The town of Bourne was practically destroyed by two serious fires during the early part of the 17th century. On 25th March 1637, an outbreak began at the potteries in the eastern area of the town and the greater part of Potter Street, Eastgate and Eaugate, were burned down. But the more serious blaze which had attracted concern throughout the country, broke out on St Bartholomew's Eve, 23rd August 1605, and raged for three days. Not a house in Manor Street was left standing and the distress of the homeless and ruined people was so great that King James I ordered special sermons to be preached in St Paul's Cathedral and other churches with an appeal for help to relieve them.
THE
FOLLOWING IS A VERBATIM COPY OF THE ROYAL PROCLAMATION
Jacobus Rex:- James, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, - To all and singular, Archbishops, Bishops, deans, and their officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and to all spiritual persons; And also to all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffes, Bayliffes, Constables, Churchwardens, and Head-boroughs; and to all officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Towns corporate; and to all other officers, Ministers, and subjects whatsoever they be, as well within Liberties as without, to whom these presents shall come, greeting;-
Whereas, We have been given very credibly to understand by ye Testimoniall of divers Justices of the Peace within our Counties of Lincolne, that our poor subjects the inhabitants of our Towne of Bourne, in our said Countie of Lincolne, by reason of a greate misfortune of Fyer, which utterly consumed our said Towne of Bourne with all their goods and substance therein, amounting to the value of ten thousand pounds; to the undoing of our sayd poor subjects, their wives and children; who, having been before able to live in some competent sort, are now harbourlesse, and brought to that extreame Poverty and want, as they are like to starve, except they be charitably holpen and relieved, by the good devotion and benevolence of our well-disposed People, in that behalf.
And Whereas, we tendering the lamentable estate and losses of the sayd distressed Inhabitants of Bourne, together with the earnest suit of all our sayd Justices made unto Us on their behalfes, and having a due and Royal care for the preservation and maintenance of our subjects; and esteeming no other thing to be more necessary than the re-edifying, building, and erecting of decayed Townes, and the relieving of the poor distressed people of this our Realme;
Have been pleased that a Collection of the charitable devotion of our well-disposed subjects in that behalfe, shoud be made within some part of this Our realme, by certaine Persons nominated by ye Inhabitants of ye sayd Towne of Bourne for that Purpose.
Know ye, therefore, that We of Our especiall Grace and princely compassion, given and granted by these our Letters Patents, doe give and grant to the sayd Inhabitants of our sayd Towne of Bourne, and to their Deputie, the Bearer hereof, full power, licence and authoritie, to aske, gather, receive, and take the Almes, and charitable devotion of all Our loving subjects whatsoever inhabiting within our Citie of London and the Suburbs thereof. Our Counties of Middlesex, Kent, Sussex, Surry, Hartford, Essex, Suffolke, Norfolke, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Rutland, Northampton, Wiltes, Southampton, Barks, Bucks, Oxforde with the Universitie, Warwick, Worcester, Leycester, Nottinghame, Darbye, Yorke, Lincolne; and in all Cities, Townes corporate, privileged places, Parishes, Villages, and in all other Places whatsoever within our said Counties, and not elsewhere, for and towards the new building and erecting of the sayd Towne of Bourne, and the relieving of all such our sayd distressed Subjects as have sustayned loss and decaye, by the misfortune of the sayd Fyer.
Wherefore We will and command you, and every of you that as such time and times s any of the Inhabitants of the sayd Towne of Bourne, or their deputy the Bearer hereof, shall come and repair to any of your Churches or other Places, to aske, gather, and receive, the gratuities and charitable devotion of our sayd subjects, ye shall quietly permit and suffer them so to doe, without any manner your lets, interruptions, or contradictions.
And you, the sayd Parsons, Vicars and Curates, for the better stirring up of a charitable devotion, shall deliberately publish and declare the Tenour of these our Letters Patents unto Our sayd Subjects, exhorting and persuading them to extend their liberal contributions in so good and charitable a deed; And this shall ye do, notwithstanding any Statute, Lawe, Ordinance, or Provision, heretofore made to the contrarie.
For witness hereof we have caused these our letters to be made Patents for the space of Two whole Yeares next after the date hereof to endure.
Witness Ourselfe at Westminster the fifteenth day of October in the third year of Our Raigne of England, France and Ireland; and of Scotland the nine and thirtieth.
JAMES - Rex.
God Save the King. Oct. 15th, 1605. |
