The next document that we know of that refers to Sir Henry Willoughby’s involvement in quelling the Coventry Lammas Day Rebellion of 1525 is a calendar entry in the State Papers of King Henry VIII. It concerns a letter, dated Saturday 12th August 1525 and was sent from Astley Castle, Warwickshire. This document confirms the information in the Middleton accounts entry from the 11th August that stated that Sir Henry stayed at Astley for two days. This letter was sent to King He

This post contains two entries from the Middleton accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525. The first of these concerned Sir Henry Willoughby’s activity in relation to his commission from King Henry VIII to quell the Lammas Day Rebellion in Coventry. This entry also correlates with the request in the letter by Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, for them to meet in response to receiving their commissions. However, the entry also provides information as to where and when they

The second document in the Middleton Manuscripts that concerns the Lammas Day Rebellion of 1525 in Coventry was a letter sent by Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, to Sir Henry Willoughby. Unfortunately, this letter is undated. However, its contents and later entries in the Middleton accounts and official documents mean that it was probably sent about the 8th August 1525. Thomas addresses the letter to his “loving cousin, Sir Henry Willoughby”. In the letter he informed Sir

The first document in the Middleton Manuscripts relating to the quelling of the Coventry Lammas Day Rebellion was dated the 6th August 1525. It was the commission sent by King Henry VIII to Sir Henry Willoughby instructing him to take part in repressing the riot. The following is a transcription of the letter (some words have been altered to modern English to help legibility): To our trusty and well-beloved servant Sir Henry Willoughby, knight. Trusty and well-beloved, we gre

On Lammas Day in 1525, a rebellion began in Coventry. Sir Henry Willoughby was one of the people sent by King Henry VIII to quell this rebellion. A number of documents relating to this, either in the form of letters in the Middleton Manuscripts or entries within the Middleton accounts, have survived. In a series of posts relating to this event, we will be highlighting these records, but first: What was the Coventry Lammas Day Rebellion of 1525? This rebellion was one of many

The next entry in the Middleton accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was described as a reward to my Lady Abbess of Polesworth’s maids when Mistress Alice was fetched home from Polesworth. This entry was dated as the 18th August and the amount was 16 pence, which was the equivalent of about £29.42 today. Mistress Alice was Sir Henry Willoughby’s youngest daughter. Polesworth Abbey often appears in our records. It had a long connection with Middleton, from the 12th century

The next entry in the Middleton accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 is one of the few remaining ones for this year that specifically refers to the activities of Sir Henry. This entry was dated as 22nd August and was described as being his costs to Feckenham Forest in Worcestershire and rewards to the keepers of the Forest. It added that he had gone there with “my lord prior” of Kenilworth and Sir Edward Ferrers. The amount was 34 shillings 6 pence, which was the equivale

The third entry in December in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was also undated except for the month. It was described as a payment for Chingleton’s costs to go to Leicester Forest to fetch a doe and staying there for three days at the manor of Thomas Grey, 2nd Lord Marquess of Dorset. The amount was 21 pence, which was the equivalent of about £38.61 today. This is the only known record that mentions the servant Chingleton in the Middleton Ma

The second entry in December in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was also undated except for the month. It was described as a reward to a servant of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who had brought what is believed to be beer (was spelled bayrs). The amount was 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £14.71 today. There is a technical distinction between ale and beer. Ale was much more common historically in England and was brewed with

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was the sole entry in September and only dated as such. It was another payment to Lady Alice Willoughby in order for her to buy clothes for Mistress Jane. Mistress Jane was Sir Henry Willoughby’s widowed daughter. The amount was 6 shillings 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £147.09 today or, in terms of equivalence at that time, would have been the cost of about one stone of wool or 11

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was dated the 12 th  October. It was a payment to cover the costs incurred by Mr Swinfen who had, on the commandment of Sir Henry, taken the hawks from Middleton to King Henry VIII in London. The amount was 10 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £220.64 today. In comparative terms, this was the equivalent of about 16 days wages for a skilled tradesman at that time. It is believed that

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was dated as the 16 th  October. It was a payment for fur to use on Sir Henry's gown. The entry added that the fur was purchased at Birmingham and the costs also included John Lewissay’s expenses for undertaking this task on behalf of his master. The amount was 10 shillings and thruppence, which was the equivalent of about £226.15 today or, at that time, at least one stone of wool.   By the 152

The next entry in October in the Middleton household accounts of 1525 was described as a reward from Sir Henry Willoughby to John Chapman when he was wed. Unfortunately, this entry was undated but because its adjacent entries were dated, it can be determined that it would have occurred between the 17th and 21st of October. The amount of the reward was 20 pence, which was the equivalent of about £36.77 today. This is the only mention of John Chapman in the Middleton Manuscript

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was dated as the 22nd October. It was described as a payment to the warden of Grey Friars in Lichfield on the commandment of Sir Henry Willoughby when Sir Henry had gone to pray in the town. The amount was 10 shillings and 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £235.35 today. Grey Friars was the common name, as a result of the colour of the habit of the friars, for the Franciscan Friary in

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was dated as the 26th October. It was described as a payment to Lewis ap John for his costs to go to Wales. The amount was 3 shillings and 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £73.55 today and comparative at that time to 5 days wages for a skilled tradesman. This is the only entry that can be clearly attached to Lewis. Lewis ap John is a Welsh name, however, because John Lewissay, who wa

The Middleton Manuscripts contains a letter that bears the date the 28th October and, due to its contents, must have been written between 1575 and 1583 although its precise year is unknown. It was written by a man called Marmion to Sir Francis I Willoughby. Marmion, who at that time was the servant of Elizabeth (Bess of Hardwick), Countess of Shrewsbury, was writing of his desire to enter the service of Sir Francis. In this letter Marmion told Sir Francis of events in the Cou

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts of 1525 were dated as the 26 th  November. They were described as Sir Henry Willoughby’s offering at William Slade’s wedding and Sir Henry’s reward to William Slade when William was married. The amount for the first was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today, and the amount for the second was two shillings, which was the equivalent of about £44.13 today.   There are others with the surname of Slade that

The first entry in December in the Middleton household accounts of 1525 was undated except for the month. It was described as Sir Henry Willoughby’s payment towards the making of a chalice for St Nicholas’ Church at Wollaton, Nottinghamshire. The amount was 20 pence, which was the equivalent of about £36.77 today.   The most common definition of a chalice identifies it as a Christian religious ceremonial cup from which wine is drunk during services. However, technically a cha