Catalogue description Reskymer Papers and Gresham Papers. (Described at item level). Folios 1-271:...

Reskymer Papers and Gresham Papers. (Described at item level).

Folios 1-271: Correspondence of John Reskymer, Sheriff of Cornwall (d 1602).

Folios 218-end: Correspondence of Paul Gresham, of Tickencote, Rutland, official of the Auditor's Office, Court of Wards.

The Reskymer Papers c 1535 - 1610 (ff 1-217)The papers consist of the correspondence of John Reskymer, Sheriff of Cornwall in 1535, 1539 and 1556 and, from 1596, his sons William and John. Part of an inquisition post mortem (ff 88-89) testifies to Reskymer's death in 1602. The nature of the correspondence suggests that Reskymer was a magistrate for most of the period.The opening pieces in these papers touch on the Helston Riots of 1548, and f5, from the Privy Council, thanks Reskymer amongst others for putting it down, and requests them to send the ringleaders to London.The remainder consists of lists of estreats for collection, a case involving Reskymer in the Court of Star Chamber, correspondence with Sir William Godolphin and other members of the Godolphin family, lists of freeholds and tenants for various Cornish properties, bonds, receipts, accounts and a list of jurors.F 20, a letter from John Trelawny to Sir William Cecil in 1564, refers to William Carnsew. See also the introductory note to SP 46/71 (Part V, Private Papers Series I).The majority of the papers are in English, with some land titles in French. The majority of bonds are in Latin.Frequent references to the hunt indicate that both John and his son William were keen hunters.The Gresham Papers 1553-1576 (Correspondence of Paul Gresham of the Auditor's Office, Court of Wards ff 218-348)The collection consists largely of private correspondence, receipts, bonds, fees for livery (ff 328-329, 336, 342-343), list of witnesses, bills of expenses and fees etc. Relatively few folios (ff 241, 243, 249, 302, 312-314, 326) are specific to wardship.Gresham was constantly in debt and many of the letters to him are demands for repayment, sometimes threatening recourse to law. A letter from his kinsman Thomas Gresham (f276) requesting money is dated at The Fleet in 1571. A request (f 317) to be brought to the notice of Sir Thomas Gresham indicates that Paul's kinsman was the founder of the Royal Exchange.There are some references to and correspondence with Lord Burghley and his son Thomas (ff 220, 253, 270). The last folio (f 348) is a poem addressed to Lady Cecil in French and English versions, possibly by Gresham.Gresham's home was in Tickencote, Rutland, where the articles of agreement for the marriage between his daughter Anne and George Mackworth of Empingham, Rutland, were drawn up. His wife Margaret lived there and wrote frequently to him in London with family and domestic news.With the exception of a grant of land (Empingham, Rutland), some bonds in Latin and f 348, partly in French, the piece is in English.