¶ THE DEcree for Tithes, to be payed in London.
Anno M.D. LXXX.
Imprinted at London for Gabriel Cawood.
The Decree for Tithes to be payed in London.
AS touching the paiments of Tithes in the Citie of London and the Lyberties of the same: It is fully ordered and decréed by the most reuerend Father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate and Metropolitane of al England. Thomas Lord Wriothesley & Lord Chancellour of England. William Lord, Saint Iohn president of the Kings Maiesties Councel, and Lord great maister of his highnesse householde, Ihon Lord Russell, Lord priuie seale, Edward Earle of Hertford, Lorde great Chamberlaine of Englande, Iohn viscount Lisle high Admirall of England, Richard Lister knight chief Iustice of Englād, & Roger Cholmeley knight, chief baron of his Graces Eschequer, this present [Page] twentie and foure day of February, Anno Domini secundum cursum & computationem Ecclesiae Angelicanae millesimo quingētesimo quadragesimo quinto, according to ye statute in such case lately prouided, That the Citizens and inhabitants of the said Citie of London and liberties of the same, for the time being, shall yearely wthout fraud or couin for euer pay their tithes to the Parsons, Vicars, and Curates of the sayd Citie & their successours for the time béeing, after the rate héereafter following, that is to wit, of euery ten shillings rent by yeare of all and euery house & houses, shoppes, warehouses, cellers, and stables, and euery of them, within the sayde Citie and liberties of the same .xvi. pence halfe peny. And of euery twentie shillings rent by yere of all and euerye such house & houses, shops, warehouses, cellars and stables, & euery of them, within the said Citie and liberties, two shillings and nine pence: And so aboue the rent of xx.s. by yeare, ascending from .x.s. [Page] to x.s. according to the rate aforesayd.
Item yt wher any lease is or shall be made of anye dwellyng house or houses, shops, warehouses, cellars, or stables, or of any of them, by fraud or couin, reseruing lesse rent then hath ben accustomed, or is or that any such lease shalbe made without anye rent reserued vpon the same, by reason of any fine or income payd before hand, or by any other frand or couin: That then in euery such case the tenaunt or fermour, tenaunts or fermoures therof, shal pay for his or their tithes of the same, after ye rate aforesaid, according to the quantitie of such rent or rents, as ye same house or houses, shops, warehouses, celars or stables, or any of them were last letten for, without fraude or couin before the making of such lease.
Item that euery owner or owners, inheritor or inheritors, of any dwellyng house or houses, shops, warehouses, cellers, or stables, or anye of them within the said citie & liberties, [Page] inhabiting or occupying ye same himselfe or themselues, shall paye after such rate of tithe as is abouesayde, after the quantitie of such yearelye rent, as the same was last letten for, without fraud or couin.
Item if any person or persōs haue taken or héerafter shal take any mese or mansion place by lease, & the taker or takers theroff his or their executors or assignes doth or shal inhabite in part theroff, & haue or hath wtin viii. yeares last past before this order or héereafter wil or shall let out the residue of ye same: That then in such case, ye principal fermour or fermors or first taker or takers therof, his or their executours or assignes, shal pay his or their tithes after ye rate aforesayd, according to his or their quantitie therin, & that his or their executors assigne or assignes, shal pay his or their tithes after ye rate abouesaid, according to the quantitie of his or their rent by yeare.
And yt if any person or persōs, haue or shall take diuers mansion houses, [Page] shops, warehouses, cellers, or stables in one lease, & letteth or shall let out one or more of ye said houses & kepeth or shall kéepe one or more in his or their owne hands, & inhabiteth or inhabiten in the same: That then the said taker or takers, & his or their executors or assignes, shall pay his or their tithes after the rate abouesaid, according to the quantitie of ye yerely rent of such mansion house or houses reteyned in his or their handes. And that his assigne or assignes of the residue of the said mansion house or houses shal pay his or their yerely tithes after ye rate abouesaid, according to ye quātitie of their yerely rēts. Itē if such fermour or fermours, or his or their assignes of any mansion houses, warehouses, shops, cellers, or stables, hath at any time within eight yeares last past, or shall héereafter let ouer all the sayd mansion house or houses conteyned in his or theyr lease to one person or to diuers persons: That then the inhabitauntes leases or occupiers of them, and of [Page] euery of them shall pay their tithes, after ye rate of such rents as the sayd inhabitaunts, leases, or occupiers, and their assigne or assignes, ben or shal be charged withall, without fraud or couin.
Item if any dwelling house within eight yeares last past was or héereafter shall be conuerted into a warehouse, Forehouse, or such lyke, or if a warehouse, storehouse, or such like wt in the said eight yeares, was or heereafter shalbe cōuerted into a dwelling house: That thē the occupier or occupiers thereoff shall pay tithes for the same after the rate aboue declared of mansion house rents.
Item that where any person shall demise any Diehouse or Brewhouse with implementes conuenient and necessary for dying or brewing, reseruing a rent vpon the same, as well in respect of such implements as in respect of such Diehouse or Brewhouse. That then the tenaunt shall paye his tithes, after such rate as is abouesaid, the third penie abated. And that euery [Page] principall house or houses with key or wharfe, hauing any Crane or gibet belōging to ye same, shal pay after like rate of their rents as is aforesaid the third penny abated. And that other wharfes belonging to houses, hauing no Crane or gibet, shall pay for theyr tithes as shalbe paid for mansiō houses in forme aforesayd.
Item that where any mansiō house wt a shop, stable, warehouses, wharfe, with Crane, timberyard, teinteryard, or garden belonging to ye same, or as parcel of ye same, is or shalbe occupied together, yt if the same be héereafter seuered or deuided, or at any time wt in .viij. years last past were seuered or deuided: That thē the farmour or farmours, occupier, or occupiers theroff shal pay such tithes as abouesayd for such shops, stable, ware-house, wharfe with Crane, timberyard, teinteryard, or garden aforesaid so seuered or deuided after ye rate of their seueral rentes therevpon reserued.
Item that the sayde citezens & inhabitantes shall paye their tythes [Page] quarterly, that is to say, at the feast of Easter, the Natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist, the feast of S. Michael the Archangell, and the natiuitie of our Lorde by euen portions.
Item that euery householder paying ten shillinges rent or aboue, shall for him or hir selfe be discharged of theyr foure offeringe dayes: but his wyfe, children, seruaunt or others of theyr family, taking theyr rightes of the Church at Easter, shall paye two pence for theyr foure offeringe dayes yéerely.
Prouided alwayes, and it is decréeed, that if any house or houses, which hath ben or héereafter shalbe letten for x. shillings rent by yeare or more, bée or hath at anye time within eyght yeares last passed, or héereafter shalbée deuided and leassed into small parcels or members, yelding lesse yéerely rent then x. shillings by yeare: That then the owner or owners, if he or they dwell in any part of such house, or els the principal lease or leases, if the owner or owners doe not dwell in some [Page] part of ye same, shal frō hencefoorth pay for his or their tithes, after such rate of rent as the same house was accustomed to be letten for before such deuision or deuiding into parts or members. And ye vnder farmour and farmours, lease and leases, to be discharged of all tithes, for suche small parcels, parts or members rented at lesse yearely rents then x. shillings by yeare, without fraud or couin, paying two pence a péece yearely for their .iiij offering dayes.
Prouided alway, & it is decréede, that for such gardens as apperteyne not to any mansion house, and which any person or persons, holdeth or shal holde in his or their handes for pleasure, or to his owne vse, that then the person so holding the same shall paye no tithes for the same. But if any person or persons, which holdeth and shal holde any such garden, conteininge halfe an Acre or more, doth or shall make any yéerely profite thereoff by way of sale: that then he or they shall paye tithes for the same, after suche [Page] rate of his rent, as is héerein first aboue specified.
Prouided also that if any such gardens now béeing of the quantitie of halfe an Acre or more, bée héereafter by fraude or couin deuided into any lesse quantitie or quantities, then to pay tith, according to the rate abouesayde.
Prouided alwaye that this decrée shall not extend to the houses of great men, or noble men, or noble women, kept in theyr owne handes, and not letten for any rent, which in time past hath payed no tithes, so long as they shall so continue vnletten, nor to any halls of craftes or companies so long as they be kepte vnletten, so that the same halls in time past haue not vsed to pay any tithes.
Prouided alwayes, & it is decréed, that this present order and decrée shal not in anye wise extende to binde or charge any sheddes, stables, cellers, timber yardes, ne teynter yardes, which wer neuer parcel of any dwelling house, ne apperteining or belonging [Page] to any dwellinge house, ne haue accustomed to paye any tithes: but ye the sayd Citizens & inhabitants shall thereoff be quiet of payment, of any tithes, as it hath ben vsed and accustomed.
Prouided also, and it is decréede, that where lesse summe thou after the rate of sixtéene pence half penny in the tenne shillinges rent, or lesse summe then two shillinges and nine pence in the twentie shillinges rente, hath ben accustomed to be payde for tithes, that then in such places, the sayde Citizens and inhabitantes shall pay but onely after such rate as hath bene accustomed.
Item, it is also decréede, yt if any varyaunce, controuersie, or striefe do or shall héereafter aryse in the sayd Citie for no payment of any tithes: or if any variaunce or doubt arise vpon the true knowledge or diuisiō of any rent or tithes within the liberties of ye said citie, or of any extent or assemblant thereoff, or if any doubt rise vpon any other thing conteined within this decrée: [Page] that then vppon complaint made by the partie gréeued to ye Mayre of ye citie of London for ye time being, the sayd Mayre by the aduise of counsaile shall call the sayd parties before him, & make a finall ende in the same, with costs to be rewarded at the discreation of the sayd Mayre & his assistants, according to the intent & purpose of this present decrée.
And if yt the sayd Mayre make not an ende thereoff within two moneths after complaynte to him made, or if any of the sayde parties finde themselues grieued: That then the Lord Chauncellour of England for the time being vpon complainte to him made within thrée monethes then next following. shall make an ende of the same, with such costes to be rewarded as shalbe thought conuenient, according to the intent and purporse of this said decrée.
Prouided alwayes, that if any person or persons take any tenement for a lesse rent then was accustomed to be letten for, by reason of any greate ruine and decay, burning, or such lyke [Page] occasions or misfortunes: That then such person or persons, his executors or assignes shal pay tithes onely after the rate of the rent reserued in his or their lease, & none otherwise, as long as the same lease shall endure.
¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East, for Gabriell Cawood. 1580.