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Commissary's Court archives
| Title |
Acta (or Act Books) at Sturbridge Fair |
| Reference |
Comm.Ct.V.5-16, 18 |
| Covering Dates |
1562–1855 |
|
| University/Comm.Ct.V.5-16, 18 contains: |
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Comm.Ct.V.5
|
Acta. 'Ad omnes causas controversias, lites et actiones audiendas, dicendas ac determinandas'. Comprises office prosecutions and a few instance causes heard by the Commissary. Many chapmen are parties. Flyleaves: a bifolium of a philosophical treatise.
1 volume (ff.1-132). |
1562–1584 |
|
Comm.Ct.V.6
|
Acta. Comprises acts before the Commissary, including one set of Sturbridge actions. Cover: a bifolium of a service book, perhaps a grail.
1 volume (ff.1-152). |
1 Jan. 1579-Aug. 1580 |
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Comm.Ct.V.7
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Acta. Comprises acts in the fair court; prosecutions of flesh dressing on Fridays; beer sold above the price; hops, tobacco, rape seed and mustard seed out of condition; unfresh fish; dried fish mixed; illegal Scottish fish; regrating, forestalling (especially of oysters); defective weights; unmarked honey; also disputes, personal injuries and defamation. Notable entries include:. p.102: breach of contract: Lionel Ducket v. Matthew Law of London, for failure to deliver three parts of Lira;. pp.305-306: prosecution of Henry Slegge for theft of a gilded book in quarto from a bookbinder's stall;. p.328: Thomas Calvert, MA (Trinity), v. Richard Brinckworth, stationer of London, for failure to deliver two Bibles;. p.499: memorandum of attempt by men authorised by the Privy Council to search for defective cloth, 7 Sept. 1611. The last three years are incomplete rough notes by Tabor only. Cover: bifolium of a service book (as in UA Comm.Ct.V.6).
1 volume (pp.1-582). |
1585–1614 |
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Comm.Ct.V.8
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Acta. Notable entries include:. p.43: Proctors v. Thomas King, of London, for snatching points; description of his lodging in the fair;. p.102: case against Samuel King whose wife has seven or eight gross of buttons of her own making for sale, and of Susana Huetson of Billingay, Lincs., whose husband is a chapman buying lace in St Neots and Cambridge and who has 20 nobles of lace [described in detail], 1615;. p.146: Mayor's licence for the Lord of the Tapps, 1618;. p.160: prosecution of G. Teddar and Richard Day, servants of John Woods, for printing lead tokens to pass off as farthings.
1 volume (pp.1-166). |
1611–1620 |
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Comm.Ct.V.9
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Acta. All entries in Tabor's hand. Notable entries include:. f.1: complaint of the Norwich men against William Parsley, servant to the Alnager, 1621: many cloth cases;. f.52v: prosecution of John Ellis who showed an elephant and took money off scholars, 1624;. f.63v: fair forbidden because of sickness, 1625;. f.73v: a mark in cloth drawn, 1626;. ff.87v-88: prosecution and confiscation by the Proctors, from the stall of John Harison, stationer of London, of a series of Bibles [fully described] which transgressed George Withers' royal patent by not including Withers' hymns with the psalter, 1627;. f.130: prosecution by the Proctors of Bartholomew Cause who 'hath made shewes contrary to His Majesty's warrants and the charters of the University, and scholars flock thither', 1632;. f.192: fairs forbidden because of sickness, 1636 and 1637;. f.194v: Lord Tapps.
1 volume (ff.1-215). |
1621–1639 |
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Comm.Ct.V.10
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Acta. No entries except for searchers' names in 1643. Notable entries include:. f.37v: memorandum of delivery of weights and measures out of the chest of the Consistory for use at Sturbridge Fair, 1644.
1 volume (ff.1-48). |
1640–1644 |
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Comm.Ct.V.11
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Acta. Very few entries for 1646, 1656 incomplete.
1 volume (ff.1-102). |
1645–1655 |
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Comm.Ct.V.12
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Acta. This is apparently a gathering from UA Comm.Ct.V.11.
1 gathering (ff.1-12). |
1655 |
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Comm.Ct.V.13
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Acta. Includes a number of inserted papers, chiefly for the Magna Congregatio or Black Assembly of 1679 and 1680. . At f.3 there is one section of acts before the Vice-Chancellor, 1640. The searchers report on cheese (passim); prohibited French wares, 1662/3; unlicensed Bibles and psalters (ff.174v-175); illegal Duch paper (f.216); chests of drawers 'sappy in the joints' (f.237). Licences are granted for a lottery containing 12 blanks to a prize (f.120); a dancing mare (f.120); rope-dancing and other interludes (f.147); a new game called Indian Game or Lovers' Maze. Unlicensed shows and plays condemned include a puppet play (f.128); lottery and a 'whimsey board', comedies (Martin Powell and Cornelius Saphery) (f.129); a lottery called The Ryall Oake (f.168); Punchennanella (f.179); a plate lottery and bears (f.184); an olifant, showed by John Collins, cutler of London (f.195v).
1 volume (ff.1-242). |
1656–1682 |
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Comm.Ct.V.14
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Acta. This is apparently detached from UA Comm.Ct.V.13. Notable entries include:. f.2v: William Ford brought two 'ostregis' and offered to show them.
1 booklet (ff.1-8). |
1682 |
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Comm.Ct.V.15
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Acta. At f.1 is the proclamation of Barnwell Fair. On ff.25-27v are records of Barnwell Court, 1723-5, 1730-1. Includes licences and presentments for:. ff.6v, 43v-44: lottery called Rolly Polly;. f.7: large drum;. f.12v: music booth;. f.15v: puppet show;. f.16: musical clock;. f.17v: hairy man;. f.28: tiger;. f.41 negro man;. f.60 'The Universal Theatre of the World';. f.74: great horse;. f.77: unlawful game called a Painted Cloth;. f.80: double cone.
1 volume (ff.1-81). |
1717–1748 |
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Comm.Ct.V.16
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Acta. These loose papers are chiefly court minutes omitted in binding up.
1 bundle (items numbered 1-27). |
1639–1752 |
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Comm.Ct.V.18
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Acta. Comprises records of courts held by the Commissary in the great tiled booth in Garlick Row until 26 September 1855, after which Sir John Patteson's award was confirmed and the jurisdiction ceases. Includes cases relating to unlawful shows and unsealed measures. Contains, at back, list of those summoned to attend the Magna Congregatio or Black Assembly, 1817-54.
1 volume (ff.1-45). |
1826–1855 |
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