[In the Inner Pentice] The aldermen ordered to consider the state of the City's affairs...

[In the Inner Pentice] The aldermen ordered to consider the state of the City's affairs had not done so, and so were ordered to meet and to report to the next Assembly.

Thomas Bowers, linendraper, was elected Councilman in place of Thomas Randles, deceased.

Upon the Mayor's motion, the Rev. Roger Mostyn, clerk, was admitted to the freedom gratis.

It was ordered that £150 be raised at interest upon security of a bond under the Corporation seal for furnishing the Judges' appartments in the Castle during Assizes. The annual subscriptions of future Sheriffs were to be paid by an acting committee for managing the intended scheme to the City Treasurer to pay the interest (ZA/B/4/186) and towards repaying the principal.

Upon reconsidering Mr. William Dix's petition, Aldermen Ellames, Richardson, Cotgreave and Treasurer Holme Burrows, or any three, were to be a committee to report to the next Assembly on the petition and on what part of the City's land along the river from Wilcox Point might be leased and how, and how roads shall be laid to the same.

Mr. Henry Hesketh, Treasurer, was to insure the General Workhouse for £1,000 against fire. He was also to be allowed his expenses in making a foot passage through the Watergate and for the repair of the road at Bach Pool.

Upon reconsidering the petition of Mr. Richard Richardson, Alderman, for a lease of the old quay at Parkgate, Aldermen Ellames, Cotgreave and Treasurer Holme Burrows, Mr. Thomas Marsden, Mr. Samuel Dob and Mr. John Thomas, were appointed a committee to view and to report.

Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bart., Mayor and his brother Thomas Grosvenor, Esq., the City's representatives in Parliament were to be asked to present their portraits to the Corporation to put (ZA/B/4/186v) in the Court Room of the Common Hall or Exchange.

Each of the stalls in the Fish Shambles was to be numbered and set by the Treasurer as best for the benefit of the city.

Thomas Grosvenor, Esq. 1760-61

26th December, 1760. [In the Inner Pentice]

Upon reading the report of the Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen Ellames, Bolland, Cowper, Richardson and Cotgreave dated 20th inst. concerning the portion of the City's income to be appropriated to pay the annuities and also to pay their debts and carry on several suits, it was ordered that £600 be borrowed by the Corporation by bonds (ZA/B/4/187) The premises granted as security for the annuities on 24th December 1757 were to be mortgaged, as was part of the City's estate and part of the yearly chief rent farm not to exceed £50 yearly as security. The money was to be paid to Mr. Peter Ellames the younger, the Treasurer, who was to apply the £600 as follows: £302 10s. on account of the buildings at the Exchange and General Workhouse - to William Jordan, carpenter, Sarah Jordan, plasterer, Samuel Davies, mason, Francis Cross, glazier, Thomas Alcock, smith, William Calkin, glazier, Holme Burrows, 'toyman', Thomas Griffith, grocer, Thomas Davie & Company, plumbers, Frans Obrien, Wm. Pemberton, bricklayer, Geo. Lindsey, timber merchant and Jonathan Whittle, ropier, Wm. Bingley, ironmonger; (ZA/B/4/187v) £157. 3s. 7d. to Mr. Thomas Brock, Town Clerk, to discharge certain bills and expenses of suits and law business; £40. 6s. 5d. to Mr. Thomas Brock on account of present and future suits.

It was ordered that any further sum of money not exceeding £200 might be borrowed by the Corporation upon bond in double the sum so borrowed and be secured by mortgage of the premises mortgaged as security for the previous £600, to be paid to the senior Treasurer and by him paid to the Town Clerk on account of the Toll cause Slade v Lumber defended at the City's charge and the cause against Braddock a non-freeman, etc.

The several yearly rents in the City's rental, including those of the houses and shops under the Exchange from the 1st January next were to be collected by the Sword Bearer under the yearly salary of £5 (ZA/B/4/188) (including all his other collections for the City). After deducting his salary, taxes, repairs, etc. he was to pay the residue before every Christmas day to the Town Clerk or his deputy to discharge the annuities commencing in 1762, to pay the interest on bonds, mortgages and other security as above, after payment of which the Town Clerk was to receive £5. The remainder was then to be paid to the senior Treasurer. The Town Clerk or his deputy were to keep annual accounts and enter them in a book in the Town Office.

An account of the yearly rents and receipts of the Corporation was ordered to be kept (ZA/B/4/188v) and an account of the City's yearly payments were to be immediately delivered to the Treasurer to serve as a precedent. It was ordered that no Treasurer should give orders for any other City work or make payments other than set out unless by order of the House.

The Treasurer was ordered to apply for arrears of rent from the General Workhouse, the occupier of the weighing machine and Hope tithes. He was to ask Mr. Hart for a statement of his accounts and disbursements relating to the field under the Walls held by him, no rent having been paid for the same, at £16 p.a., from Candlemas 1749 and the Treasurer report the result to the next Assembly.

It was ordered that the great expense of conveying vagrants through the City be reduced, not only by stopping illegal passes, but by instructing the Constables of the wards usually receiving such vagrants to convey them out of the City's liberties (ZA/B/4/189) and by taking from such Constables the allowance for any lodging for them. The Constables' accounts relating to this were to be inspected by the Recorder, two other aldermen and the Treasurer, or any two of them on whose order they should be paid by the Treasurer.

Money due on 25th inst. to discharge the annuities was to be paid by Alderman Ellames, the Murager, to the Town Clerk or his deputy, to be accepted as part of the balance of his accounts for which he shall be indemnified. His accounts were ratified by the Corporation.

On the death of the Sword Bearer, Yeoman, Crier and Serjeants at Mace usually called the Mayor's Officers, the place was to be sold in some Assembly (ZA/B/4/189v) the money to be used towards discharging the principal owed on bond or mortgage, then to be used as directed. If the interest on such money did not exceed £40 it was to be paid to each Mayor at the end of his term in which the office fell vacant, any surplus was to be paid to the Corporation (ZA/B/4/190) provided that if a Mayor died during his term one half of the interest money due to him at the end of it be paid to his executor and the other half to his successor.

Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bart., was to be thanked for his gift of £50 (for which the vacant place of one of the four serjeants was sold for in his late mayoralty) to be applied in part of £150 ordered to be borrowed on bond for furnishing the Judges' lodgings.

On the death of any of the Sheriffs Officers the place was to be sold by the Corporation to their own use, in consideration of which the Sheriff was to be excused from payment towards furnishing the Judges Lodgings, the money from the sale of the offices being used to pay the interest on the money borrowed for the purpose.

Upon reading a letter from Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bart., (ZA/B/4/190v) concerning his intended peerage and desiring the citizens to consider a proper Member in his place, the thanks of the House, and their regard and attachment were to be given to him.

A letter from Richard Wilbraham Bootle, Esq. was read desiring that he represent the City in Parliament in place of Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bart. It was ordered that he be informed his offer was acceptable, and admitted to the freedom gratis.

The expense of pulling down the Cowgate and several cottages in Dee Lane, of building a chimney at the General Workhouse and curing chimneys there from smoking was to be allowed Mr. Hesketh in his accounts as Treasurer.

Upon reconsidering Mr. William Dix, cheese warehouse-keeper's petition for a lease of land near the Crane or General Workhouse to erect warehouses, or that the Corporation would build and lease him the same (ZA/B/4/191), a meeting was ordered to be held in the Inner Pentice to treat with Mr. Dix, Aldermen Richardson and Cotgreave, Treasurer Holme Burrowes, Mr. Marsden, Mr. Dob, Mr. Boswell and Mr. Wilkinson to be particularly of that committee. The committee or any five, were to report at the next Assembly concerning the Bill.

Upon reading the petition of Matthias Holland, painter, stating that by order of Assembly of 27th August, 1752, he was granted a portion of Sir Thomas White's money upon the security proposed which he had never received and praying to have the same on the security, to wit, Peter Ellames the younger, druggist, Henry Pemberton, Alderman, and Margaret Leach, widow, he was granted the same.

Upon reading the petition of John Egerton, Esq. and other inhabitants stating that the passage through the Northgate was so small that waggons, carts and loaded carriages were frequently stopped by means of which their passage was retarded and that there was danger to children living nearby and asking that a footpath be cut through the east side of the Northgate, it was ordered that John Egerton, Esq., Aldermen Richardson and Cotgreave report to the next Assembly on what is needful and the cost.

Twenty-five pounds, a portion of Sir Thomas White's money, granted to Roger Gill, and the like granted to Robert Dickson was to be called in and placed out again to young freemen according to his Will.

Upon the Mayor's motion, John Biggins was confirmed one of the four Serjeants at Mace, in place of Robert Bradbury, deceased.

Richard Crichley, yeoman, was to be admitted to the freedom paying ten pounds within one month.

Thanks were to be given to William Beasley of the City of London, Esq. for twenty 'Moidores' given by him to the late Treasurer as a compliment to the Corporation for granting him (ZA/B/4/192) his freedom gratis.

One of the stone pillars which came from the Exchange was to be given to the gentlemen of the Abbey Court to be set up there as an obelisk or as they thought best.

16th June, 1761. [In the Inner Pentice] (change of hand)

Peter Ellames, the younger, druggist, was elected Alderman in place of John Parker, deceased.

William Seller, brewer, elected Councilman in place of Peter Ellames the younger.

John Wilbraham, gent. (being called in and sworn to keep secret the transactions of Assemblies) (ZA/B/4/192v) was to be an assistant to Mr. Thomas Brock, Town Clerk, in the Pentice Office.

No-one was to be admitted to any of the ballots for the gowns and charity bequeathed by Mr. John Vernon unless he first be certified by the Aldermen and Stewards of some company to be a decayed member and that a poor member of any company particularly specified in Mr. Vernon's will was to have preference.

Thomas Littler, cordwainer, was chosen to be Mr. William's almsman in place of Thomas Evans, deceased.

Joseph Tellett was chosen one of Mr. John Vernon's almsmen in place of Hugh Jordan, deceased.

John Harrison was chosen one of Mr. John Vernon's almsmen in place of Robert Sudlow, deceased.

Thomas Jenkins' (servant to Thomas Prescott, Esq.) petition for his freedom was respited till the next Assembly.