As quoted in Christopher Marsh’s book, “Music and Society in Early Modern England”
(Cambridge University Press, 2013. ISBN 1107610249, 9781107610248.)

SHREWSBURY

This reference is undated: Waits wore “orange tawnye” gowns.

1568: “comon travellers Every mornynge with theire instrumentes for that all artificers myght know the due owre for their famylye to go theire nessaris buisiness.”

1612: John Ludman and the other town waits entertained at Richard Harris’s house.

Early History of The Shrewsbury Waytes

EXTRACTS FROM SHREWSBURY ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1479.

Soluta pro liberata ministrallorum vocatorum Wayts, quilibet eorum.

Soluta pro conductu unius ministralli vocati Wayt a villa de Norhampton usque Salop.

Pro liberatura communium histrionum vocatorum le Wayts villae.

from Records of Early English Drama – Shropshire and other volumes

1435-6 Item solutum pro liberates trium Weytes ville & communitatis
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xx s.

1437-8 Item pro liberate Clamatoris & decorum Minstrallorum
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s. x d.

1438-9 Item Thome fforster pro liberate panni sex sessorum iiij li.
duorum histrionum vocatorum Waytes x s. & Clamatoris v s. Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts vj li. xv s.

1441-2 Item solutum Edwardo Bastard pro liberates Clamatoris &
Trium histrionum vocatorum Waytes quolibet capiente v s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xx s.

1442-3 Item solutum Edwardo Bastard pro liberate trium histrionum
Vacatorum Waytes quolibet capiente v s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1450-1 Item tribus Mynstrallis ville predictevocatis Waytes pro togis
suis empties pro honestate ville xv s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1458-9 Et in denarijs Solutis tribus Minstrallis vocatis Waytes pro
liberata predicta v s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1460-1 Et in denarijs Solutis pro duobus Minstrallis ville vocatis
Waytes pro liberata sua
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
x[v] s.
1460-1 Et solutum pro vna toga empta pro vno Minstrallo ville dicto
Le Waytes, pro honestate ville & solutum est ad manus
David Bagle Tayllor
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
v s.

1463-4 Et in denarijs solutis tribus Minstrallis vocatis Waytes et pro
Liberata eorum quolibet eorum capiente pro liberata predicta
v s. & solutum ad manus hugonis hoyser
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.
1463-4 Et in denarijs Solutis ade Goldesmyth pro factura circulorum
de la Scochyns histrionii ville vocatorum Waytes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xxxiij s.

1466-7 Et de xv s. solutis eidem Willelme pro liberata trium
Minstrallorum vocatorum Wates hoc anno
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1467-8 Et de xv s. solutis pro liberata trium histrionum siue
Minstrallorum vocatorum Waytes quilibet capiens pro
Liberata predicta v s. & solutum ad Manus Willelmii Sugdon
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.
1467-8 Et in denarijs Solutis tribus histrionibus vocatis siue
dictis Waytes de villa hoc anno pro quodam
regardo illis dato
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
v s.

1474-5 Et in denarijs solutis pro liberata trium Minstrallorum vocatorum
Waytes quilibet corum capiens pro liberata
predicta v s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1477-8 Et in denarijs solutis pro liberata trium Minstrallorum vocatorum
Waytes vis pro tribus togis & solutum ad manus
Ioannis selke predicta v s.Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1479-80 Et in denarijs solutis Willelmo Sugdon pro liberata
Minstrallorum vocatorum Waytes quilibet capiens [x s.] v s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1481-2 Et in denarijs solutis Ricardo Watur pro liberata trium
Minstrallorum vocatorum Waytes quolibet capiente pro
Liberata predicta v s. Summa
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1482-3 Et in denarijs solutis pro liberata trium histrionum
vocatorum Waytes quilibet eorum capiens pro liberata
predicta et solutum ad manus Ricardi Watur
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1483-4 Et in denarijs solutis Ricardo Watur pro liberata trium
histrionum vocatorum Waytes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xv s.

1486-7 Et in denarijs solutis pro tribus togis de Waytes ut pro liberata
sua hoc anno & solutum ad manus Thome Burghtonxv s.
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
1486-7 Et in denarijs solutis pro emendacione de le Skuchons
Minstrallorum vocatorum Waytes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xvj s.
1486-7 Et in denarijs solutis pro emendacione del Skochyns de Waytes
& solutum ad manus Thome Wyche
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xvj s.

1493-4 De xv s. tribus histrionibus vocatis le Waytes hoc anno
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts


1502-3 Et solutum in -od histrionum vocatorum le Waytes
Shrewsbury – Drapers’ Company Book
xx s.

1505-6 Memorandum quod die lune primo die mensis decembris
Anno regni regis henrici septimi xxjo Ricardus hynko tayler
& ……. Manuceperunt pro Willelmo Breese vno histrionum
ville vocato le Wayte pro le coler redeliberando quando
requisitus fuerit per balli uos pro tempore existentes quiquidem
coler ponderat quinque vncias et dimidiam partem vnius vncie
& sic deliberatus fuit in Scaccario & omnes colers recepti
fuerunt de histrionibus & custoditi in Scacc.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book

1508-9 …… Willelmo hethe, Willelmo fforce & Ioanni Eton histrionibus
ville Salopie …..
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book

1515-6 Et solutum pro liberata trium histrionum ville vocatorum Waytes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xxvj s.

1528-9 Also that the Baylieffs now being to call for the third color of
The waytes.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book

1536-7 They be aggreid that the waytes shalbe hyred for this yere
folowyng & to haue such lyverye as hertofore hath byn vsed &
acustomed and they to entre a thinvencion of the holy crosse.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book
1536-7 Et datum in Regardo tribus le waytes ville Salopie in primo
adventu
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xij d.

1537-8 Et solutum Rogero philipps goldsmyth pro Argento &
emendacione Colarum histrionum ville
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xiij s. iij d.
1537-8 Et solutum tribus le waytes ville pro stipendijs suis
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xx s.

1546-7 gevyn to the waytes of Salop in June Mr handley Mr Alsop
the Chamerley and others beying present
Ludlow – Baliffs’ and Chamberlain’s Accounts
xij s.

1549-50 Et solutum pro Tunicis Datis Le waytes huis ville Salopie
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xxij s. vj d.
1549-50 Item peyed to the wyettes of shorresbere
Chester – Cordwainers’ and Shoemakers’ Records
xij d.

1573-4 Paied to the waytes of Shresburie for plaienge aboute the Citie
everie moreninge as long as the Quenes grace was here
Gloucester – Chamberlains’ Accounts
xxvj s. viij d.

1574-5 Payde for the waittmens cottes at mr david lloydes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
xliiij s. xj d.

1575-6 Item for the waytmens coattes
Shrewsbury – Town payment claims
xiij s. iiij d.

1580-1 They be also agreed at this said Assemblie that there shalbe
geven to the wayte men newe coates of broad clothe of oringe
tawnye in Respecte of their paines takinge to playe every
morninge the gevinge of which coates is referred to master
bailliffes discrecion.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book


1607-8 Orders for the Corporation Waits: Five town Musicians
Appointed & they to have liveries & cognizances.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book

1608-9 paid for ye cottes for the waightes
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
iij li. xv s.
1608-9 delivered for ye Coates for the waightes the 29th November 1608
Shrewsbury – Town payment claims
iij li. xv s.
1608-9 by a Comon Halle of the burgies hit was agred that there shuld
begiven ye Cottes to the waightes.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book
1608-9 ffor the makynge of the Scuchinge & Chayne for the waytes
which wayes xij oz. Quarter at v s. the oz. iij li. xv d. & for the
makynge of the same xxx s. the wiche xxx s. the towne is to paye & Iohn Ludman is to paye iij li. j s. iij d.
Shrewsbury – Assembly Minute Book

1610-1 paid for the Lyveries of the waightes beadle & the marshalls
gowne
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
vij li. vj s.
1610-1 vij yeardes half of livery tawney cloth at x s. viij d. the yeard
gowne
Shrewsbury – Baliffs’ Accounts
iv li.

1616 Gyven to the Wayts of Shrewsbury the xxxth of March 1616
Coventry – Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book
ij s.
1616 Gyven to the Waytes of Shrewsbury
Coventry – Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book
ij s. vj d.

1633 Paid given to Preston waits ij s. vj d. to Shrewsbury
Coventry – Chamberlains’ and Wardens’ Account Book

From Alan Radford, 4th February 2020.

“A General History of Music”, Charles Burney (1789)

An informed listener’s opinion of a Shrewsbury Wait:

“I remember, very early in my musical life, to have heard one of the town waits, at Shrewsbury, vamp a base on all occasions, he being utterly unable to read any one that was written; and as my ears were seldom much offended by the dissonance, I suppose that, by habit, he contrived at least to begin and end in the right key, and was quick in pursuing accidental modulation.”


Number of Waits employed by Shrewsbury

Payment records for the Shrewsbury Waits and their equipment