100 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



" Carre of Arrom" to deliver to the " CountroUer" of the 

 Household and the " Clarke of the kitchinge," 



" Against the Feest of Christynmas next comynge Twenty 

 Signetts to be taken of the breed of my Swannys within my Carre 

 of Arrom, within my Loordeship of Lekingfeld within the Countie 

 of Yorke." 



whilst the following memorandum gives the date of 

 issuing the warrants and the special days for serving 

 the swans : — 



" Item a Warraunt to be sewed out yerely at Michaelmas for 

 XX Swannys for th'expencez of my Lordes hous, as too say for 

 Christynmas Day v — Saynt Stephyns Day ij — Sayut John Day ij — ■ 

 Childremass Day ij — Saynt Thomas Day ij — New Yere Day iij — 

 ande for the xijth Day of Chistynmas iiij Swannys." 



The order for feeding the swans and the payment for 

 the same is prescribed as follows (p. 103) : — 



" Item it is thought goode that my Lordes Swannys be taken 

 and fedde to serve my Lordes hous and to be paid fore as thay 

 may be bought in the Countre seynge that my Lorde hathe Swannys 

 inew of hys owne." 



In the L'Estrange Accounts, amongst the gratuities to 

 servants for bringing presents we have two entries in 

 the years 1519 and 1520 : — 



" Itm to Mr. P'Or of Castleacre svnt for bryngyng ij fatt 

 Swannes — viij'^-" 



" Itm to the P'Or of Castleacre svnt in reward for bryngyng 

 of a Cygnett — iiij<i-" 



Again, in 1526, amongst the articles of " gist " and 

 " store " (paid in lieu of rent or home produce supplied 

 to the house) we find 



" It. a swanne and vij conyes of store." 

 and, as nearly as I can reckon, the dates from the 

 peculiar manner in which the accounts are kept, the 

 last gift was received in the first week of January,"^ 



* Mr. Broderip, in his " Zoological Recreations" (p. 159), states 

 that at two wedding feasts, given by Sir John NevUe, of the 

 County of York, on the 14th of January, in the seventeenth year. 



