Poor collection (1586)

Post date: Mar 10, 2018 11:26:37 AM

W.A. Bolt in his Supplement to "Wateringbury in the Past" (dated 1972; copy held in WLHS library) has a copy of a document held in Kent archives (ref P/385/11/15) dated at the top left as "Wateringburye Anno Domini 1586" . The paper is entitled "A collection for the poore made the 22nd daye of September the yeare aforesaide untill midsomm next comynye."

Bolt's analysis is reproduced below:

The list of donors is headed by the new Lord of the Manor, George Delahay, (here spelt "haie"), who this year had inherited the estate following the death of his father Nevell. The gifts are of woollens and/or money. Six donors arrange to contribute quarterly. This particular collection has been supervised by the Clerk in a most meticulous manner. At the bottom left he has inserted the names of the two collectors: Thomas Moyse and Thomas Drewe. He has then added :-

Present at the Cesment making.

William Cod Thomas Covenary

Richard Barham Anthonie Underwood

William Underwood John Hopper

William Boothe Thomas Ellis

James Underwood William Chapman

This list is completed by the signature of John Goss who duly wrote:-Pd. to John Goss the 30th daye of July 1587.

The two witnesses to the document are Roger Twysden and Thomas Fane Kt. This Roger Twysden is not the famous Sir Roger of whom we read so much as he was not born until 1597. (He died in 1672). The name Roger was a recurring one in the various branches of the family for some 300 years.

There is a second similar document in Kent archives under the same reference but on this second one the date has faded but as the list is headed by George Delahay it is post 1586. It is captioned "A list for the collection of the yere from Sept. last untill Mydsomere next coming." The same collectors as for 1586 are staed on the top left of the document.