Stowe MS 774 I-II

774. ACCOMPT-BOOK of the household and personal expenses of Roger North, 2nd Baron North, of Kirtling, co. Camb.; 1 Jan. 1575[6]- 3 Feb. 1581[2], and 1 Apr. 1582-20 Dec. 1589. Two volumes, now bound in one. The accompts are generally entered in the hand of Lord North himself, and are signed by him at the end of each week. In vol. i., f. 73, is "a brieff collection and declaration of all suche provision as was spent at the house of . . . Lord North of Kertlinge at the Q. Majesties commyng thither on Mondaye the first of Sept. [1578] to supper and tarying there untill Wednesday after dynner next following," etc. Among entries elsewhere are gifts (a) " to my l. of Essex players liii^s; iiii^d," 13-19 May, 1576. vol. i. f. 16 b;- (b) "to my l. of Svssex minstrells v^s" 2-7 July, 1576. vol. i. f. 20 b;- (c) "to my l. Howards plaiers v^s," 1-7 Dec. 1577. vol. i. f. 55 b;- (d) "to the Queens plaiers xx^s," 2-8 June, 1583. vol. ii. f. 35 b;- (e) to "the Queens plaiers x^s," 12-19 July, 1584. vol. ii. f 65 b;- (f) to "my 1. of Lester's plaiers x^s," 5-11 July, 1585. vol. ii. f. 94. Numerous entries of "losses at play" are included, e.g. "Lost to the Q[ueen] at imperiall xi^li," 29 Jan.-4 Feb. 1576. vol. i. f. 9;-

"lost at maw with the Queen xxviii^li, lost at premerow xxxiii^li," Aug. 1576. vol. i. f. 23;-"lost with the Q. at play v^li, with my ld. of Lester iii^li x^s, with my Id. Ritch xxx^s, "Dec. 1586. vol. ii. f. 104 b. In vol. i., f. 1 64 b, are payments "for froggs and flies for the Queens gloves l^s, for gloves for the Q. xv^s," Nov. 1581; and in vol. ii., f. 158 b, "for the booke of martirs xl^s," May, 1589. Extracts are printed in Archæologia, vol. xix. 1821, pp. 283-301. Paper; ff. 172 and 179. At the beginning of vol. i. is inserted a water-colour sketch of Kirtling Hall, by I.R. Thompson. Folio.