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.”

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Number of Waits employed by Shrewsbury

Payment records for the Shrewsbury Waits and their equipment