 
give substantial order that, when any obstinate man condemned by order of 
the laws shall be delivered to be punished for heresy, that there be a good 
number of officers and other men appointed to be at the execution, who may 
be charged to see such as shall misuse themselves, either by comforting, 
aiding, or praising the offenders, or otherwise use themselves to the ill 
example of others, to be apprehended and committed to ward; and besides to 
give commandment that no householder suffer any of his apprentices or other 
servants to be abroad, other than such as their masters will answer for....

[27 June 1557.] A letter to John Fuller, mayor of Canterbury: of thanks for 
his diligence in the apprehending and committing of the players to ward, 
whom they are willed to keep so until they shall receive further order from 
hence; and in the mean [time] their lewd play book is committed to the 
consideration of the king and queen majesty's learned counsel, who are 
willed to declare what the same weigheth unto in the law, whereupon they 
shall receive further order from hence touching the said players.

[18 October 1557.] A letter to the master of the horse, the lord chief 
justice of the king's bench, Sir Richard Southwell, and Mr. Newdigate: to 
call before them one Newport and his man, remaining presently in Newgate, 
and one Cowley, remaining in the king's bench, and to examine them by the 
best means and ways they can touching certain counterfeit crowns taken with 
the said Newport, and to put them to the torture if they shall think so 
convenient.

                        Ibid., V, 120, 154, 218, 224; VI, no, 187.



[1] Presumably men by that name.

[2] Signed 24 March 1550.

[3] Made by commissioners who had been sent by the council to warn her to 
obey the law concerning religious usages.