148 St. Nicholas 3 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 Seots, 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 16U9 : — " The now Lord Bishop ofSarum 

 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. 99 



In the year 1609 the plot thickens. That year Mr. GefTe 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, Nicholas Geffe. 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 



