Records of Ripon Waits

1609 Ripon Corporation Minute Books February.(2 entries) Fine on Joseph Burton one of the 6 assessors raising money for the waits from the city, for non-compliance March. Fine on Thomas Blackbourne for the same offence. 1610 Ripon Corporation Minute Books April. Action on the other assessors who failed to raise money for the waits including not assessing themselves and refused to pay a fine. (2nd page missing) 1611 Ripon Corporation Minute Books October. It is agreed upon as aforesaid that Robert Snawe and Henry Snawe his son shall be the town waits for this year following & conditionally they be content to take such paye for their paynes as the townsmen will bestow on them voluntarily. 1612-1613 Howard of Naworth Household books 1. DDPD: Howard C706
f 21 v (25 March) to the waites of Rippon	ijs vjd
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1618 Ripon Corporation Minute Books January (3 unreadable names ) are licensed to be the waites of this corporation & to be freemen so as they enter bound with sureties that they, their wives or children shall not be chargeable to the town.
1618-1619 Carlisle, Chamberlains’Accounts CCRO: CA/4/1
f [64] Item to ye wates of Rippon	ijs. vjd
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1619-1620 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2
F[83] Item to ye waits of Rippon	ijs vjd
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1620-1621 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2
(Disbursements) f [93] item giun to the waites of Rippin at Mr Maior command	xviijd
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1621-1622 Howard of Naworth Household books 10 DDPD: Howard C 706
f 31v (6 April) to iij waytes of Rippon	ijs
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1621-1622 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CA/4/2 (Disbursements)
May f[98] item to ye wates of Rippon	xviijd
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1624-1625 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2
f [118v] 11 Jan -22 March Item to the waitts of Rippon at Mr Maior command	00 01 04
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1626-1627 Household Accounts of Thomas Walmesley 7 LRO: DDPt 1
[13] February Item given the wates of Ripon the same daie	xijd
(from REED: Lancashire)
1626-1627 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2 (disbursements)
f [129]8 Feb – 3 May Item given to the waitts of Ripon at Mr Maior command	0 – 1 – 0
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1627-1628 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2 (disbursements)
F [137]* Item given the 10th March to ye waitts of Rippon	0. 01 – 6
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1628-1629 Household Accounts of Thomas Walmesley 9 LRO: DDPt 1
f [13v] (February – March) Item given the wates of Ripon the same day	xijd
(from REED: Lancashire)
1629-1630 Household Accounts of Thomas Walmesley 10 LRO: DDPt 1
f [27v]* (15 February) (kitchen provisions) given to the waytes of Rypponn the xvth of ffebruarie by my Maysters appointment	xijd
(from REED: Lancashire)
1631 Coventry, Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book 11 CRO: A7 (b)
paid given to the waits of Rippon in Yorkshire the 17th of May last	ijs
(from REED: Coventry)
1633 Coventry, Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book 11 CRO: A 7 (b) p. 878 (4 December) (Wardens) Paid ijs vjd to Rippon waites ijs to Halifax waites (from REED: Coventry)
1634 Coventry, Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book 11 CRO: A 7 (b)
pp. 894 – 5 (3 December) (Wardens) paid given to the waites of Rippon	js
(from REED: Coventry)
1636-1637 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2 f [170]* (John Nicolson’s Disbursements, 2nd quarter)
6 Feb-23 March Item given to the waitts of Rippon at Mr Maior command	00. 02 06
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1636-1637 Household Accounts of Thomas Walmesley 16 LRO: DDPt 1
f [19](September) giuen the waytes of Ripon	xijd
(from REED: Lancashire)
1638-1639 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA/4/2
f [184v] (Disbursements, 3rd quarter) to the waites of Rippon Aprill 10th	0 – 1 – 0
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1639-1640 Carlisle, Chamberlains’ Accounts CCRO: CA /4/2
f [193] (Disbursements, third quarter) Item 20 Aprill giiuen to the waites of Rippon by the command of Mr Major	00-01-00
(from REED: Cumberland, Westmorland, Gloucestershire)
1667 Ripon Corporation Minute Books
February. To alderman Catton for ye waites and bellman’s coats	1 12 00
1668 Ripon Corporation Minute Books
March. For 2 red coats for ye waits	01-00-00
1670 Ripon Corporation Minute Books
For the waites coats	01-03-08

10 Jun 2017: Hi Al, Guy Crayford (one of my first Colcehster Waits) has sent me this for the IGTP site. Lizzie Gutteridge.

I don’t know whether you know of this reference to “wakemen” 10th June 1600: Ripon Yarns. The town book of Ripon corrected and amended, by general consent of Hen. Singleton, now wakeman, and the most part of the aldermen.” Whereas the office of wakeman, for maintaining order and suppressing outrages in the town, has existed since before the Conquest, and any dispute between him and the aldermen has been settled by the Archbishop of York or his high steward, for avoidance of law; there have risen of late disputes about the office, and those elected to it have refused to stand, or else to pay their fines; also many controversies have arisen because the number of the aldermen, being unlimited, has grown excessive, and many aldermen are insufficient for the duty, from age or poverty; therefore Sir Wm. Mallory, high steward, at suit of Hen. Singleton and 29 of his brethren, by warrant of Matthew Archbishop of York, has twice been to the town house or tolbooth, to establish order in the town. On 13 April 1598, it was proposed, and confirmed June 10, that the orders in the book as now altered—in reference to reducing the superfluous number of aldermen, limiting the electing the chief officer from that number, and deposing insufficient persons, with power to the wakeman and his breathren to increase or diminish the same as they may judge expedient—be henceworth observed. Signed by the Archbishop of York and Sir Wm. Mallory. With note of such of the 70 orders in the book as were altered on this occasion; also that there is an order to prohibit the admission of strangers into the town, without licence of the Archbishop; and another to oblige the magistracy of the town to accompany the Archbishop’s high steward in riding the fairs. With other orders of advantage to the Archbishop.

Pamela Radford