Account book, labelled 'No. 17' and bound in conformity with the main series of Hundred,...

RYE/147/1

Account book, labelled 'No. 17' and bound in conformity with the main series of Hundred, Assembly and Court of Record Books. The first entry is headed: 'In this bok is contayned the recepts and expenses off William Clerk, William Byspyn and John Raynolds, Churchewardens off the parissh Churche off Rye wiche entred in to the said office a Easter 4 Hen. VIII (1513)'.

1513-70

The original volume seems to have consisted of fos. 1-173, the remainder being added at rebinding in the 18th century.

The contents have been used and excerpted, somewhat carelessly, by Holloway (Holloway, pp. 476-505, 529-31.) and are detailed accounts of receipts (including rents from church property and St. Mary's 'Share,' a due from fishermen) and expenses which were audited by a committee of the mayor, jurats and commoners. The year of account at first commences at Easter, but from 1530 onwards at Michaelmas. There appear to be no accounts for the year 1521/2 or from Easter 1529 to Michaelmas 1530.

Additional entries made in this volume are as follows:

fo. 26. Testament and will of John Beverley of Rye, dated 12 March 1518.

fo. 27. Letter from Dr. Sewell, vicar, to the mayor and jurats regarding an annual payment by him of 40s. to the churchwardens in connection with the lease of the rectory from the Abbot of Stanley, co. Wilts. Undated.

fo. 37v. Testament and will of Thomas Harry of Rye dated 25 April 1511. (For probate copy see RYE/137/24, 25 above.

fo. 114v. Receipts and expenses of Alexander Welles and George Raynolds, barons to the parliament, 2 & 3 Edw. VI (1548-9), being an account of receipts by the sale of church goods and their disbursement on church and borough affairs. (The list of M.P.s in Vidler, p. 166 gives Robert Wymond and Wellys as being returned in 1547. In the Chamberlains Accounts (RYE/60/6, fo. 167v) Robert Wymond, jurat, is mentioned as deceased during the mayoralty of Thomas Byrchet (1548/9) and wages for attendance to parliament are paid to Wellys and Raynolds, 5 May 1549 (RYE/60/6 fo. 190r). Raynolds must have been returned at a by-election in the meantime.

fos. 169v-173. blank, except for scribbles.

² Testament transcribed and will abstracted in Holloway, p. 481, under the name Bewley.

fo. 174. Title page of parchment: 'The boke of Recorde of all the churche wardens accomptes ..... begonne in Anno. Dni. 1563.'

fo. 175. blank.

fos. 176-180r. Accounts for 1562/3, confusedly dated.

fos. 180v-186r. Accounts for 1563/4, as above.

fos. 207-8. Draft account of John Butler, 1568/9, enclosed.

English