paper for him, 5d.; red wax, 1d.; 2 pounds of soap for the abbot, 8d.; a pair of gloves for him, 2d.; another pair, 4d. In 1457 he made eighteen journeys, once to Middleham castle, to the Bishop of Exeter (Neville) 3s. ; another time to Bishopthorpe, on the same business, 11s. 5d.; to Topcliffe several times, to the Earl of Northumberland; for birds for the abbot, 6d. ; 25 skins of budge, 3s.; medicine at different times, 10s. 4d.; dyeing his scapulary, 2s. 6d. ; figs for him, 6d. ; parchment, 11d; medicine for him and the convent in a time of pestilence, 12s. ; partridges, 12d.; for making a ditch in the abbot's garden, 16d.; for white thread, 4d. ; for wine and pears for the abbot, 11d. ("In lycares domino abbati jd."); for fetching the abbot's staff, 1d.; journey to Woburn to the election of an abbot, £5 6s. 8d.; thence to Oxford, £1 17s. 9d.; thence to Meux abbey in Holderness, £1 8s. 9d.; thence to his manor of Wheldrake, 2s. 9d.; thence with brother Eseby to Fountains; 500 "sprotts" for the abbot, 4d.; and for fresh fish pro domino apud Scarbrough, iiijd. Stores purchased: a cart horse for the miller, 16s. 8d.; a boar from William Boon of Baldersby, 5s.; 44 loads of marl, 14s. 8d.; horse bread for Sir James Strangewayes's horses, 2d.; for 254 quarters and 2 bushels of wheat, £67 8s. 3d.; three quarters and three bushels of rye, 13s. 6d. 357 quarters, 2 bushels and 2 pecks of barley, £69 18s. 5d.; 187 quarters, 4 bushels, and 2 pecks of oats, £15 17s. 4d.; 4 quarters of peas, 19s.; 5 cwt. of iron, bought at York, of Thomas Armorer, 30s. 18 ploughshares of Wm. Raner, of Liversedge, 10s. 6d. ; a cart bought of Robert Tomson, of Ainderby, 16s.; for making 960 fagots at Marton, 6s. 4d.; for a saddle, 2s.; a pair of boots for Thomas Swinton (the prior) 20d.; cloth for a cape for him, 6s. ; a waggon bought of John Wharf, 30s. ; wheat bought of John Harrison, of Melmerby, 4 quarters 3 bushels, 21s. 9d.; of John Harryson, of Tanfield, 10 quarters for £3 16s. 8d.; of John Askwith, of Burton Leonard, 20 quarters for £6 13s. 4d.; of Thomas Farmery, of Dishforth, 2 quarters for 15s. 8d.; a horse for the abbot's stable, bought of Thomas Darnbrough, £2 6s. 8d.

;

Miscellaneous Expenses.-Expense of entertaining the Duke of York at Swanley Grange, by John, 1457: to Dan Henry Scruton, for fresh fish for the Duke of York, 2s. 8d.; to Richard Pickering for a pair of clavicords, in part payment, 2s.; to Robert Middilbrough for repairing the clock, 6d.; for a paper map of the world, 8d.; to a layman for cabbage and plants, xxd.; to John Ripley for making the great clock, in part; carrying pitch to Kilnsey-in-Craven from Fountains, 12d.; carts going

to Raley (co. Durham) for coals, 7s. 8d.; to a blind minstrel, 6d.; to the players of Topcliffe, 4d.; a servant of John de Markenfield bringing partridges, 2d.; to the minstrel of William de Plumpton, 8d.; to the boy bishop of Ripon, 3s.; to a fool from Byland, 4d.; players from Thirsk, 4d.; to the minstrel of the Earl of Northumberland, 8d.; to a story teller (fabulator) whose name was unknown, 6d. ; to the minstrels of Beverley, 16d.; the minstrels of Lord Arundell, 16d.; of Lord Beaumont; of Lord Fitzhugh; to a herald of Lord Northumberland, 3s. 4d.; to the king's minstrels, in part, 3s. 4d. ; to the fabulator or story teller of the Earl of Salisbury, 12d.; to the players of the Earl of Westmerland, 2d.; to the boy bishop of York, 6s. 8d.; to the king's messengers; the Archbishop of Canterbury's servant; Lord Clifford's servant; the servant of Agnes Sparth, of Ripon, bringing shell fish, 20d.; to the chaplain of Earl Dowglas, 12d.; to the players of Ripon, 2d.; to the Earl of Salisbury's secretary, 3s. 4d.; to a fool called Solomon (who came again) 4d.; divers bringing venison for the abbot, 10d.; to John Markenfield going to London, 6s. 8d.; to John Baldersby for a painted cloth, 2s. 9d.; John Folwood for repairs of the windows of the church, 10s. 8d.; in repair of the crown and (alıns) chest of St. Anne, ijd.; spent at the table of William Sparth, at Ripon, 3s. 6d.

The present volume, which is in indifferent condition and unbound, was only recognized to belong to this most valuable class of records a few years ago, and has never been used for any publication.

7. A Parchment Roll containing a schedule of the plate and vestments in the Abbey of Fountains at the time of its dissolution, together with an account of the live stock and stores of grain there; taken by Brian Higden, dean of York, and Edward, abbot of Rievaux. With the exception of the very interesting portion relating to the vestments, this record has not been printed, but that very inaccurately, in Burton's "Monasticon," from whence it has been transferred, with additional errors, to "Storer's Fountains."

8. A Paper Roll containing a survey of all the woods and timber trees belonging to the Abbey of Fountains, at the time of its Dissolution.

9.

Several leaves of Vellum, extracted from a Chartulary

(1) Printed in the Memorials of Fountains, Vol. I.

of Fountains now at Ripley Castle, and containing copies of fiftynine charters relating to Fountains, Hopperton, Horton, Ilkton, Ingerthorpe, and Ilkley.

10. A paper Book, being "The accompte of John Hall, clerke, recevo to Sr. Richarde Gresham, knight, maid the thirde day of Februarie, in the xxxvth yere of the reigne of our soveraigne lorde kinge Henrie the Eighth, of the arrerages, fines, rentes and debtes due to the said Sr Richarde Gresham, in the ffeastes of the Annunciation of our Ladie, ao regni regis Henrici Octavi xxxiiijto, and Saint Michael th' Archangell ao xxxvto regni prædicti for one hole yere endede at Michaelmas aforesaid, wth the areragies due in the feaste of Saint Michaell a° xxxiiijto regni prædicti and recevid in the monthes of May and Novembre ao xxxvto prædicto." This steward's account extends not only to the estates of Fountains, in the manors of Brimham, Bewerley, Markington, Aldburgh near Masham, Malton, Litton, Kilnesay, and Bordelay, but to other lands, formerly belonging to the monasteries of Swine and Nunkeeling in Holderness, and contains a valuable account of certain free rents and other payments made to the Lord of Fountains, of which there is no other evidence among these Records. Some of the out-payments are still very interesting, and give a glimpse of what was passing after the dissolution of the house. Thus there are payments for conveying the lead stripped from the abbey to Boroughbridge, thence to York "towards Hull;" and for the purchase and smelting of lead on Greenhow moor, shewing that Gresham turned those old mines of the abbey to account; payments for the leading the roof of the Manor House at Brimham; respecting a suit at the assizes at York with the Knaresbrough Forest men, and other legal expenses, among which we find, "Geven to Mr. Beckwith for writinge the court rolles and estreates vs., and for making an indictement for him that stole the leade at fountance, viijd. From another entry it would seem that the Manor Courts were kept, still, in a style of which very definite traces remained at Fountains almost within living memory, when the assembly lasted for a week. "For our expenses in Craven with Marmaduke Bekwith, Myles Hardcastell, Henrye Buck, Laurance Bucke, Rafe Frere, William Wright, Roger Bayn, with other xij. persons, when we kepte the courtes ther, and huntide from the xth of Auguste to the xiiijth day of the same monthe, xxx viijd.' Another interesting paragraph is headed "White kairsey for my Mr. is men yt shulde have gone to the Borders," and runs as follows:

66

Item, bought at Rippon the xxvth day of Auguste, vxxxiij yardes white clothe, vl. xiiijs. iijd., and geven to him yt brought the same to Brymbem ijd., and for a taylor of Rippon and his men is deners at Brymbem vjd., vl. xvs., and for my expenses when I bought the clothe viijd, and for two yerdes reade clothe ijs. viijd., and to a taylor for mayking fouretie cotes, vjs. viijd.; and for him and his servantes 10 mons when the cottes were in maykinge iiijs., and for whit threde xd., and for blacke threde 2d.""

"Summa totall of the arreragies, fines, and rentes of Fountance, with th' arrerages in festo Michaelis a° 34to regni prædicti £764 9s. 11d." "Summa totall of the arreragies of Fountance is £7 3s. 4d."

11. A Schedule of the Charters, Court Rolls, and other Records delivered by the officers of the Crown to Sir R. Gresham's steward. On one large skin of parchment.

12. A Voluminous and Modern Office Copy of the Letters Patent of King Henry the Eighth, dated 1st of October, 1540, whereby he conveys to Sir Richard Gresham the scite of the Abbey of Fountains, with all the franchises and privileges of the late abbot and convent, and many of its estates, together with lands late belonging to the dissolved monastery of Swine and Nunkeeling in Holderness. The original sealed letters patent had been abstracted from the title deeds of the estate upwards of a century ago, for Mr. Messenger notes on a scrap of paper inserted in the President Book, that they were then in the possession of Mr. Thornton, of Cattal, near Knaresbrough. His papers can still be traced.

13. The Original Sealed Letters Patent of King James the First, dated 21 June, An. reg. 2 do., whereby he confirmed to Sir Stephen Proctor, his heirs and assigns, all the privileges and franchises of the late dissolved monastery of Fountains.

14. Several large bundles of Deeds and Papers, partially arranged, forming the title to the site of the Abbey and several of its estates, from the time of Sir Richard Gresham, the Crown grantee, and containing also the foundations of the title to many other estates dismembered and sold off by successive proprietors of Fountains.

15. Several Volumes of the Court Rolls of the Liberty of S. Mary of Fountains and Manor of Markington, extending over about two hundred years to the present time, and the Records of the dormant Court of Pleas for the recovery of Debts within the Liberty of Fountains.

Gough, in his "British Topography," Vol. 2, p. 416, says: "The Registers of several Priories are in the hands of those of who possess the scites; but none can show so completean assemblage of their Records as Fountains Abbey, itself the compleatest religious house in the county, in the possession of the late Mr. Messenger, whose venerable seat in such a neighbourhood cannot be visited by antiquaries without envious reverence. His son sold it, 1768, to Wm. Aislabie, of Studley, Esq., who now has all the records." There are, unfortunately, reasons for doubting the latter statement, persons with whom I have conversed having seen several volumes of ancient MSS. at Cayton Grange, where Mr. Messenger resided, long after the sale of the abbey, and were told that they had belonged to Fountains. The relatives of Mr. Messenger have been applied to on the subject, but without eliciting any direct information.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

A large Folio Volume, on vellum, containing full-length copies of Charters and other Instruments relating to lands granted to the abbey, and arranged under the alphabetical heads of manors or estates. This being the first volume of the series, comprehends the letters A to C, and contains a great number of important deeds relating to Aldfield and Baldersby.1 The second volume is at Ripley Castle.

This MS. is entitled "Registrum Chartarum Monasterii Sanctæ Mariæ de Fontibus in Comitatu Eboracensi," and is the Cotton MS. Tiberius C. xii. It has recently been inlaid and magnificently bound in Russia.

Cott. MS. Julius C. 2. "Extracts from the Registers of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, relating to its foundation and other matters belonging thereto." pages.

(1) A transcript of this important volume is among the Walbran MSS.