Add MS 48109

COPY-BOOK OF SPEECHES AND LETTERS OF SIR CHRISTOPHER YELVERTON, judge, Speaker of the House of Commons 1597-1598, knt. 1603; 1576?-1602, n.d. Autograph?; see the heading of Hargrave MS. 17,

f. 219b rev. Yelverton's hand in another style appears in Harley MS. 6996. f. 46. For Yelverton's career, see E. Foss, Judges of England, vi, pp. 203-206, and C. A. Markham and J. C. Cox, The records of the Borough of Northampton, 1898, ii,

pp. 104-105.

1. f. 5. Speech before his second reading at Gray's Inn; 1583.

2. f. 6. Speech at the end of his second reading at Gray's Inn; 1583.

3. f. 6b. Letter to Thomas Egerton, Solicitor-General, enclosing a New Year's gift; 31 Dec. 1588.

4. f. 7. Letter to Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor, enclosing a New Year's gift; 31 Dec. 1588.

5. f. 7b. Letter to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper, enclosing a gift in thanks for his recommending Yelverton as Speaker in the parliament of 1597-1598; late Oct.-Nov. 1597?

6. f. 8. Letter to Lord Burghley, thanking him for recommending Yelverton for the speakership of the parliament of 1597-1598, and for advising him on his opening and proposed closing speeches; early Feb. 1598?

7. ff. 8b-10b. Speech in Chancery on taking the oath as a sergeant-at-law;

16 Oct. 1589.

8. ff. 11-15. Farewell speech at Gray's Inn on his appointment as a sergeant-at-law; Michaelmas Term, 1589.

9. ff. 15b-30. Speeches, with brief associated narrative, as Speaker in the parliament of 24 Oct. 1597-9 Feb. 1598. The speeches are not given in full in Sir Simonds D'Ewes, The Journals of all the parliaments during the reign of Elizabeth, 1682, or in 'Hayward Townshend's Journals', ed. A. F. Pollard and M. Blatcher, BIHR, xii, 1934-35, pp. 1-31. See Neale, Parliaments, ii, pp. 328-332, 364-367, where extracts from the present manuscript are quoted, and Hartley, ff. 15b-30.

10. ff. 30b-31. Letter to Elizabeth I, declining the office of judge; 1593? See Harley MS. 6996, f. 46, a letter on the same subject to Lord Burghley, 9 Nov. 1593.

11. ff. 31b-32. Letter to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, asking him to persuade the Queen not to make Yelverton a judge; 1593? See art. 10 above.

12. ff. 32b-34. Speech used when Essex was examined by a commission at York House; 5 June 1600. See Cheyney, ii, pp. 513-515. Yelverton's speech as Queen's sergeant was a preface to the accusations. The speech is reported in Fynes Moryson, An Itinerary . . . , 1617 (1907-1908 edn., ii, pp. 513-515), but Moryson's short summary contains points that are omitted from the version in the present manuscript.

13. ff. 34-34b. Speech on being called to be a judge of Queen's Bench; Feb. 1602.

14. ff. 35-35b. Part of a speech prepared while recorder of Northampton 'upon report of her Mats comeing thither, but not finished for that she came not'; summer 1576? See J. Nichols, The progresses of Queen Elizabeth, 1823, ii, p. 4.

15. ff. 36-43b. Seven charges delivered at sessions; n.d. Yelverton was recorder of Northampton from July 1568 until his appointment as a judge in 1602.

Paper; contemporary foliation, ff. 3-53 (1, 2 lacking, no loss of text). Quarto. 1602-1612. One fair italic hand throughout. Vellum binding, numbered '121' on spine.

Sir Christopher Yelverton, judge: Copybook of letters and speeches: 1602-1612, n.d: Autogr?.

Sir Christopher Yelverton, judge: Speeches and letters: n.d.

Elizabeth I of England: Papers of R. Beale, Clerk of the Council: 16th cent.

Robert Beale, Clerk to the Privy Council: Correspondence and papers.

includes:

• ff. 6b, 7b Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Ellesmere; 1st Viscount Brackley: Letters to, from C. Yelverton: 1588, 1597: Copies.
• f. 7 Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor: Letter to, from C. Yelverton: 1588: Copy.
• f. 8 William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley: Letter to, from C. Yelverton: 1598: Copy.
• ff. 15b-30 England; Parliament: Speeches of C. Yelverton as Speaker: 1597-1598.
• ff. 30b-31 Elizabeth I of England: Letter to, from C. Yelverton: 1593(?): Copy.
• ff. 31b-32 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: Letter to, from C. Yelverton: 1593(?): Copy.
• ff. 32b-34 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: Speech of C. Yelverton at his trial at York House: 1600.