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VIII.—Account of Papers relating to the Royal Jewel-house in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, in the possession of Captain Hervey George St. John-Mildmay, R.N., of Hazelgrove House, Somerset

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2012

James Arthur Bennett
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Extract

The following Papers, relating to the Crown Jewels and Plate in the times of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles I., are a selection from a number of Jewelhouse Accounts and Papers, which are now in the possession of Captain Hervey George St. John-Mildmay, R.N., of Hazelgrove House, Somerset. The full catalogue will be found in the Seventh Report of the Hist. MSS. Commission.

Type
Research Article
Information
Archaeologia , Volume 48 , Issue 1 , 1884 , pp. 201 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1884

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References

page 202 note a He became a Verderer of the Forest of Essex, State Papers, Dom. 1639, Mar. 26.

page 208 note a The very interesting fact that two of these splendid pieces were at least as early as the time of Henry VIII. has been pointed out to me by our Fellow, Mr. Martin. He lias informed me that “the cup of golde called ‘the Dreame of Parris',” and “the Salte of golde called the ‘Morris Dance”,” are both described in the “Account of the Jewels delivered by the widow of Robt Amadas, late Master of the Jewels, to Tho8 Cromwell on his appointment in 1532.”—Chapter-house, book, Since Mr. Martin gave me this information I have myself examined the Inventory, but have not been able to identify any other pieces.

page 208 note b A patent dated 29th August, 5 Car. 1629, authorised the redemption of some of the jewels pledged in Holland out of the proceeds of the sale of some ordnance to the Lords of the United Provinces.— Ibid. vol. xix. p. 99.

page 209 note a It appears from the despatches of Sir Dudley Carleton (State Papers, Holland) that it was found impossible to complete the transaction. Only a certain part of the plate was taken. In a paper in the Harleian MSS. 3796, fol. 27, it is stated that there were, in 1635, 40,0001. worth of jewels in pawn. There was a privy seal, dated December 15, 1635, for 47,5001., for the redemption of jewels, and Job Harby, a London merchant, was employed to go into Holland to bring them back; and the following entry in the Pells Declarations, Mich. 1635–6, shows that the money was actually paid to him:

“Job Harby, merchant, on his accompt to be by him dishursed for the redempcion of such his Mats Jewells as remaine impawned with divers merchants of Amsterdam and others in the Low Countries per breve dat. xvth Decembris, 1635 …. 47,5001.” See also State Papers, Dom. 16 Dec. 1635.

As there is no entry of the money being repaid to the Exchequer we may conclude that the jewels were actually redeemed. It therefore follows that the statement in a letter of June 26, 1660—that “there is a Dutch ambassador coming over with very rich presents: a suit of gold plate, two of silver plate, and all the jewels of the crown that were pawned there ” (Hist. MSS. Report, V. App. p. 154)—refers to a second pledging of the jewels at the time of the Civil War.—(S.R.G.)