2. Paper of a larger size. Visitation for Cheshire, temp. Elizabeth, by Somerset Herald. Leaves 31b-39 and 55-62 are in a different hand. After 64 the leaves are blank, except four pages of arms copied out of churches and houses in Yorkshire, 1584.

Folio, 1760, 44 leaves, interleaved. By Dr. Cowper. Collections for Broxton Hundred. Such as are extracts from Daniel King's Itinerary (published in Vale Royal of England, 1656) are in inverted commas. More than two hundred arms are blazoned. At the end is an index of names.

In the margin of the following tract of 25 leaves is this note: "Malbon's account of Nampwyche, co. Cest., from 1642 to 1655." The tract is headed, "A brief and true relacion of all such passages and things as happened and were done in and about Namptwich, in the county of Chester, and in other places of the same county, together with some of the things in other counties

by some of the commanding officers and soldiers of the said town of Namptwich, after the same was made a garrison for King and Parliament, since the 10th of August 1642; so truly as the writer hereof could come by the knowledge of the same, viz., upon or about the 11th day of August 1642. Sir William Brereton and the Deputy Lieutenants for the said county of Chester." Ends (after the surrender of Beaumaris in 1648), "there were not above 20 on the Parliament side slain and wounded; but of the other parties a great number. Per me, Thomas Malbon, 1651." After this the last page and a half contain notices for the years 1651, -2, -3, and -5.

Folio, paper, seventeenth century. Fo. 1, oaths of the Mayor, Recorder, and Sheriffs of Chester. A collection of the mayors who have governed the city of Chester.

Fo. 6. Divers collections by the worthy and grave citizen William Aldersay the elder.

Fo. 8b. "Abridgment of my collections gathered by Robert Rogers, Archdeacon of Chester, divided into 7 chapters" (only four here). Then names of mayors from 24 Henry III. There are columns for the years and the twelve months, the names of the mayors are put in their proper places, and there are some notes of the events. The original hand ends with 19 Charles I; thence the tables are continued to 1701; then come notes of proceedings at Assembly, and notes of charitable gifts (several pages).

Folio, paper, seventeenth century, about 100 leaves. A long description of Chester Cathedral.-Description of several hundreds in Cheshire-Account of the Earls of Chester-Copy of the charter of 21 Henry VII to the city of Chester-Deaths of the plague in Chester, between June 1647 and April 1648,particulars: total number of deaths, 2,099.

"Collectanea Devana", 2 vols., folio. (These are from various authors; a list of them is on p. 1.)

Vol. i, 330 pp. Collections for the City of Chester down to 1757. The Earls of Chester down to 1648. Part II begins at p. 123. It consists of fragments and lists and notes of Mayors, Sheriffs, etc. Vol. ii, pages 1 to 49, are occupied with the Sheriffs down to 1755, and additions down to 1802. A new paging (1 to 41), contains "a collection of certain passages and occurrences in the Civil War, began A.D. 1642, concerning Chester and other places, mostly within the distance of a day's journey from that city." It ends with a letter (6 pp.), dated Pulford, 17th March 1642, signed by Thomas Aston (the contents certified by ten other signatures) about the conduct of Aston in the affair of Middlewich. It is addressed to Earl Rivers and Viscounts Cholmondeley and Kilmurrey, and others. Quarto, paper, eighteenth century. "Villare Com. Cestri.", 342 pp., besides tables at the end. It is headed, “Dr. Williamson's Collections from Holme's MSS., with some additions and annotations." The names of places are in alphabetical order, one name to each page. The last date is 1701, when the book was compiled. (It is said to be "out of the library of Dr. William Cowper, of Chester.")

Folio, paper, eighteenth century. "Statuta Ecclesiæ Cathedralis, Cestr.", 54 pp., and one page of index to the Statutes. The Latin text is on one page, and an English translation on the opposite page.

A square folio, written A.D. 1764, 38 pp. An account of the siege of the City of Chester, 1645-begins, "1642, the war between the King and the Parliament being now begun, it was thought necessary to fortify Chester"; ends, with an account of the demolitions during the siege," to the full sum of £200,000."

A folio volume, bound, with the arms of Cholmondeley on the sides. It is lettered on the back "Dr. Williamson's Collection of Cheshire Evidences". MSS. by William Cowper, of Clutton, ludimagister.

A thin folio volume of 54 pp., contains official extracts (signed by J. Cayley, Keeper of Records), from ministers' accounts, 32 Henry VIII, for Vale Royal Abbey, preceded by extracts from Tanner's Notitia Monastica.

Folio, 212 leaves, preceded by a copious Index of Names. Extracts from Inquisitiones post mortem, for Cheshire, from 1 Henry VIII to 12 James I.

Folio, unbound, 62 pp. The antiquity of the most ancient and famous City of Chester, collected by the learned and experienced authors of great antiquity, being here born and

laboured much in this work in their times. And first of the names of the City of Chester, 1 Neomagus (11 in all)." Ends with a chapter on the antiquity of the Gabele Rent.

A paper-covered folio, wrongly labelled "A Visitation of Cheshire by Glover". It contains notices of the Antiquities of Chester: Foundation of the Abbey of Vale Royal: Abstracts of the Chronicles of the Earls of Chester: Extracts from Domesday and the Red Book of the Exchequer: Abstracts of Charters in Latin and English, with arms neatly tricked in the margins: Gentlemen of Cheshire knighted by the Earl of Hertford at Leith: Pedigrees from Inquisitions and Charters: Names of persons disclaimed by Richard St. George, Norroy. Index of Names (1 pp. in 2 columns), 1613.

A quarto volume of about 80 leaves, History of Chester and lists of the Mayors and Sheriffs. It begins temp. Edward III, A.D. 1335.

A quarto volume, 31 leaves, deals with the Bishops, Earls, Mayors, and Sheriffs of Chester.

A quarto volume of 87 leaves, contains some collections relating to the Ecclesiastical affairs of Chester. The last date is 1422, at p. 87. It deals with Bishops, Prebendaries, Deans, and Archdeacons.

A quarto volume of 68 leaves seems to be a continuation of the last volume. The last 18 leaves contain an Account of the

Abbey of St. Werburgh.

A quarto volume contains Account of the Mayors and Sheriffs of Chester.

A quarto volume of 89 pp. contains Collections concerning the City of Chester, and ends with the death of Charles II.

Another quarto of only 6 leaves contains an account of the Streets of Chester.

A quarto volume contains a List of Gentlemen who appeared at Chester in the Grosvenor interest at the Election of George Johnson to be Mayor in 1732.

Bishop Lloyd's letter to Thomas Price of Llanfyllin, concerning Jeffery of Monmouth's history (12 pp., 4to.)

CHESTER.

1 Henry VIII. The award between John, Abbot of the Monastery of St. Werburg, and the Mayor and Citizens of the City of Chester, made anno 1 Henry VIII. This is an epitome, in 19 items, of the award. Following, in another hand, is a copy of Henry VIIth's charter to the city of Chester. (Sixteenth century, 3 pp.)

1 Henry VIII, August 7th. A full copy of the award, made

by Charles Booth, Sir William Uvedale, and George Bromley, three of the King's Commissioners, and Anthony Fitzherbert, Sergeant-at-Law, and William Rudall, the Queen's Attorney. (It is about St. Werburg's fair and other liberties, 8 pp.) Sixteenth century.

Memorandum that the 9th day of January, 31 Henry VIII, Raffe Wryne, then being Recorder of this citie, was made Clarke of the Pentice of the same citie, and the 5th day of October, 32 Henry VIII, the particular fees following were ordered to be paid unto him. And the same have ever since been challenged and received by the recorders of this city successively as incident to the office of recorder. And the Clarke of the Pentice, who by himself and his servants executed all the business, had notwithstanding noe part thereof. This is followed by list of fees on 4 pages. (Sixteenth century.)

Memoranda or notes referring to the privileges of the Mayor and Citizens of Chester, and the Encroachments of the Dean and Chapter. And notes of passages in two of the Dean's Sermons, in which he attacked the Mayor (14 pp., sixteenth century).

1569, May 14, from the Court R. (Earl of) Leycester to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley, V. P. of Wales; Sir John Throckmorton, Justice of Chester; William Gerrard and Richard Pates, Esqrs., requesting them to repaire to the City of Chester for trial, whether the same were decayed or not, and the cause of such decay. (Contemporary copy.)

1602, May 26.-Court at Greenwich. Copy of Council Letter to the Mayor of Chester, and the rest of the Commissioners, for viewing of the souldiers at that port; about the raising and keeping together soldiers and their embarkation from Liverpool [to Ireland].

1607, April 7.-Attested cotemporary copy of award in a dispute between the Mayor and Citizens of Chester on the one part; and Peter Sharpe, B.D., and Roger Ravenscroft, M.A., prebendaries of the Cathedral Church of Chester, on behalf of the Dean and Chapter, of the other part. The Mayor and Citizens were to be at liberty to pass and repass through the great west door of the church at the time of any funeral or attendance upon any corpse to be buried in the said church; and as often as the Mayor repaired to the church to hear divine service or sermon, or upon any just occasion, he was to be at liberty to have the sword of the city borne before him with the point upwards.

137

CARTULARIUM PRIORATUS S. JOHANNIS EVANG. DE BRECON.

(Continued from p. 49.)

Peter, Bishop of St. David's, gives to the Church of St. John and monks of Brecon the Church of Llanddewi y Cwm, in Builth, with a saving of episcopal authority:

"Prima Carta Petri1 Menevensis Episcopi.-Petrus Dei gratia Menevensis Episcopus omnibus Archidiaconis suis Decanis personis et vicarijs et universis fidelibus sancte ecclesie salutem gratiam et benedictionem Noverit universitas vestra me dedisse et concessisse et hac carta mea et episcopali auctoritate confirmasse Deo et Sancto Johanni et monachis de Brechonia in perpetuam elemosinam ecclesiam Sancti Davidis de Cun in Buelt cum omnibus pertinentijs suis salva dignitate Episcopali et consuetudine Testibus hijs Ricardo abbate de alba landa,2 Ricardo, Simone et Roberto canonicis de Sancto Davide, Johanne capellano Episcopi, Magistro Rogero, Waltero clerico Episcopi, David Decano de Brechonia, David Presbitero, et multis alijs.'

Peter, Bishop of St. David's, at the instance of the Prior, confirms the donations of Bernard Newmarch, Roger Earl of Hereford and his brothers, and of William de Braose and their followers, in the district of Brecon or Builth, or elsewhere in the diocese :

"Secunda Carta Petri Menevensis Episcopi.-Petrus dei gratia Menevensis Episcopus omnibus Sancte matris ecclesie filijs ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit salutem in domino Quoniam justis petitionibus justum tenemur prebere assensum ideo dignum videtur nobis ad instanciam et petitionem karissimorum filiorum nostrorum prioris et monachorum de Brechonia eis auctoritate qua fungimur confirmare omnes donationes elemosinarum que Deo et ecclesie Sancti Johannis de Brechonia et supra memoratis monachis ibidem Deo servientibus a patronis predicte ecclesie scilicet Bernardo de Novo Mercato et Rogero Comite Herefordiensi et fratribus suis Waltero, Henrico et Willelmo de Braiosa domino de Brechonia et sepedicte ecclesie patrono pijssimo sive hominibus eorum seu a ceteris fidelibus caritatis intuitu collate sunt canonice vel in posterum conferentur in provincia de Brechonia sive de Buelth vel alibi in tota 2 Whitland.

1 Peter de Leia, 1176-98. 4TH SER., VOL. XIV.

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