The Account of George Nycholl for St. Augustine's,1552-1553

THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL FOR ST. AUGUSTINE'S, 1552-1553* D. SHERLOCK Many manuscripts survive from the life-time of St. Augustine's Abbey and a number of them have long ago been transcribed. But it is not generally realised that the abbey is also fortunate in the survival of its post-Dissolution records. These give an unusually detailed description of how one of the greater English abbeys was dismantled by stages, partly converted into a royal residence, sold and later allowed to go to ruin. The recent publication of Volume IV of the History of the King's Works (Colvin 1982) and the preparation of a report on excavations along the south side of St. Augustine's (Sherlock and Woods forthcoming) prompts the first publication of one of these post-Dissolution records, namely George Nycholl's account of demolition work on the abbey church and repairs to the recently renovated royal apartments in the last year of King Edward VI's reign and the first year of Queen Mary's. The original manuscript of this account is now in the library of St. Augustine's College, Canterbury (MS 11676), to which it was presented by Sir Bryan Godfrey-Fawcett of Hyde Park, London, in 1925. How it came into the possession of his ancestors is not known, but in the eighteenth century it was still in its place among the records of the Court of Augmentations where it was seen by Edward Hasted (Colvin 1982, 62n). It comprises ten paper folios stitched together, the first and last sides being blank. It is written in a normal sixteenth-century clerk's style of English. The last folio appears to be written by a different hand and sums in arabic numerals have been added in various places. The manuscript is of interest for two reasons: firstly, the description of the sale of second-hand building materials to various buyers, • Published with the aid of a grant from the Department of the Environment. 25 D. SHERLOCK 26 THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL some of whom were of more than local importance; and, secondly, the descriptions of works carried out on the royal apartments. St. Augustine's Abbey was suppressed in 1538 and in the following years Henry VIII gave orders for parts of its buildings to be converted into a royal residence. This conversion was partly effected by re-using materials from the former abbey. Roof-tiles from St. Pancras' Church, furthest from the palace, seem to have been the first to go. Two years later the King gave orders for the abbey church to be unroofed and for parts of it to be demolished in order to provide materials for his military works at Calais and elsewhere. His men started with the lady chapel and quire and by October of that year had reached the south-west tower of the nave and the charnel chapel to its south. Finally, they walled up the great west door of the church to close in the King's garden. Concurrently, the abbot's lodging had been selected by the King to be converted into a royal residence. This lay along the west side of the cloister quadrangle and to the north of the nave. The principal buildings included a large guest hall and chapel. To these were added a suite of new chambers for the Queen's apartments. He also retained the abbey's great kitchen, a free-standing hexagonal building to the north. In 1539, the combined works of demolition and repair cost about £650 and at the height of activity nearly 350 craftsmen and labourers were employed. Thereafter work continued but the pace slackened. James Nedeham, the King's surveyor then in charge of the work, was succeeded by Lawrence Bradshaw in 1548. In 1551, Robert Sylvester, master mason to the Court of Augmentations was in charge and replaced in 1552-53 by a local clerk called George Nycholl who, on the authority of Sir Thomas Moyle, general surveyor of the Augmentations, spent £40. After him, repairs were less frequent: £39 in 1573 and some money in 1582. In 1608, Robert Cecil obtained permission to remove 520 tons of stone for his new house at Hatfield. Charles II was the last monarch to stay at St. Augustine's and during the eighteenth century the palace gradually fell into ruins. The most extensive source for all these works are the seventy pages of James Nedeham's 'Particular Books' now in the Bodleian Library (MS. Rawlinson D.779 and 781). George Nycholl's 'Account', though very much shorter, is as detailed and of particular interest to Canterbury. The first half (ff.1-4V) is mainly a list of payments received from people who had bought materials from the demolished abbey. These, we are told, came from the demolished steeple and the crypt and from the south side of the church including a window and pillars. Materials were removed by the cart-load through the great gates, in total some 340 loads of stone, 100 paving tiles (f.3R) and 27 PLATE II Remains of St. Augustine's Abbey engraved by Daniel King (d. 1664). Crown copyright reserved. THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL eleven bundles of roofing laths (f.4V). Examples of prices are as follows: By the cart load: Flint 4d., 6d. or 12d. Rubbish stone (sometimes including flint)6d., Sd., !Od. or 12d. Broken Caen stone 2s. Small ashlar stone 3s. Large Caen window stones 314d. Ashlar Caen 4s. Individually: Hard stones 2d. or 3d. Corbel stones 3d. Round marble pillar stones 6d. Ashlar stone 2s. Broken grave stone 6s. The purchasers were nearly all local people of some standing from Canterbury and a radius of about seven miles except for Henry Crisp of Thanet (f.2R). Five of them were also buying vestments and furnishings in the general sale of church goods in 1553 (Arch. Cant., xiv (1882), 320). The biggest purchaser was Stephen Thornhurst of Canterbury who paid £15 8s. 10d. for over 228 loads of various stones (ff.3R, 4R). Others came from the parishes of St. Paul's, St. Martin's and St. Dunstan's, and from Ash, Chilham, Dane Street, Nackington, Harbledown, Hernhill, Fordwich, Goodnestone, Kingston, Preston, Stodmarsh, Sturry, Wickham and Wingham. They were people of various trades and professions: the archbishop's kinsman, a member of parliament, three mayors, a Cathedral prebend, the vicars of St. Paul's and Sturry, a baker, a grocer, a printer, and others. One man, Sir Thomas Finch, was the son-in-law of Sir Thomas Moyle himself. Not only are many of them already known today from other sources, as will be seen from the notes which follow the manuscript; but in at least two cases the stones that they removed can still be identified. There are various places in Canterbury where ancien· walls probably built of the demolished abbey can still be seen. A list of these will be found in the Appendix to this paper. The second part of Nycholl's manuscript (ff.SR-10) is made up of payments for wages and materials for the repair of the King's great hall, the wardrobe chamber, dresser kitchen, great kitchen, stairs, privies, the former vestry and almonry and other old walls. Much of the work was on the roofs, involving carpenters and tilers. Rafters and tiles were taken down, cleaned and re-used where possible with new laths. Plumbers were required to make new gutters, in part by melting down and recasting old lead (f.9R). Ladders and scaffold poles had to be made and a saw-pit was specially built for the sawyers. The first task was the 'hewing and squaring of a great oak tree containing two and a half tons of good and sound timber which grew in the grounds of the King's palace' (f.5R). Additional wood 29 D. SHERLOCK and other materials had to be purchased locally: roof-tiles from Hernhill and Fordwich, lime from Redfield, nails, sand and scaffold poles from Canterbury and laths from Chartham. Roofing nails had to be bought from a man from London. A lock and keys were bought in Canterbury. One carpenter, Richard Holt, was paid for going to London to collect the money for the work from Sir Thomas Moyle (f.8V). His name also appears in the first half as a purchaser of second-hand laths (f.4V). Some ten labourers were paid for clearing up after the tradesmen had finished their various jobs. The whole account gives the impression of an efficient clerk of works who has completed his task in a reasonable time, paid off his men and balanced his books. Concerning George Nycholl himself, however, few facts are known. He was probably a good choice for the work at St. Augustine's in 1552/3 because he had worked as clerk for James Nedeham during the repairs of 1542 (Rawlinson D. 779, ff. 170V, 173R, 176R, 177V, 178V). Although he is styled clerk by Nedeham, he was not in holy orders. He held property on the south side of Ivy Lane (Gravett 1980, 52) near the Two Sawyers (perhaps named after 'Thomas Walker and his fellow' - f.5V?), from where he was conveniently placed to supervise the King's work, opening and shutting the great gates each day (f.9V). He also farmed a piece of land belonging to St. Andrew's Church, for which he paid rent in 1538/9 and 1545/6 to 1547/8 (Arch. Cant., xxiv (1920), 24 ff.). His year of birth is not known, but he died in 1557 (Kent Archives Office P.R.C. 17/30/251). In transcribing the manuscript an attempt has been made to render exactly each word without concessions to modern spelling. Punctuation has been inserted only where it seemed necessary to clarify the sense. The original is inconsistent here and in its use of capitals which have only been used at the beginnings of sentences and proper names. AH abbreviations, with a few exceptions, have been extended according to their supposed meanings in the sixteenth century. Where doubtful, e.g. in whether p with a stroke in the tail should be per or par, the abbreviation has been extended to a form that conforms with modern spelling. Many numerals have superscript letters, e.g. XX': for viginti, which have not been transcribed. Some words in the original are underlined, but these have not been noted except occasionally in the notes which follow the transcription. In preparing the manuscript for publication I am grateful to Mrs. Margaret Sparks; also the late Dr William Urry not only for his enthusiasm which prompted this publication but also for his notes on some of the characters mentioned. His words will be found largely unaltered quoted in the notes and in a list of places with St. Augustine's Abbey stonework in an Appendix at the end. In the 30 THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL introduction my debt to the 'Canterbury' section of H.M. Calvin's History of the King's Works is obvious. Short excerpts from Nycholls' ff. l-4 were first published by Humphrey Woods (Woods 1980). The manuscript is transcribed and published with -the kind permission of the Corporate Body of St. Augustine's College. F. I" blank F. I" Anno R. E. VI VI The kings pales of Sent Austens without the walls of Canterbury The accompte of George Nycholl1 of ye parish of Sent Paull without ye walls of Canterbury. As well of all manner of sales of assheler cayn2 stone with other grett broken cayn stons, flynt, hard broken stonis and chalke stons commyng of the buyldyngs defaced within ye site or precyncte of ye late monestery of Sent Austens without ye mured walls of Canterbury forsayd, as also of payments of ye money comming thereof, and also certeyn redye money mor receavyd of my master Sir Thomas MoylP kyght as yt apperyth after in the accompte of my receyts payd & layd out for the new repayrying. buyldyng & mendyng of the kings maiest grett hall, the gret chamber called the wardroobe chamber, the dresser kychyn with certeyn other nedfull places as yt followyth after partycularly, mad and done by the commanndement and appoyntment of ye aforsayd Syr Thomas Moyll knyght, one of ye general! surveyrs of the Kyngs maiesties lands. Ffrom the xxix daye of Apryll in the vi yer of the reine of our soverayng lord Kyng Edward the syxte unto ye natyvytie and byrthe of ' George Nycholl. See Introduction. Payments for his own work are entered on ff.SR, 6R, 7R and 9V. On l0R, by a different hand, his name is spelt Nycols. 2 Caen, in the Calvados province of Normandy. Over 80 per cent of the stone from the abbey church was from that region and it seems likely that this was the principle building material used by Abbots Scotland and Wido in the late eleventh century (Sherlock and Woods, forthcoming). ; Sir Thomas Moyle (also mentioned on ff.3R, 4V, 8V, 9V and !OR) was a general surveyor in the Court of Augmentations, a court established in 1536 to survey and administer the properties surrendered by the dissolved monasteries and an important part of the machinery of Tudor government. In 1553 he was speaker of the House of Commons and member for Rochester. Also in that year he helped pay for the repair of Canterbury city walls, perhaps with stone from St. Augustine's. He was evidently a pushing man of considerable parts, and benefited largely at the Dissolution of the monasteries. He was one of the commissioners for their suppression. He was an ardent supporter of the old religion and in Mary's reign was chairman of the magistrates who imprisoned John Bland, the parson of Adesham and a protestant martyr, and was one of the opponents of the Wyatt rebellion. He died in 1560 at Eastwell Court. See DNB. 31 D. SHERLOCK our Lord Jehus Cryst in the furst yer of our soveraynge ladye Queyn Mary next ensuyng, as after particularly ys contayned and declared. That ys to saye F.2R Ffurst sold and receyvd of mother Chapman' of Sent Paulis paryshe for ii court loode of flynt & rubyshe stone dygyd from ye mas hep and rubyshe of ye old stepylls & other placs at vid lood - xiid Ree. of Mr Humfrey Hall for vi hard step stons - iis vid Ree. of Lenard Strenger of Chyllam for iiii small rownd pyller marbull6 stons at vid a pece - iis Ree. of Gregery Roose' of Canterbury for ii court lod of rubyshe stond dygyd as ys aforsayd - xiid Ree. of Mr Bull8 of ye sam for ii lod of stone - xiid Ree. of Jhon Shypton of Nakynton for vii lod of assheler cayn stone & dygyd as ys aforsayd & from ye walls of ye under crofte• at iiiis lod - xxviiis item hym mor for vii lod of rubyshe stone at xiid lod - viis Ree. of Mr Webe10 of Canterbury for for (sic) ix lood of rubyshe stone at viiid the lood - vis Ree. of Jhon Mychell" prynter for certeyn assheler stone - iis Of Jhon Brooke & Jhon Gryffyn for iiii hard Stoos - viiid ' Mother Chapman may have been kinswoman of James Chapman, who gave surety of £20 for John Bland (see notes 3 and 40) when he was brought to Canterbury for trial. Bland was there described by Moyle as 'a stiff-necked fellow' (Fox 1684, 308 ff.). He was martyred at Dover in 1555. 5 The old steeple, the south-west tower of the abbey church, the twin of Ethelbert's and sometimes called St. Augustine's Tower. Its demolition was started in 1541, as we know from James Nedeham's accounts (Colvin 1982, 61). The remainder of it, a huge muro torto as observed by Stukeley, was finally cleared away in 1793 by 200 men of the Surrey militia (Gent. Mag., !xiii (1793), ii, 667). 6 Marble. Possibly from Purbeck or Bethersden, but the harder seams of Kentish rag were also black and capable of a polish. Shafts of this stone were found in excavations south of the quire in 1974 (Sherlock and Woods forthcoming). Marble is also mentioned on f.3V. 7 Alderman Gregory Rose lived in a house near the present Marks and Spencer's in St. George's Street. His wife was the local midwife Goody Rose who is likely as anyone to have brought Christopher Marlowe into the world (Urry). In the same house later on dwelt Robert Cushman who hired the Mayflower in 1620 (Urry). In 1591, Rose proposed a scheme to make the Stour navigable to Canterbury (Hasted 1799--1801, xi, 140 and xii, 640). 8 Probably Thomas Bull who bought a cope and other items in the sale of church goods in 1553 (Arch. Cant, xiv (1882), 319, 321). 9 The Romanesque undercroft or crypt of the quire. 10 Probably George Webb who was mayor of Canterbury in 1547 and 1552 (Hasted 1801, ii, 606). He bought curtains, etc., in the sale of church goods in 1553 (Arch. Cant., xiv (1882), 320). Also mentioned on f.3V. 11 John Mychell of St. Paul's parish, an important provincial exponent of his trade,f/. 1549--1560. See DNB. 32 THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL Ree. of Beke of Wyngam for x lod of rubyshe stons - xs Ree. of ye vycar11 of Sent Paulis for ii lood of broken cayn stone at iis the lood - iiiis Ree. of Mr Harry Crysp of Taynett13 for vii cart lode of gret broken cayn stone of churche wyndows sowtheward at iiis iiiid the lood - xxiiis iiiid Ree. of Jhon Durrayt of Fordych for i lood of assheler cayn stone & dygyd as ys aforsayd - iiiis Summa iiii Ii xiis viiid F.2v Ree. of Mr Meres of Cant. for xx lood of assheler cayn stone & dygyd as ys aforsayd at iiiis the lod - iiii Ii Ree. of hym mor for xiiii lod of rubyshe stone - xiiiis Ree. of Thomas Byng of Cant. for ii lood of cayn ston - viiis Ree. of Jhon Hull of Harm Hyll for i lod of cayn ston - iiiis Itm of hym mor for vii lod of rubyshe ston - viis Ree. of George Caldam of Fordych for for (sic) ii lod lyk ston - iis Ree. of Mr Fuller" of Cant. for for (sic) certeyn assheler cayn stone som broken & som holl by grett"' - xxs Ree. of Nycholas Franklyn'1 of Storey for i lod of lyk ston - iiiis Ree. of Wylliam Mathe of Canterbury for iii court lood of rubyshe stone at vid the court lod - xviiid Ree. of Wylliam Y ong1• of Sent Paull for v lood of lyk ston - vs Ree. a (sic) man" of Wyngam for ii lyk lood of sron - iis Ree. of Peter London of Cant. for ii court lode of lyk ston - xiid Ree. of Mr Vycar" of Story for ii lod of assheler ston - viiis Itm of hym mor for ii lod of rubysh stone - iis Ree. of a man of Ashe for i lolde (sic) of assheler ston - iiiis Ree. of Wylliam Scotte of Canterbury for ii court lode of flynt - xiid Ree. of Jhon Stnard for i lyk lod of rubyshe stone - vid Ree. of Mr Copyn1• for v lod of rubysh stone - vs 12 John Clarke was vicar of St. Paul's, 1512-58. 13 The Isle ofThanet is more than twice as far as any of the other places buyers came from, unless Thanet Wood in Great Chart parish is intended (see introduction). 1' Possibly John Fuller who was mayor of Canterbury in 1556 and 1559. 14' Grett: contract. A 'bargeyn by grett' occurs near the end of F.7R. 15 N icholas Francklin died in 1577. His will of nine pages in Maidstone Record Office shows he owned about £400 and lands in four parishes. He also owned a library which, coupled with his concern for the education of his nephews, suggests he was a man of a scholarly disposition. See Church 1972. 16 Perhaps related to Robert Young who was churchwarden of St. Paul's in 1552 (Arch. Cant., viii (1872), 123). 17 Presumably not the Mr Warham of f.3V. 18 Thomas Cockes LL.B was vicar of Sturry, 1535-54. It appears that he either married or else acknowledged his hitherto secret marriage following the Act abolishing celebacy of the clergy, and he was deprived of his living along with all other married clergy on the accession of Mary. He was the last incumbent to be presented by St. Augustine ·s Abbey, the patronage passing to the archbishop following the Dissolution. I am grateful to the Rev. P.J. Gausden, the present rector for this information. 19 William Copyn was mayor of Canterbury of 1541 and 1551, and member of parliament in 1553 (Hasted 1801, ii, 606; 1797-1801, xii, 218). Also on f.3V. 'Mr 33 D. SHERLOCK Ree. of Mr Commyssary•sw servaunt for 1 brokyn grane21 stone - vis Ree. of Georg Caldam forsayd for 1 lod of cayn ston - iiiis Ree. of Gyylman of Canterbury for i lyk lod of ston - iiiis Ree. of Mr Master22 of Wyngam for one \ood of rubyshe stone and dygyd out of the forsayd heap & rubyshe and other places at - xiid Summa ix Ii iiiis F.3" Ree. of Mr Quylter of Sent Dunstons for i C of small pavyng tyll - xiid Ree. of Mr Thornherst􀂴' of Canterbury for xxvi small corbell stons at iiid a pece - vis vid Itm of hym mar for xiiii lod of rubyshe stone at viiid the load - ixs iiiid Ree. of hym mar for certeyn assheler and other cayn stone by grett - xis Ree. of Jhon Quessonbery of Canterbury for i court lad of rubyshe stone - at - vid Ree. of Jhon Nores of the same for v lode of lyke rubyshe stone at vid the lood - iis vid Ree. of Jhon Elvey of the sam for ii lad of lyk ston - xiid Ree. of Maystres Thomson wedow of the sam for i lad of lyk stone - vid Ree. of pety Jhon of Canterbury for 1 court lod of lyk rubyshe stone - vid Somma xxxiis ixd Ree. of my master mor Syr Thomas Moyll Knyght to pay for parte of the kyngs maiests buldyngs 15. 7. 6 (deleted) 15. 9. 6 Copyn of St Martin's had a maidservant who had a charming adventure in Longport when a boy slipped a present frtim London into her handbag (Ecclesiastical Court Records)' (Urry). Some of the stone he had still survives (see Appendix). 2° Commissary. A representative of the archbishop's with responsibility for disposing of church goods. 21 The reading is almost certainly grane, underlined. 'Greenstone', a rag stone from the Maidstone area, and 'grainstone', i.e. mill-stone, seem unlikely. Gravestone, perhaps a large coffin stone, may, however, be intended. Hasted, who had seen Nycholl's MS, records gravestones being sold (1799-1801, xii, 218). This is the most expensive single item in the accounts. It could have come from within the church or from the cemetery between the church and Longport (see Sherlock and Woods, forthcoming). 12 The Master of Wingham, presumably the secular college of canons there that was dissolved in 1547. 23 Stephen Thornhurst (also on f.4R) 'built a big development block at the top of the main street in Burgate Lane. He was ancestor to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough' (Urry). His wife and son, Sir Thomas (d. 1627) have monuments in St. Michael's Chapel in the Cathedral. He bought more stone than anyone else in these accounts (see introduction). 34 F.3v THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL and reparyng hys place of Sent Austens forsayd in redy money the som of ten pound. Summa x Ii Anno R. Marie I Ree. of Mr Warram" of Wyngam for iii lood of rubyshe ston dygyd as ys aforsayd at xiid lod - iiis Ree. of Clement Roos of Wykam for i lyk lod of ston - xiid ltm of hym mor for i lod of assheler stone - iiiis Ree. of Andrew Hoines of the sam for ii lod of rubysh ston - iis Ree. of Mr Copyn1' of Cant. for v lod of lyk stone - vs Ree. of Austen Eston of Preston for v ·1od of rubyshe stone at xd the lood - iiiis iid ltm of hym mor for 1 lod of small assler - iiis iiiid Ree. of Goldfynch of Harbadon for iii cort lod of flynt - xiid Ree. of Jhon Clerk of Densted for iii lod of rubyshe stone at xd the lod - iiis iiiid Ree. of Mr Webe10 for for (deleted) viii court lod of lyk stone - iis viiid ltm of hym mor for i lod of small assheler stone - iiis Ree. of Thomas Wylliams of Fordych for ii lod of assheler cayn stone at iiiis the lod - viiiis ltm of hym mor for i lod of rubyshe stone - xiid Ree. of Wylliam Den of Kyngston for i !od of cayn ston - iiiis Ree. of Fowll of Harbardon for vi lod of lyk ston - xxiiiis Ree. of Mrs Brent of ye sam for ii lod of lyk cayn ston - viiis Ree. of her mor for i lod of rubyshe stone - xiid Ree of ye forsayd Wylliams for ii rownd marbull pyllers stons - xiid Ree of Shypton forsayd for v lod of rubyshe stone - vs Ree of Wyntryngam of Cant. for iii lod of assheler cayn stone at iiiis lood - xiis Summa iiii Ii xvis vid Anno R. Marie I Ree. of Lynell Chyltont' of the sam for ii lod of lyk stone at iiiis the lood - viiis llm of hym mor for i lod of rubyshe stone - xd Ree. of Mr Engeam of Gooddenson for i lod of cayn ston - iiiis Ree. of Jhon Redwood of Stadmarshe for ii lod of rubyshe ston - xvid Ree. of Mr Spylman26 of Canterbury for ii lod of cayn ston - viiis 24 John Warham was a cathedral prebend in 1554 (Hasted 1799-1801, xii, 87) and a kinsman of Archbishop Warham (1502-1532), the patron and friend of Erasmus. The arms of the Warham family are in the south window of Wingham parish church. t< Lionel Chilton appears in St. Paul's Church records with parishioners deciding on mending the highways. 'He is (I think) father to James Chilton, the tailor who lived somewhere round the corner of Church Street, St. Paul's. James Chilton set sail on the Mayflower and was one of those who signed the famous "compact" on the waters off Cape Cod at the end of 1620 (a founder-father of U.S.A.)' (Urry). Also on 8V. 26 Thomas Spylman was the local receiver of the Court of Augmentations. He 35 D. SHERLOCK Ree. of Myhell Smyth of Sent Dunstons for i lod of flynt - xiid Ree. of Mr Thornhest23 forsayd for xxxix lood of assheler cayn stone dygyd som out of ye undercroft & from the walls of ye olde church & stepull walls and from ye walls of the south yeld of ye church at iiiis lod - vii Ii xvis Item of hym mor for syx score & x court lood of rubyshe stone & dygyd as ys aforsayd at vid the lod - iii Ii vs Ree. of hym mor for xx court lod of (deleted) of broken coyn & rubyshe stone at xiid the loode - xxs Itm of hym mor for xxxii hard corbell stons at iiid a pece - viiis Itm of hym mor for xi lod of rubyshe stone at vid the lood - vs vid Ree. of hym mor for ix lod of gret cayn & small assheler stone som broken and som hole left of parte of i of ye pyllers of the churche sowthward at iiiis the lood - xxxvis Itm of hym mor for v lod of rubyshe ston at vid the lood - iis vid Summa xv Ii xvis iid F.4v Ree of Rychard Holte2' for viii bundells of sap late28 lefte for ye lood bought of ye goodman Rene forsayd29 at xd the bundell - vis viiid Ree. mor of hym for iii bundells of harte late left also as ys aforsayd at xiiiid ye bundell - iiis vid Delyveryd by my master's commanndment Sir Thomas Moyll Knyght, sent to me by the goodman Vans hys servaunt to Barnard30 the baker xi lood of assheler cayn stone at iiiis lood - xliiiis Itm delyveryd in lyk m;inner to Sir Thomas Fynch31 46. 12. 4 bought the site of the Canterbury Greyfriars in 1539 (Hasted 1799-1801, xi, 171). He was responsible with others for making the inventory of church goods sold in 1533 (Arch. Cant., xiv (1882), 318). 27 Richard Holt was also paid for 38 days' work as a carpenter (ff. SR and 6R) and for collecting money from London (f.8V). 28 Roofing laths of sapwood, not as strong as laths made of heartwood mentioned three lines below. 29 Forsayd is a mistake since Rene has not previously been mentioned. He might be the same as John Ryne in f.8R. 30 Barnard Bennard was a churchwarden of St. Mildred's, Canterbury in 1552 and also bought various church items off the Commissioners in 1553 (Arch. Cant., vii (1872), 124-5; xiv (1882), 320). Also mentioned in f. lOR. 31 Sir Thomas Finch, military commander, was then engaged in suppressing Wyatt's rebellion in Kent. He was knighted only three months before these accounts were made. He married Catherine, daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Moyle. He himself died three years later. 'The Moat', where he was living in 1552/3, lay in the eastern extremity of St. Martin's parish (Hasted 1799-1801, xi, 160-1). There are memorials to 36 THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL knyght of ye moot vii lood of cayn stons - xxviiis Itm certeyn parcell remanyng in my hand as yt aperyth in my furst accompt - xxxs viiid 32 summa pagina vii xiis xd xvis vd of the avverage iiili xis vd summa totl of receyte ivli } of hys last accompt Anno R. E. Vl VI Ffrom Sondaye the xxxi day of July unto Sonday the xxx day of August by the space xxiiii laboryng days Workyng not only in hewyng & squaryng of a grett okyn tree contaynyng ii tun & dimidia of good & sownd tymber which grew in ye ground of ye kyngs pales ther eastward, with settyng oute of the sam tymber for the sawyers to brek & saw for the repayryng and Carpenters mendyng of the kyngs maiesties grett hall,3' but also hewyng & squaryng of new tymber to make At xd At ixd At viiid new long ladders redy for the works, with cuttyng and squaryng of long scaffold poolls to shoer ye rooffe of ye sayd hall and takyng out of old rotten & broken pees of rafters & sprocketts, rouen wall p!atts, rotten planks & bords from the sydd of ye sayd hall north east & suthe, cuttyng and hewyng of olde sownd tymber from (deleted) for sprocketts long & shorte to pece ye rafters beyng brokyn with contynuall workyng upon the sayd hall. Rychard Holte27 Thomas Holte Wylliam Waterman Austen Pysyng George Nycholl1 Summa i.iii Ii vs vid xxiiii days - xxs xxiiii days - xviiis xxiiii days - xviiis xviii days - xiii vid xxiiii days - xvis his grandson James in St. Martin's church and to his descendant Sir William Rooke in St.3 2 Paul's church. See DNB. Also mentioned in f.lOR. These dots at the foot of the page are clearly part of some calculation, though their relevance to the stated totals is not apparent. 3' The great hall had been the abbot's hall, built in the late thirteenth century. 37 F.5" Sawyers D. SHERLOCK Anno R. E. VI VI Sawyng & brekyng of tymber as quarters planks bords eves bords jiests wall platts sydds for ladders & other tymber met for the sayd works. To ye som of xiii C dimidia & xii fott of new tymber at xvid the hundreth fott. Thomas Walker and hys fellow - xviiis To them mor for sawyng & slyttyng a sonder Sawyng of olde tymber for wall platts & other nedfulls by ye daye by the space of iiii days apece of them at viiid day - VS iiiid Laborr at vid Laboryng as well in making of a saw pyte for the sawyers, helpyng them & the carpenters to ber tymber to and from to (sic) ye saw pytts & to ye workyng places redy to the carpenters hand to work, as also to help the carpenters to mak ther scaffolds & raysyng up of scaffolde poolls. helping to tak downe rotten brokyn tymber, with beryng yt from them, dygyng ye stone walls & rubyshe under ye wall platts & gutters of lead of ye sayd hall to ye furtheryng of ye carpenters worke. Rychard Fox xxiiii days - xiis at viiid Working not only in takyng downe of old tyll from ye roofe of ye sayd hall to serche the rafters of ye sam & to begyn to late ye same wher yt nedyth, but also to reppoynt & tyll part of ye east syd roofe with old & new tyll wher yt nedyth, with contynuall workying upon the same. Hew Hamon xiiii days - ixs iiiid Labour at vid Summa xliiiis viiid Anno R. E. VI Vito Laboryng not only in helpyng ye tyler to tak down tyll with saving them from brekyng, makying cleyn of old tyll, helping to rayse ladders with removing of the sam, but also makying of tyll pynns, pynnyng of tyll, slakying of lym, makying of morter with servyng ye tyler with pryg" lat morter & ston & greving attendaunce to ye sayd tyler yt nothyng be taking Jhon Charelle xiiii days - viis Ffrom Sonday ye xxx day of August unto ye xvii of September "Pryg were thin, flat roofing nails. Also mentioned on f.7V. 38 F.6' THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL by the space of xxiiii laboryng days. Workyng aswell in fynysshyng of all reparacons of the east syd of ye gret hall in new laying of jiests, planks & bordes redy for ye plommer to lay new gotters of led wth doyng all Carpenters other nedfulls belonging to ye same syd of ye hall, as also takying up planks, jiests & bords of ye north & south syd of the same hall & layng in of other new jiests, planks & hordes redy for ye plommer to lay new gutters of led. Repairing at xd ye gret chamber called ye wardroob chamber over ye staier commying up in to ye gret hall in every place wher yt nedyth of both sydds of ye sayd gret chamber, as pecyng of rafters with new tymber, making of new sproketts rownd about ye same, mendyng ye Hower with new jiests & bards wher yt nedyth with ye fynysshyng of ye sam, reparying twoo coves next ye entrey goyng in to ye grett seller and wardroob chamber, mendyng ye roofe of ye northwest and south syd of ye dresser kychyn with fynysshyng of ye same. Rychard Holte27 Thomas Holte William Waterman Austen Pysyng xviii days - xvs xxii days - xvis vid xviii days - xiiis xxiii days - xvs iiiid at viiid George Nycholl' xxiii days - xvs iiiid Tyller Summa iiii Ii iiiis viid Anno R. E. VI YI Workyng not only in fynysshyng of ye said hall, as ryppyng, poyntyng & new lattyng􀂕' & layng ye sam with old & new tyll. reparyng ye stone walls under ye gutters redy for ye carpenters & plommers to fynyshe ye worke, but also tak (sic) up tyll & serche ye roofe of ye wardrobe chamber redy for ye carpenters to worke & mend ye sayd roofe wher yt nedyth, with savyng ye olde tyll beyng takyn downe for ye sam, begynyng to late ye sam after ye carpenters on both sydds for the spedy workyng & dyspatchyng of ye sam rooffe. at viiid Hew Hamon xxiii days - xvs iiiid Laboryng in makyng of morter & other neccessarii nedfulls, servyng ye tyler & gevyng attendaunce to ye same. at vid Jhon Charells xxiii days - xis vid Ffrom Sonday ye xiii day of November unto Sonday ye xi day of December by the space of xxiiii laboryng days. l$ Lattyng: fixing laths. 39 Carpenters Tyler a! viiid laborers at vid D. SHERLOCK Workyng as well in mendyng & reparyng ye grate·"' of wood standyng in ye kychyn dresser next ye grett hall, mendyng ye flower of ye same & ye flower over ye stayers goyng downe in to ye grett kychyn/' as also with lyk repayryng ye roofe of ye sam joynyng to ye kyngs gret kychyn, as pecyng ye rafters, makyng new sprokets for ye fall of ye rayo water to have hys corse north from ye grett kychyn, with fynysshyng of ye same Austen Pysyng Jhon Thomson Harry Turner Summa xxxiis iid Anno R. E. VI VI iiii ii ii days - iis viiid days - xvid days - xvid Working aswell in tylyng of ye sayd wardrobe chamber on both sydds, with lew layng of roof tyll wher yt nedyth, wth fyoisshyng of ye sam chamber, as also to mak a scaffolde to tyll the lyntyll roofe over ye jayks38 of ye sayd wardrobe chamber and fynysshyng of all other nedfulls. Hew Hamon xxiiii days - xvis George Nycholl' xxiiii days - xvis Jhon Charells X days - vs Jhon Eton xiiii days - viis To the same Hew Hamon for serchyng, ryppyng, pontyng and lattyng31 tyllyng of ye roofe over the kychyn dresser, with the fynysshyng of the same by the space of x days at viiid day - vis viiid To hys laborer for lyk workyng to serve hyme & gevyng attendaunce by the space of x days at vid the daye - vs Payd the sayd Hamon and hys ii laborers for new lattyng & ryllyng of ii coves, i over ye seller entrey, the other adjoynyng to ye stone wall next the ward rob chamber, wyth under pynyng the sells of ye sam coves & mendyng all the stone work dekayd in the grett hall, ye dresser kychyne and the wyndow & stone wall next ye grett hall to ye courtward (sic), with makyng cleyn ye grett hall & caryng away all the rubyshe commyng of ye sayd works in a bargeyn by gret - xviiis iiiid Summa iii Ii ixs ixd "' Grate: a lattice or open framework of laths. 37 Formerly the abbey's great kitchen, a detached hexagonal building just north of the refectory, built 1287-91 and depicted by Braun and Hogen berg and earlier artists (Sherlock and Woods forthcoming). 311 Jayks: privies. 40 Playn tyll Roofe tyll gutter till Playn tyll gutter tyll Corner tyll Lym Sand Scaffoll pools Carr of poolls pryge THE ACCOUNT OF GEORGE NYCHOLL Anno R. E. VI VI Empcons Payd to Robert Colwell of Hamhyll for ii mille playn tyll imployd in tylyng & reparyng of ye forsayd hall rooffe at viiis the mille - xvis Payd hym mor for vi mille playn tyll imployd uppon lyk use at ixs mille - liiiis Pd. hym mor for xxiiii roofe tyll for lyk use at id a pece - iis Pd. hym for i quarter of gutter tyll for ye dresser kychyn - xd Pd Jhon Hull of ye sam for i mille of playn tyll for lyk use - viiis Pd Georg Caldam of Fordyche for v mille playn tyll at viiis viiid the mille & imployd upon lyk use - xliiis iiiid Pd hym mor for i quarter of gutter tyll - xd Pd. Hew Hamon for xxx corner tyll for ye sayd kychyn - xiid Pd. hym mor for xvi corner tyll for lyk use - iiiid Payd Wylliam Crepyn of Redfyld3' for i loode of lym imployd upon ye sayd works to mak morter - vis Pd. Jhon Keys of Cant. for iiii court lood of sand irnployd in makyng of morter at vid ye loode - iis Pd. Jhon Clerke of ye sam for iiii lod of sande for lyke use - iis Pd. Mr Mylls'" of Chrystys Churche for i lode of scaffolde poolls imployyd (sic) in shoryng ye hall roof - xd Pd. Jhon Farbrace of Chartam for i lyk loode of scaffolde poolls for to mak sydds for ladders - xd Pd. ye Foster for cutting of ye sayd poolls - iiiid Pd. Jhon Rygdon of Chartam for carr of ye Sayd ii loodes from Chartam to Sent Austens - iis viiid Payd Mr Cornwell" of London for i some of pryge imployd upon ye sayd workes - vis Payd Jhon Browne of Canterbury for vi dimidia C of xd nayll42 for ye sayd works at xd C - vs vd Summa vii Ii xiis vd Anno R. E. VI VI Empcon Payd Jerom Oxenbryge'3 of Cant. for iiii C vd nayll - xxd 39 Redfyld: unidentified. • 0 John Mylls, alias Warham, one of the monks of the recently dissolved priory, now a cathedral prebend, afterwards rector of Chartham and Ringwould. Died 1565 (Hasted 1799-1801, xii, 97). He was Master of the Works at the Cathedral so would have been in a position to sell scaffolding to Nycholl. Along with Finch and Moyle he was also involved in the arrest of John Bland (Fox, 1684, ill, 301). See note 4 above. '1 Christopher Cornwall of London, ironmonger, bought vestments for the huge value of £30 in the sale of church goods in 1553 (Arch. Cant., xiv (1882), 321). "These were therefore 'tenpenny nails' - 10d. per 100. 0 Jerome Oxenbridge, grocer, was the grandfather of Stephen Gosson who wrote The School of Abuse (1579) which prompted Sir Philip Sidney to write An Apologie for Poetrie (Urry). 41 F.8" Naylls off dyverse sortes Shovull & spade a lok keys dygyng of ston & wayng of ye sam D. SHERLOCK Pd. Mr Lewys of ye sam for xii xvd nayll to nayll sproketts - vid Pd. hym mor for iii C vid nayll to nayll bordes - xviiid Payd Rychard Panton" of Sent Dunstons for i C of xvid nayll imployd by the carpenters upon ye sayd works - xvid Pd. hym mor for v Cvid nayll for lyk use - iis id Pd. hym mor for vi C iiiid nayll to nayll bords - iis Pd. Jhon Lyght of Sent Paulis for i mille iiid nayll imployd by the tyler to nail (sic) late upon ye rafters - iis vid Pd. hym mor for v C vd nayll for ye sayd works - iis id Pd. hym mor for yron worke for ye stone wayths,.' - vs xid Pd. Rycharde Panton forsayd for i shoyd«> shovull & i spade imployd by (deleted) the (deleted) by the laborers in dygyng, castyng & shovelyng rubysh from ye stone walls under ye gutters & other placs there at viid pee - xiiiid To Wylliam Hart of Cant. for i looke & a keye for ye pantry