Books › A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904 › scan 19
Scan 19
A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904
8 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1"Randle among the many conflicts he had was distressed by the Welsh and forced to retreat to the Castle of Rothlent in Flintshire about the reign of King John, where they besieged him. He presently sent to his Constable of Chester, Roger Lacy, surnamed Hell for his fierce spirit, that he would come with all speed and bring what forces he could to his relief. Roger having gathered a tumultuous rout of fiddlers, players, coblers, both men and women, out of the City of Chester (for it was then the fair time in that City) marched immediately towards the Earl. The Welsh, perceiving a great multitude coming, raised the siege and fled. The Earl coming back with his constable to Chester gave him power over all the fiddlers and shoemakers, but John, his son, conferred this authority on his steward, who was then Hugh de Dutton, and his heirs."
3Out of this concession arose a custom of licensing the Minstrels of the county, for which purpose a Court was held annually at Chester on St. John the Baptist's Day (Midsummer Day), when each Minstrel who sought for a licence had to give four flagons of wine to the representative of the Dutton family, who presided, and pay 4½d. The right of the Duttons in this matter was tested by the Crown by writ of Quo Warranto and was admitted, and it was subsequently recognised in various Acts of Parliament relating to Vagabonds. The last Court was held in the year 1756.
5The Minstrels of the City of London.
7How long the Fraternity of Minstrels established by the Charter granted by Edward IV. endured, or whether it wrought any improvement in the con-
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