We pick up the story of Loughborough as presented by journalist Edwin Goady, in his serialization in the ‘Loughborough Monitor’ of which he was editor, which ran from 1864 to 1966.
As I mentioned last time, Goadby’s Chapter 8, although only listed as Chapter 8, and without any part numbers, actually appears in three issues of the ‘Loughborough Monitor’, so I shall follow suit, and split it over three blog posts, but will also give each post a Part number. This is Part 2.
As usual, some of Goadby’s paragraphs are rather long, so in order to make reading the chapter a little easier, I have added a few spaces and created new paragraphs. This particular chapter seems fairly straightforward, so I’ve not added any notes this time. Other than that, I’ve changed nothing, so do bear in mind that this text is now about 160 years old, and may no longer be accurate, as there are many more discoveries that have been made that illuminate the history of Loughborough, and some terminology will have changed, so some of the information in this article will be wrong. I have not tried to amend these in any way, so reader, beware!
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THE HISTORY OF LOUGHBOROUGH FROM THE TIME OF THE BRITONS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
In: ‘Loughborough Monitor’ 13 April 1865, pg.5, continued from 30 March 1865, pg.5
CHAPTER VIII. [Part 2]
A Tradition, and its Final Settlement—Henry VII.’s Progress through the Town—Its Curious Accessories—Thomas Burton, and the Wool Staple—Scarcity of Facts concerning him—His Will—His Deed of Enfeoffment, and Death.
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If it be true that great geniuses always have the shortest biographies, then Thomas Burton most certainly deserves to be reckoned amongst them. We know next to nothing about him. Whether he was born in Loughborough, descended from a local family, or had merely come hither for the purpose of trading in the locality, is not apparent. It is very singular that he should have lived in the town, acquired property there and in the neighbourhood, have been in every way a remarkable example of an industrious, successful merchant, and yet so few details respecting him should have come down to us, and these only to be reached through the sources that have made his name so memorable to posterity.
Had he done some daring deed of villany, history, general as well as local, would have given us the complexion of the man, the colour of his hair, and possibly the facts and motives of his life, but since he was only virtuous, and provided in a princely way for what he conscientiously deemed to be a great religious duty and privilege, this latter bold and eloquent fact, with a few others grouping themselves about it, are all that we have to gratify a laudable curiosity and satisfy a just admiration.
He was, as we have said, an enterprising and successful merchant, and had acquired considerable property in the town, and the neighbouring villages of Long Whatton, Coleorton, Mountsorrel, Burton, East Leake, Willoughby, Hardby, Statherne, Bottesford, and Thrussington. He appears to have had four sons, Edward, Christopher, Roger, and Thomas, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Alice, and one whose name does not occur, but who was married in his lifetime to a Mr. Charles Villers.
Two years before his death he made his will, and it is to this document that we are indebted for these and other facts. This singular and lengthy document was made June 12, 1494. It is in Latin, and was drawn up by Richard Canill, the public notary, and attested by “Master John Fisher,” then Rector of the parish.
Some of the bequests are very interesting, and nothing but the length of the document prevents us from giving it entire. After commending his soul to the “Omnipotent God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints,” and stating that his body shall be buried in the Parish Church, when those things shall be done to him “as by common authority and custom appertain to the dead,” it proceeds
“Item, I leave to the High Altar of the Parish Church of Loughborough, for my tenth-offering £x. Item, I leave to the High Altar of the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Mary of Lincoln the sum of three shillings and fourpence. Item, I leave to the fabric of the same church three shillings and fourpence. Item, I give and bequeath to the Guild of Jesus Corpus Christi, the woven drapery of the chariot (textorum carpentarionum), and to the Guild of the King twenty shillings, to be equally divided between them.”
The drapery here referred to was part of the ornament of the moveable platform used in the annual celebration of the Guild already mentioned in Chapter VI., and was doubtless a very costly representation of the Crucifixion or some other scene in the life of Our Lord. The royal guild also mentioned was very likely the guild of St. George, but may possibly have been a distinct merchant’s guild in which the principal men of the town were enrolled, as no mention is made of any especial title.
The next following item is important, because there can be no doubt that it was the one which suggested the disposition of his property after it was put into the Court of Chancery.
“Item, I leave to each several bridge and common highway within the parish of Loughborough the sum of twenty shillings, and more if it shall appear necessary according to the judgment of my Executors. Item, I leave to the Monastery of ‘Garredon’ (Garendon) the sum of twenty shillings. Item, I leave to the Priory of Wollestrofte (Ulverscroft) twenty shillings. Item, to the Monastery of Nuns of Gracedieu twenty shillings, and to the Priory of Langley twenty shillings. * * * *
I will have four wax candles continually, and xii pound of candles burning about my body on the day of its sepulture, and for the next seven days, twice daily, I will faithfully expend ten pounds in money according to the discretion of my Executors.
Item, I give and bequeath for the proper furnishing and repairing of the altar in honour of Saint Nicholas, the ruler of the sea, thirty pounds, six shillings, and eightpence.
Item, I will that my wife Emma have counted out to her in money v marcs (£3 6s 8d), with all the goods and chattels of my house if she will not marry during the remainder of her life, and after her death I will that the aforesaid goods or chattels be equally divided amongst my children. * *
Item, I will that my wife Emma, if she joyfully continue a widow, shall have all my lands and tenements with their appurtenances and goods (or riches), in Coleorton, Long Whatton, Mountsorrel, Burton, and all freehold tenements of mine in Loughborough, and further all those tenements of mine in which those goods are kept in Loughborough aforesaid, during her lifetime, and after her decease I will that my son Edward have all those lands and tenements of mine in which my goods are commonly kept, and I will that then my son Christopher shall have all those free lands and tenements in the Vill and fields (Villa et Campis) of L. aforesaid * *
Item, I will that my son Edward have counted out to him in money the sum of forty pounds. And I will that Christopher have in money lxx£, of which he shall receive into his own hands thirty-six pounds, six shillings, and eightpence. Item, I will that my son Roger have Lxx£. Item, I will that my daughter Elizabeth have iii marcs, and that my daughter Alice have iii marcs, and that the wife of Charles Villers have five pounds. * * *
Item, I will that all my Lands and Tenements, with their appurtenances in Willoughby, Hardby, Leeke, Thrussington, and Statherne, shall remain in full, after my decease, in the hands of my son Edward, the use of which shall be for a Benefice, and after it shall be a Benefice I will that my wife Emma and my son Edward shall have all those lands and tenements of mine above named, with the whole of the appurtenances thereunto belonging.
And I will that the whole of the money thence coming shall be annually expended in the Exhibition (or sustenance) of one Priest to celebrate in the Parish Church of Loughborough for the salvation of my soul, the soul of my wife, and in honour of our friends and all the faithful dead as long as it shall endure. And I will that the aforesaid lands and tenements shall pass to other of my sons if sufficient security be given for the money thence derived as readily as by the others of them.”
Chapter 8 –
to be continued.
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Links to older chapters
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Transcribed and presented here with the kind permission of the British Newspaper Archive. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
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Posted by
lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
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