[1592, June 12. Extract from a letter of Sir William Webbe, Lord Mayor, to Lord Burghley, printed M. S. C. i. 187, from Lansd. MS. 71, f. 28, and M. S. C. i. 70, from a letter-book copy misdated 'May 30' in Remembrancia, i. 662.]
My humble duety remembred to your good L. Beeing informed
of a great disorder & tumult lyke to grow yesternight abowt viij of
the clock within the Borough of Southwark, I went thither with all
speed I could, taking with mee on of the Sherifes, whear I found
great multitudes of people assembled togither, & the principall actours
to bee certain servants of the ffeltmakers gathered togither out of
Barnsey street & the Black fryers, with a great number of lose &
maisterles men apt for such pourposes. Whearupon having made
proclamation, & dismissed the multitude, I apprehended the chief
doers and authors of the disorder, & have committed them to prison
to bee farther punished, as they shall bee found to deserve. And
having this morning sent for the Deputie & Constable of the Borough
with Divers other of best credit, who wear thear present, to examine
the cause & manner of the disorder, I found that it began vpon the
serving of a warrant from my L. Chamberlain by on of the Knight
Mareschalls men vpon a feltmakers servant, who was committed to
the Mareschallsea with certein others, that were accused to his L. by
the sayed Knight Mareschalls men without cause of offence, as them
selves doe affirm. For rescuing of whome the sayed companies
assembled themselves by occasion & pretence of their meeting at
a play, which bysides the breach of the Sabboth day giveth opportunitie
of committing these & such lyke disorders. The principall
doers in this rude tumult I mean to punish to the example of others.
Whearin also it may please your L. to give mee your direction, if
you shall advise vpon anything meet to bee doon for the farther
punishment of the sayed offenders.
xc.
[1592, June 23. Extract from Privy Council Minute, printed by Dasent,
xxii. 549. The main purpose of the letter is to require a 'watch' at
midsummer, as certain apprentices were expected to renew the recent
disorder in Southwark (cf. No. lxxxix). The Lord Mayor had already
been charged, and letters also went to the Justices of Surrey for the
precincts of Newington, Kentish Street, Bermondsey Street, the Clink,
Paris Garden, and the Bankside, and to those of other places near the
City, including Lord Cobham for the Blackfriars.]
A letter to the Master of the Rolles, Sir Owen Hopton, knight,
John Barnes and Richard Yonge, esquiours. . . .
Moreover for avoidinge of theis unlawfull assemblies in those quarters, yt is thoughte meete you shall take order that there be noe playes used in anye place neere thereaboutes, as the Theator, Curtayne, or other usuall places where the same are comonly used,
