INVENTOEY OF SILVER PLATE BELONGING TO SIR THOMAS 

 ARUNDELL, KNIGHT, 



COMMUNICATBD BY THB EcitOB. 



The following inventory is preserved in the British Museum 

 (Add'- M.S. 5751), and is an account of the plate belonging to 

 Sir Thomas Arundell paid into the Jewel House. 



This Sir Thomas was the 2nd son of Sir John Arundell of 

 Lanherne, and half brother of the Duchess of Somerset, and 

 was charged with conspiring to effect the death of the Duke of 

 Northumberland ; he was attainted of felony, and beheaded on 

 Tower Hill, on February 26th, 1552. 



His conviction was secured with great difficulty, the jury 

 being locked up for a long January day and night without food, 

 drink, or fire, before they brought in a verdict of guilty ; of his 

 execution the Chronicle of the Grey Friars gives the following 

 quaint account : — 



"Item, the 26th day of the same Monythe, (Feb. 1552), 

 the wyche was Fryday, was hongyd at Towre-hylle, Sir Myllys 

 Partyrge, Knyghte, the whyche playd with Kinge Henry the 

 Vlir'' at dysse for the grett belfery that stode in Powlles 

 churche-yerde :* and Sir EafEe Vane, theys too were hongyd. 

 Also, Sir Myhylle Stonnappe and Sir Thomas Arndelle, theys 

 too ware be-heddyd at that same tyme, and theis 4 Knyghttes 

 confessyd that the war never gylte for soche thynges as was 

 layd unto their charge, and dyde in that same oppinioun."f 



This document gives a very good idea of the quantity and 

 magnificence of plate which was deemed essential to the standing 

 of a Cornish gentleman in the 16th century. 



* Stowe tells this story as follows : " Near to the school in St. Paul's 

 churchyard, in London, was a great and high clochier, or bell-house, four-square, 

 builded of stone, and in the same a most strong frame of timber, with foure Bells, 

 the greatest that I have heard ; these were called Jesus Bells, and belonged to 

 Jesus chappell. The same had a great spire of timber, covered with lead, with 

 the image of St. Paiil on the top ; but was pulled down by Sir Miles Partridge, 

 knight in the reigne of Henry tbe Eighte. The common speech then was, that 

 hee did set one hundred pounds upon a cast of dice against it, and so wonne the 

 said clochier and bels of the King ; and then causing the bels to be broken as 

 they hung, the rest was pulled downe. 



t Monumenta Franciscana, Vol. 2, p. 235. 



