become scarce and dear, be successfully accomplished, was tried this year in Bristol. A water mill was built upon a lighter, at Gib Taylor, by Thomas Jayne, a house carpenter; it worked upon the ebb tide only, and ground corn at the rate of two bushels an hour. It was pulled to pieces at St. James' fair in September. "This year the conduit in the middle of Thomas street was removed to the end of Church lane, and the sheep market, with a wool market-room over it, was built, having been removed from the north side of the church. This year also was the Cathedral church, Christ church and spire, and St. Stephen's pinnacles, tower and church, new mended and flourished."1 Guineas were first coined in the year 1673, but we have no record of any having been minted in Bristol. Richard Streamer, merchant, was then mayor. "Queen Katharine came to Bristol July 11th, 1674, and was honourably entertained at Sir Henry Creswick's. The effigy of King Charles II. was removed on the leads nearer the Council-house by the persuasion of the Duchess of Cleveland, who came with the queen; it standing and being before, as she said, like a porter or a watchman." 2 Streamer's name occupies an unenviable position in the annals of the persecutions in Bristol, but he appears to have had a sense of what was due to decorum and public morality; he would not prostitute the civic dignity, or bow shamelessly before the king's lemans. Although a bigot, he was an honest man, hence no gilded spurs fell to his lot. "On the 11th of September, 1673, the Countesse of Castelmaine (one of the king's mistresses) rode into this cittie in her coach, in pompe, attended by Sir John Churchill of Churchill, togeather with Sir Thomas Bridgis, of Cainsham, and their ladies, with their retinue of servants; and rode by the Tolzey, and downe Broade street, and soe along the Key, where the great guns fired as she passed along. She alighted at Alderman Olive's, at the Three Tuns in Wine street, and was there entertained at the cost and chardges of the said Sir John Churchill." 4 To the credit of the corporation they ignored her visit; but as a contrast, and to show that it was from no sordid motive that they had been so reticent, we note that the Marquis of Worcester, lord lieutenant, was entertained right royally by the citizens. On the 7th of August it was moved in the 1 Old MS. 3 2 Seyer, II., 514-15. [We very much doubt whether the queen visited Bristol before 1677.—ED.] * The Three Tuns was the house which, in 1825, was occupied by Mr. Morgan, silversmith. The sign was part of the arms of the Brewers' Company, as may be seen on two houses in Mary-leport street, and one in the Pithay, adjoining Tower lane, also on a shield on a chimney piece in a third house in Mary-le-port street. Seyer, II., 515. chamber, "that the marquis be invited to visit Bristol, and that he be entertained at the charge of the city. That Sir Robert Cann and Sir John Knight ride over to Badminton, and present the invitation in the name of the mayor, aldermen, and common council." (Coach hire to Badminton, 30s.) It was further ordered that the mayor and aldermen "do consider and resolve as to the manner of his reception and entertainment; and that an humble address be presented to him for the appointing such lord deputy lieutenants as are citizens and not country gentlemen." "The country party," Macaulay says, “included all the public men who leaned towards Puritanism and Republicanism." The charge on the city fund for the entertainment of the marquis amounted to £237 48. 11d.; of this sum £122 18. 4d. was disbursed by the mayor, 18s. 9d. by Captain Joseph Creswick; and Nicholas Dupont, the French cook, received £114 48. 10d. 14. The next year Ralph Oliff, innkeeper, landlord of the "Three Tuns," in Wine street, who said he took office solely to persecute the Nonconformists, was chosen as mayor. He had been sheriff in 1664; he was a great wine-bibber and hater of dissent; his name has become as notorious as that of Hellier for his rancorous cruelties in carrying out the Conventicle Act against his inoffensive fellow-townsfolk. It was in his back parlour over their potations that the chief persecutors used to meet on the morning of the Lord's day, whence, as soon as the bells had ceased, they issued forth on the foray, in organised bands, to pounce upon their humble victims who were engaged in divine worship. Out of the whole number of the corporation only about eight or ten of its members have their names associated with these acts of religious intolerance, and of these several were compelled by their official duties rather than by an act of willinghood to take the steps which they did. The law was thrust upon them by the Government, but the majority of the chamber declined to act, and Oliff, the vintner, the tenant of Hellier, the chief persecutor, was elected to do the dirty work. The royal proclamation against Catholics and Dissenters, now that the Declaration of Indulgence was withdrawn, had led to the adoption of more rigorous measures, for the execution of which unscrupulous, ignorant, and vulgar men were especially fitted. Nine years later, in 1682-3, Charles, in order to break up the growing democracy of the cities and boroughs, had seized, by quo warranto, the charters, first of the city of London, and then proceeded to secure his aim (absolute power) by seizing, amongst other places, the charters of Bristol. A servile ignorant tool was necessary; such a one existed in Bristol; true he had previously served as mayor, and A.D. 1676. TIMBER-FRAMED HOUSE IN HIGH STREET. 67 are jumbled in bewildering confusion. The Great house was an obstruction. Its removal was ordered, which did not then remove the obstruction. A record, 1675, informs us that: so was, by the ordinances of the city, incapacitated for office; but the king's will could override the city's bylaws, and by especial command from his most gracious majesty, the corporation were ordered to elect Ralph Oliff as their chief magistrate for a second term. But a greater king than the tall, swart man, who wore the English crown, was waiting for his subject. Oliff was carried in his chair to the guildhall, where he took the oaths amidst the ringing of bells, firing of cannon, and the tumultuous shoutings of the rabble, and then was taken home to die, which event occurred within twentyfour hours; he was sixty-four years of age, and was buried in the chancel of All Saints church. His son, Ralph, shared in his father's antipathies; he predeceased him by two years, dying, in 1681-2, at the age of thirty-yond its due bounds and limits as aforesaid. And for soe doing five. The Oxford, a 54-gun ship, 683 tons, and for 274 men, was launched at Bristol; on St. John's day the weathercock of St. John's church was blown down, another was put up in 1676. 1 Sir Robert Cann succeeded Oliff as mayor, and "in his year Robert Aldworth, the town clerk, died, and John Romsey, was chosen as his successor, who did his utmost to set the king against the city." Party feeling ran high, and this is the record of a political opponent, and must be taken cum grano salis. 15. At 281, Vol. I., we have given an engraving of the Great house at the Bridge end, the residence of Robert Rogers, who was mayor in 1622. This maior, as his estate was greate, soe he posseded the same not without trouble; leaving it to his sonne, a knight, he enjoyed not the same above three yeares, and then dyed; and his stately house, fit for a king's palace, was turned into a taverne. The old house had a ghost, a "headless shade," highly sensational, and there are traditionally preserved some silly doggerel lines containing a prediction, in which the plague, the fire on the bridge, the trial of Yeomans and Boucher, the destruction of the Castle, 1 Evans, 227. Whereas ye Great house att ye Bridge end, wherein Nehemia Webb dwelt, was lately taken down and is now in new building, and in ye erecting of ye same, some part of ye new building is much beyond its due bounds and limits, done without leave or licence, to the straightening and narrowing of the common street, and esteemed to be a great nuisance. Report thereof being this day made to the mayor, aldermen, and common council, in comthereof by Mr. Mayor, and the surveyor of the citty lands, mon council assembled, and of the view that hath been made according to custome. Itt is ordered that the surveyor of ye citty lands doe according to an "Act of common councill in yt behalf forthwith order the citty carpenter and masons in their presence to take and beat downe the same new building, soe be this order and ordinance of ye house shall bee their warrant; and itt was done accordingly." On a very grotesquely carved bracket within the shop window of the curious old timber-framed house which stands at the corner of High and Wine streets, is the date 1676. Tradition avers, we think correctly, that the house was constructed in Holland, and then brought to Bristol and re-set up in its present position. There is also a good specimen of a leaden snow box attached Timber-framed House at Corner of High and Wine Streets. to the front of the house, No. 34 in High street, that interests," and he advises the members to be on their bears the date 1686. guard, to watch, and carefully inspect all new local acts, lest the city be surprised in an affair of such magnitude. Copy of a bill for a year's board, clothes, and education, of a young lady at Bristol, in the year 1677. lb. s. d. 00 01 08 00 01 00 ... 00 00 08 Mending her old coat and for ribbon to border itt, and for a lace and sampler and thread ... 00 02 00 00 03 06 00 03 06 The rupture between the Cathedral authorities and the civic dignitaries, in 1609, had never been thoroughly healed. A committee of the council was now appointed, who, on May 12th, 1676, wrote: To the Honourable Sir Robert Atkyns, one of the Justices of his My Lord, We have desired Sir John Knight to deliver you a copy of a paper given in to us by the dean and prebendaries of the church of Bristol, the purport whereof is to exempt themselves, not only from the jurisdiction of the city, but in truth from all temporal jurisdiction whatsoever, which, in our opinion, will not only be a great infringement of the liberties and privileges of the city, but also of very ill consequence, and pernicious to the Government; the particular transaction whereof we refer to the relation of Sir John Knight. In a case of this moment and diffi00 04 01 culty, we make it our request to you that you will be pleased to afford us your advice and assistance with Sir John Knight, to support our rights and undoubted immunities; and the frequent experience we have of your readiness to promote all good acts for the weal and preservation of this city assures us of your granting the request of, 00 04 06 10 00 00 12 05 07 00 01 07 12 07 02 "On the 15th April, 1676, Nathaniel Haggard, William Powlett, John Romsey, Edmund Jones, and James Gregory, petitioned to be town clerk. The first three were proposed; John Romsey was elected (and made a free burgess of the city). Voted that town clerk, steward, and other officers, shall always give place to all the council." This is the first mention of Romsey, but his house in King street bears date on its door, 1664, and has the initials It was here that he entertained Judge Jeffreys in 1685. The "Llandoger" tavern, in the same street, is about the same date. August 29th.-Sir W. Waller claimed the right to prisage of all wine imported into Bristol in Whitsun week. R. 16th September.-Ordered no great guns, or murdering piece, shall henceforth be discharged or fired at the key. 16. Alderman William Crabb, during whose mayoralty, in 1676, the attempt was made by Guy Carleton, the bishop, and the dean and chapter, to obtain certain privileges, and to impose an inquisition upon the citizens, the mayor writes to Sir John Knight that "they are surreptitiously seeking, without the privity of the corporation, to procure a clause to be inserted in the bill for the endowment of poor vicarages, or in some other act now passing, that will be adverse to the city's My lord, your lordship's most humble servants, THOMAS STEVENS. ROBERT CANN. JOHN LAW Ford. Meanwhile it would appear from the following letter that the ecclesiarchs had been carrying affairs with a high hand, even going so far as to arrest the mayor, probably for contempt of the Ecclesiastical court, but we have not been able to find any record of the transaction except the following: Bristol, 18th June, 1676. To the Honble. Sir Robert Atkyns, &c. My Lord,-We make bold to acquaint your lordship that the dean and chapter persevere in the contest with the city with unseeming rigour and severity, as by arresting of the mayor, by endeavouring to obtain a commission of charitable uses, in which they nominate none but creatures of their own to be commissioners. We humbly beg your lordship's opinion whether we are not exempt by the statute from the inquisition of such commission; and if your lordship happen to see the lord chancellor, that you would please acquaint his lordship with these proceedings of theirs, and we are sure they will receive very slender encouragement from his lordship to proceed in this severe manner, and to make so great a breach between the church and the city and the government of it. A. D. 1677. BISHOP GUY CARLETON'S ATTEMPTED INQUISITION. To the Right Honourable Heneage, Lord Finch, Baron of Daventry, Lord High Chancellor of England. My Lord,―There has of late begun unhappy differences between the dean and chapter of the church of Bristol and the city. The ground of this contest is immunities lately set up and claimed by the church, much in derogation of the privileges and undoubted rights of the city; and not only so, but they have endeavoured to shorten the jurisdiction and extent of the city by depriving us of almost an whole parish, claimed by them as a distinct and separate jurisdiction. How far they have been aggressors in this contest, and with what unbeseeming heat and ardour they have prosecuted this affair, by the instigation of the bishop, will be too tedious to give your lordship the trouble of knowing. Nor, my lord, as we are informed, are they contented with that only, but are labouring to obtain a commission of charitable uses, in which they do not stick to declare that they principally aim at an inquisition into the Arcana of the city, and have not nominated any members thereof, nor any person but such who are creatures of their own to be commissioners. We hope, my lord, that the city is exempt by the statute from any such inquisition; however, our humble address to your lordship is that if any such inquisition be to be issued forth, that the names herewith to be delivered to your lordship might be inserted. It is not without a great sense we have of the misfortune of this place to be thus engaged (where the church has so many enemies), that they will so industriously endeavour to make so loyal a magistracy at a necessary variance with them; and of what ill consequences it may be that they should intermeddle with the government of the city, and interrupt the current of justice in a great part of it, your lordship, we are sure, is very apprehensible, and we are confident will not find countenance from so great an example of wisdom and justice as your lordship. Thus begging your lordship's pardon, We remain, my lord, Your most humble servants, JOHN KNIGHT. The next record shows that the lord chancellor did move in the affair: : Sir Thomas Jones, judge of assize, made it his request that Sir John Churchill would endeavour to accommodate the controversy between the city and the bishop and dean and chapter, if permitted, which was agreed to, a report to be made to the House for its final determination. This order to be kept secret, it being by vote of the House agreed to be secretly communed of, and that no person presume to discourse of it under severe penalties. The dispute lingered on; the mayor and corporation did not, as was their wont, go to the Cathedral, but to St. Mary Redcliff church, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. Nicholas Penwarne, who also preached before them in the church of St. Mark. On the 22nd of June, 1677-8, Richard Crump, soapboiler, being mayor, we have further correspondence on the subject, the following letters being addressed to Sir Robert Cann and Sir John Knight, members of Parliament for the city: 69 warn to the Bpps. court. And by the attorney hee gives me the great thing expected from him in conformity to the canon in that project of prayers wherein he is to preferr the dignified clergy before the civil magistrates, and his complyance in this poynt is expected to-morrow seaven-night. And if you thinke itt worth our while to contest itt I hope you will give us some countenance before the tyme is fixed, otherwise it will bee unreasonable in us to expose the ministers to the fury of the bpp. for a cause wee cannot justifie, and desire your answere, and am, sir, your affectionate friend and humble servant, RICHARD CRUMPE. To Sir Robert Cann, Knt. and Barrt., a Member of Parliament at the Parliament House, the 22nd June, 1678. Another of the same to Sir John Knight. Knight, who, it will be perceived, was the active man of business, replied in the following able and characteristic letter: London, 29th June, 1678. Mr. Mayor, I have not received any lately from you, and since my last I find the bishopp and his clerkes have been solliciting for another commission of charitable uses, the better still to affront the magistrates and trample upon them, which the lord chancellor refuseth till he hath spoken to our recorder in itt, who tells me that Ridly had beene once there to speak with him, and left word with his servants in itt, and that hee would againe attend him. I shall take care to prevent itt if I can. Alsoe those of St. James's have putt in a foolish bill of seventy sheetes against the citty, which on perusall I finde they claim the church and of the churchyard, as a body politique time out of mynde, and insist upon the commissioner's decree, which, with the inquisicion and all other proceedings, they fully recite; but I shall take care in that allsoe and prevent their designs, if by the . . of many you bee not persuaded to bee betrayed out of your right. All they pretend to Mr. Hornes right to be chaplain there is by a license from the bishopp, so that I cannot finde by their bill that they have any right att all. Butt John (? Hellier) has done this, whose trade is to live by divisions. I moved the court to have the costs in Sir Wm. Waller's suit taken off, but could not; and this day I was summoned to attend the taxing it, the particulars demanded was £94 odd money. All I could do was to get the £44 odd money abated, so that the citty is taxed to pay £50 for itt, which the nexte terme by a motion happily may be mitigated to £40. If not itt must bee payd. They threaten to bring another suite about prisage wines that Mr. Speed had. But I bid them to take their course, and I suppose they will not, for wee have a better plea, and the citty's right by itt may be retrieved. You see how many troubles the citty's divines bring upon you, butt pray bee not hectored out of itts right. And if itt were my single interest I would an able minister to serve in St. James', Hornes place, who have no right to bee there, yett have wee raised his estate by itt, by which hee hath so insolently abused the citty; and if the bishop, under colour of license, may putt ministers in our chappells without our consent, as he hath done at St. James', but especially at St. James' which is our lay fee and no parish church, and wee thus tolerate itt you may .. to the rest of our rights in a short time. I am Affectionate friend and servant, your most JOHN KNIGHT. I purpose to stopp the parishioners' proceedings by a motion as to the profitts of the next St. James' fayre that is to bee colSir,-This day our town clerk (Romsey) went with Mr. Pen- lected and deposited till the law have ended it. Windows in Colston's House, Small Street. To this the following reply was sent : Sessions, July 1st, 1678. Sir,-By yours to Mr. Mayor of the 29th of June, wee doe with our thankfulness for itt observe your care of the citty, and the concernes thereof. And that you very early mett with a new attempt of reviving the commission of charitable uses which is apparent only to by the management . . . of the last att and prejudice the citty and government thereof, and doe therefore desire you to prevent that designe if possible you can. And wee don't question butt our recorder, Sir Robert Atkyns, will in this as in everything else bee assistant to you in a matter of soe much importance to you all. Wee thank you very kindly for the account you give of the business of St. James's, and as wee have allready reserved the management of it to you, soe wee doubt not butt that you are very well informed of the citty's right. And therefore we shall on all occasions give you the greatest furtherance and countenance that lyes in our power to accomplish that busi as stated by Mr. Penwarne." 1 "In 1677, the Rev. Richard Penwarne, minister of St. Stephen's, was, on his petition, admitted to the freedom of the city without payment, having resided in the city for many years, and having many children, with the probability of having many more, to whom the freedom may be beneficial. On February 19th, the Rev. Thomas Palmer, minister of St. Werburgh's, and the Rev. Emanuel Heath, minister of St. Augustine's were admitted to the freedom for the same reasons It was not until 1682, in the mayoralty of Sir Thomas Earl, that the dispute between the civil authorities and the ecclesiastics was healed. A place in the choir of the Cathedral was allotted for the mayor, aldermen and common council, to sit together in a body when they attended divine service, and a joint committee was appointed to make the seats convenient. A unicorn, gilded, was put up to hold the sword, for which the cushion and cloth of state, both fringed, the corporation paid £21 98. But Alderman Crabb was not then forgiven or forgotten; in 1682 he was presented by the grand jury as the "champion of the Dissenters." He died in 1702, aged eighty-seven, and was buried in Temple church; his wife, Margaret, predeceased him in 1693, and their daughter, Mary, married Ezekiel Longman, a soap boiler. 17. " July 20th, 1677, Queen Katharine came from Bath to Bristol, guarded by the Earl of Ossory and his troop, and was received by the mayor and aldermen in their scarlet, who did ride two by two in theire foote cloathes on horsebacke, accompanied with the rest of the councell and chiefe of the cittie unto Lawford's gate, where the town clarke very gravely uttered a learned oration unto her majestie. And then after the mayor with all the majestrates tooke horse againe; the last of 1 Tovey's Local Jottings. |