Rochester Bridge in A.D. 1561

( 212 ) ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A.D. 1561.* :BY A, A. ARNOLD. ALL our Kentish historians have given us, more or less fully, the history o.f the bridge over the Medway at Rochester. Lambarde, who was £or several years one of the governing body of the Wardens and Assistants, first published the important documentst which form the very charter of the Bridge and its constitution. These he had obtained, one from the Cathedral at Rochester, and the other from the Dean of Canterbury, Dr. Nicholas Wotton, who had "exemplified" it from the archives of his church, some twenty years before the Perambulation was given to the world. Hasted, who was also £or many years one of the Bridge Assistants, has added to our knowledge of the history of the Bridge, its founders, and its possessions. Re also re1ates shortly the proceed-ings of the second Commission granted by Queen Elizabeth in 1574, of which Sir Roger Manwood, afterwards Chief Baron of the Exchequer, was the working head. Dr. Harris, although not himself one of the· Bridge Assistants, had access to their recorda through his friend Mr. Sarjeant Barrell, Recorder of Rochester, who was one of the governing body. He gives a full account of the proceedings of the second Commission, taken in great part, and almost verbatim, from the memorandum drawn up by Sir Roger Manwood himself and preserved with the Bridge archives in their book of Records.t The learned Dr. Thorpe served, from 1732 until his death in 1750, on the Bridge Trust; he assiduously collected every document and paper that came before him in any way relating to the Bridge. Although he published :p.othing but the Statutes, with his translations of them from the Norman-French, his collection§ was * We are indebted to the courtesy of the Wardens of Rochester Bridge for allowing their original documents to be exhibited at the Temporary Museum at Rochester at our last Annual Meeting; and also for their 11ermitting the same to be used for the purposes of this paper, and for another on Quarry House in this volume. t The memorandum from Canterbury, and the Anglo-Saxon MS. from the Te:ctus Rqffensis, are set out in full by Lambarde. (See Perambulation of Kent, pp. 383-391; edition of 1596.) t The autograph copy made by Mr. Sarjeant Barrell, Recorder of Rochester, from Sir Roger Man wood's MS., is now in the possession of Mr. Charles Bullard of Rochester. § This collection is contained in four thick folio volumes now in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries. The writer is g,reatly obliged to the kindness of their Assistant Secretary, Mr. St. John Hope, for facilities given for inspection of them, ROCHESTER BRIDGE, OF WOOD. A.D.960TO 1387. ROCHESTER BRIDGE.OF STONE. A.D.1387To 1856. ROCHESTER BRIDGE, OF IRON,A.0 1856. ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A,D. 1561. 213 most extensive, and is described by his son in the Preface to the Registrwm Rqffense. It contains, among other things, a first sketch or opening of what was perhaps intended to be a full history of the Bridge. Unfortunately it was not completed. None of these writers, however, have, so far as is known, given any account of the earlier Commission granted by Queen Elizabeth in the third year of her reign ; neither has Philipot, or Kilburne, nor has Mr. Denne in his (or, as it is generally ce,lled, Fisher's) History of Rocheste1•. It is thought, therefore, that as some of the original papers relating to it are still extant among the Bridge Records, an account of the proceedings 0£ that Commission may not be without interest. It is necessary to premise, for the information of those who may not ha]?pen to have their Lambarde or Hasted before them, that the first Budge at Rochester was built of wood, occupying almost exactly the site of the present iron Bridge. The date of its construction is not known. Some writers have attributed it, or are disposed to attribute it, to the middle or latter part of the tenth century ;* be that as it may, the Saxon record as to the Bridge is contained in the Textus Rqffensis, which is itself 0£ the early part of the twelfth century. This Saxon record is of much earlier date than that compilation ; and in it the liability of the several manors and places liable to contribute to the various piers and adjoining parts of the Bridge, is laid down as a matter then well ascertained and proved, by long usage and prescription. This therefore carries the age 0£ the wooden Bridge back to a remote antiquity. It lasted, after undergoing many vicissitudes from frost and flame, :from storm and flood, until the latter end 0£ the fourteenth century, having proved, indeed, a heavy burden to the owners of the contributory lands, who long and loudly complained of the excessive taxation placed upon them £or its support. To put an end to this state of things, Sir Robert Knolles and Sir John de Cobham, about the year 188'7, built a Bridge of stone about a hundred yards to the south of the old wooden Bridge and higher up the stream. This they did in the language 0£ their petition to the King, "Eiantz pitee et consideracion de les importablez mischefs suis ditz," and they prayed the King that he would grant them a Charter of Incorporation, and transfer the liability of the contributory lands from the old wooden Bridge, so to be done away with, to the new stone Bridge. They asked this, in the very emphatic style of those days, "£or God's sake, and as a work of charity." The King granted their petition (15 Richard II.) with the assent of his Parliament. By a later Statute (21 Richard II.) the Wardens were incorporated, and the liability of the cohtributory lands was transferred to the new stone * In the Seventh Volume of A'l'clusologia is a paper by Mr. Essex (" the ingenious Mr. Essex") written in 1785, with a plan and elevation of this wooden bridge. It is designed to accord exactly with the dimensions and description given in Lambarde. Dr. Thorpe, it is stated, was inclined to believe that the Bridge was built in the reign of Edgar the Peaceable, A.D. 958-975 (Mr. Thorpe's A.1itiguities, p. 148). 214 ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A..D. 1561. Bridge. By Letters Patent (22 Richard II.), and another Statute (9 Henry V.), further powers were given to the Wardens. They were created a corporate body as the Wardens and Commonalty of the new Bridge of Rochester, in the County of Kent. They were empowered to hold lands, to use a common seal, and to have a,ll the privileges of a corporation. Many valuable lands and properties were then given to the Wardens to be held by them in trust £or the support and reparation of the new Bridge. The two Wardens were, by these Statutes, to be appointed yearly, and they were yearly to account, before two auditors to be appointed by the owners of the contributory lands, who formed the Commonalty of the Bridge Corporation, £or the revenues and rents arising from the lands given to the support of the Bridge, which, in contra-distinction to the contributory lands, were called the "Estates proper." The new stone Bridge stood well enough for a time ; and aprears, for more than a century, to have, resisted the onslaught of the rushing waters of the Medway, without need of repair. But soon after that tbe season of adversity set in ; the rents no longer sufficed for the neces1:1ary expenses of its maintenance. In 1489, Archbishop Morton, the Cardinal, published a remission from purgatory £or fifty days, for all manner of sins, to such as would give anything towards the repair of the Bridge. The foundations of the land arch, on the Rochester side, seem particularly to have been defective, and to have been always a source of trouble. Worse times were, however, to come. The Wardens were not elected yearly, as they should have been ; the estates were mismanaged; the revenues misapplied; it seemed to be no one's business to interfere, and the Bridge got into a ruinous state. The old system of taxing the contributorv lands had fallen into desuetude ; no inquisition had been held· or contributions levied since the stone Bridge was opened; and when some immediate help was required for their temporary relief, and to aid their :funds, a Commission was issued (21st May, 4th Philip and Mary, 15517) empowering the Bridge Wardens to levy, for the term o:f four years, certain tolls at the Bridge : at the rate of 4d. for every cart; ld. for every horseman and his horse ; 2d. for a pack horse ; and also on every boat passing under the Bridge, and being laden, at the rate of 2d. for between one and six: tons; 4d. between. six and twelve tons, and so on. This Commission came to an end in the third year of Queen Elizabeth, 1561. Among the Privy Councillors of the former reign, of whom QueenElizabeth retained some thirteen in her Privy Council, were Sir Richard Sackville,* then Treasurer of the Exchequer, and M.P. £or ll Sir Richard Sackville of Buckhurst in Sussex, the father of Thomas Sackville the first Earl of Dorset. It was in this year (1561) that his son's celebrated tragedy of 0-orboduc, which met with such universal acceptance, was acted before the Queen by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple. He was in high favour with her Majesty, to whom indeed he was nearly related. Philipot says that the grant of Westenhanger, forfeited by the attainder of Dudley, Duke of ROCH-ESTER BRIDGE IN A,D. 1561. 215 Kent; and Nicholas Wotton, LL.D.,* Dean 0£ Canterbury and York. Sir Richard at this time held Westenhanger (then called Ostenhanger) near Hythe, as his country seat. Both he and the Dean must have been in the habit 0£ passing frequently through Rochester, so that to both 0£ them the Bridge was a familiar object, and its condition well known. It was probably therefore at their instigation that the Queen in the third year of her reign issued her Commission, under the great seal, to Sir Richard Sackville, Dean Wotton, and eight others, to take the whole circumstances into their consideration, and to devise and carry out a remedy. It may be useful at this point to recall, so far as is lmown, the names 0£ those who were then the officers 0£ the Bridge, and the state 0£ the finances at their disposal. The last recorded election of Wardens bad taken place in 1556. Sir George Brooke, Lord Cobham, and Sir Thomas Moyle were then elected, and remained in office until their deaths. This Lord Cobham died at Cooling Castle, in 1559, and was buried at Cobham. Sir Thomas Moyle was also dead. Their successors were Henry Nevill, Lord Abergavenny, and William Brooke, Lord Cobham, but when they were elected cannot be exactly ascertained. The Receiver 0£ the Revenues of the Bridge was Mr. John Wilkins of Stoke, near Rochester; he seems to have acted as a steward to Lord Cobham, and continued to be intimately connected. with the affairs of the Bridge until his death in 15'75 (in 15'74 he is described as "an ancient officer 0£ the Bridge"). The paymaster was Mr. Richard Watts (whose name is justly dear to Rochester). There was one auditor only, Mr. Edmond Tynte.t Another official, the surveyor, was Mr. Robert Deane ; and there were, besides, a master carpenter, a master mason, and other subordinates. The " Budget " o-1: the Bridge is shewn by the following· paper, which was prepared for the Commissioners. The ST.A.TE 0£ the REVENUES and CoLLEc'N of ToLLES belonginge to the BRIDGE 0£ ROCHESTER, The Revenue of the lands belonginge to the Bridge by the yere, over and besides xiij11 x• vi e. 􀁬􀁭 - e .... f-'- i--f􀀄), 􀀔 ...... 􀀕 r􀀃 􀀄""'- '1--y, ---1 r"\,, 􀁳 tt􀁴􀁵 r-•·'-\J- . f--1 'l,.'\.v 􀀑 rf....,. l7 􀁶 {2.ff 7-􀀖 f,-t. 􀀚 􀀄pzl'""': ...4, ]7 􀀌-'-"''"1f'-w-........ 􀀍t- r-i--r 'v,,,,___-')+ r􀀃l-- }o ,fo r􀀂 · " 􀀃􀀄 H r- I;􀀕 'f 􀀖􀀗 􀀘 􀀛---- ,,,. 11--'-1' 􀀃􀀄"\...-fn-, --7 , 􀀞s 􀀟􀀠 􀀑 􀀉t- f"h•· (""°\... · --C-f f.'-- r JI'? f;.􀀃) 􀀓 vfrz""'.,, 􀂂􀂃- r ., v},n"-- ·'111,.r '"'􀀗 􀂄 􀂅􀂆 ., 􀂇 􀂈- "f􀂉...: '"1" 􀂊 I-pi,􀀔 . . /-S t-/ r F ?r--- l;,.., 8vef ti y/+f C revfr .A.or f,-J V. "r°f>-ri- lf- 􀀕 · 4{ .Iv 7 · v$ 6 1 • •• 'J,J-z,.(' }< w,.....,􀀋 \: V I RlDUC[O cop, OF LE fTER WRITTEN IN 1561 BY o• NIC WOTTON, DEAN OF CANTERBURY AUTOGRAPH OF SfRJEANT WILLIAM LOVE.LACE A.D 1561 ROCHESTER :BRIDGE IN A.D. 1561. 219 Kempe and sr Thomas ffynche Executors to sr Thomas Moyle that they enform us by themselves or other sufficiently authorysedd by them of all thyngs don by the sayd late Lord Cobham or Sir Thomas Moyle or yn the tyme whyle they were Wardens concerninge the sayd bridge. He thinketh also that it were well don there were a pre'pt made to the Mayor and Aldermen of Rochester to require them to be assistent unto us for t,he bettr enformaoion of us how to come to the p'fitte knowledge of the state of the bridge and of all matters thereto appertayninge who (it is thought) will be gladd being comaundidd to give informacion of all that they know for that they thinke yn dede that things have bean much abused. And he thinketh that the seinge hearinge and pursuing of all suche matters and surveyinge of the bridge with apoyntinge of officers to execute that shalbe thought meete to be don there shalbe as much as canne be well donne at the firste meetinge and that upon sighte of the wrytings and evidences we may the better frame pr'pts for the Hundreds and p'shes to make contribucion for he thinketh that it were not beste they should appear at Rochester and we not able to charge them sufficiently at their oom'inge. This lo is hys advyse whereof I thoughte meete to certefye you to be used as you shall think goode. And thus J esu preserve you long yn helthe and prosperite. From Canterbury the last day of July 1561. (Addressed) Yours to Com'aunde, N. WOTTON. To the Right Honourable sr Rychard Sakvile Knight · one of the Queen Mattes moste honourable Counsell. The Commissioners had apparently arranged among themselves, that at their :first meeting, on the 18th .A.ugust, they would, after opening the Commission, proceed to appoint officers, and see what immediate repairs were necessary. Th􀂌y had evidently also considered whether they could levy a rate in aid of the repairs from the owners of the contributory lands, and so far as we can now see they were then of opinion that they had no power to take that course. Nor could they :find that any levy had been made on these lands since the stone bridge had been built nearly two hundred years before, and apparently they were never made aware that by the Statutes of 21 Richard II. and 9th Henry V. the liability of the owners of these lands to repair the wooden Bridge had by the foresight of the founders of the stone Bridge been expressly extended to that new work. Such was Mr. Lovelace's advice, and he had _now found out a Statute of general application, the 22 Henry VIII., cap. 5, under which he thought it would be possible to tax the whole county of Kent.* They did not, however, make their views public at this time, but they must have written £or his opinion to the Lord Treasurer, the Marquis of Winchester. The Commissioners had, among others, summoned the Bishop of Rochester (then Dr. Edmund Ghestt) to their :first meeting, and had no doubt * By the levy known as the xvu,. t Edmund Ghest, or Geste, born 1514, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, 153'7-8; appointed to defend the Protestant faith at the Conference at West• minster 1558; Archdeacon of Canterbury 1559 ; consecrated the first Protestant Bishop of Rochester in the same year; and Almoner of Queen Elizabeth; the principal compiler, by his biographer's aooount, of the Liturgy according to the present use of the Established Ohurch. He was translated to Salisbury 15'71, died there and was buried in that Oathedral 28th February 15'76-'7. (See Uje and Oltaracte1• of Eamuiia 0-este, 8.T.P., by Henry Geast Dugdale. 184..0.) 220 ROCHESTER :BltIDGE IN A..D. 1561. desired him to bring his book-was it the Textus, or the Custumale ?-with him, probably to shew what his contributory lands and manors were, and what had been the ancient practice in taxing them. The Bishop answers thus : From EDMUND G-HEST, Bishop of Rochester, to Sir RICH.A.RD SACKYILLE, 17 August 1561. After most hartie commendations pleaseth your good honour to understande yt accordinge to your request I wold gladly have mette you at Rochester upon Monday next but that I am disposed to an ague thees iij or iiij•r dayes, Therefor I trust your good hoar will take myn absence in good part, being caused against my will. As for my booke I have sent you it and have put a paper where your place is, that belongeth to your matter, desyringe you I have it againe against Bartholmew tide bycause then I shall occupye it at my Courtes beinge as you see y• booke of my evidence. As I did write to Mr Secretarie as it appeareth in y• booke all is true and therefore I beseche you burden the parties yt have my maners and not anie who have all y• pleasour by y• l3ridge and all y• gayne yt belongeth to those lordeshippes of myn that be contrybutorie to y• Bridge as knoweth y• lyvinge God who longe preserve you in life and health to your encrease of vertue and honour. Fr• Bromeligh y• xviith of August. Yours to his poore powr (Addressed) ' EDM. ROFFEN, To y• Right Honble. and his lovenge frende Sir Richard Sakevyle one of the Queues Ma,jtio• honourable Counsell and Treasurer of the Exchequier, The Commissioners then, on the 18th August, held their meeting at Rochester; the record of the proceedings, written by Mr. Lovelace ('' Processus Pontis :Rqjfen."), states that they were all present; that they first read the commission and "understode the poyntes " thereof ; that then " they went ther selfs to view the estate of the Brydge having wth them experte men as well straungers as others." They found the Bridge in "imminent danger," and in need 0£ immediate repair; they estimated that £2000 at least would be required to repair it. They determined £or the reasons urged by Mr. Lovelace to apply £or the XVt11 , and Sir Richard Sackville and Dr. Wotton were to write at once to the Lord Treasurer accordingly £or full powers. They decided that a Special Session of the Sheriff and all the Justices of Kent should be held at Maidstone on the £allowing Monday, the 25th Augnst, and they determined also to write to Mr. Secretary Cecil to ask " that letters might be directed from Her Majesty or her Privy Council to the Justices to be redy to be delivered to them agenst the said xxv of August £or to move the said Justices thab they should join with the said Commissioners the more dyligently in the levyinge the same money." They then proceeded to appoint officers. Mr. Richard Watts,* * Richard Watts, of Satis House, on Boley Rill, Rochester, the founder of the celebrated "House for Poor Travellers at Rochester." It was at Satis House that Mr. Watts entertained Queen Elizabeth, Here also lived, at the end of the last century, Mr. Longley, ltecorder of Rochester, who was for many years a member of the Bridge Trust; it was this Mr. Longley whose "nice acquaintREDUCED COPY 0 F LETTER WRITT BIS EN IN 1561 BY QR HOP OF ROCHESTER EDMOND GHEAST ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A..D, 1561. 221 the paymaster, had applied to be retained in his office ; here is his letter. From Mr. RICH.A.RD W .A.TTS of Rochester, Paymaster of the Bridge, to Sir RICH.A.RD S.A.OKVILLE, 19th August 1561. As hit maye stand wth the good plesure of your honor wth my umble sarvice umbly desyrynge you that amonge all your offesars of the Bridge I may have one and yff it might stand wth your good plesure I wold be co'tent to remayne paymr (and as for the Blookehouse* the Surveyors hope to ende before Hallowtide) and thus umblye I take my leave of your honor by besyohinge or Lord to prosper you in longe life healthe and Joye. From bullye-hyll beside Rochester the xixth of August 1561. At the commodement of your honordevoting myself-my lyfe (Addressed) Rrc» W .A.TTS. To the honorable Sir Rychard Sackfylde Knight. (Endorsed) Mr vVatts, for Rochester Bridge-his sute to be po.ymaster. The application, which is dated the 19th, was either too late 01• for some other reason it was unsuccessful. Mr. Lovelace's report goes on:- " Also that day (i.e. the 18th) at Rochester aforesaid the same Commyss'" made a choyce of good officers fo1• the ,vorke 11bout the same bridge w11 they thought to be the metest men there about, and cl1ose Mr Rob1 Den,ne to be gen11 purveyor for Tymbre Stone and such other thinges, further Mr John Wylkyns was that dn,y chosen genei-.ill reoeyvour of the tn,xe, further the Commyss'" chose M• Collins and Mr Symkyns,t Prebendn,ryes of the Churche of Rochester, to be Surveyors and Auditors touching the work of the sn,me bridge, also M• Wattest wn,s chosen to be the ol!Lrke of the workes of the same bridge." The Commissioners had also before them such evidences and writings as they could find, and all the "£ermors" or lessees 0£ the Bridge lands, who were warned that their leases had been imperfectly granted, and that they were to expect an increase in the rents. ance with the metre in the learned languages" surprised and even mortified Dr. Johnson on his visiting Rochester in 1783; and here, under the shadow of the Castle, was born his distinguished son, the late Archbishop of Canterbury, the father of Mr. Longley, C.B., the present head of the Charity Commission. The allusions to Mr. Watts in the subsequent correspondence would appen,r to place him in a diso.dvantageous light. One would think, from some of the passages, that he was keeping back the money of the Trust ; but, when the account was actually taken, there is found to be a balance due to him. His bundle of rnuohers, for the last of his ammunts in 1561, is still at the Bridge Chamber, endorsed aud docketed methodioally. * This refers to Upnor Castle, on the building of which Mr. Watts was then engaged as Clerk of the Works, or in some such capacity (see post). t The Rev. Martin Collyu, or Collins, first appears as one of the Prebendaries of the Cathedral at the Visitation in 1554. The Rev. John Symkyns is named in the original Foundation Charter granted by King Henry VIII. in 1542. This Mr. Prebendary Symkyns is the same gentleman who is mentioned in the Antiqwities of Rocliestm• OatliedraZ (p. 109) as having secured a promise in writing on the 16th July 1555, from the Chu.pter, of the next preferment that should fall vacant "proximum ad nostrum oollegium spectans, qualeounque et quantumounque fuerit, quam primum vacare oontigerit,"-a very unqualified promise! i This was Mr. John Watt\!s, nephew (P) of Richard. 222 ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN .A..D. 1561. This increase the Commissioners thought ought to make tbe income sufficient to keep up the repairs 0£ the Bridge. The report further states that on the following day, the 19th August, "in the morninge came the officers of London Bridge whose good advyses for the better reparac'on 0£ the said Brydge they understode, agreeing to the charge (of £2000) above said." The Commissioners then adjoumed tbeir next meeting to the following Monday at Maidstone. They must have written at once to the Lord Treasurer, and also to tbe Secretary of State. They asked the latter not only to forward the letter 0£ Her Majesty to the Justices recommending the affairs 0£ the Bridge to their favour, but also for a '' prest" or warrant for raising £300 £or their immediate necessity. Her Majesty, however, discountenanced this request, and the Commissioners and their friends and brother Justices, at their meeting on the following Monday at Maidstone, agreed to advance the money themselves ; as there was not above £20 in hand, this was urgently required. The Lord Treasurer had probably already considered the situation; he answers immediately, commending their proposal to tax the whole county by a XVtlt, His letter to Sir Richard refers to other business they have in hand together, and the Treasurer hopes to see him back soon. He promises to let them know what the XVth will amount to. The portions of his letter which do not relate to the Bridge are omitted. From the Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, the M.A.RQUIS OF W IN0HESTER, * to Sir RICH.A.RD S.A.CKVILLE. 1 commend me hartely to you perceyving by your letter yo• gret travaile and Mr Wutton About Rochester bridge where you finde gret dekay but no manne you finde charged with the repaire by cause the bridge whas timber when every manne whas charged And sins removed and converted to Stone a,t the charge of the Cardinall [Arclibiskop Morton P] and of the cuntry by his meaues sins wioh tyme the charge hath byn generall with the helpe of certen land laid to the Bridge wich hath not byn well used And albeit you sitche [seek] to charge the Bus􀂟hop and the Cite with that part of the bridge within ther liberty, yet ther poverty moved me to advice you to Spare them all that you may and make the charge a generall charge by a xvth first for the wich you have wretin for the queues letters to exort gentlemen and the cuntry to yt wherupon you have don beste for so it shalbe moste esely don And Henry Fanshaw and I will send you word before Munday to Maydston or wher you shalbe what the xvth will amount to. This with my harty commendacions to M' Wutton I bidd you hartely well to fare written the xx of Augusli 1561. Yo• loving ffrend WINCHESTER, (Addressed) To my loving ffrend Sir Rio. Sakvile Knyght tresorar of th'exchequer. The Marquis quickly follows up his last letter by another, with the promised accounts of the XVth • These are written in his own * William Pawlett, Earl of Wiltshire, created Marquis of Winchester by King Edward VI., was Lord High Treasurer under Queen Mary, and was continued in that high office by Queen Elizabeth. He died 1571. REDUCED COPY OF LETTER WRITTEN IN 1561 BY SIR WILLIAM CECIL,AFTERWARDS CREATED BARON OF BURLEIGH .ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A,D, 1561. 223 hand, and have a pleasant hearty tone about them. To prevent any delay he takes the trouble to send two letters now to Sir Richard ; one probably to Maidstone; and the other· to llis official house in London. From the M.A.RQUIS OF WINCHESTER, Lord High Treasurer, :to Sir RICH.A.RD S.A.CKVILLE, 21 August 1561. I commend me hartely to you and here enclosed I have sent you fl'anshaw's aunswere for the xvth in Kent whereof must be rebated for the V. Portes which dothe appear in Mr Smythes office whereof you shall neade make no charge but recon uppon mccu clere money, all things abated, and so you shall prove, w" money wolbe a good begynning and therefore seke no farder for this tyme for the expence of this well made shall bring you to more; and the meane tyme you shall have spied better devyse. Thus fare you well. Wrytten the 21st of August 1561. To my loving frende gr Richard Saokvile Knight Treasurer of the Exchequer. Yo' lovinge fl'rende, WINCHESTER. Another letter of the same date from the M.A.RQUIS OF WINCHESTER to Sir RICH.A.RD SACKVILLE. I have wrytten you a l're what the xv111 ys in Kent w1! ys m1v0xlv11 xv• vj ob,d whereof rebate for the Cynke Ports and for the Collection charges and fees cco1xlv11 xv• vj ob,d and there remaineth the moo11 wh. money take and gyve thankes and you may have yt, for yt ys a good begyninge and if that be well spent it shalbe a good oooasion to move the ountrey to give yo' more, and the meanewhile you shall finde devyse for better helpe. There is another l're left at y' house of lyke effeote with ffanshaw's enclosed in the same. Thus fare you well. Wrytten this 21st of August 1561. (Addressed the same as the last.) Yo' loving frende WINCHESTER, The answer 0£ the great Secretary is not, however, so cordial or re-assuring, but it is extremely interesting and characteristic; one may almost fancy the grave and sagacious nod or self-complacent smile with which he concluded his postscript. His letter is holograph. From Sir W. 0ECILL, Secretary 0£ State, to Sir Rrcrr.A.RD S.A.OKVILLE, sr 21st August 1561. Aft' my very harty Oom'e'd. I was gladd to see such good dilligence as I didd in your proceeding towards y• repayre of the Bridg of Rochester, and thereof I have made lyke report to hir Ma•r but when I cam to req're onely a prest of iij011 I saw hir Ma1Y as you ar wont to see draw backward and devise argument agaynst it, alledgyng that it was a symple contrey that wold not strayne them selves so farr as to procure iij011 to the help of so necessary and pub. a work. I assure you also y0 tyme pr'veth very evill for to help hir slowness, for yesterday cam gr wm Fitzwms out of Irland, and one of his erra'ts, besyde help of some mor' me' was to have more money, Wherunpo. the Q. MatY hath sent this morni'g Bernard Ha'pton to my L0 Tresoror, wf express request and co'ma'd to send iijTI1 u into Irland, and therein to use all y• meanes yt he 224 ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A..D. 1561. can to serve the torne and suerly I mistrust what will come thereof, knowi'g y• lack that is of money at Londo' and so I am forced to end my l're w'out comefort wherof I am right sorry. fro. Hotfeld y• 21 of August 1561. Your assured to Com'a'd W. CEOILL, 22 August-Y• Q. MatY is scantly* pleased that you wold p'mitt y• Com'issioners to crave mon'y of hir, considering hir necessitie, but in y• end I have satisfyed hir MatY very well. (Addressed) To y• R. honourable sr Rich. Sackvile, Knight of his Maty• p'vie Cou'sell. (Endorsed) Mr Secretary, for Rochester Bridge, of Hir Maty deniall of 30011 for helpe. The next original letter, taking them in order 0£ date, is one from the Auditor, Mr. Tynte, who had been ill, and was staying in Somersetshire. There evidently had been great laxity in the business 0£ the audits, which he endeavours to explain. From Mr. EDMUND TYNTE, Sen., the Auditor 0£ Rochester Bridge, to the OoM:MISSIONERS, 25 August 1561. Right Honourable-My dutye humbly consydered yt may lyke your honours to be advertised that the xixth of this instant month I receyved your honorable letters by wych your pleasure is that I should presently repayre unto you w' the boke of th'accompts of Rochester Brydge, I was at the reoeyt of your said letters greaved in the splene and not yet well able to travayle, but have neverthelesse sent the bearer my kynnesman wt the said boke to attend your honour and the rest of the Commyssioners wt the same who shall make declaration of them to your honour the best he may although not so p'fectly as I trust I shalbe able to do my selfe at my commyng. Ther was no accompt taken of Mr Wylkyns the receuyvior for the year ended at Mighelmas last past, neyther for the revenues of the Bridge ne yet of the Toll and your honour may understand the.cause thei·eof to be thus: About ten dayes after the feast of All Saynts last I repayred to London and ther (according to my duty of service) demaunded of Mr Wylkyns that he should entre into accompt for his doynge of the Bridge who aunswered me that he could not then so do partly because he had not receyaved a great part of the money and partly for that he had suche business of my Lord Cobham his master, that he could not then attend the same and so (as he said) my Lord wylled him to aunswere me. I then required him to -pay me my ffee for that yere sythens I was oom to do my service, he aunswered me thereto that he would not pay it onles I would delyver up the boke and I replyed I thought that delyvery to be no suffycient discharge considering my Lord was but one Warden, neyther was I thus satysfied but demaunded of my Lord him selfe whether I shuld then any longer attend for the said accompte and his Lordship aunswered me that his man had soche busyneR of his that he might not then attend the same, and then this laoke of proceeding wt the (accompt P) was tho {reson ?) also why I could not take the reckenynge of Mr Watts the paymaster for I thought yt most mete that we shuld all three have conference at Rochester where the doyings ar bash known. Nor yet is there any accompt thoroughly taken of Mr Watts his doyinge more than a parte of his first receyte and payments cast up in a boke for my late master Sr Thomas Moyle Knight * This word" scantly," not" scantily," appears to have been much in vogue at this time. Lambarde himself uses it, with good effect, in his translation of the incident of Dido pledging 1Eneas in the bowl (.lEneiit, book i., 737) ,-the "Primaque libato aummo tenus attigit ore." " And in the liquor sweete of wine Her lips she scantly dipt." ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A..D. 1561. 225 (whose sowle God p'don) wy1led me to medle no further therein until the meetyng of my said Lord Cobham and of him wh metyng was not then afterwards by reason of the death of my said late mr as lmoweth Almightie God who preserve your honourable estate to his pleasure. At Backwell v myles westward from Brystow the xxvLI• of August 1561. Your honours humble servant EDMOND TYNTE, Sen. To the Honourable Sir Richard Sackville Knight one of the Queene Matice most Honourable Privy Counsell. The Commissioners then met the Sheriff* and the Justices of the County at Maidstone (August 25th). The Commission and the letters from Her Majesty were read, and Sir Richard Sackville then addressed the Court in this spirited allocution :t My Masters all-The cause of your callyng hether at thys tyme ys to declare to you that the Quense Mayesty heryng of the gret decay that Rochester Bryge ys in and how the same ys lekely very shortly to come unto utter ruyne yf the same shuld not be speedyly forfend. And therupon her Hyghenez remembryng the gret detryment losse and chargez that for lake of the same bryge shuld growe not only to her Mayestez subjects and to the foren Imbasseters and others and specyally to the Inhabytants of thys Shere in the matter of ther passage and repassage but also in the besyness of spedy transportyng of ordenaunce shot itrtyllyry and men for the defence of thosse in thys shere inhabytyng behynde the same bryge yf nede for the defendyng of the foren enemy shuld requyar when the force of the habytants on that syde wold not serve to defend. Besydes the dyshonor that no doubt wold be ascrybede to thys Realm for the neglygent decayng of so notable a monument as the same bryge is that besydes the bryge of London and Brystow none in the Realm to be compared to yt so the same as yt ys one of the cheif ornaments and garnyshyngs of the Shere so her Ryghnez leke a most carfull and gra.ycyus Mistress towards us for the good repayryng of the same and preservyng therof in good estttte herafter hauthe dyrected her Mayestez Comyssyon to Mr Deu-ne of Can terbery Mr Thomas Wotton Mr Shereff and dyverse others to understand furste by whose defaute the same Bryge is come to thys decay and who owghte by tenure prescrypcyon or otherwyse to repayr the same And how the same may be best repayred And what summe of mony wyll do the same and therof what ther ys in stoke of the Rents of the Bryge or of the profetts of the Tolles gathered for the same. Wherupon accordyng to our most bownden dewtosse whe the sayd Comyssyoners have assembled our selffs at Rochester and not only inquerede of the powynts I have shewed you but also vewed the same with owr owne ies and had with us skylfull men and men of experyence in wu-terworks as well of the best belongyng to London bryge as other Strayngers well exercyssed in the same works and by them besydes the persevance of owr own ies whe fynde that unles spedy remedy may be had for the repayryng of yt that the hole in short tyme ys lekely to grow to utter ruyne wyche thenn xx thowsand marks wyll not reedyfy the same again Wheras MM'li. whe lernne wyll repayre the same beyng now taken in hande before wynter and the stoke of the rents and '1:olls that ther hauthe byn therto gathered remaynesse not towards the same above the summe of xx Ii. Nor we cannot lernne that any other then the hole Inhabytants of thys hole Shere ys charged with the repayer of this bryge of Stone these old wrytyn<>s do appere that serten lands and towne shipps war contrybutory to the repayry;g * John Tufton, Esq., of Hothfield. t 􀅉his speech is taken from a 􀅊􀅋􀅌- report or _draft pr􀅍served among the colle􀅎􀅏10ns of Dr. Thorpe (MS. cxcvm. of the Soc10ty Antiq., London, vol. i., pars 11., fo. 60). VOL. XYII, Q 226 ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A.,D, l561. of a Bryge of W ode when the same stode wherein I dowte not but they wyll for the avoydyng of farther sewte grant their lyberall contrybucyon. A.nd of thesse thyngs accordynge to owr dewtesse lekeas whe by owr letters gave advertyssement unto the Quense Mayesty so Her Hyghenez hauth sent her Mayestez letters unto us the sayd Comyssyoners and all the J ustyces of the Pece of tli.ys Shere for owr further procedyng therin as by the tener of the same letters upon the openyng you shall perseve And before the openyng of them I can no les then say thys myche unto you wyche ys that as the kepyng of yt standyng and in good repayer shal be most and cheffiyest to the benefyt of the same that yf no lawe tyede and bownde us to the repayryng of yt that for that respecte whe wold offer the same to be done by us for owre owne benefyts and every man indeavour hymself to arme hymself with good p .•.•.. for to amerse suche as shall seme to be ignorant and forgetfull how to do good to them selfs and chefly to take from thys Contrey that blot that ther ueglygence hauth robbed ther awncesters and predecessors of that gret honour that this Shere reseved by the gret charge and dylygence of so goodly an ornament as that bryge was and yet ys unless they wyll fully dystroye the same in the denyyng of ther small helpe wherto yet the late (State P) wyll agenst ther wylls compel! them. Mr. Lovelace's memorandum of the proceedings then relates " that all the Justices of Peace in Kent were likewise there. To which Justices the Queen's Commission was redd and her pryvat letters* sent from her hignes." "The Commissioners made great declarations" of what they had done, and what it was necessary for them to do. Further, and as the result, " The Justices shewed themselves very well contented therewith and granted their aid therein." They also, at this Session, appointed the Collectors of the XVt11 for the several Lathes, and they agreed among them1:,elvcs to advance the £300, which the Queen had refused. This was to be paid at Rochester on the following Monday. They also resolved, as this tax would only bring in £1200, and at least £2000 was required, that after the tax had been collected " conferens shou􀂤d be had for a benevolence by the said Commissioners wth those which be honorable and worshypfulle, and those wh be of abilitie to make some contribuc'on." The next letter is from the Dean to Sir Richard. He and Mr. Lovelace are still at work, and they propose to " interview " the Mayor and Corporation of Canterbury for some help from them ; that city (being a county of itself) and the Cinque Ports also were exempt from the tax of the XVth• The Cinque Ports are expressly " saved " in the Act of Henry VIII. Sir, I have receyved your letter to M• Haywoode with the Auditor of l?iochester Bridges letter theryn enclosedd, yf he have none other wrytinges than you wright of we shall haue but little knowledge by him of those thinges which we had nede to understande. By thys I trust you have concludid what werke shall be done about the Bridge before winter and this is the do,ye (as I remember) apoynted that the ccc11 of leante money should be delyvered to Wilkins so therefore will be money redye to execute yo• determinac'on. * The records of the county of Kent have been searched-thanks to the kindness of Mr. Ru􀂁sell, the Clerk of the Peace-but they contain no reference to this meeting ; indeed the earliest record existing is dated in 1575. ROCHESTER BRIDGE IN A,D, 1561. 227 Mr Lovelace and I ar searching of the writings yn the Chest and have (founde ?) a g◊-od n'ber of them and he taketh gret paylies thereyn. .And on frydaye next, Godde willing, which is a day that a· great co'pany of the townsmenrie heare· meete yn counsell together we intend to be with Mr Mayor of Ca'terbury and his brethren to travayle the best we can with them, for their answer to· the ayde requyred for the reparac'on of the· sayd bridge and as we speede so shall you be advertysed of it. I send you herewith the said Auditor's letter· agayne. This haste which the Queenes highness sheweth to make homeward cawseth men to think that that the com'en bruit so much now spoken of at London* may prove trew. And thus Jesu prese've you long yn health and prospe'tie. From Canterbury the first of September 1561. Yours at Commandem't (Addressed) N. WOTTON, To the Right Honourable Sir Richard Sackville Knt. one of the Queenes Majesties most honourable Counsell. On the same day (the 1st Reptember) on which the above lettet• was written, the loan 0£ £300 was to be paid at Rochester to Mr. Wilkins. He wrote to Sir Richard on the next day 0£ his poor success. He had evidently come in £ram Stoke, and stayed at Rochester to receive the money. From Mr. JOHN WYLKYNS, the Provider or Receiver 0£ Rochester Bridge, to Sir RICHARD SACKVILLE, 2nd Sept. 1561. It may please yr honour according to yo' commandement that I have given attendance at Rochester the Mondaye the firste Septembre for the receipt of such money as by yor ordre was then appoynted to be paid. 1Vheare all the said daye was paid me but of those p'sons as hereafter shall appeare 1. And this p's'nt day there came no manne to pay any money :md I or my deputy remayni'g here at the house of John Belsh'm .Alderman of the Cyttie of Rochester ready to receyve of all the reste that have not yet paid whose names hereafter allso appeare. Theare brake more of the second looke next the Towne synce yor honour being gone xl pieces of tymbre, none left in the space of fyftie feete but only the pillars. The Carpenter is in hand with the same and doth trust to recover the same with" x dayes if the wether be fayre he hath wrought there allready vij dayes. And thus the Lorde p'erve yor hour in helthes. From Rochester the seconde of Septem bre at vi of the clocke in the afternoone. Yor honour to commandment JOHN WYLKYNS, 1. Tliese have paid. Mr Doctor Wotton • • • . . . • • . . • . 1u sr Thomas Fynch.. • . . . . . . . . . . . xll Mr Thomas 1V otton , • . . • . • • . . x11 Mr Tuften •.....••.... ....• , . • c• Mr Lovelace .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. o• Mr Honywoode.. . . • . • . . . • • . . . . c• Mr Sybbell .••.••• , ....... , . . c• Mr Henley • . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . c• Mr vY atton . • • . . . . • • • • . • . • . . • c• Mr Baker . . . . . . . . • • • . . • • . . . • • c• Mr John Guldeford . . . . • . • . . . • • x1 M• S:1nds •• .. • . •. •• .. .• •• .• •. c' Mr Lennard . . • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . • c• Mr Boswell . • • . • . • . • . • . . . . . • . c• Tliese liave not paid. Mr Bere . . • . • . . . .. .. .. •. • . •. c• Mr Iseley .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. o• M' Cobham .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. c• Mr Manwoode . . . . . . • • • . • • • . . . c• Mr William Lovelace ••• , • • • . • • c• Mr Scotte • . . • . . • • . . • . . . . . • • . • c• Mr Smyth .. .. •. •• .• .. .. •••• xll Mr vYynter ........ ...... ".. xll Mr "William Damsell • . • • • . • . . • x11 Mr M:1rten "Bowes •..••.•. , • • • x11 Sir Percvvall Harte ....•••• , • • • xn Sir Xtophr Alleyn •••. , , • . • • • • xn * Probably .one of the many rumours of the Queen's intended marriage. Q2 228 ROCHESTER :BRIDGE IN .A.,D, 1561. Sr Thomas Cotton ,, • • • • • • • . •• x11 Mr George Vane , , •••••••• , , , , c• sr Thomas Kempe . . .. .. .. .. .. xn M' Mayne.. .. • . .. .. • • .. .. .. .. x11 sr Henry Crippes .. .. .. .. .. .. x11 Mr Seyntleger .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. c• sr William Garrard .. • • • . • • • • • • xii Mr Tho• Willoughby •• • , • , , • • • c• Mr Nicholas Cruppes .. .. .. .. .. c• Mr Haywood .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. c• M• Sydley . . • . . . . . . • • • . • • • . • . • c• M• Turke •.••• , ••••••• , • , , , , , c• Mr Walsingham . . • • • • • . • • • • . • c• Mr Lowe • • • • • . • • , • , • , , , , • , , c• (Endorsed) Particular of a loane to Rochester Bridge. The con-ference with the Mayor and Corporation 0£ Canterbury took place, and in a letter signed by both the Dean and Mr. Lovelace, they report the result to their chief. The city seems to have been encountering a sea of troubles just then, and probably they did not think it worth while to make light of' them. Were they really red1.1.ced to this last necessity of selling their little plate, or was it a me:re fa<;on rle parler l From Dean WOTTON and Mr. W. LoVELAOE, two of the Commissioners, to Sir RroIIA.RD SA.CKVILLE, 8th September 1561. After our harty commendac'ons unto yr honor whereas wee were appoynted by youe and the residewe of the Comyssioners to have conferens with the Mayor and those of the Citie of Cante'burye for ther contribuc'on towards the reparac'ons of Rochester Bridge wee have so don accordinglie and have used with them in the Counsell house such p'suasions therein as wee have thought mete. And after consultation togetheyr had amongest them the Mayor and two of the Aldermen have byn with us and made us prevye of the estate of the citie concerning the greate povertie of the most p'te of the com'ens of the same and of the smale abylitie of the residew of the best in this citie to supplye the wekeness of the others and have made declarac'on unto us of the great charge by the late renewinge of the Chartres aud in the repayringe of the Tuwne-dycbes here decayed and by the greate and longe lyke expense and cost by the sute which they have had w11 Sir Thomas ffynche in matters touchinge the liberties and latelie in question in the Exchequier by the meanes of which charge they have often taxed here the com'ens for ther contribuc'ons and otherwise now they are to be at more charge touching the liberties by the gen'll proclamac'on of the Q11 Warrant and have also more tro'bles touchinge the liberties w11 one Mr. May whereby they shew the abylitie of the com'ens to be the less here and ther wekenes to be the more. And yet they p'tend to be willinge and gladd of the furtherans of this good aote and verye willinglie do otfer towards the reparac'ons of the same bridge to be collected (public?) xl markes and deseire for the considerac'on abovesaid that the same may be taken·. in good p'te they p'tendinge (pretending) to be very sor'ye that they are not able to do therein as ther good willes are-for the causes abovesaid-they besyde verifyinge unto us that they are constreyned to make 8hifte in the sale of ther litle plate wh belongeth unto the Chamber to performe the thyng abovesaid. And though wee do well knowe most of ther alle􀃊ations to be in dede verye trew yet we have p'telie stayed our order to be taken w I them in this ther contribuc'o1,1 until wee shall understand further yor hono'" mynd. This wee lave to trouble youe from Cante'bury this p's'nte viijth Septembre. Yor to commande N. WOTTON. WILLM LOVELACE. (Addressed) To the Right Honourable Sir Richard Sackville Knight one of the Queues MajW• most honourable Counsell. (Endorsed) Mr Wotton-of Rochester Bridge-that the City of Cant. will gyve but xl markes. Mr. Wilkins then sends a further report on the 12th September ; he is busy buying iron and other necessaries for the works of ROCHESTER :BRIDGE IN A.D. 1561. 229 repair, then in full progress. He says the money found for the advance still "commeth in very slowlye." The next letter of the series is of the same date, and describes the visit of the Dean to Romney Marsh, in the territory of the Cinque Ports. He stays a night at Westenhanger, on the road, and is entertained by Lady Sackville. Their conference with the dwellers in Romney Marsh is described very fully. There is some humour in the Dean's precaution of branding the cattle of these astute graziers to secure their identification : Syr, trustinge that you wold have espyed oute a tyme to make a starte to Ostinghanger er this Somer were paste I thoughte to see you and my Ladye there togyther but percyviug now but little hope of yor retorne thither at this tyme my cosyn Wotton,* my cosyn Rudstone, Mr Lovelace and I went to see my Ladye on Tuesday laste, where we dynid, suppid, and Lay there that night having had pastyme of hawkinge yn the aftr noone and the next daye morninge we saw a fayre corouse (course?) at a Bucke, and thankes be to Godde did no hurte and that done we went to or meate agayne, which have the name.of a breakfaste, but was yn