10 s. xii. SEPT. 18, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 223
Michaelmas, and that each year bore the date of its commencement. Thus the year beginning Michaelmas, 1561, and ending Michaelmas, 1562, is called 1561 throughout, though the year had really been 1562 since March.
1561, November. Item, paid to Mr. Maior that he gave to two Skottes minstrilles in rewarde, 2s.
1561, Decembere. Item, paid mor to Mr. Maior that he gave to two mynstrylles on Saint Thomas' daye, 2s.
1561, February. Item, paid to Mayster Maior for that he gave to Sir Henry Persy mynstrilles in rewarde, 6s. Item, paid more geven in rewarde to the Wayttes of Ledes, 4s.
1561, March. Item, paid by Mr. Maior to the wayttes of Thriske [Thirsk], given them in rewarde, 3s. Item, paid mor geven in rewarde to the wayttes of Carlell, 3s. Item, paid mor geven in rewarde to the wayttes of Darnton [Darlington], 3s. Item, paid in rewarde to the Skottes mynstrelles, 2s.
1561, June. Item, paid to an Yryshe mynstrell, as appeareth by Mr. Maior's bill, 12d. Item, geving to the wattys of Cockeremouthe in rewarde, 3s.
1561, July. Item, paid to the Dowtches of Sowffolk's players, by Mr. Maior's comandement, 20s.
1561, Septembere. Item, paid for drinke in the Marchant Court to the Dutches of Suffolke players, 12d.
1562, Octobre. Item, paid in reward to my Lord Montaglis berwarde [Monteagle's bearward], 6s. 8d.
1563, July. Item, paid that was geven in reward to my Lord of Bedfurthe's players by Mr. Maior and his brethren, 20s.
1565, Decembere. Item, paid to my Lord of Worsyturs plairs, for playinge in the Marchant Court, at the commandement of Mr. Maior and his bretheringe, 20s.
1565[?6], Octobar. Item, paid to Mr. Maior for that he gave in rewarde to jesters and mynstrilles for this yeare [1565], as apperythe by the bucke of orders, 5l.
1566, June. Item, paide to a player for playinge with a hobie horse in the Firthe, before Mr. Mayor and his brethren, 3s. 4d.
1567, Januarye. Item, geven in rewarde to the players of Durham at Mr. Mairs comandment, 3l. Item, paid for four lynkes to the plaie, 2s. Item, paid for a quarte of wyne to the plaers, 4d. Item, paid for three laid [loads] of colles for fyer to the plaers, 12d.
(Accounts for several years missing.)
1576, September. Geven in rewarde by Mr. Maior to my Lord of Leycester's players, 50s. Geven in rewarde by Mr. Maior to him that had the lyon, 10s.
1590, October. Geven in rewarde to the Earle of Hardforthe's players, 40s. Geven in rewarde to the Earl of Worcester's pleyers, 30s.
1593, May. Geven in rewarde to my Lord Admirall's plaiers and my Lord Morleis plaiers, being all in one companye, 30s.
1593, June. Paide in rewarde to Mr. Brucke for a plaie, & other snortes to him and his brethren plaied—commanded by Mr. Maior to be paid, 10s.
1593, September. Paide and geven in reward to the Erie of Sussessx plaiers, 40s. Paide to the Erle of Sussessx plaiers in full paymerite of 3l. for playing a free play, commanded by Mr. Maiore, 20s,
1593, October. Given in reward to my Lorde Darcies players, 20s.
1599, April. Paide whiche was given to my lorde Staffordes players commanded by Mr. Maior, 20s.
1607, Feb. Payd which was given to a tumbler for tumling before Mr. Maior and his brethren, 4s.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
HURSLEY PARISH REGISTERS.
These registers cannot fail to be of interest both to the historian and genealogist, for they contain much relating to the Major and Cromwell families that has hitherto been unrecorded in the pedigrees of those families. The baptisms, marriages, and burials are all jumbled together in the earliest volume, the first entry being the baptism of "John ye sonne of John Spicer on the 6th of January, 1599." The earliest pages are in English, but on p. 3 (1601) the entries are written in very illegible Latin. According to the Rev. William Marsh's list of the vicars of Hursley, the parish was served from 1581 to 1616 by William Symmonds, who died in the latter year; but on 17 April, 1609, "Henricus Rowe, clericus," appears among the burials.
Richard Major of Southampton purchased the manor of Merdon (which is Hursley) in 1638. He was son of John Major, otherwise Maior, a shipowner of the port of Southampton, and frequently mentioned in the Court Leet records of that town. John was Sheriff in 1598, Mayor in 1600 and 1615, and M.P. in 3 Charles I. In his will, dated 20 Feb., 1629, he left 200l. for a hospital and workhouse for Southampton.
Richard Major married Anne, daughter of John Kings well of Marvel in the Isle of Wight, and by her was father of Dorothy Major, born in 1626, and of Anne, born in 1631. According to Mr. B. W. Greenfield's pedigree of the Majors, Richard had three sisters, married to Wulfris (Wolf?), Wolgar, and Lavington. Both Wolf and Lavington are well-known Hursley names. There was also another sister, Jane Major, who married John Barton of Southampton, and was mother of Jane Barton, who, by her marriage with Peter Hearnsent (a Walloon merchant of Southampton), was ancestress of the Heathcotes of Hursley Park (see the book on the Heathcote family by Mr. Evelyn D. Heathcote, 1899). But to return to the registers of Hursley, where in December, 1635, is the marriage of a William Woolf to Elizabeth Prince. In a very interesting little volume entitled 'The Customs of the Manor of Merdon,' published in 1708, will
