A New Document from the Reign of Queen Jane

This document has apparently always been held in private collections and was thus not known to historians until now. It previously appeared briefly at auction in the autumn of 1918 with Maggs Brothers of New Bond Street, London (Auction number 370, Lot number 1731), but neither the buyer nor the seller at that time are recorded. The present auction house handling the sale, Lyon & Turnbull of Edinburgh, has not revealed the identity of the seller.

Press reports announcing the auction described the document as “explosive,” though that is hyperbole intended to amplify interest. The document is a routine warrant authorizing payment out of the Royal Treasury to messengers for their services and expenses in carrying unidentified letters from the Privy Council to various recipients. The same press reports suggested that the payments were for carrying the proclamation of Jane’s accession. More probably in light of the date of the document , 17 July 1553, the letters to which the document refers were orders to muster troops to join John Dudley in his march against Mary at Framlingham.

Transcription:

After o[ur] hartie comendacion[es], where as of sych money of the
Quenes Hyghneses as remayneth in yo[ur] custody you have
by o[ur] comaundement delyvered to Willim Saunders sent
w[ith] hir Maie[sties] L[ett]res to S[i]r Edward Moyuntaeyne L[ord] chief
Judge the some of Sixe shilling[es] and eight pens
to John  Amo[??]oy of the messingers of the chamber
sent w[i]th hir Hyghnesses L[ett]res to S[i]r John Willims
Knight and to Mr Leonard Chamblayne the some
of Sixe shilling[es] eight pens and to Clement
Burton S[er]v[au]nt to Mr Chechester being sent hither w[i]th
L[ett]res owt of Devonshire and for his charges returning
backe againe the some of fourty shilling[es] Amounting
in thotle to the sume of fiftie three shilling[es] foure
pens / Thies shalbe to signifie vnto you that thies
our l[ett]res shalbe your sufficient warraunt and dyscharge
for the said sume of liijs iiijd accordingly / And so
fair ye well From the Tower of London the xvijth
of July 1553

Yo[ur] loving frend[es]

T. Cant. T. Ely canc   Winchester   J Bedford

F Shrewesbury

T. Darcy    T Cobham   T Cheyne

Rychard Cotton

Jo. Cheek

Jo. Mason     Robert Bowes

Endorsement on reverse:

To o[ur] loving frend
Armigile Waad
Esquier oon of the
Clerkes of the
privy counsyle

With Modern Spelling:

After our hearty commendations, whereas of such money of the
Queen’s Highness’ as remaineth in your custody you have,

by our commandment delivered to William Saunders[1] sent
with Her Majesty’s Letters to Sir Edward Montague, Lord Chief
Judge, the sum of six shillings and eight pence,
to John Amo(??)oy[2] of the messengers of the Chamber[3]
sent with Her Highness’ Letters, to Sir John Williams[4]
Knight and to Mr Leonard Chamberlain[5] the sum
of six shillings eight pence and to Clement
Burton, servant to Mr Chichester,[6] being sent hither with
letters out of Devonshire and for his charges returning
back again the some of forty shillings,  amounting
in the total to the sum of fifty three shillings four
pence. These shall be to signify unto you that these
our letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge
for the said sum of liii shillings iv pence accordingly. And so
fare you well. From the Tower of London, the xviith
of July 1553.

Your loving friends,

Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury, Privy Councillor

Thomas Goodrich – Bishop of Ely, Lord High Chancellor ( ‘canc’), Privy Councillor

William Paulet – Marquess of Winchester, Lord High Treasurer, Privy Councillor

John Russell, Earl of Bedford – Lord Privy Seal, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset, Privy Councillor

Francis Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford – Privy Councillor but a Roman Catholic sympathizer. His son, the 6^th Earl of Shrewsbury, married Elizabeth Cavendish (aka “Bess of Hardwick”).

Thomas Darcy, Baron Darcy of Chiche – Lord Chamberlain of the Household, Privy Councillor

Thomas Brooke alias Cobham, son of George Brooke, 9^th Earl Cobham – Privy Councillor.

Thomas Cheyne/Cheney – Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Justice of the Peace for Kent, Privy Councillor, supported Queen Jane only very reluctantly.

Richard Cotton – Privy Councillor

John Cheke/Cheek – Tutor to Edward VI, Chamberlain of the Receipt of the King’s Exchequer, Clerk of the Privy Council

John Mason – Chancellor of Oxford University, Privy Councillor

Rober Bowes – Lord Warden of the East and Middle Marches, Privy Councillor

Endorsement on reverse:

To our loving friend
Armigil Waad[7]
Esquire one of the
Clerks of the
Privy Council

Notes:

[1] Sir Willliam Saunders (1497–1570), Justice of the Peace for Surrey.

[2] I cannot decipher this name.

[3] Messengers of the Chamber in Ordinary – A department of the Royal Household comprised of 40 men responsible for carrying documents from the government in London to various governmental recipients outside of London, especially sheriffs, lord constables, and justices of the peace.

[4] Sir John Williams (1503–1559) – High Steward of Oxford. He raised 600 troops for Mary rather than for Jane.

[5] Leonard Chamberlain (d.1561) – Sheriff of Berkshire in 1553.

[6] John Chichester (1519–1569) – Refused to support Jane and instead joined his cousin John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath to be among the first to join Mary, for which he was knighted.

[7] Armagil Waad (ca. 1511 – 1568) – Third Clerk of the Privy Council from 1547 to 1552, Chief Clerk 1552 to 1553.