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Transcribed by Peter Titley on Thu, 04 Jul 2019 - 20:53

                 To our very good lorde the l[ord] Cobham. L[ord] Warden of the five portes/ and Her Ma[jes]tys lieuetin<a>[n]t of the Countie of Kent./

After o[u]r hartie com[m]endac[i]ons to y[ou]r l[ordship]: Wheras it is thought meet. that an exact view should be/ taken aswell of the nombers of furnaces in that Countie (wherof we sende you in a Cedule/ herin inclosed the names of the principall ones that have ben deliv[er]ed to us) as also of the/ numbers and severall kindes of pecs of caste Iron ordnance that ar in any of them nowe readie/ made. we are therfore to praye yo[u]r l[ordship] to appoint some escret gentlemen within that Countie/ dwelling neere the furnaces contained in the saide Cedule or any other newly errected/ within the same to take a p[er]fect Inventorie of the same suche pecs as they shall finde ther/ readie made, and in her Ma[jes]tys name to chardge aswell the owners of the saide furnaces, as also/ the Chief workemen appertayn[i]ng to the same, to forbeare to caste any more suche pecs of Iron/ ordnance untill thei shall receyve expresse direcion from us. And for their better assurance/ therof your l[ordship] shall direct the saide gent[lemen] by vertue of theis o[u]r letters to take bondes of the saide/ owners and workemen in the sum[m]e of two hundred pounds the piece for the due p[e]rformance/ of this order And so we bid yo[u]r L[ordship] hartely farewell from the Courte at Grenew[i]ch the laste/ of October 1588./

                                          Yo[u]r L[ordships]: verey loving frendes

Jo Cant      Ch Hatton     W Burghley    C Howard

                 J Hunsdon

          T Heneage                                    F Walsingham

J Wolley

Record Office
Kent County Library and Archive Centre
(with permission of South Staffordshire County Council)
Document Reference
The Sutherland Collection - Sir John Leveson of Halling
D593/S/4/28/1
Document type
Instruction from the Privy Council to Lord Cobham, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Kent
Document Date
Subject
Instruction for an Inventory of all iron works, iron workers and cast iron ordnance in Kent and that no ordnance to be cast unless directed.
Names referred to within the document
William Brooke, Lord Cobham
John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury
Sir Christopher Hatton
William Cecil, Lord Burghley
Sir Francis Walsingham
Sir Thomas Heneage
John Carey, Baron Hunsdon
John Wooley (Secretary)
Transcribers Notes
A copy letter to Lord Cobham from the Privy Council ordering him to draw up an inventory of all iron ordnance and workings in Kent. Also ordering the taking of bonds from iron masters not to cast any more iron ordnance without the order of the Privy Council.