V. FROM THE SUSPENSION OF THE LIBERTIES.
1470 TO 1556.
The seizure of Dover's Liberties by King Edward IV. at the close of the Wars of the Roses is dealt with in the History of the Corporation, therefore the event is only mentioned here as one of the notable land-marks which arrest attention as we follow the incidents of the Mayors and their Times from the Wars of the Roses to the fires of martyrdom in the reign of Queen Mary :-
1471 Thomas Hexstall
1472 Thomas Toke (47)
47) Thomas Toke, Mayor in 1472, was a son of Ralph Toke, a former Mayor.
1473 Thomas Hexstall
1474 Thomas Hexstall
1475 Richard Pleysington (48)
(48) Richard Pleysington, Mayor in 1475, is not otherwise mentioned.
1476 Robert Vincent (49)
(49) Robert Vincent, who was Mayor tliree times, in his first Mayoralty is said to have strengthened and completed the walls of Dover.
1477 Thomas Hexstall
1478 Thomas Hexstall
1479 Richard Palmer
1480 Thomas Fouche (50)
(50) Thomas Fouch, Mayor in 1480, was a yeoman. His name appears several times in Llio Hundred Court records.
1481 Thomas Hexstall
1482 John Byngham (51)
(51) John Byngham, elected Mayor in 1482, filled that office six times between that date and 1498. In Pyngliam's third Mayoralty 1484, Richard HI. granted a poll-tax of " ono penny on each goer and comer," as well as a toll on horses, oxen, sheep and merchandize imported at Dover for the maintenance of tb.e Castle Quay at East Brook Harbour.
1483 John Byngham
1484 John Byngham
1485 Robert Vincent
1486 John Templeman (52)
(52) John Templeman, Mayor in i486, is stated in the Charter to have received from the Corporation, in 1477, grant at fee farm of a plot of land hi Mankin war'l with the reservation: "Provided always that the aforesaid Mayor, Chamboilain^ and Commonalty and their successors shall have in the aforesaid plot of land their common park for imparkiri? pigs." This "park" \va=; on the west side of the river adjoining Mill Lane, and was probably used as the pig market. He was a Clerk in Holy Orders. That park for pigs, in 1623, had passed out of th© hands of the Corporation, and had to be purchased from an inhabitant of Coldred.
1487 John Byngham
1488 Robert Vincent
1489 Robert Vincent
1490 Edward Hexstall ($t,)
(53) Edward Hexstall, Mayor four times between 1490 and 1506, was the son of Thomas Hexstall, of Hougham Court.
1491 Robert Vincent
1492 Henry Balgy (45)
(54) Henry Balgy, Mayor in 1492, is only otherwise mentioned as witness to a Charter in 1499.
1493 William "Warren (55)
(55) William Warren, Mayor in 1493, is not otherwise mentioned.
1494 Edward Kexstall
1495 Edward Hexstall
1496 Richard Fyneaux (56)
(56) Richard Fyneaux, Mayor, 1496, and four times later, waa a eon of John Fyneaux, who was Clerk of Dover Castle in 1488.
1497 John Byngham
1498 John Byngham
1499 William Stone (57)
(57) William Stone, Mayor in 1499 and 1500, was Mayor when Sir John Clark's " Paradise Harbour " was commenced at Archclifife Point.
1500 William Stone
1501 John Pocock (58)
(58) John Pocock, Mayor in 1501, is not otherwise mentioned.
1502 Richard Fyneaux
1503 Richard Fyneaux
1504 Oliver Lythgo (59)
(59) Oliver Lythgo, Mayor in 1504, held from the Prior of Dover a house on the lower side of Market Lane, at Queen Street corner, which was acquired by the Corporation for an almshouse, and was used as a Seamen's Hospital until 1873.
1505 Robert Nethersole (60)
(60) Robert Nethersole, Mayor in 1508, held the office twice in the reign of Henry VFI., and three times under Henry VIII. He was a native of Womenswould, Kent.
1506 Edward Hexstall
1507 Richard Fyneaux
1508 Robert Nethersole
1509 Richard Monin (61)
(61) Richard Monin, Mayor in 1509, was e member of the ancient Monin family of Ringwould.
1510 Nicholas Terapleman (62)
(62) Nicholas Templeman, Mayor in 15 10, held land in Snargate Street.
1511 John Broke (63)
(63) John Broke, Mayor in the years 151 1 and 1526, was a member of the Dover family called "atte Broke." Hie father, William, was Bailiff.
1512 Robert Nethersole
1513 Nicholas Aldy (64)
(64) Nicholas Aldy, was Mayor in 1513 and 1517.
1514 Richard Fyneaux
1515 Thomas Vaughan (65)
(65) Thomas Vaughan, Mayor in 1515, was Mayor three times after, and wae also Bailiff. During Thomas Vaughan's first Mayoralty the Duke of Suffolk and his retinue crossed from Dover to Calais in six ships, provided by the Mayor, oonceming which Stowe's M.S. 146, in the British Museum has the following: — "By the Duke of Suffolk. — Pleasyth it your lordship to understand that on the XXth day of Jaunary I passed the sea to Calise with VI. shippys of Dover wherfore I pray you to be so godd lord to the poor men of Dover as to apoynt them payment of XXIIII. L. sterling for the same writen at Calise the XXI day of January, by your servant Charles Suffolke." Then follov?s a receipt for the money :— Received by me, John Paynter, servant to Thomas Vaughan, Dover, for and in the name of the said Thomas and to his use of Sir John Daunce Knt, by the King": Commandant the Xlth day of February anno. VI., to Regni Henrici VIII. twenty-four pounds sterling for the payment of the hyre c( certeyn shippea for settinge over of the Duke of Suffolke from Dover to Caleys sent as ambassade 10 the French Kyng, John Paynter to be Right-reverent Fathv^r in god my lord Archbyschopp of Yorke."
Thomas Vaughan was also Mayor in June 1520 when Henry VIII. embarked at Dover on his way to the Field of the Cloth of Gold. That famous embarkation scene is depicted in one of the stained glass windows in the Maison Dieu Hall.
1516 John Gregorie (66)
(66) John Gregorie, Mayor in 1516, is not otherwise mentioned.
1517 Nicholas Aldy
1518 Ilobert Weltden (67)
(67) Robert Weltden was Mayor only once.
1519 Thomas Vaughan
1520 John Elam (68)
(68) John Elam, Mayor in the years 15^0 and 1543, had land and a house adjoining Turn-again Lane, nov/ called New Street.
1521 Robert Stelman (69)
(69) Robert Stelman, Mayor i;i the years 1521 and 1522, waa of a family that had Jurats in the Corporation in the Reign of Henry V.
1522 Robert Stelman
1523 Robert Dyer (70)
(70) Robert Dyer, Mayor in 1523, was of a family who derived their name from their occupation.
1524 John Broke
1525 John Warren (71)
(71) John W .rren was Mayor in 1525, 1536 and 1540. During his last Mayoralty Henry VIII. took po'-Jossion of the Castle Guard Lands to pay fo" repairs and to establi h a new Castle Guard to take the place of the Knights and their retain : 3, who previously were iiuppofied to man Iho walls and towers.
1526 Richard Crouch (72)
(72) Richard Crouch, Mayor in 1526, was probably of the old Dover family atte Crouch, of the reign of Henry V.
1527 Thomas Vaughan
1528 Robert Fluce (73)
(73) Robert Fluce, Mayor in 1528 and 1529, lived in & faou£e next the gate in Snargate Street.
1529 Robert Fluce
1530 Robert Nethersole
1531 Robert Nethersole
1532 Thomas Vaughan
1533 Edward May (74)
(74) Edward May, Mayor in 1533 and 1538, "was one of th« experienced Dover Mariners consulted by Henry VIII., before com mencing his great Harbour Works, and May was one of the Overseers of the operations.
1534 Edward May
1535 John Paynter (75)
(75) John Paynter, Mayor 1535, was in office during the period of greatest activity at the Harbour.
1536 John Warren
1537 Ralph BufFkin (76)
(76) Ralph BufFkin, Mayor in 1537, when the Priory was sur rendered to the Crown, is said to have had valuable "pickings" from the dismantled buildings, and his son was lessee of the Priory lands.
1538 Edward May
1539 John Bowles (77)
(77) John Bowles, Mayor in 1539.. the year when St. Bartho lomew's Hospital and lands were surrendered to the Crown, rPceived a grant of the hospital buildings and the site they stood on for his life. He died in 1542, but before that time the whole structure was demolished.
1540 John Warren
1541 Thomas Foxley (78)
(78) Thomas Foxley, Mayor in 1541, remained on the Bench of Jurats during the subsequent reigns of Edward, and Mary.
1542 Robert Justice (79)
(79) Robert Justice, Mayor in the years 1542 and is^i, was another of the Mariners consulted' by Henry VIII., as to the Harbour and commiesioned to take oversight of the work.
1543 John Elam
1544 William Fisher (80)
(80) William Fisher, Mayor in 1544, was in office during the year that Henry VIII. embarked at Dover to commence the War with France, which began with the seige of Boulogne, from whence the King returned in the Autumn with the gates of Boulogne as a trophy which he gave to Sir Thomas Hardres, one of his principal officers, who set them up in the boundary wall at Upper Hardres, between Hardres Court and the Churchyard.
1545 Thomas Collye (81)
(81) Thomas Collye, who was Mayor in the years 1545, 1546, and 1558, was a sheep farmer and, also, a Municipal Reformer. He insisted on good rule at inns and victualling houses, and made it compulsory that each one should have a sign over their front door. Likewise, he made stringent rules that the hackney men who pro vided horses for travellers both locally and on the Dover roed to London should have good and reliable horses to let at fair prices. But the principal reform that he introduced was a novelty in the form of a regular system of town scavenging. The ordinance on that subject as written down by John Beverley, the Town Clerk, shall be given as he recorded it, thus : — " By the assent and consent of the Mayor, Jurats and Commonalty, it was enacted to have a common carrier for the purifying and keeping clean of the town and streets of the same in form following, that is to wit, twice a week weekly, viz., Wednesday and Saturday, and the stipend of the said carrier, then and there taxed at five pounds quarterly, to be paid him by the hands of the Mayor for the time being, and to be levied of every householder ; and that every such householder, twice a week, cause the dust, compost and suUage of the housesi to be laid in heaps before their street doors ready for the said carrier to take up and carry away ; provided always that this Act does not charge the said common carrier to carry away the dung and suUage of the stables of any innholders or other person inhabiting the said town, unless they agree with him for the same." But, although Thomas Collye was strict on the victuallers and innholders, he encouraged wine and beer drinking at what he considered the proper time, for, being Mayor in the year 1558, when Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, he caused to be set in the Market Place a hogshead of wine, a tun of beer to be drunk by the townspeople while they made a bonfire, " to the Queen's Majesty's honour and to the praise of Gcd for her Majesty's reign."
1546 Thomas Collye (until January, 1547)
1547 Richard Fyneaux (from January to 8th September) (82)
(82) Richard Fyneaux, Mayor for a year and a half, from January 1547 to the end of the next Municipal year. He took office in January, 1547 on the accession of Edward VL, because the Privy Council had some political objection to Thomas Collye.
1547-8 Richard Fyneaux (for a whole year)
1548 Hugo Brackett (from September to December 31st) (83)
(83) Hugo Brackett, elected Mayor on September 8th, 1548 was also unacceptable to the Privy Council and was removed after being in of&ce three months. The Corporation Minutes say there was a supper given to celebrate his election which cost 12s. 6d.
1549 Thomas Mauncell (from January to September 8th) (84)
(84) Thomas Mauncell, elected Mayor in January 1549 (on th« removal of Brackett), held office until September 8th in that year. He was e Tavern Keeper and on the occasion of his election 13s. was spent in treating the Freemen, 4s. was paid for a hogshead of beer set in the Mnrket Place for the Commoners.
1549 Thomas Waren (from September 8th) (85)
(85) Thomas Warren was Mayor five times. In his first Mayoralty the Chamberlains accounts show various sums spent in mending the ducking stool, putting a new lock on the stocks, and setting up a new gallows.
1550 Thomas Warren (from September 8th to December 31st)
1551 Thomas Portways (from January to September) (86)
(86) Thomas Portways, who was Mayor from January to September 1551, was put in by the Privy Council in the room of Thomas Warren, who was not acceptable to the Privy Council.
1551-2 Robert Justice 1552 Thomas Finnett (87)
(87) Thomas Finnett, Mayor in 1551 and 1552, lived in an old brick house, still standing, in Chapel Place.
1553 Thomas Finnett 1554 WiUiam Hannington (88)
(88) William Hannington was elected Mayor in 1554 and in 1561 was nominated Mayor by the Privy Council, owing to the disturbances in the Corporation, and he held the oflSce for a year and a half. He was the head of the Victualling Ofl&ce in Dover, and resided at Hougham Court. There is a monument to him and his family in Hoixgham Church, on which is the following inscription : — " Here in their silent urns (again wedded after death's divorce) lie William Hannington, Esq., and his wife, daughter of William Monin, Esq., some time Lieutenant of Dover Castle, expecting a blessed resurrection of the just. These happy olives budded fruitfully, in two sons and five daughters, two as soon blasted as blown. His works made his own demonstration under Henry VIII. and his successive heirs, the last of whom, by special favoured order, sealed him twice in the Mayoralty of Dover. Qui 10 May, 1607; quae 21 September, 1574."
1555 Adrian Whitt (89)
(89) Adrian Whitt was Mayor in the years 1555 and 1556. In the first of these Mayoralties the Corporation moved the Curfew bell from St. Peter's to St. Mary's Tower, and in the second the Common Council was established.
1556 Adrian Whitt