William Hickson, tailor, chosen as one of Mr. Bird's almsmen in the place of John...

William Hickson, tailor, chosen as one of Mr. Bird's almsmen in the place of John Griffith, deceased.

Upon reading the report on John Pemberton's petition, it was ordered that he might have a fee-farm of the row before two messuages over against Trinity Church, paying a fine of £2.10s. for the row before each messuage, and being obliged to level the street where the cellar stairs were. No part of his building was to come out further into the street than the old main posts or pillars of the messuages. No advantage was to be taken of this order until grants had been accepted of all the other rows between Weavers Lane and Mr. Biggins' house upon such terms as the Assembly should think fit.

Upon reading the report on Thomas Alcott's petition, it was ordered that he might have a fee-farm of the Row desired before his messuage over against Trinity Church. He was to level the street where the sellar stairs were and make his new building or inclosure range even with the old posts there, and he was to pay £2.10s. fine. No advantage was to be taken of this order until grants had been accepted of all the other rows between Weavers Lane and Mr. Biggins' house.

(ZA/B/3/192v) Upon reading the report on the petition of Thomas Biggins, it was ordered that the ground lying over against Trinity Church which he desired might be granted in fee-farm to his landlord, the owner of the coachhouse before the said ground, in order to range even with the old posts of Thomas Alcott's messuage adjoining, for a fine of £2.10s. No advantage was to be taken of this order until grants of all the rows between Weavers Lane and Mr. Biggins' house had been accepted upon such terms as the Assembly should think fit.

A petition was read from Eleanor Massie of Dublin, spinster, praying for a grant in fee-farm of her row in the Watergate Street, over against Trinity Church and adjoining Weavers Lane. It was ordered that Mr. Treasurer Sayer, Mr. Hughes and Mr. Gaulter should immediately view the premises and report. They being returned, sitting the House, reported; whereupon it was ordered that Eleanor Massey might have liberty to inclose her row, paying £2.10s. fine.

Upon reading the report on Samuel Finlow's petition, it was ordered that he might have liberty to raise the wall for his new building upon the City Wall by the Glovers houses as Joseph Soreton had done.

Edward Gleg, glover, stated that there was a waste piece of ground under the City's wall at the east end of the tentry near the Glovers Houses containing 20 yds by 12 yds, upon part of which there were two or three swine styes of no profit to the City. He asked for a grant in fee-farm or for three lives and twenty-one years. An order was made for viewing the premises and reporting.

(ZA/B/3/193) Thomas Williams, innholder, stated in his petition that he had purchased part of the ground on which some swine styes were erected by the side of the City Wall near the Glovers Houses. He wished to have his title from the City confirmed in fee-farm, with an additinal piece of waste ground there, 26 by 10 yards. An order was made for viewing the premises and reporting.

It was ordered that the Recorder should be desired to attend Mr. Mostyn of Kilken and to agree with him for the rent of a tenement of the value of about 40s. a year at Pantassa [PANTASAPH] near Holywell, Flintshire, which was formerly mortgaged to the City with other lands by Mr. Griffith of Girn, co. Flint., esq., deceased.

A report was read, made and signed by the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen Puleston, Mainwaring and Thomas Partington, on the several public matters referred to them by divers late order of Assembly:

1. They recommended that the Treasurers should yearly pay to the Rector of Trinity parish 40s. in lieu of a horse grass on the Roodee, formerly allowed to him, and in full compensation for all tithe out of the close of land ajoining the City Walls and lately added to the Roodee.

2. That the present Mayor and Treasurers should each be allowed 30s. in lieu of a horse grass upon the Roodee, heretofore allowed some of their predecessors. But as it appeared to be to the advantage of the City that the Roodee should be henceforth let to farm, so that such an allowance could not be conveniently provided, and as the Mayor and Treasurers would be eased of the great trouble which their predecessors were put to with regard to the ley upon the Roodee, it seemed reasonable that (ZA/B/3/193v) after the present year no allowance should be made to any Mayor or Treasurers in lieu of any horse grass on the Roddee. It seemed reasonable, however, that some allowance should be made them for the trouble of collecting the country rents.

3. That the Waits of the City ought to attend the Mayor at such public times and occasions as they had usually attended, without any other allowance than their ancient salary of 40s. a year and cloaks once in every five years.

4. That after the end of the present Mayoralty the accounts relating to the revenue of St. John's Hospital should be inserted in the yearly accounts of the Treasurers of the City, who were to be treasurers of the said Hospital for ever.

5. Within the last few years great sums had been laid out for the repairs and ornaments of the City Walls, and it was conceived that within the next two years the walls might be put into such a condition that they would require very little further expense in the present age. It was therefore proposed that from the election of the Mayor in 1713, the Treasurers of the City should be Deputy Murengers for ever, and that the Murage accounts should in future be inserted in the Treasurers' accounts.

6. Having inspected the state of the revenue of the City and the debts and charges upon it, they found that the certain yearly payments charged upon the Treasurers would henceforth exceed the certain yearly revenue of the City. They had considered that the City was entitled to divers fee-farm rents and reversions upon leases (ZA/B/3/194), with rents incident thereunto, of lands and hereditaments, some of them outisde the liberties of the City, others not improvable and in such places where they might be spared. They therefore proposed that, in order to raise money to pay all the City's debts (except those charged on the navigation duties), such of the fee-farm rents and reversions with rents incident thereto as might be most conveniently spared would be absolutely sold to the highest bidder; provided that every person entitled to the lands or hereditaments out of which the rents issued should have the first refusal, and provided that no fee-farm rent or reversion with a rent incident should be sold for less than twenty-five years' purchase. The ancient rents issuing out of lands conveyed or charged for any charitable use were not to be alienated or lessened, but grants might be made of such lands in fee-farm, reserving the ancient and accustomed rents to the City for such charitable uses.

7. In order to discharge more speedily and effectively the debts due to Charles Boswell and George Boswell, to the workmen for building the repository for the fire engines in Northgate Street, and to Mr. Whishaw of London, they proposed that a debt of £43.11s.9d. due to the City from Richard Spencer of Iscoyd, and secured by bond, with a warrant of attorney to confess a judgement, should be assigned to Charles and George Boswell in part of their debts. It was proposed that whosoever should advance ready money towards the payment of the rest of the debts was to be repaid with interest out of the first money to be raised by the above-mentioned sales.

(ZA/B/3/194v) The House approved of and confirmed the report, and ordered that it should be observed in all respects as the order of the House. It was further ordered that the Mayor and Justices of the Peace should meet in the Inner Pentice on Friday, 18th January, and on every Friday following at six in the evening. The Mayor and any four of them were to have authority to receive proposals and make contracts on behalf of the Mayor and Citizens for sale of any rents or hereditaments belonging to the City which they should think fit, and to cause them to be conveyed under the Common Seal. They must first view the respective hereditaments and must subscribe a memorial of every such contract to remain among the City's records. No fee-farm rent free from taxes was to be sold for less than twenty-three years' purchase. As divers fee-farm rents and hereditaments were of small value and would not bear the charge of the ordinary fees paid for grants under the Common Seal, it was ordered that for all grants in which the consideration money did not exceed £10, only 1s. would be paid to the Mayor for the seal and 5s. to the Clerk of the Pentice, besides the parchment and stamps. Where the consideration exceeded £10, but did not exceed £20, 3s.4d. should be paid to the Mayor and 10s. to the Clerk. If the consideration exceeded £20, the customary fees might be taken. Concerning the collection of the country-rents, it was referred to the Mayor and Justices of the Peace at their Friday meetings to (ZA/B/3/195) treat with a fit person to be Collector. They were to consider what salary would be reasonable, and to report thereupon to the next Assembly.