Transcript - Document 5

Letter regarding storage of royal archives, 1686

(Catalogue reference: E 36/253 page 169)

1. To the Right hon[oura]ble Lawrence Earle of Rochester
2. Lord High Treasurer of England
3. May it please y[ou]r Lords[hip]
4. that Dr Sill one of the prebendaries of the Abbey of Westm[inste]r hath his house adjoyning
5. to his Ma[jes]ties Treasury within the Cloyster of the said Abbey, wherein divers
6. foraigne Leagues & Records of great moment are kept, which had no other
7. lights into it but two out of the yard belonging to that prebendary, but
8. within some few yeares this prebendary or his predecessor did erect a Rome
9. for his family to wash & brew in, close to the Wall of the said Treasury, takeing
10. both the said Windowes into the said Rome, and his Coppers are placed under
11. the said Windowes, having made woodden Shutters to them (by the building
12. of w[hi]ch Rome the Treasury is much darkened) stopping all light & aire
13. from comeing into the same when they are shut up, and when the
14. shutters are open all the steame & smoake of the water & wort comes into
15. the Treasury leaveing a great damp therein rotting & spoyling many
16. Records.
17. May it further please y[ou]r Lords[hip]
18. That over the gate going out of the New palace yard into St Margrets lane
19. is another Treasury of his Ma[jes]ties wherein lye Records of great moment
20. w[hi]ch is leaded on the top, adjoyning to w[hi]ch treasury stood an old house
21. belonging to his late Ma[jes]ty & in Lease to the late Lady Williams, now
22. lately pulled downe and severall new tenem[en]ts erected by M[aste]r Doughty on the
23. same ground and on the yard, w[hi]ch was before the old house, w[hi]ch new
24. buildings on the yard obstruct the light in to the said treasury, besides
25. under one end of the said treasury is an alehouse lately kept w[hi]ch is a
26. dangerous thing so neer a Record Roome in case of fier & other
27. inconveniencies, Part of w[hi]ch alehouse towards St Margrets lane is
28. lately built & leaded over with the window of the treasury, whereby p[er]sons
29. may looke in, at least, or through, the broken windowes, or throw filth
30. if not forceing the Iron barrs and breake into it, likewise out of one of
31. which new houses is a doore made to goe upon the Leads over the said
32. treasury, upon w[hi]ch his tenants are used to dry their Clothes, and by sticking
33. piked staves into the Leads, for that purpose, & pulling the Leads from
34. the walls, the water from the spouts & eves of the house adjoyning
35. hath run through into the treasury severall times & spoyled many
36. Records, which M[aste]r Doughty when lately told by M[aste]r Parker & Deputy
37. Chamberlaine of it, was angry & answeared them that if they
38. insisted much upon it hee would sue & recover the treasury from the
39. King saying it was granted to him in his patent Although his late
40. Ma[jest]y his now Ma[jes]ty & their predecessors allwaies have been at their
41. Charge of keeping & repayring the said Leads, but now have no
42. use of them, but M[aste]r Doughtys tenants having the sole use of them,
43. It is humbly submitted to y[ou]r Lords[hip] that M[aste]r Doughtys doore
44. may be stopped up, and that a doore may be made out of the
45. augmentation office or otherways for his Ma[jest]ies Officers
46. to go upon the Leads to view & repaire them etc.
47. 23 Oct[ober] 1686.