270 



Rfotes on the History of Merc 



" 1559. Itm for the hyre of certeyn pewter vessell at the Church 



ale / and for one platter w ch was lost there xx d ." 



" Itm for bryngyng home of the greate Crocke of the 

 parishe from Gillyngham to Mere iiij d ." 

 " 1562. Itm for a Cote for the vyse or ffole 1 at the Churcheale iiij". vj d ." 

 "1565. Item for the Cuckowe lord's expenses v s ." 

 " Item for Tynnen spoones and trenchers and potts bought 

 to thuse of the Church vij s ." 



" Item for gunpowder spent at the King riding xvj d ." 

 i( 1569. Item for the hyre of too Dozen vessells at the Church Ale viij d ." 

 " 1575. Item for two Dosen of spoones xvj d ." 

 " Item paied to Michaell Lanyng the Cuckow prince iij s ." 

 " Item allowed to Randoll Coward being Cuckow King 

 towards his expenses in that office iij s ." 

 " 1577. Item for v cruses for the Church ale xv d ." 



" Item for other cuppes viij d ." 

 " 1579. Item paied for bread and drink to make the Surlier Lord 



of Gillingham Drink ij s . vj d ." 



" 1589. Item in bread and beere on Trynitie sunday to make the 



Company drink that came from Gyllingham xvj d ." 

 " 1595. There was this yeare neither Church ale nor collection 



for the repacon of the Church nothing" 

 " 1596. Item to make the Lord of Gillingham and his Company 



drink ij*. vj d ." 



" 1598. Item for bread and drink to make the Lord of Gillingham 



drink iij s . iiij d .'' 



" 1621. Itm for Cakes and beere on Whitmunday to entertayne 



the lordes of Gillingham v s . vj d ." 



The last entries confirm the statement of Mr. Carew as to the 

 oustom of neighbouring parishes visiting each other. The Grilling- 

 ham people paid an annual visit to Mere, and it appears were 

 hospitably entertained. 



Other entries in the churchwardens' book are valuable and in- 

 teresting, exemplifiying the customs of bygone days, but space will 

 only permit a few examples to be given here. 



The Holy Loaf. 2 The first entry is in 1568 :— 



" Item for money recey ved for the holy lofe for this yeare after the rate of iij d . 

 for ev'ry sunday over and besides iij d . allowed to the Bedman for Easter Day 

 yearly xij s . iij d ." 



This entry is continued year by year, and the sum of xij 8 - ix. d - 



1 i.e., the Vice or Fool ; the Vice was the buffoon of the early dramas. 



2 See Appendix A. 



