Part 39

On the 1st November, 1649, the Company attended a Thanksgiving service at Christchurch, and later on they were present at the same place for a “Humilation day for Ireland.”

1650-1. Paid for a large Banner of the Armes of England and Ireland and mending the old Banners 6 17 6

This “mending the old banners” was really taking out the Royal arms and inserting those of the Commonwealth, and was done under compulsion by order of Oliver Cromwell.

Paid to Greenburye for painting the Picture of M{r} Edward Arris and Doctor Charles Scarborough & Anathomye 9 10 0

This fine picture is preserved at Barbers’ Hall.

On October 8th, 1650, the Company attended a Thanksgiving at Christchurch, for a victory at Dunbar.

1652-3. On Lord Mayor’s day the ribbons for the whifflers were 30 yards of white 6_d._ ribbon, and 30 yards of green 8_d._ ribbon.

The Company were present at one Humiliation and two Thanksgiving Services this year.

1653-4. Paid for hire of a greene cloth to lay over the Rayle of our standing in Paulls Churchyard when the Lord Protector was enterteined by the Citie at Grocers hall 0 12 6 To the Butler for his attendance then 0 10 0 ffor the hire of a Case of Knives then 0 1 0 Paid for Cakes and wine 7{s} and for attendance ij{s} 0 9 0 Paid to M{r} Dorebarre Carpinter for fitting the standing and doeing other worke as by twoe bills appeare 7 10 0 Paid for washing the Table Lynnen and making cleane the Hall on y{t} day 0 11 6 Paid to M{r} Dorebarre Carpinter for the newe building next the newe gate of the hall according to agreement 120 0 0

The liabilities of the Company to Creditors for money borrowed amounted to £2,386 13_s._ 10-1/2_d._

1655-6. ffor a large Mapp of the World on the Chymney in the long Parlour 2 10 0 1657-8. Payd for thinges to p{r}serve the Robes and Carpettꝭ from mothes 0 5 0 Paid for a paire of Gloves p{r}sented to M{r} Secondary Trottman by order of Court 1 10 0 1658-9. To the Herauld Painter for severall Armes in the new Booke of Charters and ordinances 2 0 0 Paid the Clerke for Velome bindinge and other charges about that Booke 0 13 0

This book, very handsomely illuminated, is preserved at the Hall.

The Great Account Book ends here, and the next one embraces the years 1659 to 1674.

1659-60. Payd by order of a Court of Assistantꝭ into the Chamber of London o{r} proporc͠on of 10000{li} to be raysed by the Companies of London to be sent as a Guift to the Kinge[266] 96 0 0 Payd M{r} Phinees Bill for Cloathes for the ffootemen att the Kinges Entertainem{t} in the Cittie when hee came first into the Kingdome 20 0 0 ffor 4 peices of Greene & white Ribbon for the Horsemen and footemen that day 3 12 0 ffor 24 Staves for the ffootemen 0 8 0 Payd to the Herauld Painter for a new Pendent and the Kingꝭ Armes 11 15 0 ffor payntinge the ffootemens staves 0 8 8 Payd for a Dynner for the Horsemen that day 3 1 6 Payd ffor 4 peeces of Greene & white Ribbon the 5{th} of July for the ffootemen &c when the Kinge dyned at Guildhall 3 12 0 ffor a breakefast for the Livery that day 0 10 4 ffor three Staves for the Attendantꝭ that day 0 1 0 ffor a Dynner for the horsemen that day 4 6 7 ffor a Dynner for the Livery that day 5 3 2 ffor the Trompeterꝭ that day 1 12 0 Payd the Cookes Bill upon a Thancksgivinge day the 10{th} of May 4 8 7 The Vintnerꝭ Bill that day 1 7 0 Spent att the Miter on choyce of my Lord Maio{r} 0 12 6 Expended in Attendance on the Duke of Yorkes Secretary att severall tymes to frustrate the designe of the Apothecaries 0 13 4 1660-1. Payd by order of a Co{rt} of Assistantꝭ into the Chamber of London o{r} proporc͠on towards makeinge of pageantꝭ 48 0 0

[266] Charles II at the Restoration.

This refers most probably to the rejoicings in June, 1660, when the City entertained Charles II, the Dukes of York and Gloucester, and other persons of quality.

ffor strowingꝭ on the Elecc͠on day 0 1 8

These were herbs, etc., spread over the floor of the Hall, and flowers strewed by the maids in the street in front of the Company as they went to church.

1661-2. This year there were 158 Liverymen, of whom 29 were on the Court.

To a Couple of Serjantꝭ to Arrest severall pˀsons that used the Art of Shaveinge in this Citty and not beinge ffreemen of this Company 0 15 0 To S{r} W{m} Wylde for his advice upon a Declarac͠oon ag{t} those pˀsons 1 0 0 Payd the Attorneys Bill in that Businesse 3 13 6

1662-3. ~August~ 26{th} 1662 att the Kinge & Queenes cominge by water to London (from Hampton Court to Whitehall)

Spent lookeinge after a barge 0 1 6 The Bargemans Bill 8 0 0 To the Trompeters 3 0 0 ffor 74 yards of white & Greene Ribbon att 6{d} pˀ yard 1 17 0 The Vintners Bill att the 3 Tunnes att Breakefast 3 16 0 Butlers Bill that day 2 1 2 Beadles Bill that day for expenses 0 12 1 Cookes Bill that day 4 8 7 Vinteners Bill at the Sunne that day 3 3 8 ffor 4 douzen Bottles of Ale that day 0 14 10 To the Clerke at Garlicke Hithe Church that day 0 2 6

~Lord Mayors Day.~

The Bargemans breakefast 0 2 6 To the Bargeman & 11 men 4 8 0 ffor 84 yards of Ribbon att 6{d} pˀ yard 2 2 0 Michells bill for Cordage, &c. 0 2 2 ffor washinge the Table Lynnen & makeinge cleane the hall then 0 11 6 The Butlers ffee then 0 13 4 The Vintners Bill for Breakefast 3 8 0 The Beadles Bill for Tabaccoe that day 0 3 8 To the Sexton of Garlicke hithe Church that day 0 2 6 To the porter att Baynards Castle 0 1 6 To the Trompeters then 2 5 0 ffor 8 douzen of cakes then 0 8 0 ffor 6 Staves for the Whiflers then 0 2 0

This year also the Company rode to “meete the Russia Embassadour” and the charges for this are set out in the accounts.

The Company employed counsel and presented a petition against the granting of a Charter to the Physicians; this business involved several meetings at taverns and some presents to the Duke of York’s Secretary, who seems to have espoused the cause of the Barber-Surgeons.

ffor makeinge presipientia to be præscientia in the Bason and Tankerd 0 1 6

This would be the correction of an engraver’s mistake in the Company’s motto on some silver plate.

ffor paintinge the staves for the Companyes Colo{rs} and 4 windowes of the Granary 1 10 0 ffor makeinge cleane of severall pictures 0 17 0 ffor two Silver Salts 2 2 0 ffor mendinge Erasmus statute 0 3 0 ffor a large Chamber pott 0 5 6

1663-4. Received of the Governours Assistants and Livery towards the Building of a Barge with other necessaryes thereunto belonging 178 0 0

A considerable sum was again spent in opposing the Physician’s Charter, Sir Wm. Scroggs, Mr. Pollexfen, Mr. Serjeant Glyn, Mr. Phillips, and Sir Orlando Bridgeman being the Company’s counsel.

ffor mẽding King Henry the 8{ths} cupp 0 2 0 To a Serjeant to arrest M{r} Arnold for refusing to take a fine for the Cloathing and entring the Acc͠on 0 5 4 To M{r} Banes the Attorney his ffee 0 2 6 To Peter Smith [the Beadle] for his expences to ketch M{r} Arnold 0 2 6

The Company spent a large sum on their Barge and Barge house; all the details are in the accounts, but the following extracts will suffice:--

To Henry fforty for makeing the Barge 115 0 0 ffor Calicoe for the Watermens Suites 3 5 0 ffor Staining the Coates 2 15 0 ffor makeing 20 Suites and Capps at 4{s} 6{d} each 4 10 0 To Henry fforty for triming the Barge Curting Rods &c v{t} pˀ Bill 2 0 0 ffor Bayes and Curtaines 0 18 10 ffor Oares 1 14 0 To M{r} Blackmore the Herrald Painter for fflags to the Barge 29 10 0 ffor Boards to house the Barge last Winter 17 5 6 Boathire and given to a Carpenter to view the Duke of Richmonds Bargehouse 0 2 6 To the Archbishop of Canterburyes Counsell ffor his perusall of the Draught of a Lease for ground to build a Barge house on [at Lambeth] 1 0 0 To his Clarke for drawing it 0 10 0 To M{r} Snowe and M{r} Turney 2 of the Archbishops Servants upon sealing the Lease 10{li} in Gold and the change of Silver for Gold at 2{s} 4{d} a peice 1{li} 3{s} 4{d} in all 11 3 4 To M{r} Turneyes man for ingrossing the Lease 0 10 0 To the Archbishops Porter 0 5 0 Given to other Servants of the House when the Governours attended his Lordship 0 12 0 To M{r} Matthewes the Bricklayer in part of payment for his Brickworke about the Bargehouse 100 0 0

1664-5. The Company subscribed £94 15_s._ 6_d._ as a Contribution towards the ship “The Loyal London,” to be presented to the King by the City. They also “lent” the King £500 for which 6 per cent. interest was _promised_.

Coach hire for the Governours to the Navy Office on Audit day 0 2 0 Given to M{r} Pepis[267] his man that day 0 1 0 To the Hoboyes [on Lord Mayor’s day] 2 5 0 To Peter Smith for Tobaccoe and pipes 0 2 10 ffor Rosemary and Bayes for the Barge 0 2 0 ffor mending a Skelliton 0 5 0

[267] Samuel Pepys, the Diarist.

An entertainment was given to the Duke of Monmouth (who was free of the Company) and among other items of expense incurred were:--

Comfitt makers Bill that day 4 2 6 ffor a quarter of a Pound of Spanish tobaccoe that day 0 2 6 Given to the Officers of the Navy according to custome yearely 2 0 0

Perhaps Samuel Pepys came in for some of this.

There was a grand dinner at our Hall on 20th June, 1655, being Thanksgiving day for the Victory over the Dutch.[268]

ffor bringing the Woodden Griffen from Wapping to the Guilders 0 2 6

This would be the Opinicus for the bow of the barge.

ffor Imbroydering the Barge Cloath 15 0 0 Payd M{r} Rolls his Bill for the Barge Cloath 11 0 0 To M{r} Goodwyn for paynting the Barge 35 0 0

The next refers to the Great Plague.

Given to the poore visited persons the Third part of the Companyes usuall allowance at an Election Dinner 5 0 0 Given to Thomas Vere in his visitac͠on 1 0 0 To Chamberlaines Widdow her house being visited 1 0 0 To Peter Smith in his sicknes 3 0 0

1665-6. Expended by myself y{e} Clerke & Beadles in sevˀall Journeys to Greenw{ch} to attend y{e} officers of y{e} Navy in y{e} late time of Visitac͠on 1 16 6

The Company made very many grants of money to the poor stricken people about this time; and further contributed £69 9_s._ 6_d._ towards the Ship “The Loyal London.”

[268] Pepys also kept this day. He says,--“Thankes-giving day for victory over the Dutch. To the Dolphin Taverne, where all we officers of the Navy met with the Commissioners of the Ordnance by agreement, and dined: where good musique at my direction. Our club came to 34_s._ a man, nine of us. By water to Fox-hall, and there walked an hour alone, observing the several humours of the citizens that were there this holiday, pulling off cherries, and God knows what.”

1666-7. The following interesting entries relate to the ~Great Fire~ and the providential preservation of the ~Holbein~ painting.

To a souldier two dayes & two nights on the trained bands when the great fier was & for powder 0 8 0 ffor carrying of the Companyes goods by Porters to Moorefeildꝭ, howse roome there & carrying thence to Holborne bridge 3 0 0 To a seaman that quenched the top of the theater when fired 0 4 0 To other labourers at that time 1 0 0 To one hurt in that service 0 10 0 ffor drinke for the labourers then 0 1 6 To a poore fellow that found a skelliton 0 1 0 To the City Marshall for getting of labourers and laders & an engine to save the Theater 1 0 0 ffor the use of timber & other things at that time 0 2 6 To Major Brookes for his expences about ~H~ y{e} 8th picture 0 13 0 Given him as the Companyes gift 1 0 0 To six porters w{th} expences of bringing home y{t} picture 0 8 9 To Cap{t} Carroll his expenses about that picture 0 16 0 Given him as the Companyes gift 1 0 0 Expended on him 0 2 6 ffor a Cipres chest to put the plate in 2 0 0 ffor foure locks 2 handles & 8 plates for that chest 1 10 0 ffor a trunke for the linnin 0 10 0 To Jonas Wills for Workemen to Carry in leade & iron out of the ruines 0 13 0 To a Carpenter & his man that assisted 9 6 0 To Peter Smith for Workemen at the hall 22{th} Septemb. 1666 4 7 4 More to him for workemen y{e} 25 of 7{ber} 66 7 11 8 ffor 7 large boxes w{th} Locks & keys to put the Companyes writings in 1 8 0 To Peter Smith his charges in getting home sevˀall flaggs & pictures & a skelliton 0 14 0 To Jonas Wills for the Skelliton the Cobler had 0 5 0 ffor a Warrant for sevˀall pˀsons suspected to have some of the Companyes goods & Expended about it 0 2 6

1667-8. Received of severall Members of the Company and fforreyn{rs} towards the Building of the Hall and other offices 383 8 0

These contributions were voluntary and are accounted for every year for a considerable period. At the end of the book is a long and detailed list of the contributors, commencing 23rd April, 1668, and extending to March, 1681. There seem to have been 398 subscribers, and the sum collected from them was £1,850; this amount, however, was wholly inadequate for the rebuilding of the hall, which appears by entries extending over 1668 to 1674, to have cost the Company no less than £4,292. The deficit was made up by sales of freehold property in the City, for what to us, in these days, would seem absurdly low prices, and by loans, etc.

1668-9. The Company received from the Chamber of London £620 6_s._ 6_d._, being the return of £500 lent to the King in November, 1664, and the interest thereon £120 6_s._ 6_d._ This is the _only_ instance recorded of any forced loan having been refunded.

Received of severall Barbers for trimminge on y{e} Lords Day 10 4 0

1669-70. The Company’s barge seems to have been manned by twenty rowers, besides the Barge Master, and these men had 4_s._ each for rowing on Lord Mayor’s day.

1669-70. Serjeant Surgeon John Knight wainscotted the Parlour at his own charge, and Mr. Barker glazed the Windows; part of this glazing is still preserved. It should be borne in mind that the present Court room or Parlour (as it was formerly called) and which was the work of Inigo Jones in 1636 was not destroyed in the Great Fire.

1670-1. The freehold property in Conyhope Lane, Grocers’ Hall Court, was sold to the Corporation of London for £190.

1671-2. The livery this year numbered one hundred and eighty-five persons.

1672-3. The Company sold an extensive property at Holborn Bridge to the City for £650.

To--Woodroffe for measuringe all the hall worke April y{e} 19{th} 1673 7 17 0

The whole of the Wardens’ accounts from 1674 to 1715 are unfortunately lost, and the next book embraces the years between 1715 and 1785.

1715-16. The Ironmongers’ Company rented at £5 per annum from the Barber-Surgeons a portion of their Barge House at Lambeth for the Ironmongers’ Barge. Our Company still retained their Barge and Bargemaster and this year purchased for him a new livery.

Paid M{r} Wiseman the Painter for new Painting and Gilding the Company’s Banner 9 0 0 Paid the maids who strewed the flowers to Church upon Election Day 0 3 0

1716-17. Received of M{r} George Stevenson S. his ffine for practising Surgery before he was admitted being 3 4 6 Paid a person to go to Islington to see after a dead body which had been drowned[269] 0 5 0

[269] This was no doubt wanted for an “Anatomy.”

1717-18. The Company sold a large property in East Smithfield for £1,250.

Paid the Hangman for his Christmas Box 0 2 6

Similar entries to the above occur for many years.

Paid Charles Window for fetching four Dead Bodies from Tyburn this year and expenses 2 8 0 Paid my Lord Chief Justice Parkers Tipstaffe for taking up severall persons who rescued the Dead Body from the Beadles 1 0 0

1718-19. Paid M{r} Elms his Bill for ffees at the Sessions in prosecuting the persons who were Indicted last year for taking away the Dead Bodies 5 7 0

1719-20. Paid Cha: Window for fetching two bodies from Tyburn & for going for another when they could not gett one 1 5 0 Paid to bring a Skeleton from St. Giles’s to the Hall in a coach 0 2 0 Paid the Beadles expences for going to Tyburn for a Body for the Muscular Lecture when they could not get one by reason of a great Mobb of Soldiers & others 0 13 0

1720-1. Paid for a Livery gown and hood to the use of the Company to Cloth the Members with upon their taking the Livery 2 12 6 P{d} the High Constable of S{t} Giles’s Parish for assisting the Beadles in recovering a Body which had been taken from the Beadles by the Mobb 0 7 6 Paid the Hangman for the Dead mans cloths which were lost in the Scuffle and for his Christmas Box 0 15 0 Paid for a halfe length Picture of King Charles the Second to hang up in the Parlour and for a Gold frame to the said Picture 7 5 0 Paid M{r} King the Frame maker for a frame to Inigo Jones the famous Architect’s picture Presented to the Company by our late Master M{r} Alexander Geekie 1 5 0

Both of these pictures are still preserved at Barbers’ Hall.

Every year now, and for some years, are entries of Expenses incurred about the rioting, which took place when the Beadles went to Tyburn for the bodies of malefactors; very frequently the Company prosecuted the rioters, and were continually compensating the Beadles and others who were injured in the fights.

1731-2. Paid M{r} Osmond for Plumber’s Work about the Trough for the Dead Bodys 6 0 0 Paid M{r} Ashfield for Carpenters Work about the said Trough 1 14 0

This was a species of wooden coffin lined with lead in which the “subjects” were placed on their arrival from Tyburn.

Paid for 4 Silver Pepper Boxes[270] 5 5 0 Paid the Officers of both Counters for a body[271] 2 2 0

1735-6. Paid M{r} Newton the Silversmith for a new Badge for the Barge master 4 11 6 Paid the High Constable for the expenses at the late execution when the body was rescued 3 13 6 Paid the Beadles expenses in prosecuting John Miller, one of the Persons who assaulted the Constables and rescued the body 2 2 0 Paid M{r} Clarke the Sollicitor at Hicks Hall his Bill for Indicting and prosecuting the said John Miller to a conviction 8 7 10 Paid M{r} Clarke the Engraver for engraving the Dedication to the Right Honorable the Earl of Burlington on the Print of King Henry the Eighth’s Picture 5 5 0

1737. Paid M{r} Babbidge for making a Skeleton of Malden’s[272] Bones 3 3 0

[270] These are still at the Hall. [271] Probably the body of a prisoner who had died in one of the Compters. [272] A criminal hung at Tyburn.

1739. Paid the Beadles for their being beat and wounded at the late execution 4 4 0