Add MS 6362

A collection of original warrants and instructions, with royal signatures, from the time of King Henry VIII to King James I. The warrants include a number issued by Queen Mary I in 1558, especially to Thomas Gresham, her agent in Flanders, and to George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber and Keeper of Westminster Palace. Warrants issued by King James I show his attempts to assert his title as King of Great Britain on coins and signets.

Contents:

ff. 1r-v: Warrant of King Henry VIII to Robert Aldrich, Bishop of Carlisle, under the signet and (stamped) sign manual: to appoint some person to execute certain repairs on Bewcastle Castle to the amount of £40, Nocton, 30 Oct 1541. With counter-signatories.

ff. 2r-2*v: Warrant of King Henry VIII to Robert Aldrich, Bishop of Carlisle: to defray the expenses of Thomas Gower's work on the fortifications of Carlisle, Dover Castle, 30 Mar 1541. With sign manual, signet and counter-signatories. With address.

ff. 3r-3*v: Warrant of King Henry VIII to Robert Aldrich, Bishop of Carlisle and Sir Thomas Wharton, Deputy Warden of the West Marches, Enfield ['Envile'], 3 July 1541. On disputes and funding of the fortification of Carlisle. With sign manual, signet and counter-signatories. With address. The warrant refers to the complaints of 'Stephen the Almayn' (i.e, the military engineer Stefan von Haschenperg).

f. 4r: Warrant of King Henry VIII to Sir Michael Stanhope, Lieutenant of our retinue at Hull. Hampton Court, 8 Jul 1542. Appointing James Woode chirurgeon there. With sign manual, signet and one counter-signatory.

ff. 5r-10v: Instructions of King henry VIII to Sir Ralph Fane, Lieutenant of the King's Pensioners, Francis Hall, Comptroller of Calais, Thomas Chamberlain, Governor of the English merchants at Antwerp an Thomas Avery and John Dymmocke, commissioners for the musters of His majesty's men of war into Almayn [Germany], n.d. [1545, on or after 21 Aug]. With the King's signature. Identified as a draft in the hand of Sir William Paget in David Potter, Henry VIII and Francis I: The Final Conflict (Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2011), p. 326, fn. 84

ff. 11r-12v: Warrant of King Edward VI to Sir Anthony St Leger to present a gilt cup to Conn Bacach O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone, Greenwich, 6 Apr 1550. With King's signature; counter-signatories; and St Leger's note acknowledging receipt of the cup.

ff. 13r-14v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to give to Lord Fitzwater, going as Ambassador to Spain, items of plate (itemized), Palace of Westminster, 1554. With sign manual and signet.

ff. 15r-16v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Richard Wilbraham, Master of the Jewel House, to give to 'Donolde Macones Lorde of the owte Isles in Ireland some guilte Cup with a Cover having a man upon the top of the Cover with a handgonn upon his left shoulder', St James, 28 Apr 1556. With sign manual and signet; countersigned Jo: Bourne.

ff. 17r-18v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham: to supply from money which he shall receive in the Low Countries sums required by Sir William Pickering, sent into Germany to raise 3,000 troops, as shall be directed by letters or warrants from our 'derest lorde and husband', Westminster Palace, 10 Mar 1558. With sign manual and address.

ff. 19r-20v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, our Agent in Flanders, Greenwich, 18 Mar 1558. With sign manual and address. Warrant for furnishing Sir William Pickering with money for his diet and expenses on the Queen's service.

ff. 21r-22v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, Greenwich, 27 Mar 1558. To prepare and pay for munitions specified in (then attached) schedule. Notes as received at Brussels, 1 Apr 1558. With sign manual and address.

ff. 23r-24v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, Greenwich, 4 Apr 1558. For borrowing to supply the forces of Sir William Pickering. With sign manual, signet and address. Noted as received in Brussels, 12 Apr 1558.

ff. 25r-26v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 18 May 1558. In response to the request of the Colonel of the Almains for ensigns and banners, to consult with Sir William Pickering whether this is accustomed practice, and if so to provide ensigns 'of our colloures viz white & grene wt red crosses'. With sign manual, signet and address.

ff. 27r-28v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 28 May 1558. To deliver gunpowder and other ammunition to Sir Richard Southwell, Master of the Ordnance, or his deputy. With sign manual, signet and contemporary endorsement.

ff. 29r-30v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 8 Jun 1558. To stand bond for, and pay Herman Pepper, for his furnishing our band of Almains. With sign manual, signet and address.

ff. 31r-31*r: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 9 Jun 1558. For payment of debt to the Merchant Adventurers. With sign manual.

ff. 32r-33v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 1 Jul 1558. For payment of debt to the Merchant Adventurers. With sign manual, signet and address.

ff. 34v-34*r: Account of monies received from Queen Mary I by George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber, 5 Jul - 4 Aug 1558. Signed by Queen Mary.

ff. 35r-35*v: Account of monies paid by George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber, at the Queen's command, 5 Jul - 20 Oct 1558. Signed by Queen Mary.

f. 36r: Warrant of Queen Mary I to Thomas Gresham, Agent in Flanders, St James, 21 Jul 1558. To deliver to George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber, 11,460 pistolets and 7,540 French crowns that he has raised. Sign manual and signet.

ff. 37r-v: Warrant to Queen Mary I to George Bredyman, Keeper of our Palace of Westminster, St James, 28 Jul 1558. To deliver to Dr Francis Mallett, our Almoner and Keeper of the Hospital of St Katharine near the Tower of London of our free gift to the College for the better maintenance of God's divine service various vestments and cloths belonging to the Palace of Westminster. With sign manual.

ff. 38r-39v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber and Keeper of the Palace of Westminster, 17 Oct 1558. To deliver gifts (itemized) to Suzan Harentius, Gentlewoman of the Chamber, and to Stephen Hardnolle and Richard Horde, Grooms of the Privy Chamber. With sign manual.

ff. 40r-41v: Warrant of Queen Mary I to George Bredyman, Groom of the Privy Chamber and Keeper of the Palace of Westminster, St James, 28 Oct 1558. As warrant for discharge of materials that Bredyman delivered for the furnishing of a royal bed and textiles to be delivered to Edith Bredyman, one of our chamberesses, 'in consideracion of her watching and other paines taking in time of our sicknes': these include a diaper of 'the History of Abraham and Sara'. With sign manual.

ff. 42v-42*v: Warrant of Queen Elizabeth I to Thomas Knyvett, Warden of the Mint, Palace of Westminster, 22 Jan 1601. With sign manual and signet. For coining shillings, sixpences, threepenses, two pencences and pennies with new design: : on the one side a harp with a crown imperial and words 'posui Deum adiutorem meum, and on the other side royal arms and style in the circumference. Sign manual and signet.

ff. 43r-v: Warrant of King James I to Sir Thomas Knyvett, Warden of the Mint, 12 Nov 1604.For engraving of two signets which correspondent to his style as King of Great Britain. With sign manual and signet.

ff. 44r-v: Warrant of King James I to [Sir Thomas Knyvett, Warden of the Mint?], 1604-1605. Damaged. Warrant with proposed designs for coinage, acknowledging the King's style as King of Great Britain. With sign manual.

ff. 45v-45*v: Warrant of King James I to Lord Knyvett and Edmund Doubleday, Wardens of the Mint,17 May 1612. Warrant for engraving signetsfor Charles, Duke of York. With sign manual.

f. 46r: Account for engraving of signets for Charles, Duke of York as under warrant of 17 May 1612; signed by the Auditor and receipt acknowledged by the engraver Charles Anthony.