Catalogue description Minutes

Comprising annual lists of the borough officers (jurats, common councillors, churchwardens, auditors, chamberlains, overseers for the poor and of their stock of money, overseers of the stock of corn for the poor, overseers of the poor people coming and going in Court, Preston, and West Streets, receivers of Henry Hatch's estate, of the school lands, and of the overseers of the sluice, quays, and channels); and minutes of the common council for most years, including items concerning the payment of the town's debts, the receipt of the rent of Hatch's land, the acquisition of a new yard measure, the discharge of Richard Stransham's brewer's fine of 40/- for six years on account of his sale to the town of 'divers stones lyinge in the churcheyard at Davington', 1579-80; the lease of the 'longe Gardner at the keye and the stayres and house under the same', the disposal of the poor stock, appointment of representatives to the Guestling at Hythe, 1582-3; concerning a trial at law between the town and Mr. Archer about the keeping of Lammes Fair upon his ground at the Standard, concerning the taxation of foreigners four times a year, 1584-5, concerning John Tyndale's promise to pay £6/10/- to gather the town droits, a lease of the two fairs, the choice of Mr. Anthonye Sayncteleger Esquyer as legal adviser to the town, the sale of the house called the Anchor towards the repair of the church, 1585-6. From 1586 entries include the provision of a warship against the Dunkirkers, 1586-7, the appointment of overseers for the building of the school, 1587-8, concerning the expenditure of £30 'about the souldiers at the Portugall voyage', 1592-3, the placing of posts, rails and gravel in the streets, 1609-10, the mill and the millhouse, 1613-14, a new pound in Partridge Lane, the collection of refuse by the scavenger, and order for the formation of the Mercers Company, the sale of the millstones and implements of the sluice mill and the use of the money on the channel, 1614-15; the revised order concerning the Mercers Company, 1615-16; the purchase of the shambles, lease of the market place, order for regulating the swine, 1616-17; order for broader shelves in the study in the court hall to hold the rolls and records 'with partitions and dores with locks and keyes', the purchase of land for the almshouses, 1623-4; the repair of the gaol, the division of the town into wards, 1624-5; order for the forehorse of waggons and carts to be led in the streets, 1626-7; orders for the prevention of the plague, 1629-30; against standings in the High Street, the paving of the streets, 1631-2; a new fish market, 1632-3; with a table of the fees of the common porters for goods collected at the quay, or conveyed from a ship in the port or creek, and conveyed to any place in the town or its liberties; with, at end, an index of the minutes, 1617-34; and, in reverse, opinions concerning the re-election of the mayor, 1617