Introduction
Prior to the outbreak of the civil war and the first armed conflict in Somerset at Marshall’s Elm, William Piers (c.1580-1670) was serving as bishop of Bath and Wells. One of the complicated issues that contributed to the cause of that brief but notable skirmish involved some of the policies Piers had applied since his appointment to serve as bishop of Bath and Wells in 1632 by Archbishop William Laud (1573-1645). At the local level, Puritanism in the ‘later years of Elizabeth’s reign had caused much lack of order and reverence’ in the diocese.1 Piers’ activities in the diocese have been well documented by Margaret Stieg, David Underdown and Thomas Barnes.2 Steig details some of Piers’ unpopular policies echoed by other historians. For example ‘the positioning and railing of the communion table’ in 16333 and complaints about the cathedral at Wells concerning the communion table in the church that was ‘not furnished with such decent ornaments as are requisite’.4 Piers promoted the old customs of wakes and church ales that were also unpopular with staunch puritans in the county. He also hunted recusants and censured clergy in the diocese.5 It was widely claimed by 1640 that Piers was thought to have been behind the ‘corruption and subversion of the religion in his diocese’.6
Subsequently Piers, like Laud, became the target and victim of the zeal of the Puritan and more moderate calls for reform. Many puritans and members of parliament supported the demise of the bishops. William Bellamie wrote from Doctors Commons to Alexander Jett (c.1600-1665), Bishop Piers’ registrar at Wells, informing him on the 26 December 1640: ‘I feare our Bishopp of Bath and Wells will be committed on tewsday next; there is a great plott layd against him, if hee doth not give Bayle by tewsday next hee will certainly bee committed’.7 Piers, with Bishop Matthew Wren, was impeached before the House of Lords and subsequently appeared at the bar on the 30th of December.8
News was regularly sent to Wells concerning Bishop Piers.9 On 10 July 1641 Bellamie informed Jett how ‘Yesterday was a fatall day for the Byshopps they are voted downe, and their lands to be seized into the Kings hands’.10 And three weeks later a committee was appointed to draw up an impeachment against 13 bishops including Laud, Dr Curle Bishop of Winchester (formerly of Bath and Wells) and Piers.11 The number was reduced to twelve and Piers, like others, was accused of ‘heinous Misdemeanours, tending to the Subversion of the true Religion’.12 On the 29 December 1641 the House of Commons accused the twelve bishops of ‘High-Treason, for endeavouring to subvert the fundamental Laws and Being of Parliaments’. The Black Rod was sent ‘instantly to find out these Bishops, and apprehend them, and by eight of the Clock at night, they were all taken, and brought upon their knees to the Bar, and ten of them committed to the Tower’; the written order was sent the following day to the Lieutenant of the Tower.13
On 15 January 1641/2 Piers and the other bishops were ‘severally brought to the Bar of the Lords House, and put in their Answers to the said Impeachment’.14 On the 17th of January the twelve bishops were brought into the Lords and they all gave the same reply to the charge when it was agreed their trial would be on the 25 January.15 The trial was deferred three times and on the 14th of February the Lords decreed the bishops should be given bail. The bishops of Durham and Coventry and Lichfield were released. However, the next day the Lords received notice that the Commons did not want the twelve to be bailed. They were returned to the Tower and a message was sent from the Lords to the Commons on February the 19th ‘to signifie that the twelve Bishops were come to the House of Peers’ for the trial to start, which it did.16
Whilst in the Tower Piers was given some degree of freedom. One writer noted how ‘Early modern imprisonment was considerably different from what is sometimes supposed, even in the infamous Tower of London those of wealth and status, unless ordered otherwise, had an exceptional amount of freedom ...’.17 Piers wrote three sermons whilst in the Tower that he preached on 10 January and 20 February 1641/2 and 24 April 1642 which were later printed.18 A rare letter, written on 4 March 1641/2, sent by Piers whilst he was incarcerated in the Tower of London, has survived amongst the papers of Alexander Jett registrar.19 Besides the bishop’s chancellor the most important court official was the registrar, who played a key role in record keeping. A notary public usually held the office. On 7 October 1598 the office of registrar came into the hands of the Huish family. Edward Huish was granted the office ‘on the condition that neither he nor his assigns would intermeddle with the fees and profits of the registrars of the Dean and Chapter, or those of the several Archdeacons’.20 On 1 April 1638 the office of ‘registrar of the dean of Wells’ was granted to Mr Alexander Jett for the lives of himself and his son.21 As a notary public Jett had the right experience for the job. For example, he had been on court business around the diocese prior to his appointment,22 played a role in the administration of individual’s estates in the 1630s,23 undertook searches of the records at Wells and even made a collection of copies of records relating to the Hospital of St John the Baptist in Bath.24
The contents of the letter
The letter Piers wrote to Jett appears to have been written in great haste as several sentences appear to be missing a word or two. It concerns the patronage of Marston Bigot (near Frome) and the appointment of a cleric to serve there.25 Cirencester Abbey had appointed priests to serve at Marston until 1539, when the advowson, or right of presentation, was acquired by Sir John Thynne of Longleat. He also purchased the abbey’s lands in the parish.26 Although the patronage of the benefice was held by the Thynne family of Longleat, Lord Cork, namely Richard Boyle (1566-1643), had purchased Marston in 1641 and must have assumed he then had some right to present his own man to the living.27 Piers wrote how ‘Their was a caveat entred by Mr: Heath in the behalfe of my Lord of Corke concerninge Marston Bigott that noe Clearke should be admitted thereunto, vntill my Lord or Mr. Heath were acquainted therewith’.28 William Abbot (1565-c.1640) had been instituted in 1594 by John Still who was then serving as bishop of Bath and Wells,29 thanks to the patronage of John Thynne armiger.30 Even whilst Piers was in the Tower he knew that the benefice had been vacant since before Christmas Day 1640, presumably following Abbott’s death.
Both Thynne and Boyle were powerful men. What had Piers to gain from supporting one side or the other? It appears the bishop was in a position of influence but may have simply been arbitrating between the two parties in a bid to resolve the matter. As Sir James Thynne claimed the patronage he had presented his own clerk who he desired should take up his office before Christmas. Piers had informed James what had been done in this matter on behalf of his brother Thomas and Lord Cork. Piers thought that Thomas would agree to James being able to appoint whom he wished. However, Lord Cork could not be so easily convinced. Therefore Piers wanted to hold a meeting, whilst potentially still incarcerated in the Tower, on 20 April 1642. He asked Jett to inform Mr Heath that the proposed meeting should be held before two witnesses, but in the meantime Jett was to instruct his bishop’s ‘Steward or solicitour’ to write to Lord Cork for his answer. He also instructed Jett to ask Mr Valentine Powell to contact Mr Thomas Thynne to either ‘make good his clayme, or els that he would withdraw his caveat’. Piers instructed Jett to be ‘carefull to doe this I pray, and lett me hear from you’, signing off his letter as ‘your very Assured friend’.31 The matter was settled and no meeting was needed, as on 14 April 164232 some six days before the proposed meeting, Samuel Tuckey (or Tocksey) was instituted through the patronage of James Thynne.33
Who was Alexander Jett?
Jett is not an old Somerset family name. However, the family seems to have been resident in Wells since the late 16th century. There is a record of an Alexander Jett in 1581 in Wells described as a stranger.34 Alexander later appears in several convocation records concerning the corporation in 1589 until 22 March 1604/5 when he was described as ‘late burgess’ and father of William.35 It is possible William was Alexander the registrar’s father.36
The connection between the Huish and Jett families was not just through the office of registrar at Wells. Alexander Jett married Jane Huish on 30 October 1624 at Wells St Cuthbert.37 Jane was the daughter of Jett’s predecessor Edward Huish and she had been left £40 in her father’s will in 1624.38 With Christian Huish widow (Edward Huish’s second wife) Alexander and his wife leased a tenement in High Street with the appurtenances and one close for the term of their lives on 14 March 1624/5.39 Jane passed away and Alexander married Sarah Abraham at Wells St Cuthbert by licence on 27 December 1632;40 Sarah’s father was John Abraham, vicar of Colyton Rawleigh from 1590 until he resigned in 1643.41 Amongst the papers Jett left in the Cathedral Archive is their marriage settlement involving members of the Abraham family and their wider family, dated 11 October 1633, principally for a 21 year lease for a property in Exeter.42 Another transaction involved a tenement in High Street, Wells including a meadow called Breybrooke and a barn with a garden in the north of Tucker Street included his former mother-in-law and Jett’s new wife, Sarah on 16 December 1633.43 Alexander’s marriages were short-lived as Mrs Sarah Jett was buried at Wells St Cuthbert on 8 May 1637.44
Alexander was well connected. Both James Huish and Jett were overseers of the will of William Hunt one of the ‘Vicars of the Cathedral Church of Wells’ in October 1638 who in return bequeathed them both a pair of gloves.45 He had also acted for Bishop Piers against the Dean and Chapter.46 He was one of the overseers of the will of his brother-in-law James Huish of Wells proved on 9 April 1640.47 He was described as a gentleman in January 1644/5 when he leased a house in Wells from the Dean and Chapter called the New Works ‘next adjoyning to the Guild Hall ... on the south side, and the porch or gate leading into the churchyard of the cathedral church ... on the northside, and the Chorister Howse on the east side’ for 40s per annum.48 Alexander was rated for a property in Chamberlain Street in 1653, 1658 and 1662.49
Although the business of bishop’s registrar for probate purposes had ceased by 1653, Jett was busy elsewhere. He was an ardent royalist as he took up arms for the king and ‘trailed a pike in his service’ at Exeter, as well as serving as clerk to the King’s commissioners.50 In 1649, he was assessed as a royalist who compounded on the Exeter articles,51 following which he appears in several cases in Chancery from 1649-1659.52 Following the reinstatement of Bishop Piers he appointed Jett as registrar of the bishopric, on the surrender of James Huish53 and by 1 April 1664 he was also serving as Chapter clerk.54 A reward for his loyalties was the grant to Alexander of the lease by the Dean and Chapter for 40 years of the camery on the south side of the cathedral.55 Following his death, letters patent of the office of registrar or scribe in the whole diocese and episcopal jurisdiction of Bath and Wells were granted to John Prickman gentleman and Ezekiel Jett (1636-1668/9), notary public;56 Prickman, Alexander Jett and James Huish had all been defendants in the same Chancery case in 1653.57 Ezekiel was one of Alexander’s sons by Sarah Abraham, who had served his apprenticeship with Charles Mattock, citizen and haberdasher of London from September 1653 until April 1660.58 Therefore the tradition of keeping the office of registrar in the same family continued for another generation.
Alexander’s will, dated 26 April 1665, mentions his son Ezekiel (another Ezekiel had been buried at Wells St Cuthbert on 25 November 1633), a daughter (wife of Tristram Towse), and Margaret wife of Steven Coward;59 Margaret Coward was his granddaughter by Margaret Towse.60 Alexander was buried at Wells St Cuthbert on 30 March 1665 when the knell for his funeral was rung six hours before and afterwards at a cost of 6s.61 Shortly afterwards on 16 June the mayor proposed to buy one life in one close of meadow and one barn that were late in the tenure of Mr Alexander Jett that was leased to Mistress Towse, Sarah his daughter and the mayor for 99 years.62
Piers’ life after the letter
As for Piers he remained in the Tower of London. The twelve bishops sent a petition to the Lords that was read on the 9th of March that had no affect on their release. At the end of the month they collectively asked to be bailed, which caused the Lords to write to the Commons ‘to hasten Proceedings against the Bishops with all Expedition’. On the 4th of May the Lords received the Commons bill for the forfeiture of the lands and estates of the bishops. The following day the bishops submitted another petition stating:
That whereas your Petitioners have remained in Prison Eighteen Weeks, under a very sad and chargeable Restraint, to the great impairing of their Healths and Estates. They most humbly pray this most Honourable House now to admit them to an Enlargement, by Bail, or otherwise, as to this High Court shall seem fit.
It was agreed that they should be bailed if they had sureties for their bail. Subsequently Piers was bailed on 6 May 1642. The two men who stood bail for him were Sir Edward Fish (1579-1658) of Westminster, and Sir Robert Filmer63 (c. 1588 – 26 May 1653) a political theorist; Fish and Filmer married daughters of Alice Heton a sister of Sir James Weston knight (d. 10 Dec. 1633) Baron of the Exchequer.64 After leaving the Tower Piers eventually went to live on his estate at Denton in Oxfordshire.65
Transcript
Note that text in angular brackets is interlined. Text in square brackets is supplied by the authors where the original has been damaged.
Mr: Jett
Their was a caveat entred by Mr: Heath in the behalfe of my Lord of Corke concerninge Merston Bigott that noe Clearke should be admitted thereunto, untill my Lord or Mr Heath were acquainted therewith; The Benefice hath bin voyd now a quarter of a year and I did sent twice or thrice to Mr. Heath to write to my Lord of Corke, or to my Lords Steward for selection, or to his solicitour; that if my lord did intend to prosecute his clayme of patronage, his Counsell might be Instructed; and then I muste appoint a day to heare the Cause; but I have heard nothinge at all from any of them. Now I understand that Mr. Thomas Thynne hath [entered] a caveat by Mr: Valentine Powell, in behalf [of] his owne right; but he hath presented noe Clear[k] But Sr. James Thynne who layes Clayme to the patronage hath presented his Clearke and desired admittance for him at Christmas <last>; but I told him what was done in the behalfe of my lord of Corke, and of his Brother; for his Brother his Answear was that they two would agree but for my Lord of Corke he desired that a short day might be appointed and that his Lordship or some [one] instructed for him might be sent unto66 to informe Counsell, that the businesse might receive an ord;67 at my request he hath stayed all this while but now he desires agayne the Admittance of his Clearke yet at my intreaty he is content to stay a fortnight or thereabouts (which is a competent tyme of warninge after all this stay68 I sufer whether any will appear for my lord. I pray therefore tell Mr: Heathe that I have appointed the 22th day of this Instant March to heare this businesse <here> in London and lett this be done before two witnesses and doe you make a note thereof In the meane tyme Mr. Heathe may send to my Lorde Steward or solicitour and he or they may send to my lord of Corke and have an Answeare before that tyme; if Mr. Heathe will withdrawe his caveat; lett it be done under his hand and before two witnesses; speak likewise to Mr. Valentine Powell; that either he would send to Mr. Thomas Thynne to send to Counsell to make <good> his clayme, or els that he would withdraw his caveat in that manner as I have reported before, what note you take, send it mee up, that I may have it against the day appointed; be carefull to doe this I pray, and lett me hear from you, for I rest
your very Assured
Tower 4o friend
Mar: 1641 Guil: Bath: & Wells
Acknowledgements. I am grateful to Dr Robert Dunning for his comments on this paper and to Sue Berry for her help with the transcription of the letter by Piers.
1. W. Hunt, The Somerset diocese, Bath and Wells (1885), 204.
2. M. Stieg, Laud’s laboratory, the diocese of Bath and Wells in the early seventeenth century (1982); D. Underdown, Somerset in the civil war and interregnum (1973); T.G. Barnes, Somerset 1625-1640: a country’s government during the ‘Personal Rule’ (1961).
3. M. Dorman, ‘Piers, William (bap. 1580, d. 1670)’ in O.D.N.B..
4. W.C.A., Cf6/7 Chapter acts, 1632, pp.122-3.
5. Dorman, ‘Piers’ in O.D.N.B..
6. Underdown, Somerset, 25.
7. S.H.C., D/D/Oc/folder 1640 Bellamie to Jett, 26 December 1640.
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Piers (accessed 21 May 2019).
9. S.H.C., D/D/Oc/folder 1641-2, 1644 Bellamie to Jett, 29 May 1641.
10. S.H.C., D/D/Oc/folder 1641-2, 1644 Bellamie to Jett, 10 July 1641.
11. D. Neal, The history of the Puritans: or, Protestant Non-Conformists, from the death of Queen Elizabeth to the beginning of the Civil War in the year 1642 ..., vol. 2 (Dublin, 1755), 382.
12. J.C. Payton, ‘London in the first Civil War, 1642-46, with particular reference to the Tower of London’, M.A. thesis, University of Leeds, 2015.
13. J. Rushworth, Historical collections of private passages of State: vol. 4, 1640-42 (London, 1721), 436-71.
14. Rushworth, Historical Collections, 494-503.
15. Journal of the House of Lords: Vol. 4, 1629-42 (1767-1830), entry for 17 January 1642, pp. 518-522.
16. Rushworth, Historical Collections, 552-558.
17. J.C. Payton, ‘London in the first Civil War, 1642-46, with particular reference to the Tower of London’, M.A. thesis, University of Leeds, 2015.
18. Bishop W. Piers, A sermon preached at the Tower, February 20, 1641. Being upon the Sabbath day (1641/2) and Two sermons preached in the Tower. The former, on Sunday the 10 day of January the latter on Sunday the 24 day of April 1642 (1642).
19. S.H.C., D/D/Oc folder 1641, Piers to Jett, 4 March 1641/2.
20. Steig, Laud’s laboratory, 172.
21. H.M.C. Wells, 418.
22. J. Stokes ed., Records of Early English Drama: Somerset (Toronto, 1996), 98, 101, 150, 208, 385, 390-391, 686-687, 706.
23. S.H.C., D/D/cta.
24. British Museum Dept. of Manuscripts, A catalogue of the Lansdowne manuscripts (1819), 233.
25. S.H.C., D/D/Oc folder 1641, Piers to Jett, 4 March 1641/2.
26. M. McGarvie, Marston Bigot church and parish (1987), 7. The Thynnes sold the privilege to the Earl of Cork and Orrery in 1805 for £2632.
27. M. McGarvie, The book of Marston Bigot (1987), 176.
28. S.H.C., D/D/Oc folder 1641, Piers to Jett, 4 March 1641/2.
29. McGarvie, Marston Bigot church and parish, 32; C.C.E.d.
30. F.W. Weaver ed., Somerset incumbents (1889), 138.
31. S.H.C., D/D/Oc folder 1641, Piers to Jett, 4 March 1641/2.
32. Weaver, Somerset incumbents, 138; McGarvie, Marston Bigot church and parish, 37.
33. Weaver, Somerset incumbents, 138; McGarvie, Marston Bigot church and parish, 37.
34. D.O. Shilton and R. Holworthy eds, Wells City charters, S.R.S. 46 (1932), 187.
35. A. Nott and J. Hasler eds, Wells Convocation act books, 1589-1629, S.R.S. 90-91 (2004), 56, 70, 82, 102, 119, 128, 167, 171.
36. Nott and Hasler, Wells, 1589-1629, 481.
37. S.H.C., D/P/w.st.c/2/1/1 Wells St Cuthbert parish register, 1609-1688.
38. Rev. F. Brown, Abstracts of Somersetshire wills, 1st Series (1887), 12.
39. 73 and 75 High Street was rented by Jett from Wells Corporation in 1642 and 1662 (A.J. Scrase and J. Hasler, eds, Wells Corporation properties S.R.S. 87 (2002), 111, 191).
40. S.H.C., D/P/w.st.c/2/1/1 Wells St Cuthbert parish register, 1609-1688.
41. C.C.E.d.
42. W.C.A., ADD/2387.
43. 20 Tucker Street was rented by Jett from Wells Corporation in 1642 and 1662 (A.J. Scrase and J. Hasler, eds, Wells Corporation properties S.R.S. 87 (2002), 122, 211.
44. S.H.C., D/P/w.st.c/2/1/1 Wells St Cuthbert parish register, 1609-1688.
45. Rev. F. Brown, Abstracts of Somersetshire wills, 4th series (1890), 81.
46. H.M.C. Wells, 422.
47. Brown, Somersetshire wills, 1st series, 19. No mention is made of Jane in this will as she had died before 1632.
48. H.M.C. Wells, 430.
49. S.H.C., D/P/w.st.c 4/1/1 Wells St Cuthbert churchwardens’ accounts, 1648-1677.
50. M.A.E. Green ed., Calendar of the Proceedings of the Committee for Compounding, Etc., 1643-1660: preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty’s Public Record Office, vol. 2, part 2 (1890), 1333.
51. M.A.E. Green ed., Calendar, Committee for the Advance of Money: part 2, 1645-1650 (1888), 1105.
52. T.N.A., C 8/123/32; C 6/132/113; C 10/2/26; C 10/5/24; C 6/108/10; C 8/126/62; C 9/22/130. See also D. Underdown, ‘A Case concerning Bishops’ Lands: Cornelius Burges and the Corporation of Wells’ in The English Historical Review, vol. 78, no. 306 (Jan., 1963), 18-48.
53. H.M.C. Wells, 431.
54. H.M.C. Wells, 433.
55. H.M.C. Wells, 714.
56. H.M.C. Wells, 439. Ezekiel was Alexander’s son by Sarah Abraham who was baptised on 18 April 1636 at Wells St Cuthbert.
57. T.N.A., C 6/122/178 Willoughby v Willoughby, 1653.
58. London Metropolitan Archives, CLC/L/HA/C/011/MS15860/005 Worshipful Company of Haberdashers - Register of apprentice bindings, 1610-1655; CLC/L/HA/C/007/MS15857/002 Worshipful Company of Haberdashers - Register of freedom admissions, 1642-1772.
59. T.N.A., PROB 11/316/455 will of Alexander Jett, 26 April 1665.
60. Rev. F. Brown, Abstracts of Somersetshire Wills, 3rd series (1889), 119-120.
61. S.H.C., D/P/w.st.c 4/1/1 Wells St Cuthbert churchwardens’ accounts, 1648-1677.
62. A.J. Scrase and J. Hasler eds, Wells Corporation properties S.R.S. 87 (2002), 155.
63. Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 5, 1642-1643 (1767-1830), entry for 6 May 1642, p. 49.
64. J. and G.F. Matthews eds, Sentences and complete index nominum (probates and sentences) for the years 1630-1639 (1907), 89.
65. S.H.C., D/D/Oc/folder 1641-2, 1644 Bellamie to Jett, 25 June 1642. Denton had been purchased by Piers (by 1622) when he was Bishop of Peterborough (Victoria County History of Oxfordshire, vol. 5). Denton is in the parish of Cudesden and after the bishop’s lands were sold, Piers ‘lived retiredly on a considerable estate of his own, (sometimes at Cudesden near Oxon)’ (A. Wood, Athenae Oxonienses (1815), 840-1).
66. A word following this could be ‘him’ that was omitted by the bishop.
67. The letters ‘er’ are missing from the end of this word.
68. The closing bracket is missing and could have been written here.
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