SOUTHAMPTON COURT LEET RECORD, 1578-1602.
Southampton Court Leet Record, 1578-1602. Vol. I., Part 2. (H. M. Gilbert and Son, Southampton.)—This volume con- tains, as may be supposed, a large collection of items of varied interest. The most frequent entries concern the clearing away of refuse, repairs to roads, buildings, and ditches. The " cucking stool" is to be renewed; Frenchmen are not to be allowed to sell by retail ; complaint is made of the Rector for using wafer bread "contrary to statute" ; idle persons are to be expelled ; the porters are not to play at cards and dice ; Widow Walker is to be examined by five or six "honest matrons" to see whether she has witch marks ; " the cobblers, Gudgen excepted, use bad leather" ; "the vintners use small measures"; "John Elliot, a glover, is not to sell other things,"—what would the Southampton Magistrates have said to the Stores? But perhaps the gem of the collection is this,—we modernise the spelling. " There has been complaint made of a dog, between a mastiff and a mongrel, of Peter Quoyte, which has strong qualities by himself, which going loose abroad, doth many times offend the neighbours, and will fetch out of their houses whole pieces of meat, as loins of mutton and veal and such like, and a pasty of venison, and a whole pound of candles at a time, and will not spoil it by the way, but carry it whole to his master's house, which being a profitable dog for his master, yet because he is offensive to many, it is not sufferable; wherefore his. master hath forfeit for every time 3s. 4d."
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