Add MS 43862

REGISTER OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE 'POLITYCKE MANNEN' OF NORWICH, a body nominally of eight Dutchmen and four Walloons appointed to regulate the affairs of the refugees settled there (see W. J. C. Moens, The Walloons and their Church at Norwich, 1888, p. 29); 30 July 1605-26 Sept. 1615. Dutch, French, Latin and English. The cases before the court related mainly to debts and other commercial transactions. Written in several hands, entries from 22 June 1608 to 7 July 1612 (ff. 38b-110b) being by Pieter Weinoot Ramus (signatures on ff. 38b, 56, 71, 81b, 109), and from 28 July 1612 to 26 Sept. 1615 (ff. 112-169b), including an entry dated 14 Sept. 1613 inserted in the margin on f. 80, by J. Cockeelius (signature on f. 129), as Clerks. The record of each meeting (held weekly, on Saturdays) begins with the names of the members, whose number varies. At the commencement of each mayoral year in June, except for the year 1610-1611, is given a list of articles governing procedure, with, in most cases, the signatures of the Dutch members and the order in which each was to fill the office of Treasurer. An extraordinary meeting held on 8 Sept. 1608 in conjunction with the three wardens of the 'say' trade (cf. Moens, op. cit., pp. 29, 77) is recorded, with signatures, on f. 45. Interspersed are receipts, agreements, and records of similar transactions, with signatures. At the end of the volume are added pen-nits to immigrants to live and work in the city, signed usually by their sureties, but sometimes by the applicants themselves, 23 Apr. 1605-23 Mar. 1612, n.d. (ff. 173-176,

177b, 178), 13 Apr. 1613-26 Sept. 1615 (ff. 172b) 172, 171b, 170b, 171). The record of an agreement between the Dutch members and the deacons of their congregation concerning the privileges of the church, followed by signatures, 24 Jan. 1609, is entered on f. 176b, and additional cases before the

court, 16 Sept. 1606, 28 Dec. 1608, on ff. 177, 180b. Paper; ff. ii (remains of old vellum covers)+ 181. Folio. 1605-1615. A note in a modern hand on the front cover (f. 1) erroneously describes the volume as an 'Act Book' of the Norwich Dutch Church, where it escaped destruction in a fire.