[In the margin is the following note: "Gylde Stufe-Itm iij brasse potts of lx1i, at iiijd ye li. Sm. xx3. Itm xl1i of pewter, at iiijd the l1. Sm. xiijs iiijd. Itm ij spets, weying xijli, at 1d ye li. Sm. xijd. Itm a masour, wt ij ounce of silv (by estmacon pēc,) vis viijd."]

Wherof Assigned to be occupyed & used in thadministracon of divine svice, both ther (sic) sayd chales of xxxix ounce & bell of xviije with the clapp.

In Wytnes wherof the sayd commissions & others, the sayd psns, pties to thes Psents, have sett ther hands the daye & yer above wreten.

Robert Bristow (?)

Wyllm Sadler.

AMONGST the various documents relating to Norfolk Church Goods in the reign of Edward VI. preserved at the Record Office are six "Certificates" concerning the following Norwich churches-St. Andrew, extending over 16 quarto pages; St. Peter per Mountergate, 24; St. Martin at Palace, 20; St. Michael at Plea, 11; St. Mary of Coslany, 11; and St. Martin of Bailey, 12.

They are all dated 4th October, 6th Edward VI. (1552), and contain, first, an inventory of the money, plate, bells, goods, vestments, and ornaments, remaining in the respective churches, on the 15th of February, in the second year of Edward VI. (1548-9); secondly, an account year by year, from the 15th February, 1548-9, to the 4th October, 1552, of all such of the aforesaid goods as had been sold, with the amounts accruing, and the names of the persons to whom such sales had been made; thirdly, a similar account of the manner in which the money had been expended; and, fourthly, an inventory of the money and goods remaining at the day of the date of the certificates.

Our late secretary, Mr. Harrod, in a valuable article on

Church Goods in the 5th vol. of the Society's Papers, has transcribed a considerable portion of the first part of the St. Peter per Mountergate certificate, that is to say, of the inventory of the goods remaining, 2nd Edward VI., and he has given a few items from the St. Andrew's certificate, but not one of the six documents has been printed entire. It is, therefore, without the slightest hesitation that I place before the Society copies of two of the certificates relating to the churches of St. Andrew and St. Mary Coslany, for which I am indebted to my friend Mr. Walter Rye of Chelsea, who not only undertook the laborious task of transcribing them, but has also corrected the proofs with the originals. They contain much which cannot fail to be interesting as an illustration of a very eventful period in our history, both national and local.

These certificates are also strikingly corroborative of what Heylin in his History of the Reformation has written with reference to the orders of the Council for removing unnecessary furniture from churches. "In all great fairs and markets," he says, "there are some forestallers, who get the best pennyworths themselves, and suffer not the richest and most gainful commodities to be openly sold. And so it fared also in the present business, there being some who were as much beforehand with the king's commissioners in embezzling the said plate, jewels, and other furnitures, as the commissioners did intend to be with the king, in keeping all or most part unto themselves. . . . So that although some profit was thereby raised to the king's exchequer, yet the far greatest part of the prey came to other hands: insomuch that many private men's parlours were hung with altar cloths, their tables and beds covered with copes, instead of carpets and coverlits; and many made carousing cups of the sacred chalices, as once Belshazzar celebrated his drunken feast in the sanctified vessel of the temple. It was a sorry house, and not worth the naming, which had not somewhat of this furniture in it,

though it were only a fair large cushion made of a cope or altar cloth, to adorn their windows, or make their chairs appear to have somewhat in them of a chair of state."

For the few notes I have added, some apology is due; I hope however that it will not be considered that I have underrated the intelligence of our members, by giving explanations which in these days of widely-diffused antiquarian information may be considered superfluous. Of most of the articles mentioned in these inventories, excellent explanations have already appeared in previous volumes.1

Seynet Andrews Booke in Norwic.

The Certificate of Mr Willm Rogers Alderman John Porter Robert Sokelyn and Thomas Kyng Churchwardens of the parisshe of St. Andrew in Norwich Thomas Sotherton Frauncis Walmere John Sothertonne and Thomas Bemonde parissheoners there made and certified to the Right Reverende father in God Thomas Bisshopp of Norwich to the right Worshipfull Thomas Gawdye Richarde Catlyn Osberte Moundeford John Corbet and Augustyn Stywarde Esquiers Commissioners the iiijth day of Octobre in the Sixte yere of the reign of our sovereign lorde Edwarde the syxte by the Grace of God King of Englaunde Fraunce and Irelande Defendour of the fayth and in earth of the Churche of Englande and Irelande supreame Heade. The Seide Churchwardens and parissheoners sworne and examyned saye and Certyfye uppon their othes as ensuith

Inpmis theye certyfie that there was and did remayn in the seide Churche the xvth day of Februarye in the seconde

1 Here, however, I would except the extraordinary definition of an albe as "a long white vestment without opening except at top," which occurs in vol. v. p. 94.

yere of the reign of our souereign lord King Edwarde the Syxte in money Plate Bells goodes vestments and ornaments as hereafter particulerly apperith.

Imprimis in readye money the some

Itm the best Crosse wt the Cristall parcell

xiijli xviijd

gylte weing iiij xv unces at vs the unce. xxiiij11xvs Sm

Itm the lesser Crosse parcell gilte weing xxxvj} ixli

unces at vs the unce.

Sm

2 The ready money was doubtless the produce of previous sales of church goods; for instance, no pix occurs in this certificate, and we know from the inventory of the goods of this church in the 14th century, printed by Mr. Harrod in vol. v., p. 107, that there were more than one; nor is there any mention of the holy water stoup of silver weighing 70 oz., mentioned by Blomefield as given by the will of Nic. Colich, alderman in 1502, upon the foot of which he directed to be graven, "that noe man selle it, ne set it to Pledge, as they will answer ad justum Dei Judicium."

Agnes Est, in 1504, bequeathed "a pair of beads of silver" to our Lady in the steeple, but of these we can hardly expect to find mention: they doubtless disappeared with the rest of the votive offerings, and they must have been numerous, when the images in churches were destroyed. The following document, preserved at the Record Office, may find a place here as illustrative of these remarks.

"Be known to all men that John Ponsont & Rychard Fayrecheld beyng Cherche wardyns of the pysche off Sant Andre in Norwyche dyd sell oyn napyn of velvyt on to Mr. Leche for v3, iiij yerrs agone allso we sold oyn peyre off beds of corall for iijs iiijd the wych velvett and bede we sellyd for ye bybell.

"Ite Reynold Gray & Thoms Pourett beyng the Cherchewardyns off Sant Andres, Dede sooll the last yerre dyv' payr off chalys the wyche in wyght xvij ouns, the wych was sold to Master Sokelyng for iiij markys iiis iiij.

"Ite we layd owt for the repayryng of owre Stepell for ye tymer' warke viijs ijd. Also the plomer' had a marke for ledde & for the warkmanshepp. Also we hade ij Bells brokyn att oyn tyme the whyche cost us v marks. Also for the hangyng of the Bells vjs viijd.

“Ite remanyng in the hands of mother (?) Plattyng Lxiijs viiijd. "Ite remaynyng in the hands of Richd Fayrecheld xiijs iiijd.

"Wettnus (sic) Reynold Gray, Ryc Fayrcheld, .... Benedict, John Laws, John Howlett."