Excerpts from The Malone Society Collections Volume XI, Records of Plays and Players in Norfolk and Suffolk 1330-1642.
Collected and transcribed by David Galloway and John Wasson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980.
By kind permission of The Malone Society www.sbu.ac.uk/malone/
Norfolk
Great Yarmouth
Norfolk Record Office
Except for two entries, one in the Assembly Books and another in the Liber Ordinum, which tell us something of their municipal duties, I have not included entries on the waits, of which there are literally hundreds in the Yarmouth records – especially in the Audit Books, the Assembly Books, and the Churchwardens’ Accounts. These entries are repetitive, and consist mainly of rents of waits’ houses and payments for liveries and wages. One wait, William Manning, moonlighted as a town mole-catcher, and the Churchwardens’ Accounts show that, between 1575 and 1589, he caught over eight hundred moles, for which he was paid a penny apiece.
1576/7 (31 August 1577)
[C19/3, fol. 184v] waytes service
Also it is agreid yat from hensforthe the waytes shall begyn ther Seruice at the natyvitie of our ladye and shall ende ther Seruice at our ladye in lente and yat soche as will not pay them ther wages shalbe comytted to preson by mr bayliffe
1598
[LO, C18/3, fol. 154v] Waytes wages & office./
That the waytes shall have ther accustomed wages of iiijli yerely, & euery of them a marke 13s 4d euery yere towards ther lyueryes & of euery one of the xxiiijties ijs viijd. And of euery of the xlviijties xvid. as heretofore itt hath bene payd. And that all the Commonors & Inhabitants shalbe rated by the Aldermen in ther seuerall wardes, to contribute towards the amendement of ther wages by the discrecion of the Alderman the Constable & such of the xlviijties as they shall choose. Provided they doe ther service as before & euery second yere make them newe lyueryes, And euery sondaye in Sommertyme playe with ther wholl Companye vpon the Leades at the Towne howse./
Hickling
Hickling Priory Household accounts
Bodleian Library, Tanner 194
1517/18
|
[fol. 107] fforincece Soluciones Et Expenciones Cum Donis Date et Expence |
|
|
[fol. 107v] Item le berward domini rege duodecimo die nouembre |
ijs viijd. |
|
Item regijs histrionibus vocate waytes |
xxd. |
Hunstanton
L’Estrange Family Accounts
Norfolk Record Office
1578 (24 December)
|
[Add. MS 27449] (Accounts of Mr Hamon L’Estrange) |
|
|
[fol. 8o] fforaine paimentes since the xixth daye of December |
ijs vjd |
1606
[P/6] (Accounts of Sir Hamon and Lady Alice L’Estrange)
|
Julij 29o |
Item which I gaue to the musitians of Yarmouth |
2 |
– |
1612
|
May 14 |
to yarmouth Waytes |
2 |
6 |
1613
|
february 2 |
to the Waytes |
2 |
1613
[P/7, fol. 2] (Accounts of Lady Alice L’Estrange)
|
December 26 |
to Linne Waytes |
6s |
1616
|
[fol. 32v] October 18 |
giuen to Linne Waytes |
5 |
1617
|
[fol. 36] febru 9 |
to Newmarkett Waites |
5 |
|
|
[fol. 41v] Sept. 8 |
to Hadley Waytes |
4 |
1620
|
[fo1. 77v] Decem. 8 |
giuen to Linn Waytes |
1 |
1621
|
[fol. 93v] December 28 |
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
1 |
1622
|
[fol. 99v] [May] |
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
5 |
|
|
[fol. 105] December 26 |
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
5 |
1623
|
[fol. 120] December |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
5 |
1624
|
[fol. 133] October |
to Linne Waites |
4 |
1625
|
[fol. 138] May 16 |
to Newe Markett Waites |
5 |
1627
|
[fol. 163v] [Ianuary] |
to Newmarkett Waites |
8 |
|
|
[fol. 177] December 8 |
to New Markett Waytes |
6 |
1628
(between 25 March and 29 September, at Newmarket)
|
[fol. 194v] |
giuen to the Waytes there |
2 |
1629
|
[fol. 205v] February 16 |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
5 |
|
|
[fol. 211] Iune |
toYarmouth Waytes |
6 |
1630
(at Norwich)
|
[fol. 225] Iuly 10 |
giuen to the Waites |
6 |
(at Hunstanton)
|
[fol. 227v] luly |
giuen to New Markett Waytes |
4 |
(at London)
|
[fol. 229] [September] |
to the Waites |
1 |
1631
|
[fol. 236] February |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
4 |
(at Hunstanton)
|
[p. 24] at Christmas |
to Newe Markett Waites |
4 |
1632
(between 21 August and 29 September)
|
[p. 38] |
to the Towne Waites at Linne |
4 |
|
|
|
to Linne Waytes |
4 |
1633
|
[p. 52] Ianuary 25 |
to Newmarkett Waites |
4 |
1634
|
[p. 75] Ianuary 3 |
to Fakenham Musick |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1635
|
[p. 98] Aprill |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
4 |
(after 9 November)
|
[p. 112] |
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
4 |
1636
|
[p. 128] Decem 14 |
giuen to Linne Waytes |
4 |
|
|
|
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
5 |
1637
(at Hunstanton, February or March.)
|
[p. 150] December 6 |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
4 |
1638
|
[p. 157] May 10 |
to Newmarkett Waytes |
3 |
|
|
[p. 171] De[ce]mber |
giuen to Newmarkett Waytes |
4 |
1639
|
[p. 172] Ian 10 |
to Linne Weytes |
6 |
(at London, after 22 January)
|
[p. 188] August |
to Newmarkett Musitians |
5 |
Stiffkey
ledger-book of the Townshend Family
Huntington Library, San Marino, California, MS HM 26559
1634(29 December)
|
To ffive Trumpeters which Cam from Norwich, (by Command from |
.vs. |
Swaffham
Churchwarden’s accounts
Norfolk Record Office
1562/3
|
[fol. 185v] Item payd to Nycholas selond1 for his quart’ emollument at Myd- |
xvs |
|
Item payd to ye sayd nycholas for hys lyveryecote pryce |
vjs viijd |
1 Nicholas Selond was apparently town wait at an annual salary of �3: entries relating to his livery and to quarterly or yearly payment of his wages recur until 1567/8 (on fols. 189v, 190, 192v, 194v, 196v, and 199v).
Thetford
Register of Thetford Priory,Manuscript 1483-1540
Cambridge University Library, Add. MS 6969
1497/8
|
[fol. 18v] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte de Norwici. |
xvjd |
1503/4
|
[fol. 58v] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte |
xijd |
1504/5
|
[fol. 65] Item sol’ in regard to the Wayte |
xijd > |
1506/7
|
[fol. 77] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte |
xijd |
1508/9
|
[fol. 89v] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte |
xijd |
1509/10
|
[fol. 94] Item sol’ in regard to the Wayte of Norwych |
xvjd |
1510/11
|
[fol. 99] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte of Norwych |
xvjd |
1511/12
|
[fol. 104] Item sol’ to the wayte of Norwych xvjd And an other viijd |
summa ijs |
1512/13
|
[fol. 109] Item sol’ in regard to the wayte of Norwich |
viijd |
1519/20
|
[fol. 141] Item sol’ le weytys de Colchestyr |
xvjd |
1526/7
|
[fol. 196v] Item sol’ to the waytes of lynn |
xijd |
1533/4
|
[fol. 244] Item sol’ the wayte of Hulle |
xijd |
1537/8
|
[fol. 273] Item sol’ le weyte of bury |
xijd |
Wymondham
Records of the Guild of All Saints
(copy at Norfolk Record Office)
1504/5
[fol. 5] Item ijd solut’ to ye wayte for a reward
1518/19
[fol. 19] Item payd viijd to ye wayte in reward
1519/20
[fol. 20] Item payd viijd to the wayte of the Town
1520/1
[fol. 21] Item viijd to the wayte for his labor
1522/3
[fol. 23v] Item paid iiijd to the wayte of the town
1523/4
[fol. 24v] Item pd viijd to the wayte for a reward
1524/5
|
[fol. 25v] Item pd to ye wayte |
iiijd |
1526/7
[fol. 28v]Item payd iiijd to the wayt
1527/8
[fol. 29] Item paid iiijd to the wayte
1528/9
[fol. 30v] Item pd iiijd In reward to the wayte
1529/30
[fol. 31v] Item solut’ iiijd dat’ Iohanni Dewe wayt mercede
1530/1
[fol. 32v] Item sol’ iiijd dat’ Iohanni Dewe in mercede
1531/2
[fol. 34v] Item sol’ iiijd Iohn Dewe in mercede
1532/3
[fol. 35] Item paid iiijd to Iohn Dew in reward
Suffolk
Bungay
priory account rolls, Phillips MSS, Earl of Iveagh, Elveden Hall.
1444/5
|
[Phillipps 156, it. 13] (Bungay Priory Compotus Roll) Dona Data Et dat’ cuidam |
iiijd |
Hengrave.
Hengrave Hall MSS, University Library, Cambridge.
1544
|
[fol. 186v: Tuesday, I February] (Coleman Street) |
o.ijs |
1574
|
Ianuary Rewarde [fol. 109] |
xxs |
Ipswich.
Excerpt from the introduction to the Malone Society’s section on the town:
While I have tried to document the drama and the Corpus Christi pageants completely from their beginnings, I have spared the reader the many orders in the court books concerning the town waits and their duties. These tend to be redundant (expenditures for livery and the like). The first waits were appointed in Ipswich in 1538, and references to them continue as late as 1613; between 1576 and 1598, the entries are especially numerous. The interested scholar may find summaries of these in Nathaniell Bacon, Annalls of Ipswche (1654), printed in 1884 by S. H. Cowell, Ipswich.
Newmarket
Below is almost the Malone Society’s entire entry for Newmarket:
(together with the ‘old market’, Exning) early had borough status and before the draining of the fens was an important crossroads town. Travellers to Cambridge and London out of Norfolk regularly stayed over at Newmarket. judging by its early fame for horse-racing, its city waits, and its minstrels, who travelled at least as far as Hunstanton, it must also have been a centre of dramatic activity. But its early records have vanished, and only the accounts from other towns tell us that entertainment flourished at Newmarket.
Walberswick
Church Wardens’accounts, Ipswich & East Suffolk Record Office (FC 185/EI/I)
1496
|
[fol. 126] Item Rs of the Wayte for the hows |
iiijd |
1497
|
[fol. 129] Item payd to the wayte a Reward |
ijs |