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BAILIWICK OF BARKING.

[The name of the party to be benefited by a grant of the Bailiwick and Collectorship of Barking, &c., only appears in Lord Ellesmere's indorsement, viz. John Wylfurde, whom Sir F. Walsingham calls his servant. The Secretary seems to have been very assiduous in providing for his retainers. He speaks of Knivett as a person known to Lord Ellesmere, but no trace is to be found of him in any of the papers.]

Indorsed, by Lord Ellesmere, "A grant to John Wylfurde, Gent. of the baylywyck of Barkyng."

To the right worshipfull my very loving freinde Mr. Thomas
Egerton, hir Maties Sollicitor Generall.

SIR. This bearer, my servant, having agreed with one Nutbrowne for his interest in the offices of the Bayliwike and Collectorshippe of the Manor of Barking, and of the Surveyorshippe of the Marshes there, both which were graunted to the said Nutbrowne in one patent; and also having a reversion of one of the saied offices in Knivettes name, is willing to resigne those two patentes to have a new graunt of them passed from hir Matie in his owne name. I pray you, therefore, to peruse the booke which he shall deliver unto you for the purpose, and, finding it agreable in meaning and effect with the former patentes, to subscribe unto the same, shewing him, for my sake, your best helpe and furtherance therin, to thende it may be the redier for hir Maties signature, wherin I shall thinke my selfe beholding unto you. And so committ you to God. From the Court at Richmonde, the xiiijth of July, 1584.

Your assured lovinge freinde,

FRA. WALSYNGHAM..

MARKET AND FAIR AT HALIFAX.

[In Trinity term, 1584, Sir F. Walsingham first wrote to Lord Ellesmere respecting a weekly market and annual fair at Halifax. It was then intended to make the grant to the inhabitants of the town, but subsequently a person of the name of Waterhouse put in his claim to the patent as Lord of the whole Manor, and that claim appears, from the following letter, to have been admitted. By a letter hereafter inserted it will be seen that the matter in dispute was not concluded.]

Indorsed by Lord Ellesmere, "Mr. Secretaryes letter for Mr. Waterhouse for the faire and markett in Hallifaxe."

To my verie loving frend Mr. Egerton, esquire, hir Maties
Sollicitor.

SIR. Whereas the last terme I writt unto you for the makynge readie of a certayne byll for a mercatt to bee had weekly, and one fayre yearly, at Hallifax, in Yorkshire, and in my sayd letter named the inhabitantes of that towne as the persons to whome this graunt should passe. So it is that since I doe understand the sayd towne is a parcell of the Manor of Hallifax, and Robert Waterhouse, esquire, as Lord of the whole manor, seased of that towne. Wherefore theise are to pray you to make the sayd byll in such sort as the grawnt of this mercatt and fayre maye passe to the sayd Waterhouse and his heires: wherby his Tenants in the sayd towne may have benefitt thereof, and he avoyd such prejudice as may, peradventure, growe to his inheritance yf the grawnt weare passed in the name of the inhabitants in that towne. To which effect the inclosed byll is made readie, which I pray you to allowe of by your hand in case you fynd it to conteine nothing prejudiciall to hir Matie. And so I commend you hartely to God. From my howse in London, the xijth of November, 1584.

Your loving frend,

FRA. WALSYNGHAM.

ASSOCIATIONS FOR DEFENCE OF THE QUEEN.

[Under the date of 1584, Camden (Annals, edit. Kennett, 1719, p. 499) refers to the "new designs of the Pope, Spaniard, and the Guises for invading England," and speaks of the manner in which, "by Leicester's means," Associations were formed "by mutual vows, subscriptions and seals to prosecute to the death, as far as lay in their power, all those that should attempt anything against the Queen." What follows is the form in which the various members of Lincoln's Inn bound themselves by oath, attested by their hands and seals, to support and defend Elizabeth whether against foreign or domestic, open or concealed enemies. The first name is that of the then Solicitor General, and to it are added 94 others, from which a selection of some of the principal has been made. It has no date.]

Indorsed in a contemporaneous hand, "Lincolnes Inne," and in a much more modern hand, "Association for the defence of Queen Elizabeth,

Lincolnes FORASMUCH as Almightie God hath ordayned Kynges, Inne. Quenes and Princes to haue domynion and rule over all theire subjectes, and to preserve them in the profession and observation of the true Christian religion, accordinge to his holy worde and commaundementes, and in like sorte that all subjectes should love, feare and obeye theire Soveraigne Princes, being Kynges or Quenes, and to the uttermoost of their powers at all tymes to withstande, pursue and suppresse all maner of persons that shall by any meanes intende and attempte any thinge daungerous or hurtefull to the honors, estates or persons of theire Soveraignes: Therefore wee, whose names are or shalbe subscribed to this writinge, beinge naturall borne subjectes of this realme of Englande, and having so gracious a lady, our Soveraigne Elizabeth, by the ordynance of God our moost rightfull Quene, raignynge over us theise many yeres with greate felicitie to our inestimable comforte; and findinge of late by dyvers depositions, confessions, and sundry advertisements out of forayne partes from credible persons well knowen to her Maties Counsell, and to dyvers others, that, for the furtherance and advancement of some pretended titles to the Crowne of this realme, yt hath bene manifest that the lief of our gracious soveraigne lady Quene Elizabeth hath bene moost

trayterously and devylishly soughte, and the same followed moost daungerously to the perill of her person, yf Almightie God, her perpetuall defender, of his mercy had not revealed and withstoode the same, by whose lief wee and all other her Maties loyall and true subjectes doe injoye an inestimable benefyte of peace in this lande, doe, for the reasons and causes before alledged, not only acknowledge our selves moost justlye bounden with our bodies, lyves, landes and goodes in her defence, and for her safetie to withstande, pursue and suppresse all such myschevous persons, and all other her enemyes of what nation, condition or degree soever they shalbe, or by what coloure or title they shall pretende to be her enemyes, or to attempte any harme unto her person. But we doe also think it our moost bounden duties, for the great benefites of peace, welth, and godly government which we have more plentifully receaved theis many yeres under her Maties government then our forefathers haue done in any longer tyme of any other her progenitors, Kinges of this realme, to declare and by this writinge make manifest our loyall and bounden duties to our said soveraigne lady for her safetie. And to that end wee and every of us, first calling to witnesse the holie name of Almightie God, doe voluntarilie and moost willingly bynde our selves every one of us to the other joyntly and severally in the bonde of one fyrme and loyall societie, and doe hereby vowe and promise before the majestie of Almightie God, that with our whoale powers, bodies, lyves, landes and goodes, and with our children and servantes, wee and every of us will faythfully serve and humbly obay our said soveraigne lady Quene Elizabeth, against all estates, dignities and earthly powers whatsoever, and will, aswell with our joynte as perticuler forces, duringe our lyves, withstande, offende and pursue, as well by force of armes as by all other meanes of revenge, all maner of persons of what estate soever they shalbe and theire abettors, that shall attempte by any acte, counsell or consent to any thinge that shall tende to the harme of her Maties royall person. And wee shall never desist from all maner of for

cible pursuyte against such persons to the uttermoost extermination of them, their comforters, ayders and abettors. And if any such wicked attempte against her moost royall person shalbe taken in hande or procured, whereby any that have, may or shall pretende title to the Crowne of this realme by the untymely death of her Matie soe wickedly procured (which God for his mercies sake forbidde) may be advaunced, wee doe not only vowe and bynde our selves both joyntly and severally never to allowe, accepte or favoure any such pretended successor, by whom or for whom any such detestable act shalbe attempted or commytted, or any that may any way clayme by or from such person or pretended successor as is aforesaid, by whom or for whom such an acte shalbe attempted or commytted, as unworthy of all government in any Christian realme or cyvill societie. And to the better corroboration of this our loyall bonde and association, wee doe also testifie by this writinge that wee doe confirme the contentes hereof by our oathes, corporally taken upon the holie Evangelistes, with this expresse condition, that none of us shall for any respecte of persons or causes, or for feare or rewarde, separate our selves from this association, or faile in the prosecution hereof duringe our lyves, upon payne to be by the rest of us prosecuted and suppressed as perjured persons, and as publique enemies to God, our Quene and our natyve countrey. To which punyshment and paynes wee doe voluntarilie submytt our selves and every of us, without benefite of any exception to be hereafter challenged by any of us by any coloure or pretexte. In witnesse of all which premisses to be inviolably kepte, wee doe to this writinge putt to our handes and seales, and shalbe moost ready to accepte and admytt any others hereafter to this our societie and association.

Tho. Egerton.
Rauffe Rokeby.

John Davy.

George Kyngesmyll.

Ric. Kyngesmyll.
Amos Dalton.
Humfrey Brydges.
Robert Ryche.

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