Mr. Sutton to affect that House as the only Place whereon to build the Foundation of his Religious Purpose For among other his Christian Determinations he had formerly intended to build an House at Hallingbury-Bouchers in Essex to be an Hospital for such Poor Men and Children as he himself in his life time or future Governors for the same to be Deputed should think fit to be Lodged and Relived there Also for a School-Master and Vsher to Teach Children to Read and Write and instruct them in the Latin and Greek Grammar with a Learned Divine likewise to Preach the Word of God to them all And a Master beside to Govern all those People belonging to that House But finding this Goodly Mansion of the Charter-House to be much more convenient for the purpose he became an earnest Suitor to the Earl of Suffolk to purchase that House of him acquainting his Honour with the alteration of his mind concerning Hallingbury and his earnest Desire to make the Charter-House the Hospital The Earl being Honorably inclin'd to so Godly a motion the Price being concluded on the Bargain and Sale was assured The Sum disburs'd for this purpose amounted to 13000 l. which was Paid down in hand before the unsealing of the Conveyance Then he became Suitor again to his Majesty to perform all that at the Chartor-House which he had formerly intended at Hallingbury Whereto the King readily yielded being Graciously affected to so Charitable a Work and Granted His Letters Patents to the same effect This Gentleman lived always a Batchelor and by sundry Employments and Parsimony grew to great Wealth which he well Employed to his immortal honnour He endowed 〈◊〉 Hospital with above 3000 l. a Year in Land viz. All and singular the Mannors Lordships Messuages Lands Tonements Reversions Services Meadows Pastures Woods Advowsons Patronages of Churches and Hereditaments of the said Thomas Sutton whatsoever Situate lying and being within the County of Essex Lincoln Wilts Cambridg and Middlesex or in any of them with all and every of their Rights Members and Appurtenances whatsoever Except all his Mannors and Lordships of Littlebury and Haddestock with their Appurtenaâ—ces in the County of Essex In this Hospital he placed Fourscore Poor Men with convenient Lodging Dyet and Allowance of Money for Apparel also Forty Poor Children with the like Provision and a Grammar School with a Master and an Vsher to Teach them over all whom he ordained a Learned Man to be Master of the Houshold to be chosen by the Governors whom he appointed for the present by the Authority of the Kings Letters Patents to be George Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Lord Elsemore Lord Chancellor Robert Earl of Salisbury Lord Treasurer John Bishop of London Lancelot Bishop of Ely Sir Edward Cook Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Thomas Foster a Judg of the Common-Pleas Sir Henry Hubbard the Kings Attorney-General Doctor Overal Dean of Pauls Doctor Mountain Dean of Westminster Henry Thursby Esq Master of the Chancery Richard Sutton Esq Auditor of the Impress Geoffery Nightingale Esquire John Low Gentleman Thomas Brown Gentleman and Master of the Houshold for the time being to be always one and as any of those Sixteen Governors should die the Survivors to make present Additions of others Towards the building of this Hospital Chappel and School-House he gave 5000 l. but he lived not to see it performed but what Death bereft him of he left to the performance of his Faithful Executors Mr. Richard Sutton and Mr. John Low Men of Religious and upright Souls who carefully accomplished the Work so that the Monday after Michâ—â—â—mas day being the 3 d of October Anno Dom. 1614. The Captains Gentlemen and Officers entered into their Famous prepared Hospital to the Glory of God Honour of the King's Majesty Credit of the Governors and Joy of Honest minds and the Eternal Fame of the Noble Founder who is laid in a goodly Tomb in the Chappel of his own Hospital With this Inscription Sacred to the Glory of God in Grateful Memory of Thomas Sutton Esquire Here lieth buried the Body of Thomas Sutton late of Castel Camps in the County of Cambridge Esq at whose only Costs and Charges this Hospital was Founded and Endued with large Possessions for the Relief of Poor Men and Children He was a Gentleman born at Knayth in the County of Lincoln of Worthy and Honest Parentage He lived to the Age of 79 Years and Deceased the 12th Day of December Anno Domini 1611. Though we Design to avoid all Prolixity yet 't is hoped it will be Pardoned if we Transcribe an Epitaph made upon this Worthy Man by a Friend to Piety and Goodness for he being a Rare Example challenges as his due Merit a more than ordinary mention When bad Men die the Memory Remains Of their Corruptions and ungodly ways As Merit to their mis-applyed pains Out of ill actions forming as ill praise For Vertue wounded by their deep disgrace Leaves Fame to their posterity and Race When Good Men die the Memory remains Of their true Vertue and most Christian ways As a due Guerdon to their Godly gains Out of good Actions forming as good praise For Vertue cherish'd by their Deeds of Grace Leaves Fame to their Posterity and Race Among these Good if Goodness may be said To be among the seed of Mortal Men In upright Ballance of true Merit weigh'd Needs must we reckon Famous SUTTON then In whom as in a Mirror doth appear That Faith with Works in him did shine most clear And let us not as is a common use Measure him by a many other more In Death to cover their bad lifes abuse To lanch out then some bounty of their store No SUTTON was none such his Hospital And much more else beside speaks him to all For as God blest him with abundant Wealth Like to a careful Steward he emplo'd it And order'd all things in his best of health As glad to leave it as when he enjoy'd it And being prepared every hour to die Disposed all his Gifts most Christianâ—y In Abrahams bosome sleeps he with the blest His Works they follow him his worth survives Good Angels guide him to eternal rest Where is no Date of time for Years or Lives You that are Rich do you as he hath done And so assure the Crown that he hath woâ—â— To conclude in a word this Famous Hospital with the value of the Lands laid into it the Purchase of the House Stock laid in which he hath given into the Treasury or Store of the said Hospital to begin with and to defend the Rights of the House being 1000 l. and Allowance towards the Building also the Remainder of his Goods unbequeathed his large Gifts and Legacies to divers Honorable and Worthy Friends besides great store of far more inferior account which would puzle me to number and the residue of 20000 l. left to the discretion of his Executors may truly and deservedly be said to be
Jurisdiction and power to Reform Annoyances and Offences there and to inflict due punishments upon the Offendors nor of the Nature of the Service to be by them performed in the Course of their Inquiry therefore he thought it convenient to make both the one and the other known unto them Hereupon he shewed them that the Jurisdiction of the Court of London in the River of Thames from Stanes Bridge Westward unto the points of the River next unto the Sea Eastward appeared to belong to the City in manner and form following I. First in point of Right by prescription as appears by an ancient Book called Dunâ—horp That Civitatis fundationis aedificationis constructionis causa erat Thamesis Flâ—vâ—us quorum vero Civitatis fluminis gubernationem tam duces Majores Custodes Vicecomites Aldr. Magnates Civitatis Memoratae hucusque obtinuerunt habuerunt Whence he inferr'd that the Government of the River hath belonged to the City time out of mind In 21. H. 3. Jorden Coventry one of the Sheriffs of the City was sent by the Mayor and Aldermen to remove certain Kiddles that Annoyed the Rivers of Thames and Medway who ultra Yenland versus mare did take divers persons that were Offenders and imprisoned them Whereupon complaint being made to the King he took the matter ill at the first and sent for the Lord Mayor and Citizens to Kennington Where upon hearing of the Matter before the said King the Cities Jurisdiction over the said River was set forth and allowed and the Complainants convinced and every one of them Amerced at 10 l. and the Amercements adjudged to the City And afterward their Nets were burnt by Judgment given by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in the Hustings 1. R. 2. Writs were directed to the Sheriffs of Essex and Kent Reciting the Cities Title with Command not to suffer the Citizens of London to be molested contrary to the Liberties formerly granted and allowed unto them II. Secondly In point of Right by Allowance in Eire the Conservation of the Thames belongs to the City For it was produced that 1 R. 2. before Hugh Bigot Justice Iâ—enerant the Sheriffs and Citizens of London were called in Question for their Jurisdiction exercis'd on the Thames before whom it was found by a Jury in Southwark Quod nullus habet aliquid Juris in Thamisia usque ad Novum Gurgitem nisi Civis London In the 14 E. 2. The Constable of the Tower was Indicted by Divers Wards of London before the Justices in Eire at the Tower De muneris recep Cove pro Kedellis in Thamisiis Constabularius ad Kidellas respondet quod Justic non habent Jurisdictionem extra London prolitum inde cognoscere cum praedict Kidelli sunt in aliis Comitatibus Justic. dixerunt aqua Thamisiae pertinet ad Civitatem London usque Mare si velit respondeat Who then Pleaded Not Guilty III. He went further in point of Right that this Jurisdiction belonged to the City by antient Charters 8 R. 1. that is 480 and odd Years ago Dominus Richardus Rex Filius Regis Henrici secundi concessit firmiter praecepit ut omnes Kidelli qui sunt in Thamisia amoveantur ubicunque fuerint in Thamisia 1. Joh. Rex concessit firmiter praecepit ut omnes Kidelli qui sunt in Thamisia vel in Medway amoveantur ne caeteri Kidelli alicubi ponantur in Thamisia vel in Medway super forf 10 1. sterlingorum Then he urged the Famous Charter of King Henry the III. which ran thus Henry by the Grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Normandy and Aquitain and Earl of Anjou unto all Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earls Barons Justices Sheriffs Stewards Ministers and to all Bayliffs and to all his True Men Greeting wotteth well that we for the health of our Soul and the health of the Soul of King John our Fader and the Souls of our Ancestors and also for the Common profit of our City of London and of all our Realms have Granted and stedfastly Commanded That all the Weares that be in Thames or in Medway be done away and that from henceforth no Weares be set in Thames or Medway upon the forfeiture of 10 1. Also we claim quit to our Citizens of London all that that our Constable of our Tower of London was wont to take of the said Weares Wherefore we will and stedfastly Command that no Constable of the aforesaid Tower at any time from henceforth forward any thing ask nor any Grievance do to any of the same City by Eâ—cheson of the same Weares it is to us known enough and by our true Men do us to understand that most privacy and least profit might fall unto the same City and to the whole Realm by Enchesen of the same Weares which we make for ever firm and stable unto the same City as the Charter of our Lord King John our Fader which our Barons of London thereof have reasonably Witnessed Witnesses Eustace of London Peter of Westminster c. at Westminster the 18th of February in the Year of our Reign Eleven Besides these he produced divers others in this King ' s Reign to the purpose aforesaid and the 7th of E. III. IV. This Jurisdiction belongs to the City of London by Acts of Parliament W. 2. cap. 47. an 13. No Salmons to be taken from the Nativity of our Lady unto St. Martins Day in all points nor none to be taken in Mill-Pools from the midst of April until Midsummer under penalty for the first Offence of burning of Nets and Engines the second Offence Imprisonment for a Quarter of a Year the third Offence for a whole Year 13. R. II. confirms the restraint of taking Salmons in many Waters from the midst of April until Midsummer upon the same pain nor within that time to use any Nets called Stalkers nor any other Engine whereby the Fry may be destroyed He urged likewise 17 R. II. cap. 9. and the 11. H. VII cap. 15. 1 Eliz. cap. 17. Against Nets Wheeles and other Engines for destroying the Fish against killing of Salmon and Trouts out of season against killing Pike or Pickerel not ten Inches long or Salmon not 16 Inches long or Trout not 8 Inches long or Barbel 12 Inches and more nor to Fish with any Nets but such whereof every Meash or Mash shall be two Inches and a half broad Angling excepted This not to extend to Smelts Roches Minoes Bullhead Gudgeons or Eâ—les in place where the same have been used to be taken The Offender to lose for every Offence 20 â—s and the Fish also the unlawful Nets Engines and Instruments The Mayor of London Inter alia hath full Power and Authority by this Act to Inquire of all Offences Committed contrary thereunto by the Oaths of 12 Men or more and to Hear and Determine all and every the same and inflict Punishments and impose Fines accordingly V. He proceeds to assert the Cities
Stones that immur'd up the Door they were heard to cry seven days after and then perished From the Savoy they went to the Temple where they burnt the Lawyers Lodgings with their Books and Writings and all they could lay hands on They broke up the Fleet Prison and let the Prisoners go where they would The like they did at Newgate and made a most dreadful havock up and down The house of St. Johns by Smithfield they set on fire so that it burnt seven days together After this they came to the Tower where the King was then lodged And though he had at that time 600 armed Men and 600 Archers about him yet he durst not but suffer them to enter where they abused the King's Mother in a rude manner offering to kiss her c. that she fell into a Swoon And finding in the place Simon Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor and Sir Robert Hale Prior of St. John and Lord Treasurer and one Richard a Carmelite Monk the King's Confessor these they led to Tower-hill and there most cruelly cut off their heads as they served divers others Indeed Polidore Virgil writes That the Rebels were not at all in the Tower but that the King sent these three men to appease them hoping that they would not offer to abuse such eminent Clergy-men For saith he Si vulgus it a concitatus turrem expugnasset non eos utique tres duntaxat uti credere par est sed Regem relquos ommes quos imprimis ad supplicium petebat interfecisset that is If the enraged Common People had taken the Tower by force they would in all probability destroy not only those three but the King also and all the rest whom first of all they demanded to be deliver'd to them â—or punishment They drew Thirteen Flemings out of Austin-Fryers and Beheaded them in the Streets Seventeen more out of another Church And Thirty two out of the Vintry and several out of their own or others whom they Beheaded yet after all these barbarous and bloody Outrages the King proclaimed Pardon to all such as would lay down Arms and go quietly home which the Essex men did but the Kentish men continued still with their Captain Wat-Tyler of Maidstone a crafty Fellow of an acute wit but very graceless Polidore Virgil says He was Manibus promptus ac Consiliis praeceps of a ready hand and hasty or precipitate in counsel To this Ringleader of Mischief the King sent Sir John Newton to understand what his meaning was Wat Tyler was offended because he came on Horse-back telling him It became him to alight from his Horse in his presence and therewith drew out his Dagger to strike him The King perceiving this Noble Knight to be in danger to qualifie the severity of Wat for a time commanded Sir John to alight which did not pacifie but made Wat the more insolent and would have the King's Sword which Sir John carried offering again to assault him But the Lord Mayor of London William Walworth with other Persons of Quality being just come affirm'd it to be an unheard-of Indignity and a most intolerable Disgrace if the King should suffer so Noble a Knight to be basely murdered in his presence Upon which the King commanded the Lord Mayor to arrest him who did it to purpose for being a man of an invincible Courage and a brave Mind he regarded not the hazard that probably would follow his attacking that Darling and Leader of a Rude Numerous and Rebellious Rabble but prefer'd his Duty to his King and Countrey and the Generosity of rescuing an abused Gentleman even before life I insert this as a Remark due to this brave and memorable Action which deserves never to be forgotten The Mayor immediately rides up to Wat and Arrests him with such a salutation of his Mace on his head that he tumbles him down and then he was by some of the King's Servants some say by John Cavendish Esq run through in several places many persons encompassing him so as that he could not be seen by his Plebeian Army and then caus'd his dead Body to be drawn into St. Bartholomews Hospital But the Commons perceiving it they cry'd Their Captain was slain and animated each other to revenge Upon which the King though not above 15 years of age was so Couragious as to ride up to them telling them That now their Leader was dead he would be their Leader himself and if they would follow him into the Fields they should have whatsoever they desired In the mean time the Lord Mayor Walworth with one Servant Rides speedily into the City and raised One thousand armed Men where meeting Sir Robert Knolls a Citizen by accident got him to be their Leader who coming into the Field where the Rebels were so daunted them that throwing down their weapons they cry'd for mercy so that it was a wonderful thing to see how suddenly Fear overtook Presumption and how quickly terms of the most servile Submission succeeded their insolent Brags viz. That they had the King's life in their power c. and what else they would do On the other side 't was as strange to see how quickly Boldness surprized Fear in those about the King for a little before they trembled at the sight of the Rebels but now they are mad to be at them which the King would not suffer but commanded the Charter they had demanded to be scaled and delivered to them because these Commotions might have the speedier End for the Commons in other places were not yet quiet and the King thought it more prudent rather to pacifie than provoke them The Rabble being dispersed the King called for the Mayor and Knighted him in the Field as also five Aldermen his Brethren viz. Nicholas Brember John Philpot Robert Lawnd John Standish Nicholas Twyford and Adam Francis Some affirm that the Dagger was added to the City Arms for this Reason but Antiquaries make out that this Coat with the Sword of St. Paul not a Dagger belonged to the City long before this hapned The Mayor of London after this sate in Judgment upon Offenders where many were found Guilty and were Executed amongst others Jack Straw John Kirby Alane Tredder and John Sterling who gloried that he slew the Archbishop Sir Robert Tresilian the Chief Justice was appointed to sit in Judgment against the Offenders before whom above 1500 were found Guilty and in several places put to Death amongst whom was John Ball the Priest their Incendiary And thus ended that dangerous Rebellion About the Year 1450. 29 H. 6. there was another Insurrection in Kent headed by one Jack Cade who stiled himself John Mortimer Captain Mend-all He marches with a small but well-order'd Number to Black-Heath where he lay about a Month exercising his Men and in the mean time presents several Complaints to the King and Parliament of various Grievances and Oppressions but they were judged too insolent and therefore rejected