Volume II 1603-1660 - The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

INTRODUCTION. hxvii
further steps be taken a list be made of all the nobility, judges, and
gentry who were members of the inn, and that they be approached
with a view to ascertain what they would be willing to contribute
towards the re-building. Nothing, however, came of this appeal.
The buildings undertaken in 1630 had necessitated a general assessment.
The church required a large contribution from the members p. 247
in addition to the sum which was supplied from the stock, and
the masque which was given, as before described, in 1634, put
another very heavy strain upon the resources of the house and upon
the members of the inn.
An attempt was made by our inn in June, 1634, to improve the p. 215
appearance of the church by pulling down certain houses and shops
which were built against it, and both defaced the exterior by their
unsightly projections and injured the interior by diminishing the light.
For this purpose a committee was appointed to confer with the
Middle Temple. As the latter, however, " seem to decline to pull p. 215
down the chambers built upon the said church," an order was made by
the benchers of the Inner on 28th October, 1634, to pull down such
of the houses belonging to them as obscured the lights and defaced
the church. An order was also made by this inn in April, 1635, to p. 222
remove a sempstress' shop adjoining the church which was kept by
certain women, and " conceived to be very uniitt." The wall " fencing
the kitchen garden from the Thames " was repaired in 1635, but
very little was at this time spent on any of the gardens.
The silver plate of the inn appears only to have been increased
during this reign by the purchase, in 1628, from T. Turner of " two
wine boales," weighing I3 oz., at 5s. 9d. per oz. Against this must p. ii
be set off the melancholy fact that in 1643-44 the house plate " was p. 270
stolen, and the sum of L36 I 2S. 6d. was spent in prosecuting the
offenders, though probably without recovery of the goods.'
There was little change or interference with the government of
the inn under James, and even less under Charles. The frequent
outbreaks of the plague may to some extent have accounted for this.
But the benchers were an independent body, much divided in opinion
upon public affairs and ready to resent any unnecessary interference.
In 1634, and again in 1637, orders were promulgated and were p. 214
screened in the hall for the enforcement of readings and moots. P. 237
I do not find any indictment for this felony in the Middlesex records.