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Biography of Thomas Curtis -1559

In October 1557 Thomas Curtis was elected Lord Mayor of London.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 31st October 1557. The xxix day of October dyd my nuw lorde mayre [take] ys owth at Westmynster; and all the craftes of London [in their] bargys, and the althermen; and after-ward landyd at Powlles warf; and at the Powlles cheyrche-yerd ther the pagantt stod; and the bachelers with ther saten hodes and a lx pore men in gownes, and targets and gayffelyns in ther handes, and the trumpetes and the whettes playhyng, unto Yeld-halle [Map]; and ther dynyd, and after to Powlles, and after to my lord mayre('s) howse, and ther the althermen, and the craftes, and the bachelers, and the pagantt browth hym home.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 30th November 1557. The sam day at after dener my lord cardenall (age 57) mad a godly sermon in the chapell, and ther wher all juges and bysshopes, and my lord mayre and all the althermen, and mony lordes and knyghtes, and lades and gentyllmen. .... assyon by the mare.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th January 1558. The vj day of January thes men wher browght unto Leydenhalle [Map], and mustered afor my lord mayre and the althermen; and at after-none by iiij of the cloke they toke ther way to the Towrewarff [Map], and ther thay toke shypyng toward Callys [Map].

Note. P. 162. Musters in London. On the 6th Jan. the Privy Council sent "a letter to the maior of London that, albeite he was willed to send the vc. men levied in London to Dover, forasmuche as it is sithence considered here that they may with beste speede be brought to the place of service by seas, he is willen to sende them with all speede by hoyes to Queenburgh, where order is given for the receavinge and placing of them in the shippes, to be transported with all speede possible." (MS. Harl. 643, p. 198.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 21st January 1558. The xxj day of January cam a nuw commondement tho my lord mayre, that he shuld make (blank) men rede [ready] in harnes, with whyt cotes weltyd with gren, and red crosses, by the xxiij day of the sam monythe [to be at] Leydenhalle to go toward (unfinished)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 24th January 1558. [The xxiv day of January the soldiers appeared before the lord mayor in Leadenhall [Map], where he took a view of all] the men that the compene(s had furnished), and deleverd (them) unto the captaynes at v at nyght, and thay toke shypyng [at eight].

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th February 1558. The vj day of Feybruarij dyd pryche at Powlles Crosse [Map] the byshope of Westchaster (age 48); and ther wher at ys sermon xvj bysshopes, and my lord mayre and the althermen, and mony juges, and ther he declaryd that of Wedynsday next to go on generall prossessyon and pray to God.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 9th February 1558. [The ix day of February a commandment came that all bishops, priests, and clerks, should go a procession about London, and] my lord mare and the althermen, [and all the crafts] in London in ther leverey, to pray [unto God; and all] the chylderyn of all skolles, and of the hos[pitals, in] ordur, a-bowt London,-callyd the general prossessyon.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 20th February 1558. The xx day of Feybruary dyd pryche [at Paul's] crosse [Map] docthur Watsun (age 43) bysshope of Lyncoln, and mad a godly sermon, for ther wer [present ten] bysshopes, be-syd my lord mare and the althermen and juges, and men of the law, and gret [audience] ther was.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 24th February 1558. The xxiiij day of Feybruary was [buried] ser Gorge Barnes knyght, late ma[yor] and haberdasser, and the cheyff marchand of Muskovea, and had the penon of Mu[scovy] armes borne at ys berehyng; and the [mayor] and the swerdherar had blake gownes and a .... in blake, and a iijxx pore men in blake [gowns;] and had a standard and v penons of armes, and cote and elmett, sword, targett, and a goodly hers of wax and ij grett branchys of whytt wax, iiij dosen torchys, and viij dosen pensels, and ix dosen skochyons; and doctur Chadsay mad the sermon on the morow, and after a grett dener. Master Clarenshus and Lanckostur the haroldes (conducted the ceremony.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 2nd March 1558. The ij day of Marche my lade Whyt was bered in Althermare parryche, and ther was a goodly herse of wax, and ther was viij dosen pensels, and viij dosen skochyons and d', and iiij dosen torchys; and the harolde was master Clarenshus; the cheyff morner my lade Laxtun, and master Roper led her; and mony morners; and after cam my lord mayre, and xx althermen folod the corsse, and iiij baners of emages, and ij grett whytt branchys; and the morow masse and a godly sermon, and all the craft in ther leverey; (blank) pore men had gownes, and powre women had gownes, and after to ys plasse to dener, and my lord mayre and the althermen, and mony gentyllmen, for ther was a grett dener as [has] bene sene; and ther was iij masses songe, on of the Trenete, and on of owre Lade, the iij of requiem.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th March 1558. [The vj day of March, being the second Sunday in Lent, preached before the lord mayor and the bishops] at [Paul's cross [Map]] my lord abbott of Westmynster docthur [Feckenham] (age 43); ther he mad a godly sermon as bene [heard].

Henry Machyn's Diary. 16th March 1558. The xvj day of Marche my lord mare and the althermen wher commondyd unto Yeld-halle [Map], for thay had a commondement by the qwyen (age 42) that thay shuld lend the quen a (blank) of H.; for ther sat my lord stresorer (age 75), my lord preve-saylle (age 52), and the bysshope of Elly (age 52) as commyssyonars, and my lord chanseler (age 57), with odur of the conselle.... with ij whyt branchys and xij torchys .... great tapurs, and after a grett dener within the ....

All About History Books

The Deeds of King Henry V, or in Latin Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.

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Henry Machyn's Diary. 19th March 1558. The xix day of Marche my lord mayre and the althermen whent unto Yeld-halle [Map], and ther all the craftes in London browth in the bylles what ther compene wold lend unto the quen('s) (age 42) grace for to helpe her in her fa ... toward the wars.

Note. P. 168. Loan from the city to the queen. A loan was then called a "prest," which is probably the word our diarist could not remember. The amount of this prest was 20,000l. and it was to bear interest at 12 per cent. (Stowe.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 22nd March 1558. The xxij day of Marche my lord mayre and the althermen whent unto Yeld-Halle [Map], and ther the quen('s) consell cam theder, furst my lord chanseler (age 57), my lord treysorer (age 75), my lord of preve-selle (age 52), the bysshope of Ele (age 52), and ser John Baker, secretore Peter, and mony more, and after whent to my lord mare to dener.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 21st August 1558. The xxj day of August at after-non was bered in the parryche of sant Mare Maudelyn [Map], in Mylke strett, master Machyll, altherman and sqwyre and clothworker, with v pennons of armes and cott armur, and iiij dosen torchys, and iiij branche tapurs, dobyll store, with armes and penselles apon wax, and all the chyrche hangyd with blake and armes, and the strett with blake and armes, and the plase; and ther was my lord mayre and the althermen, and a C. in blake; and a viij dosen skochyons, and iiij dosen penselles; and a C. pore men in mantylle fryse gownes; and the morow iij masses song, ij of pryksong, and the iij of requiem, and a sarmon, a good man a grayfrer; and there my lord mare and the althermen whent to dener, and all the mornars and lades, the wyche was a nobull dener as has bene sene, for ther lakt no good mett boyth flesse and fysse, and a xx marche-paynes.... durge, and after cared thrugh Bathelmu [to the] Blake freres, and at the gat all the freres mett ... thay had durge, and they bered ym ther ys m. (unfinished)

On 27th November 1559 Thomas Curtis died.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th December 1559. The vj day of Dessember was bered in sant Dennys parryche in Fanchyrche stret, the chyrche and the qwyre hangyd with blake and armes, and the plasse and the strett, ser Thomas Cortes knyght and latt mare of London, and Fysmonger and Puterer; ther was iij haroldes of armes, and ther had my lord mare and the sword-bayrer and dyvers althermen had blake, and the residuw in vyolett; and ther was a C. in blake gownes and cottes; and he had a standard and a v penon of armes, and a x dosen skochyons; and ther dyd pryche master Recherdson the Skott; and after to the plasse, and the mare and the althermen to dener, for ther was a grett dener, and pore men in gownes and the clarkes of London syngyng; a grett denner for all men that wold come.