CH/20/77

CH/20/77

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Letter to James I refusing a grant of the tithes of St Martin's

The Answer of the D & Ch

1603-1608

1 sheet

Letter labelled "The Answer of the D & Ch to his Majesties, King James, his L[etter]s about St Martins Lease" and addressed "Most Gracious Soveraigne". The Dean and Chapter acknowledge that they have "humbly received your Majesties' letters" concerning the King's recommendation of a Mr Sydenham's "desire" for the parsonage of St Martin's. They have considered "the unconscionable demises and graunts before made by our predecessours of the Churches Tythes and lands given by charitable dispositions to be imployed onely in the service of Almightie God and the keeping of hospitalitie to the relief of the poore", such that "noe tythes of corne or other provision is now lefte towards our house keeping or the relief of the poore among us" and that therefore "a decree was made by our selves in our chapter house in the first yeare of your Majesties most happie raigne . . . that neither the said parsonage which consisteth of tythes, nor any other thinge of that kinde . . . should be thenceforth graunted from the Churche, but kept and imployed in hospitalitie and maintenance of the poore". There is also a consideration that "there is yet many yeares to come of the olde lease" on the parsonage, and "the anciente tenante" "hath had long since the expresse promise" of a lease should one ever be available. The Dean and Chapter therefore conclude by telling the King that "by the Lawes of this your Realm or the order of the Church noe lease can be thereof made to any". The letter is signed by: John Gordon, Dean 1603-1619 William Souch, Precentor 1584-1608 Thomas Hyde, Chancellor 1588-1613 Abraham Conham, Prebendary of Grantham Borealis 1584-1613 Thomas Paynter, Prebendary of Shipton 1587-1614 A small portion of the letter - a strip of about 4cm - is worm-eaten, but legibility is not affected. The tithes of St Martin's are also the subject of the draft letters to the Earl of Northampton (CH/20/69) and to the Archbishop of Canterbury (CH/20/70), seeking their support when the Ranger of Clarendon Park supposedly obtained a grant of the tithes from the King, which in turn allude to Elizabeth I's letter of 25 July 1599 (CH/20/68) requesting the grant of "a better estate" in Sherborne to Walter Raleigh, and giving the assurance that "this Church should never hereafter be troubled with Sutes of like nature from the Court". With a transcript by Penelope Rundle, Archive Volunteer, late 2010s.

English

Materlal: paper