Nov. 17. 1849.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
41
receive his representations and conclusions with that caution which must ever be observed when we listen to the relation of a warm and busy partizan, whatever be his natural integrity and good sense."—Smyth's Lectures on Modern History.
"His history is one which the present editor (Dr. Routh) truly says will never lose its importance, but will continue to furnish materials for other historians, and to be read by those who wish to derive their knowledge of facts from the first sources of information. The accuracy of his narrative has often been attacked with vehemence, and often, it must be confessed, with success, but not so often as to overthrow the general credit of his work."—Quarterly Review.
"Rarely polished, I never read so ill a style."—Swift.
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S DOMESTIC ESTABLISHMENT.
Your readers may be curious to see a list of the persons composing the domestic establishment (as it may be called) of Queen Elizabeth in the middle of her reign, and an account of the sums of money severally allowed to them out of the privy purse of the sovereign. The payments will seem remarkably small, even allowing for the great difference in the value of money then and now. What that difference may be, I am not prepared to say; and I will venture here to put it as a "Query," to be answered by some competent person who may read this "Note." I have seen it stated, by more than one writer, that the difference in the value of money at the end of Elizabeth's reign was at least five times, i. e. that one pound then would go as far as five pounds now; but I am not aware of the data upon which the calculation was made. I apprehend, besides, that the difference was greater in 1582, to which what follows applies, than afterwards, and I should be glad to have the matter cleared up. The subsequent account is endorsed in the handwriting of Lord Burghley, Lord Treasurer, in these words:—"1582. The payment of the Ladies of the Privy Chamber;" but it applies also to the gentlemen.
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Wages paid to the Privy Chamber by the Year.
The Bedchamber: £ s. d.
The Lady Cobham, by the year 20 0 0
The Lady Carewe 33 6 8
Mrs. Blanch Apprye[1] 33 6 8
Gentlewomen of the Privy Chamber:
Bridget Cave 33 6 8
The Lady Howard 33 6 8
The Lady Stafford 33 6 8
The Lady Arundell 33 6 8
The Lady Leighton 33 6 8
Frances Howard 33 6 8
Dorothy Edmundes 33 6 8
Chamberers:
The Lady Bartlett 20 0 0
The Lady Drury 20 0 0
Mrs. Mary Skydmore 20 0 0
Mrs. Katherine Newton 20 0 0
Mrs. Jane Brucella 20 0 0
Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber:
Sir Christopher Hatton, Knight 50 0 0
John Ashley, Esq. 33 6 8
Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber:
Sir Drew Drury, Knight 30 0 0
Grooms of the Privy Chamber:
Thomas Ashley 20 0 0
Henry Sackford 20 0 0
John Baptiste 20 0 0
Thomas Knevett 20 0 0
Edward Carey 20 0 0
Thomas Gorge 20 0 0
William Killigrew 20 0 0
673 6 8
The above 673l. 6s. Sd. was the whole sum paid out of the privy purse; but it is to be borne in mind that these persons were allowed diet and lodging in Court, so, that, after all, the payments were not quite as insignificant as they may at first seem. Whatever, also, may have been the case with the ladies, it is certain that the gentlemen had other sources of emolument derived from the Crown, such as monopolies, valuable grants of royal domains, leases of customs, &c., which altogether made up an ample income. Sir Christopher Hatton, for instance, could not have built Holdenby out of his 50l. a year as Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. Antiquarius.
EXTRACTS FROM PARISH REGISTERS OF EAST PECKHAM, KENT.
Sir,—In my commonplace book I find the following notes, being extracts from the ancient Registers of East Peckham Church, Kent, which have never (I believe) been published, and which may perhaps be of service to the historian or antiquary.
1637. This yeare was the Communion-table rayled in by the appointment of Dr Ryves, Dean of Shor-
- ↑ The names are spelt precisely as they stand in the document itself.
