Front matter

Three grants, sixty-five years apart

The Corporation of Masters of the Noble Science of Defence held its authority from the Crown. That authority was set down in royal letters patent, a species of warrant that named the masters and provosts, rehearsed the disorder they were to correct, and armed them with powers of search, arrest and binding-over. Three of these grants survive, and they are gathered here.

The first, of 1540, comes from Henry VIII and is preserved only as a brief calendar abstract. The third, of 1605, comes from James I by way of Rymer's Foedera. Between them sits a gap of sixty-five years and the reigns of three monarchs, broken only by the letter at the centre of this edition: a Marian warrant of 1555, discovered in the Exeter city archives, which witnesses Henry's original and so carries his 1540 text forward in an English body framed by chancery Latin.

Only the 1555 letter survives as a full transcription set against a modernisation, so only there does the parallel view apply. The 1540 and 1605 texts are given as single reading columns. Where the Marian scribe's paper is torn or faded, the transcription shows the loss in square brackets and, where the sense is recoverable from the other two grants, supplies a reading in the same brackets; nothing has been invented to fill a gap. Use the control bar to move between the modernised reading, the parallel view and the diplomatic transcription, and read the appendices to see the three grants measured against one another.

Henry VIII

The commission of 1540

Dated 20 July 1540

Source. Public Record Office, C.82/770; Calendar of Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, Vol. XV, No. 95; also transcribed in Aylward (1956, 256). Only a single readable text of this original commission survives, as a calendar abstract in fairly modern English, so it is given here as one reading column rather than as a parallel transcription.

Ric. Beste, Humphry Bassett, Rob. Polwarth, John Legge, Peter Beste, Philip Williams, Ric. Lord, John Vincent, Nic. de la Haye, Masters of the Science of Defence, and Will Hunt, John Frye, Hen. Whytehead, Gilbert Bekett, Edw. Pynner, Thos. Tourner, Jeffrey Gryffyn, Thos. Hudson, Thos. Tymsey, Hen. Thyklyppes, and John ap. Ryce, provosts of the said science.

Commission to enquire and search in all parts of England, Wales, and Ireland for persons being Scholars of ye said Science of Defence, many of whom, regardless of their oathes made to their Masters on first entering to learn the said Science, upon the cross of a sword in remembrance of the Cross whereon Our Lord suffered, have for their own lucre of their unsociable covetous minds, without sufficient licence, resorted to all parts of England, keeping open schools and taking great sums for their labours, and yet have insufficiently instructed their scholars to the great slander of the Masters and Provosts of the Science and of the good and laudable Orders and Rules of the same, and to take any Scholar so misusing himself before the nearest justice of the Peace to be bound over in sufficient sureties not to repeat his offences against his said oathe and the said Orders and Rules or in case of refusal, to be committed to gaol.

West. 20 July, 32 Henry VIII. Del. West. 20 July S.B. [1540].

Philip and Mary

The Marian warrant of 1555

Dated 15 August 1555 (letters witnessed 14 July; the enrolled original 20 July, 32 Henry VIII)

Source. Exeter City Archives, ECA/1/1/3/35 (the ‘Ancient Letter’). Transcription and modernisation J. Acutt (2024), reproduced by permission of Exeter City Council. This is the fullest of the three, and the only one to survive as a line-numbered transcription set against a modernisation. Sixty-six lines, of which the opening protocol (lines 1–12) and the closing enrolment and witness clause (lines 61–66) are in chancery Latin; the English body (lines 13–60) reproduces Henry’s 1540 letter almost verbatim.

Diplomatic transcription

Modernisation

PHillippe et Maria dei gracia, Rex et Regina Anglie,

Philip and Maria, by the grace of God, King and Queen of England,

Francie, Neapolia, Ierusalē, & Hibarne, fidie defensores, Principes,

France, Naples, Jerusalem, and Ireland, defenders of the faith, Princes

Hispaniarz et Cicilie, Archiduces Austrie, Duces Mediolani, Bur=

of Spain and Sicily, Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Milan, Bur

gundie, & Brabancie, Counties Haspurgi, Flandrie & Tirolis.

gundy, and Brabant, Counts of Habsburg, Flanders, and Tyrol.

Omnibus ad quos presentes littre puenerint salutē. Insperimus Irrotulamēt

To all to whom these present letters may come, greetings. We have inspected the enrolment

quarūdā litterarz apaten. domini Henri octaui nuper Regis Anglie patris no=

of certain letters patent of the lord Henry the Eighth, late King of England, father of our

stri dicte, Regine precharissimi quibusdam. Richardi Beste, Humfron Basset,

said most dear Queen, to certain Richard Best, Humfrey Basset,

Roberto Polmorthe, John legge, Petro beste, Philippe William, Richarde

Robert Polmarth, John Legge, Peter Best, Philip Williams, Richard

Lorde, John Vincent, Nicholas delehay, William hunte, John frye, Henrie

Lord, John Vincent, Nicholas Delahay, William Hunt, John Frye, Henry

Whytehedde, Gilberto Beckette, Edwardo Penner, Thome Tourner, Galfron

Whitehead, Gilbert Becket, Edward Penner, Thomas Turner, Geoffrey

Griffin, Thome hudson, Thome Timsey, Henri Thiklippa, et John Aprice fa=

Griffin, Thomas Hudson, Thomas Timsey, Henry Thicklips, and John Aprice, made

cie et in Rotulis. Cancellare tempore Irrotulate in hec verba.

and enrolled in the Rolls of the Chancery in these words.

Henry the eyght by the grace of God, Kynge of Englande, and of Fraunce, de=

Henry the Eighth by the grace of God, King of England, and of France, de

fendour of the faythe, Lorde of Irelande, and in earth Supreme hedde of the

fender of the faith, Lord of Ireland, and in earth Supreme Head of the

Churche of Englande: To our welbeloued Subiectes Richarde beste, Humfrey

Church of England: To our well beloved subjects Richard Best, Humfrey

[..Bassett], Robert Pulmorthe, John legge, Peter beste, Philippe Williams, Richarde Lorde, John Vincente,

[…Bassett], Robert Polmarth, John Legge, Peter Best, Philip Williams, Richard Lord, John Vincent,

[..Nichola]s delehay, maisters of the Science of defence, William hunt, John frye, Henry whytehedde Gil=

[Nicholas] Delahay, masters of the Science of Defence, William Hunt, John Fry, Henry Whitehead, Gil

[..bert Beket]te, Edwarde Penner, Thomas Tourner, Geffery Griffin, Thomas hudson, Thomas Timsey,

[bert Becke]t, Edward Penner, Thomas Turner, Geoffrey Griffin, Thomas Hudson, Thomas Timsey,

[...Henry Thykl]yppes, and John Aprice prouostes of the arane Science gretinge . Forasmuche as diuerse

Henry Thicklips, and John Aprice, provosts of the aforesaid Science, greetings. Forasmuch as diverse

[…………. sc]olers of the sayde Science nothinge or lytle regarding their othes made, and receyued of theyr

scholars of the said Science, nothing or little regarding their oaths made and received of their

[.............] their firste entringe to lerne their sayde Science, ne the daunger and perilles of dampnacion

[masters at] their first entering to learn their said Science, nor the danger and perils of damnation

[.....] . . . one soules for the wilfull breakinge of the sayde othe. For their owne singuler lucre and ad=

[of their] souls for the willful breaking of the said oath. For their own singular lucre and ad

[. . . ]ge onely of their unsaciable couetouse mindes, without any sufficient lycence, or lawfull auctoritie

[vanta]ge only of their insatiable covetous minds, without any sufficient license, or lawful authority

[ . . .]pteously contrary to their sayde othes made to the maisters, or prouostes of the sayde Science, upon

[contem]ptuously contrary to their said oaths made to the masters, or provosts of the said Science, upon

[... c]rosse of a sorde, in the remembraunce of the crosse, wherevpon our Lorde Jesu Christe suffered his most

[the] cross of a sword, in the remembrance of the cross, whereupon our Lord Jesus Christ suffered his most

[p]ainfull passion, and death for our redemption contempteously, not onely haue resorted and deuided them

painful passion, and death for our redemption contemptuously, not only have resorted and divided them

selues into euery contry, and parties of this our Realme of Englande, from towne to towne, and place to

selves into every country, and parts of this our Realm of England, from town to town, and place to

place. But also haue kepte open scoles, and taken great sommes of money for their labours. And yet

place. But also have kept open schools, and taken great sums of money for their labours. And yet

neuerthelesse have untruely and insufficiētly instructed + taught their scolers, whereby the same scolers haue

nevertheless have untruly and insufficiently instructed and taught their scholars, whereby the same scholars have

bene and are illuded and deceiued, to the sclaunder and hindraunce of the Maisters, and prouostes of ŷ said

been and are illuded and deceived, to the slander and hindrance of the Masters, and Provosts of the said

Science of defence, and to the vtter subuersion and destruccion of the same, + the good and lawdable orders

Science of Defence, and to the utter subversion and destruction of the same, and the good and laudable orders

and rules of the same Science, yf dewe remedy be not the rather prouided, to the moste perillous imbolding,

and rules of the same Science, if due remedy be not the rather provided, to the most perilous emboldening,

and example of other lyke euyll disposed personnes, as we be credibly enformed. Know ye that we willing

and example of other like evil disposed persons, as we be credibly informed. Know ye that we willing

to prouide for dewe reformacion, and spedy correction of the premisses haue assigned you, and by these presen=

to provide for due reformation, and speedy correction of the premises have assigned you, and by these presen

[..s] do geue you, and euery of you full power and auctoritie to enquyre, vewe, and serche by all the wayes and

[ts] do give you, and every of you full power and authority to enquire, view, and search by all the ways and

meanes that ye beste maye, or canne in all Cities, Borowes, Townes, and other, whatsoeuer places within

means that ye best may, or can in all Cities, Boroughs, Towns, and other, whatsoever places within

this our realme of Englande, Wales, and Irelande, and the marches of the same, aswel within liberties as

this our realm of England, Wales, and Ireland, and the marches of the same, as well within liberties as

without, of for, and vpon all suche persons beyng scolers of the said Science of defence that shal hereafter cō=

without, of for, and upon all such persons being scholars of the said Science of Defence that shall hereafter con-

tempteously mysvse them selues in the said Science, contrary to their said othes and orders, and rules afore=

temptuously misuse themselves in the said Science, contrary to their said oaths and orders, and rules afore

said. And yf you or any of you by the said enquirie, vewe, serche, or other waies or meanes, lawful do fynde a=

said. And if you or any of you by the said enquiry, view, search, or other ways or means, lawful do find a

ny person or persons, being scolers of the said science, that shall misvse him or theim in the premisses, or any of

ny person or persons, being scholars of the said science, that shall misuse him or them in the premises, or any of

them contrary to their said oathes, rules and orders aforesaid. That then you, and euery of you shall take, or

them contrary to their said oaths, rules and orders aforesaid. That then you, and every of you shall take, or

cause to be takē the said person, and persons so offendinge, so mysvsing him or them. And him or them bring

cause to be taken the said person, and persons so offending, so misusing him or them. And him or them bring

[o]r cause to be brought to the nexte Justice of our peace, in any of our Counties, Cities, Borowes, Townes, or

or cause to be brought to the next Justice of our peace, in any of our Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Towns, or

…[o]ther places within this our Realme aforesaid Wales, Irelande, or ŷ marches of the same, there to be bounde

other places within this our Realm aforesaid Wales, Ireland, or the marches of the same, there to be bound

…[with] sufficient suerties for him or theim, vnto vs in good and lawfull sommes of money, to be payd vnto vs

with sufficient sureties for him or them, unto us in good and lawful sums of money, to be paid unto us

[.... at cer]tayn daies, by the said Justice to be limited that he or they shal not hereafter, that misvse him or theim

[at cer]tain days, by the said Justice to be limited that he or they shall not hereafter, that misuse him or them

[selves or] do any thing cōtrary to his or their said clothes, orders + rules, or any of thē. And if he or thei so offē=

[selves or] do any thing contrary to his or their said oaths, orders and rules, or any of them. And if he or they so offen

[ding doe re]fuse to be bounde ŵ sufficient suerties for him or theim as is aforesaid. That then we wil ŷ the said

[ding do re]fuse to be bound with sufficient sureties for him or them as is aforesaid. That then we will that the said

[Justice shall] cōmit ŷ said person or persōs, so offēfing to ŷ next Gaole, thereto remaine vntyl suche time ŷ he or

[Justice shall] commit the said person or persons, so offending to the next Gaol, there to remain until such time that he or

[...]using wil gladly do it. And therefore we cōmaunde you ŷ ye and euery one of you do diligētly intende a=

[they so refu]sing will gladly do it. And therefore we command you that ye and every one of you do diligently intend a

[bout th]e premisses, and theim do execute with effecte. Also we wil and commaunde by these presentes al our

[bout th]e premises, and them do execute with effect. Also we will and command by these presents all our

[Just]ices of peace, and geue theim and euery of theim full power and auctoritie, that they and euery of theim

[Just]ices of peace, and give them and every of them full power and authority, that they and every of them

[sha]l take bondes as is aforesaid of al such person or persons so offēding by you, or any of you to be brought

[sha]ll take bonds as is aforesaid of all such person or persons so offending by you, or any of you to be brought

before theim, or any of theim, or els him or theun, refusing to be bounde to cōmit to the next Gaole, there to re=

before them, or any of them, or else him or them, refusing to be bound to commit to the next Gaol, there to re

maine vntil tyme as he or they so refusing wil gladly do it. And moreover we wil + streitly cōmaunde by these

main until time as he or they so refusing will gladly do it. And moreover we will and strictly command by these

presentes all Maiours, Shereiffes, Counstables, Bayliffes, and all other our officers, Ministers + subiec=

presents all Mayors, Sheriffs, Constables, Bailiffs, and all other our officers, Ministers and subjec

tes, what soeuer they be, that they aswel within liberties as without be helpynge, aydinig, +assistinig the sayde

ts, whatsoever they be, that they as well within liberties as without be helping, aiding, and assisting the said

maisters and prouosts, in and about the dewe execucion of this our cōmission. In witnesse where of we haue

masters and provosts, in and about the due execution of this our commission. In witness whereof we have

[…]sed these our letters to be made patentes. Witnes our selfe at westminster the .xx. daye of July in the .xxxii.

[cau]sed these our letters to be made patents. Witness our self at Westminster the twentieth day of July in the thirty-second

[…]of our reigne. Nos autem teneres Irrotulament littrarū pdictarū ad requisitonē Rogiā Chomeley,

[year] of our reign. We now order the enrolment of the aforesaid letters at the request of Roger Cholmeley,

[....], Williā hūte Nicholas delehay, Philippi williās, Richardi lorde, Richardi white, williā herue, Thom=

[...], William Hunt, Nicholas Delahay, Philip Williams, Richard Lord, Richard White, William Herne, Tho

[....r], Roberti Edmōdes, Williā Tomson magister science pdicta Aceciani, Henri whitehedde, Richardi

[mas Turne]r, Robert Edmonds, William Thomson, masters of the aforesaid Science of Defence, Henry Whitehead, Richard

[....] Johānis gurforde et walter Grene Preposit science ili9 duxim9 exēpleficādi per presētes. In cuius

[...], John Gurnford and Walter Green, Provosts of the said Science, we have thought fit to exemplify by these presents. In whose

[ad]moniū has littras nostras sieri fe[cei]m9 patētes. Testib9 nobis ipis apud westminster decimo quartodie

[testi]mony we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witnessed by ourselves at Westminster the fourteenth day

[....]mvse, Annis regnorum nostrozum secundo et tercio. P. H.

[of ...], in the second and third years of our reign. P. H.

James I

The warrant of 1605

Dated 6 July 1605

Source. Rymer, Foedera, Vol. XVI; recovered by Aylward, who noted the grant had ‘hitherto… been overlooked’. The privilege was extinguished automatically by the Statute of Monopolies (21 James I, cap. III), 1623–24. Surviving only as a single printed text, so it too is given as one reading column. Compared with 1540 it is much fuller, and it introduces language (‘disorderly or contentiously’, scholars ‘pretending to be’ professors, an appeal to ‘ancient’ orders) that the earlier grants lack.

JAMES by the Grace of God, etc, to our well-beloved subjects William Joyner, Edmund Darcy, John Evans, Richard Fletcher, James Cranidge, John Matthews, John Harrys, Thomas Norreys, John Turner, John Bradshaw, and Thomas Valentyne, Masters of ye Noble Science of Defence GREETINGS.

FORASMUCH as divers and many schollers professing ye said Science, Men of lewde and dissolute Lyfe, little or nothing regarding their Oathes made before ye Masters of ye said Science, but only coveting and desiring their own singular Lucre and Advantage, without any sufficient Licence or lawful Authoritye doe resort into everye Countrye and Parts of this Our Realme of England, from Towne to Towne and from Place to Place, and there doe take upon them to keep open Schools for the Instruction of Our Subjects in ye said Science of Defence, and doe take greate Summes of Money for their Labours, themselves being very unskilfull and insufficient in ye same, whereby our saide Subjects are greatly illuded, deceaved and indaungered to ye great Discredit of ye said Science and ye Slaunder, and Hindrance of ye Masters of ye said Science of Defence and to ye utter Subvention and Destruction of ye good and laudable Orders and Rules of ye said Science if dew Penaltye is not in Time provided:

KNOW YE that Wee, willing to provide for dew Reformacioun and speedy Correctioun of ye Premisses, geive unto you and every one of you full Power and Authoritye to enquire, view and search by all ye lawfull and convenient Waies and Meanes that you best may or can, in all Citties, Burroughes, Townes and other places whatsoever, within this Our Realm of England, Wales, and Ireland, and ye Marches of ye same, as well within Liberties as without, of, for, and concerning all such Persons being or pretendying to be Schollers or Professors of ye said Science of Defence that shall herinafter disorderly or contentiously abuse or misuse themselves in this said Science of Defence contrary to their Oathes and the ancient and lawful Orders and Rules of the said Science, and if you or any of you by the said Inquiry, View, Search, or other Waies and Meanes lawfull doe fynde any Person or Persons being or pre-tendyng to be Schollers or Professors of ye said Science that shall abuse him or themselves in the Premisses or any of them contrary to their said Oathes, Rules and Orders aforesaid, that then you shall take or cause to be taken ye said Person or Persons so offending, and him or them bring or cause to be brought before the nearest Justice of Our Peace in any of our Counties, Citties, Burroughs, Townes or other Places within Our Realm aforesaid, Wales, Ireland, or other ye Marches of ye same. there, if sufficient cause shall appear to any such Justice, to be bound with sufficient Sureties for him or them unto Us, Our Heires, Successors, in good and lawfull Summes of Money to be paid to Us, Our Heires, and Successors at certayn Days by the Justice to be limited that he or they shall not hereafter misuse him or them selves or does any Thing contrary to the ancient and lawfull Rules and Orders of ye said Science.

AND IF any Person or Persons soe offending doe refuse to be bound with sufficient Sureties for him or them as is aforesaid, then we will that the said Justice shall commit the said Person or Persons to the next Gaol, there to remayn untill such Time as he be thence delivered according to the Laws of the Realm, and Therefore We command you that you and every one of you doe diligently intend about the Premisses and doe execute with effecte.

AND THEREFORE We will and straightly by these Presents command all Maiors, Sheriffes, Bayliffes, and all other Our Officers Ministers and Subjects whatsoever they be, that they, as well within Liberties as without, be aydynge, helpynge and assis-tynge to the said Masters in and about the execution of this Our Commission.

WITNESS the King at Westminster the sixth Day of July, Per Breve de Privato Sigillo.

Appendix A

The Corporation across the reigns

The three surviving warrants span the years 1540 to 1605, but the monopoly itself ran on until the Statute of Monopolies swept it away in 1624. Two long reigns, Edward VI's and Elizabeth's, left no warrant at all, so the record we have is a matter of survival rather than of the grant lapsing.

The Corporation across five reigns

Appendix A · 1540–1624

Bars show each reign within the window; a marked year and a filled bar indicate a surviving warrant. The dashed line is the 1624 Statute of Monopolies, which extinguished the commission.

surviving warrants, of five reigns in the window

years between the 1540 and 1605 grants

1624

the Statute of Monopolies ends the commission

Appendix B

The men named in the warrants

Each grant opens with a roll of masters and provosts. Read in sequence, the rolls tell their own story: the provost rank, eleven strong in 1540, thins to four in 1555 and vanishes altogether in 1605, while the master rank edges upward. A handful of men bridge the first two warrants, several of them rising from provost to master; by 1605, fifty years on, the personnel have turned over completely.

Masters and provosts named in each warrant

Appendix B · the two ranks

B.1 The men who bridge the warrants

Six men appear in more than one grant. Each row marks the rank at which a warrant names him; the two drawn out in green rose from provost to master.

Individuals named in more than one warrant

Appendix B · 6 men

B.2 The full rolls

The complete roll of each warrant. Names shared with an adjacent grant are shown in green.

Appendix C

The weight of words

The three grants say much the same thing at very different lengths. Henry's 1540 abstract is terse; the Marian letter of 1555, with its Latin frame and its witness clause, is by far the fullest; James's 1605 warrant settles in between. The counts below track both the total wording and the number of distinct words, a rough measure of how much fresh vocabulary each version introduces.

Words in each warrant

Appendix C · total and distinct

Roughly half of the 1540 wording and a third of the 1605 wording differs from the Marian text, which serves here as the base for comparison.

Appendix D

Latin and English in the Marian warrant

The 1555 letter is bilingual by design. Chancery Latin opens the document (the royal style and the inspeximus formula) and closes it (the enrolment and witness clause), while the operative body, which reproduces Henry's English letter almost word for word, runs in English between them. The Latin is not incidental: it marks the document as an enrolled instrument of record, and its Marian phrasing carries a Catholic colouring that the Protestant 1540 original lacks.

The composition of the 1555 warrant

Appendix D · by words

The Latin frames the grant at head and foot; the English body does the legal work in between.

Appendix E

What stayed, what changed

For all their differences of length and language, the grants are remarkably stable in substance. About eighty-five per cent of the shared wording carries from 1540 into 1555, and about eighty-two per cent from 1555 into 1605. The core grievance and the enforcement machinery scarcely move; what shifts is the legal formality and the political colouring of the moment.

Shared wording between consecutive warrants

Appendix E · corpus comparison

Counts compare only wording that can be traced in both texts of each pair, setting aside material unique to one grant.

E.1 The substance behind the numbers

The three warrants