| Description | The Treasurers were ordered to pay Peter Edwards for silver badges which he had provided for the City's Waits.
Francis Skellerne and Robert Hewett were appointed auditors to take the accounts of the former Sheriffs and Constables for the money charged for the repair of the Eastgate, mending of the highways, provision of buckets and ladders, and cleansing of the streets. They were to report to the next Assembly.
It was ordered that all benches or show boards in the rows or streets should be made with hinges so that they could be folded up at night in order to prevent any hurt to persons travelling the rows and streets.
Persons who had been Mayors within the last three years were to account to William Crompton and Richard Byrd, Aldermen and Justices, for all sums they had received from persons for retailing ale or beer without licence, for keeping disorderly houses or for other offences. The Auditors were to report to the next Assembly.
Roger Maddocke, who had lately had the freedom of the City freely bestowed upon him, was disfranchised for refusing to come to the Mayor when sent for, and for misbehaving himself in the presence of the Mayor.
(ZA/B/2/176v) It was ordered that every one elected Sheriff before being Leavelooker should pay 20 marks.
It was ordered that every one who had been Mayor since the King's restoration and who had not observed the Christmas watch should pay £10; and that every one who had been Sheriff within the same time and had not observed it should pay 40s.
Letters were to be sent to Richard Dutton and Richard Savage, Aldermen, and to Valentine Short, Councilman, summoning them to come and dwell within the City before Michaelmas or else to surrender their offices.
Richard Tedder, servant to the late Bishop of Chester, was to be admitted to the freedom on payment of £5 within a week.
Martha Ashton, widow of Thomas Ashton, lately one of the Sheriffs, stated that she was sued in the Portmote Court as executrix of her husband by Elnathan Rowlandson, who alleged that her husband had promised to pay him for drawing the King's arms, a picture of Justice and a picture of Prudence, intended to be set up in the Portmote Court. She prayed that the suit might be made a City cause. It was agreed that the Treasurers should pay £5 towards the said arms and pictures, which they should have to set up in the Court.
It was decided that Thomas Evans, gentleman, might have a lease for three lives or twenty-one years of a void piece of ground contiguous to the Water Tower at the yearly rent of 3s: 4d. He intended to erect there an engine for horses to draw up water to the water-works in the summer time.
Thomas Barnes was to have a lease for three lives or for twenty-one years of a void piece of ground adjoining Thomas Handcockes. |