148 St. Nicholas’ Hospital, Salisbury. 
disbursements to the poor does, and is countersigned by Giles 
Hutchins, the steward of the hospital. 
Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, on which James of Scotland 
succeeded, and a new set of counsellors and favourites came to the 
front. Particularly Henry Howard, who had suffered much for Mary 
Queen of Scots, was made Earl of Northampton in August, 1604, 
In 1606 Archbishop Bancroft, of Canterbury, commissioned 
Bishop Cotton, of Salisbury, to visit the hospital. The result shall 
be told in Bigge’s words in 1609 :—“ The now Lord Bishop of Sarum 
with others about three years past did likewise visit the said hospital 
in the name of the now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and 
diligently examined all things at my many appearances before them, 
and found no fault, as may appear by the notes of the register and 
the testimony of the registrar himself.” 
In the year 1609 the plot thickens. That year Mr. Geffe writes 
to Bigge as follows :—“ Sir, understanding by this bearer Mr. Ma: 
Hill my good friend, that you and he have had some speeches 
touching a grant in fee made by the late Queen of the hospital of 
St. Nicholas, and that Mr. Samford had £50 of you to make com- 
position with me about it, [I] do protest before God that neither he 
nor any other did ever treat with me about it to any such purpose, 
only he was made acquainted that there was such a grant, but did 
never see, or desire to see it, But now at the entreaty of this my 
good friend I do tender you this: that if upon examination of my 
title [by] your learned counsel and mine it shall be thought by 
them that my estate thereunto is good and perfect in law, you shall 
for any such part thereof as is in your possession receive such kind 
usage for my friend’s sake as shall be to your liking, and he shall 
prevail very much with me in any matter he shall require for your 
good. And so, very lovingly saluting you, I remain, your assured 
friend, Nicnotas Gerre. April 12, 1609.” 
From this letter we see that a suit had been commenced, and 
counsel retained on both sides. On receipt of this letter Bigge 
wrote to Lord Pembroke as follows:—‘To my most honourable 
and most benign lord and master, the Earl of Pembroke: Your 
lordship’s hospital of St. Nicholas is sought as a concealment by 
