'And although it may be obiected that hir Maiesties allowaunce is no whitt less then hir Maiesties ffather of famous memorie therefore allowed: yet considering the pryces of thinges present to the tyme past and what annuities the m^r then hadd out of sundrie abbies within this realme, besydes sondrie giftes from the Kinge, and dyuers perticuler ffees besydes, for the better mayntenaunce of the sayd children and office: and besides also there hath ben withdrawne from the sayd chilldren synce hir Maiesties comming to the crowne xij^d by the daye which was allowed for theyr breakefastes as may apeare by the Treasorer of the Chamber his acompt for the tyme beinge, with other allowaunces incident to the office as appeareth by the auntyent acomptes in the sayd office which I heere omytt.
'The burden heerof hath from tyme to tyme so hindred the M^{rs} of the Children viz. M^r Bower, M^r Edwardes, my sellf and M^r Farrant: that notwithstanding some good helpes otherwyse some of them dyed in so poore case, and so deepelie indebted that they haue not left scarcelye wherewith to burye them.
'In tender consideracion whereof, might it please your honores that the sayde allowaunce of vj^d a daye apeece for the childrens dyet might be reserued in hir Maiesties coffers during the tyme of theyre attendaunce. And in liew thereof they to be allowed meate and drinke within this honorable householde for that I am not able vppon so small allowaunce eny longer to beare so heauie a burden. Or otherwyse to be consydred as shall seeme best vnto your honorable wysdomes.
'[Endorsed] 1583 November. The humble peticion of the M^r of the Children of hir highnes Chappell [and in another hand] To have further allowances for the finding of the children for causes within mentioned.'
The actual request made by Hunnis seems a modest one.
He seems to have thought that for his boys to have the run
of their teeth at the tables of Whitehall would be a better
bargain than the board-wages of 6d. a day. Doubtless he
knew their appetites. I do not think that the Green Cloth
met his views, for in the next reign the 6d. was still being
paid and was raised to 10d. for the benefit of Nathaniel Giles.[1]
Possibly Hunnis did get back the £16 a year for breakfasts,
which seems to be the fee described by him as 1s. a day,
although that in fact works out to £18 5s. a year, and the
£9 13s. 4d. for largess, if that also had been withdrawn, since
these are included in fee lists for 1593 and 1598.[2] The
'perticuler ffees' to which he refers are presumably the
allowances occasionally paid by Henry for the maintenance
of boys whose voices had changed. In any case Hunnis's
personal grievance must have been fully met by liberal grants
