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2.Letter of Commission to Robert Bynges and William Clarke.

Transcribed by Peter Titley on Thu, 04 Jul 2019 - 21:01

To my Lovinge frynds/ Mr Robert Bynge/ And Mr William Clarke/

[end first page]

[second page]

for the vewe/ of furnaces/ & ordnance/

After my Harty commendacions unto you. Herewith y[ou]/ shall receave a let[ter] wrytten unto me from my Lords of her/ Ma[jes]ty[s] most honourable previe Counsell whereby you may/ perceave that their Lordships have thought meete that/ an exacte vewe should be taken aswell of All the nombre/ of furnaces w[i]th in the Countie of Kent and all so the/ nombers of the severall kyndes of peeces of cast Iron/ ordinance that are in every of them nowe readie made/ and a true inventorie made what every one of them/ hath And that the names of the saide furnaces, And/ the chief workemen appertayninge to them should be by/ you in her ma[jes]ty[s] name charged to forbeare to cast/ any more suche peeces of iron ordinance untill they/ shall receave expresslie direction from their Lordships/ And withall for their better assurance thereof their/ Lordships doo requyre that bounds shalbe taken/ of the saide owners and workemen in the sunne of two/ hundred pounds the peece for the dewe performance/ of that summe as by their lord[ship]s saide let[te]r more a[s]/ beinge it may appiere unto you. These are to [illegible page damaged]/ And requyre you to take the paynes to see their Lordships/ direction in this behalfe [illegible] [illegible] [illegible page damaged]/ expedicion as conveniently you may And [illegible]/ have of your dooing therein together with the [illegible page damaged]/ And their bounds with you shall take that I may/ satisfye their Lordships accordingly & hereunto I/ charge you to have some speciall care as my hope/ is you will So fare ye hartely well From /[illegible] Court at Greenew[i]ch the fourth of/ novemb[er] 1588

                                                            Your lovinge frynde

                                                                                         Cobham

[end second page, end of document]

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/4/28/2
Document type
Letter of Commission to Robert Bynges and William Clarke to carry out an inventory of the Iron workings and workers in the County of Kent.
Document Date
Subject
Iron working
Names referred to within the document
Robert Bynges
William Clarke
Lord Cobham

Transcribers Notes
Letter of Commission for an inventory of iron workings, furnaces, iron workers and owners of iron works. Instructions that the owners of iron works are to be liable to a bond not to produce iron ordnance without the express permission of the Privy Council.
The document is difficult to read being written by a secretary as a file copy. The document has sustained an amount of damage leaving some words illegible.