Colchester Waits
Waits or minstrels were recorded in 1379, 1384, and 1406; the first two were maintained by the borough. (fn. 67)
From: ‘Medieval Colchester: Townspeople’, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 9: The Borough of Colchester (1994), pp. 57-66.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=21974&strquery=waits .
Summary of mentions of payments to Musicians in Colchester Chaimberlain’s Accounts 1681- 1818
| 1681: | “Payd for 30 yds Blow Cloath for [Eleven?] Coats at 12d per yd comes to | 18-0-0 |
| Payd for 20 yds of Blow Cloath for 5 Cloaks for the Towns Musicke at 12d per yd comes to | 12-0-0 | |
| For 25 yds of Silver and Gold……” | ||
| (to be continued when I’ve got a copy made and got someone to decipher it! They bought another 2 yds of the same cloth later in the year “for the taylor” so I suspect he ran out.) |
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| 168[4?] | “To his musicians | 001-00-00″ |
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| 1699 | “To the musik att St Anns Fair by [Mr?] Mayor’s Order | -10-00″ |
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| 1704-05 | “Ringers on several occaisions | |
| Musick y like | 1-0-0″ | |
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| 1705-1723 | No accounts available | |
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| 1723-24 | “Paid the ringers on Miches* Day | -10-00″ |
| To Musick Same | -10-00″ | |
| “Paid the ringers on Fair Day | -10-00″ | |
| To Musick Same | -10-00″ | |
| Paid the ringers on Coronation Day | -12-00″ | |
| “To Musick Same | -5-4-00″ | |
| “Paid the ringers on 5th November | -10-00″ | |
| “To Musick Same | -10-00″ | |
| “To Musick on King’s Birth Day | -10-00″ | |
| “To Ringers | -10-00″ | |
| “To Musick on 5th August | -10-00″ | |
| “To Ringers | -10-00″ | |
| *Probably Michelmass as the accounts run from Michelmass of one year to the next and this is one of the first entries for the year | ||
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| 1724-25 | “Musick | -10-00″ |
| 4 identical entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
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| 1725-26 | “Musick | -10-00″ |
| 5 identical entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
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| 1726-27 | “Musick | -10-00″ |
| 5 identical entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
| “Drummers | -5-00″ | |
| 1 entry under the first Musick | ||
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| 1727-28 | “Musick | -10-00″ |
| 4 entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
| “Drummers | -5-00″ | |
| 2 entries under the Musick | ||
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| 1728-29 | “Musick | -10-00″ |
| 3 entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
| “Drummers | -5-00″ | |
| 2 entries under the Musick | ||
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| 1729-30 | “Musick | 1-00-00″ |
| “Musick | -10-00″ | |
| 3 entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
| “Drummers | -5-00″ | |
| 2 entries under the Musick | ||
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| 1730-31 | “Paid the Musick | -10-00″ |
| 3 entries, usually along with “Ringers” at the same rate | ||
| “Paid the Musick | -12-06″ | |
| “Paid the Musick | 1-00-00″ | |
| “Paid the Drummers | -5-00″ | |
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| 1731-32 | “Paid the Musick | -10-00″ |
| 6 entries | ||
| “Paid the Drummers | -5-00″ | |
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| 1733-1764 | No accounts available | |
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| 1764-65 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | -13-0″ |
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| 1765-66 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-11-6″ |
| “Paid for liquor for them at the Swan | -11-0″ | |
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| 1766-67 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-11-6″ |
| “Paid for liquor for the musick etc | -10-0″ | |
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| 1767-68 | “Paid the Musick | 1-1-0″ |
| “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-11-6″ | |
| “Paid for liquor for the musick etc | -14-0″ | |
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| 1768-69 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-16-0″ |
| “Paid for liquor for [them?] | -17-5″ | |
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| 1769-70 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-16-0″ |
| Paid for liquor for [them?] | -11-0″ | |
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| 1770-71 | “Paid the Musick and Drums | 1-13-6 |
| “Paid for liquor for the musick etc | -13-10″ | |
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The next available accounts are for 1798-1818 and contain no references to musicians. They do contain plenty of payments to watchmen for attending sessions and elections and in lieu of coats which are not present in the earlier records.
Elizabeth Gutteridge 5/9/07
1689, 20th February“This day , at the Moot-Hall, the Mayor, being attended by several Gentlemen, Aldermen and Common Council Men, Proclaimed their Majesties KING WILLIAM and QUEEN MARY, with great Solemnity, and Cheerful Acclamations, by the greatest numbers of People that was ever seen here: From thence they went, with the Town Musick playing before them, to the Dutch Bay Hall, where the KING and QUEEN were again Proclaimed, with loud and repeated Acclamations …” |
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From Alan Radford, 4th February 2020. I’ve just found the following quote on the Officers of the Borough of Colchester – I remember seeing another reference that in the 18th century Colchester hired its waits as and when requiredfrom the military rather than having a permanent establishment: J. H. Round, The Antiquary, 12: 225 (1885) WAITS – Their “liveries” figure in the Chamberlain’s Accounts. Oddly enough, “the foive waights” were still receiving their liveries and badges in 1654-5, under the Puritan domination. But they ceased to be municipal officers very shortly afterwards, “musicke” and “drums” being engaged and paid for as wanted. As late, however, as 1681, I find “for 20yds of Blew Cloath for 5 Cloaks for the “Towne Musicke” at 12sh. per yd. – £12.” |
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From Alan Radford, 16th June 2019. “Joseph Gibbs was born in the parish of St. Botolph, Colchester on 12th December 1698. He was the son of John Gibbs who was a member of the official waits maintained by Colchester Town.”Ref: www.rslade.co.uk/18th-century-music/composers/joseph-gibbs/ |